//------------------------------// // Ch.7 - Bonus Chapter - Fate of Alola (Greatly improved version) // Story: A Little Adventure in Alola // by CommanderX5 //------------------------------// A Little Adventure in Alola - Bonus Chapter - Fate of Alola After facing countless battles within the Aether Foundation, Astra and Emily now stood in the rooftop plaza. The structure was pockmarked with numerous cracks and holes, a testament to the power of the Guardians’ companions and those of their enemies. The final Team Rocket grunts to face the duo lay slumped unconscious against a damaged satellite array, their stolen pokemon heaped around them. The mansion rising in the center of the plaza now bore a few cracks, but still stood strong and intact. Astra regretted damaging a facility meant for the protection of endangered pokemon, but with Ultra Beasts reinforcing Team Rocket’s numbers, such damage was unavoidable. Glancing over her shoulder, Astra beheld Umbreon, Mimikyu and Starmie lying prone on the cracked tiles, covered with wounds inflicted in their desperate battle. Her whole team urgently needed a visit to a pokemon Center, but as much as she wished to protect her exhausted pokemon from further harm, leaving now was out of the question. Part of Astra’s plan involved releasing several of her pokemon in order to command more than six during the assault. Their bond not that of trainer and pokemon, but one of family, and family stand together to the bitter end. The only downside was that the pokemon that were released could not be recalled back into their pokeballs. It was up to Nica to deflect pokeballs thrown to capture her wounded companions. Astra noted that the plaza was spacious and flat, a fitting battlefield to host the final battle. Ahead of the duo stood Giovanni, whose team was already unable to put up any further resistance. From the durable Rhyperior to the Kantonian Persian which seemed to be more of a mascot than an actual threat, all were covered in various wounds, ensuring their defeat. And yet, despite the condition of his party, and the complete lack of any grunts to back him up, that confident smirk still remained on his face, his attitude cool and collected. A brush of fur against Astra’s leg prompted her to look down at her partner. Nica’s fur was covered in burns and cuts, yet her resolve remained unbroken, as strong and unwavering as the gleaming metallic tail raised over her head. From everyone in the world, she could count on her partner to overcome endless obstacles and still have strength and stamina to carry on. Nica was not out of this yet.  Emily’s team wasn’t unscathed either. A glance to her left revealed Ace curled in Emily’s arms, barely conscious, and the rest of her team wasn’t faring much better, with the exception of one pokemon who remained relatively healthy, saving his strength for a last ditch effort along with one of Astra’s team according to her plan. Ace breathed heavily, eyes glistening with tears borne from the sadness of not being able to help his sister any further. An assortment of modern armor and weapons lay scattered on the battlefield, all in varying states of damage or destruction from the mighty battles fought over the past few hours. Emily and Astra stood, panting and sweating, each decorated with an assortment of minor injuries. The fight had exhausted all of the Guardians’ healing supplies, bags full of their empty potions lying discarded. Astra’s Blissey was unable to provide any further assistance either, sleeping within her Luxury Ball after having exhausted herself by using Softboiled over and over. “I must say, I am rather impressed,” Giovanni drawled, clapping his hands in a slow, mocking manner. “From poison gas and stunning powder to ambushes, we threw everything we had into your path, but you tore through it like it was nothing. That Raichu of yours is particularly annoying. Without her mastery of defense, skills and redirection, you’d be as good as dead.” Nica ignored the complement, fur bristling and electricity sparking from her cheeks. “Face it Giovanni, you’re finished!” Emily cried, glaring at the villain. “Your men and beasts have fallen. There is no escape. This ends here!”  Keeping one eye on her enemy, Astra looked at the mansion behind him, which still held half of the prisoners, hoping her partner wouldn’t be forced to deal with a hostage situation. “Oh Emily, how I pity your naiveté.” Giovanni chuckled, shaking his head. “This battle is far from over. Astra, be a dear and explain to your subordinate why this is so.” “Giovanni used his personal pokemon, but not a single Ultra Beast,” Astra explained. “I have a hunch that he has a few very strong specimens kept for him to use in a last resort. That last resort is now his only option. This is his final stand.” “Very good. As always, I admire your forward thinking.” Giovanni replied, clapping his mocking applause once again. Astra’s lips quirked up into a small smile as she approached Giovanni with slow, deliberate steps. “It runs in the family, which is why you should know that there’s no hope for your victory, even with those powerful beasts at your disposal.” “Oh really, and why is that?” Giovanni asked, raising an eyebrow. Before Astra could answer, she spotted a Rocket grunt walking out from the mansion, carrying two pokeballs on a golden pillow. One looked like a Beast Ball, while another had a mix of black and white, looking similar to an Ultra Ball but slightly more advanced. Nica darted forward, but before she could swat the pokeballs off the pillow, the Rocket grunt released both pokemon.  The first landed on the roof with a crash and a slight tremor. It was a rotund being, mostly black with yellow highlighting around the massive mouth that encompassed most of its torso. A tiny head rested upon its massive shoulders, and two pairs of very different limbs protruded from its upper and lower body. A stubby tail tipped with a spiked ball swayed slightly behind it. The beast’s evil little eyes fixed themselves upon Nica, and the many teeth within its colossal mouth began to rotate with a faint whining noise.  The second looked like a corrupted version of Solgaleo, with a similar, regal mane spiked with gold accents. Two black claws snared through the beast’s mane and blended in with the creature’s black coat. It gave a ferocious roar and prowled forward, a deep growl rumbling in its throat. Nica leaped back, resuming her fighting stance with sparks darting from her cheeks. Giovanni gestured at his ultimate weapons, his face betraying his sinister joy. “Allow me to introduce Guzzlord. Don’t mistake it for any ordinary beast. Where I obtained it from, this monster alone devoured entire cities, forcing civilisation to escape over the sea as the last remnants of their defenses were decimated. While my scientists only had the intel and resources to take control of a limited number of beasts…” “You ordered them to use two thirds of the resources to take control of Guzzlord and that titanic pokemon from earlier,” Astra cut in, continuing her slow advance. “He’s ‘Dark’ and ‘Dragon’ type.” She had interrogated the Team Rocket scientists and searched notes in the lab during the attack in order to learn more about what Giovanni may have in store. Guzzlord roared, causing Astra, Nica and Emily to shift their stances and shield their faces with their forelimbs as they withstood the Ultra Beast’s might. A strong red aura of power flashed into being around the large monster. “I see. Clever. If that’s the case, you must be aware of my other servant,” Giovanni said, gesturing at his armored lion. “Dusk Mane Necrozma.” “‘Psychic’ and ‘Steel’ type. You took control of Necrozma and used it to hunt down the legendary pokemon Solgaleo, combining their forms in the process.” Astra crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “I must admit, you really stepped up in your game this past week.” Giovanni put hands into his pocket. “True, true. Unfortunately, I lost a few of my better members in order to capture them, Necrozma in particular, but their sacrifice won’t be in vain. Now, enlighten me, pokemon Master Astra! How do you plan to come out on top against such odds when your subordinates are busy fighting my men, and nearly all of your pokemon, not to mention yourself, are at their limits?” “I do have the means to win this battle, a little something I prepared in advance just for this encounter.” Astra smiled, a normal innocent, cheerful smile. “However, even if we lose here, you’re still finished.” Giovanni raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side slightly. “After our infiltration, your beasts lost all their respect towards their masters, so even if you win, they’ll rebel against you. It means no army of unstoppable beasts, and your remaining subordinates aren’t exactly all that competent.” She smirked. “In other words, your organization won’t intimidate anyone and won’t conquer anything. You may still have the hostages, but no power, and in the end the people and trainers of Alola will stop you.”  Astra laid a hand on her chest, adding, “If I can’t protect the world, I’ll become a stepping stone for others to succeed where I fail. This is the life I’ve chosen for myself, and my pokemon... no, my family, have decided to support me all the way.” Giovanni laughed cruelly, before taking an unknown device from his pocket and attaching it to his wrist. “Allow me to dash your hope and confidence.” Without hesitation, he recalled Dusk Mane Necrozma, only for the device to shine with power. The pokeball in his hand grew in size, becoming twice the size of his head. Pivoting on his heel, Giovanni flung the enlarged ball behind him, releasing a titanic monster. The gigantic armored lion landed on the roof with a thunderous crash, cracks forming as its massive paws threatened to break through the reinforced composite material. Dark, red-hued clouds formed above the gigantic pokemon’s head. Necrozma roared, once again forcing the trio to endure its raw power. Astra gasped, staring in shock at the giant, before glaring at Giovanni in anger. “Caught off guard? Of course you are. You were never good at facing unpredictable situations.” He chuckled.”I learned many tricks while preparing glorious return of my organization. I may have lost my titan, but this is a suitable replacement. With Dusk Necrozma, I’ll regain respect of all Ultra Beasts and rebuild my army.” “But how is this happening here?” Emily blurted out. “The Dynamax phenomenon only occurs in Galar. There’s no power spot providing the energy!” “Emily, you can’t be that naive. With a bit of money and advanced technology, any power source can be replicated,” Giovanni purred. “Unfortunately, with all my resources used to capture Guzzlord and Necrozma, I could only afford to Dynamax only one pokemon, but it is all I need.“ Astra looked at her pokeballs, quickly considering her options. While she had prepared a countermeasure against Giovanni’s two elite pokemon, she didn’t account for a Dynamaxed Legendary pokemon opposing her. It didn’t help that Nica and Ace had both already used their Z-moves, leaving her at a disadvantage against such a foe. Still, while Dynamax was far superior to Mega Evolution in terms of durability and power, it did have one glaring weakness, one that her partner was more than capable of taking advantage of. “Nica, I know I’m asking a lot, but you must fight Necrozma and Guzzlord at the same time. Use strategy sixty three!” Astra ran away, giving her partner a confident glance. Nica nodded, darting forward despite the odds. In order to not give away her tactics to her opponents, Astra often taught her pokemon different strategies in advance and named them with numbers. She could only hope it would capture her opponent off guard. Giovanni pointed at the Raichu and commanded, “Dusk Mane Necrozma, slice this Raichu into ribbons with ‘Psycho Cut’. Guzzlord, attack with Crunch and devour what’s left!” Nica leaped to the side, barely evading a gigantic lavender blade, which pierced through the edge of the building, cutting it off. The wide psychic blade struck the water’s surface with a massive splash, several tons of rubble from the building following a few moments later, leaving several water-dwelling pokemon bobbing face down on the surface. She then jumped over Guzzlord’s limbs in two quick bounds. Seeing the follow up ‘Psycho Cut’ speeding towards her, she ran towards the legs of the Ultra Beast, then backflipped, avoiding the large jaw-like appendage which tried to grab her with its teeth, only for the second ‘Psycho Cut’ to hit Guzzlord’s back.  Despite the beast being ‘Dark’ type, the strike proved powerful enough to leave a mark, angering Guzzlord, who jumped at Necrozma, attacking him with ‘Crunch’ for super-effective damage. Strategy sixty three, use opponents larger size and make them hit each other, using her agility and strength of her enemies against them. Did she believe she could win with this strategy? No. Giovanni was undoubtedly too smart to fall for this trick multiple times, but the fate of Alola or maybe even the entire world rested on her shoulders and she would fight to her last breath. The roof was scored with cracks and fissures, seemingly ready to crumble at any moment. Astra and Emily watched Guzzlord, who held an injured Nica with its limbs, gnawing into her fur and adding to the cuts that decorated most of her body. Dusk Mane Necrozma began shining with blue light, shrinking a few metres every second before finally returning to its regular size. It landed next to the devourer of cities, armor covered in burns. Guzzlord seemed injured as well, the red aura surrounding its body wavering and vanishing. Despite Nica’s best efforts at making the two powerhouses fight each other and using every last ounce of her strength and willpower during this battle, there was only so much her weakened body could accomplish. She could only scream in pain and struggle futilely in the Ultra Beast’s cruel grasp, her tail flickering silver, unable to draw on the power of ‘Iron Tail’ any further. Ace wriggled in Emily’s hold, wanting to join the battlefield despite his exhaustion. Astra grit her teeth before switching the device on her wrist, replacing her Z-Power Ring with a device similar to Giovanni’s. She glanced at Emily. “Giovanni’s ‘Dynamax’ ran out of power. Now’s our chance! Unleash our secret weapon!” “Finally!” Emily shouted before replacing her own inactive Z-ring. She gently placed Ace at her feet before grabbing one of her pokeballs. “You sure took your time.” Astra did the same, and both pokeballs grew in size. With a bit of effort, Astra and Emily threw the large pokeballs ahead, unleashing what they had held in reserve for the final battle. “Dynamax? Is this what you had prepared against me this whole time?” Giovanni asked, taking a step back, his ever-confident expression showing signs of strain. His enjoyment at seeing Nica’s torture was interrupted as his attention focused on two gigantic foes. A massively long tail landed on the roof, which crumpled like paper as a gigantic Primarina sank two floors deeper into the building. His fins pushed aside damaged satellites like children’s toys, Team Rocket members barely out of unconsciousness fleeing in terror. A deafening, yet melodious singing noise could be heard all the way on the islands in the distance. Next to him, a titanic multi-tailed fox drew himself up to his full height. Ninetales stood proudly despite his paws sinking into the upper floors of the building, his tails fanning out behind him, one accidently pushing Emily, Astra and Ace away. His golden fur could be seen from miles away as Kahunas, Guardians and Professor Kukui observed the phenomenon from the islands. The sky turned even darker than before, now filled with the flames of Ninetales and the haunting melody of Primarina’s song, before the rays of the sun suddenly pierced through the dark clouds, the air temperature quickly reaching a comparative level to a desert drought, thanks to Ninetales’ ability. Ninetales growled before biting Guzzlord, freeing Nica in the process. With a shake of his head, he pushed the Ultra Beast against the wall of the mansion, cracking the wall from the impact. Primarina whimpered sadly, gently sliding the very tip of his gigantic fin under the injured Raichu before sliding her into Astra’s embrace. Both gigantic pokemon then focused their attention on their opponents, both determined to win and justifiably enraged. Giovanni walked backward, taking a moment to regain his composure. “Photon Geyser! Dragon Claw!”  Guzzlord lumbered forward and leapt towards the gigantic Ninetales, swinging its glowing limbs with a hunger for revenge, only for Primarina’s large fin to block the attack like a massive shield, not receiving a single scratch. His other fin slammed against Guzzlord, pinning it against the roof. The Ultra Beast wrestled against Primarina’s fin, displaying incredible strength, yet the gigantic size of the Sea Emperor proved too much for the devourer. Ninetales pounced forward, his gigantic body shimmering with the power of ‘Calm Mind’. The powerful beam exploded against his fur, leaving big bruises that the pokemon ignored. “Primarina, use ‘Moonblast’ against Guzzlord. It’s incredibly weak to Fairy-type attacks!” Emily commanded. The Soloist pokemon started singing from the bottom of his lungs, summoning a house-sized pink orb which looked more like an explosive moon. Guzzlord wriggled and struggled, trying to break free from the two gigantic fins that held it from both sides. Using ‘Crunch,’ it gnashed at a fin with all its power again and again, a grimace of pain forming on Primarina’s serene features, yet it did little to prevent ‘Moonblast’ from being unleashed. The orb completely filled the massive mouth of the town-devouring beast, striking with the power of a falling star and blasting it into the sea with a gigantic explosion. Primarina leapt into the sky, his sheer size meaning the action took fifteen seconds, soaring over the artificial island and diving into the water to continue the battle on his home turf. With a splash that sent a geyser of water higher than the entire foundation, he disappeared beneath the waves. The water began to settle, then erupted with a frenzy of splashing and roaring surf, noises of intense battle emanating from underwater, explosions and blasts that shook the seas the only indication of the brutal exchange taking place within the depths. “Ninetales, the hostages are inside that mansion. Be careful!” Astra warned, wary of the danger to those they had come to save. Ninetales gave a nod, holding back the attack he had been charging until Dusk Mane Necrozma flew away from the mansion and into the open sky. Giovanni gritted his teeth, fists clenched in helpless rage, but he knew there was nothing more he could do. Without waiting for a command, Necrozma concentrated, charging and unleashing ‘Prismatic Laser’ at the gigantic Ninetales.  “Calm Mind!” Astra commanded. “Tank it and counterattack when you see an opening!” Ninetales padded forward, fur once again shimmering with power as the massive beam struck Ninetales’ cheek and chest. The Fox pokemon struggled against it, refusing to back down even as the surrounding roof started to melt from the intense heat. The door and wall of the mansion began melting as well due to their proximity to the impacted area, as the scent of singed fur filled the air. Ninetales reared up on his hind paws, pushing against the powerful beam before slapping his paws together over Necrozma, holding the struggling legendary in his grasp. With the power of both ‘Calm Mind’s empowering his body and the intense sunlight strengthening his Fire-type attacks, he unleashed ‘Flamethrower,’ the flaring inferno scorching the armor of the pokemon alongside the edge of the foundation building. Astra watched the battle intently, before looking down at the injured Raichu she was cradling in her arms. “Nica… I… I’m sorry,” she said, holding back tears, wondering if she had made a miscalculation. In her original plan, she had wanted to use Dynamax on Primarina and Ninetales, and with their help, defeat Giovanni’s secret weapons, which is why she saved strength of those two pokemon whenever she could. The artificial source of power needed for Dynamax had already been prepared by her engineers in advance, and an experimental power cell was safely secured in each of her and Emily’s packs, made for only the most dire of circumstances. However, when Giovanni used Dynamax on Dusk Mane Necrozma, she wasn’t sure if her plan would work, which is why she send Nica to fight both powerhouses at the same time, trying to tire her enemies and buy time until Necrozma would shrink back to its regular size. But was it really necessary? Maybe Primarina and Ninetales would have won anyway, without putting Nica through so much pain and danger.  Astra was shaken from her thoughts by the feeling of Nica’s paw touching her cheek. The pokemon made no sound, just looking back at her with a proud smile. There was something in Nica’s gaze that portrayed tired accomplishment, as if the pokemon felt proud, happy and fulfilled from what she just did. Astra matched Nica’s smile with a relieved one of her own, then embraced the exhausted Raichu tighter against her chest, her furry brow nuzzled into the crook of Astra’s neck. “Thank you. I’m so, so proud of you.” A deafening boom came from the direction of the battling pokemon as Necrozma struck the titanic Ninetales with a powerful blast, who in return assaulted the legendary pokemon with a gigantic pillar of flames, finally sending the armored lion crashing down into the remains of the plaza. The tender moment between Nica and Astra was interrupted as the roof and upper part of the building finally started to crumble.  The sound of a very large creature breaching the waves announced the return of Primarina, who emerged from the ocean, staring at the Aether Foundation in worry. His face, fins, left shoulder and numerous spots on his immense tail were covered in bite-marks, but the unconscious Ultra Beast lying atop his head spoke volumes of his victory. While the beast had proved powerful enough to raze entire cities to the ground, even such a monster couldn’t stand against the Dynamaxed Water/Fairy pokemon. Ninetales curled himself around the mansion, his fangs clenched tightly together and sweat beading on his fur as he held the mansion stable, preventing it from crumbling alongside the rest of the roof. Dusk Mane Necrozma was engulfed in golden light, which quickly faded to reveal two pokemon, both lying unconscious amidst the rubble. Ace struggled to balance his trembling legs upon his tail, holding Astra, Emily, Nica, Mimikyu and Starmie in his ‘Psychic’ aura, and Umbreon in Emily’s embrace, as the humans and their partners looked upon the wreckage beneath them. While Team Rocket has been bested, the hostages secured and Alola saved, the Foundation was going to need major repairs in the near future. Giovanni grimaced as he shoved rubble off of himself, attempting to struggle to his feet. His uniform was now covered in a fine veil of dust, adorned with rips and tears here and there. Before he could regain his bearings, an immense paw flattened him to the ground with a grunt. A familiar blue light shone from above, then faded to reveal Ninetales sitting on Giovanni’s back, dissuading him from moving by growling in his ear. Astra towered over the defeated boss of Team Rocket, and the two of them stared at each other. Nearly ten years after her parents and their organization was destroyed by the man before her, Astra had finally avenged them, and ruined Team Rocket once and for all. Giovanni gritted his teeth for a moment, then relaxed his tense muscles, an expression of calm acceptance on his face. “Well played, Astra Longshot. Well played.” “You seem rather composed for someone who just lost his entire organization,” Astra commented, maintaining her hostile glare.  Giovanni sighed, continuing in a somewhat sorrowful tone. “Don’t get me wrong, I still hate it. I hate that the day my organization had reached the peak of its power, it was crushed into dust. I hate that I lost the most important battle in my life.” His lips quirked upwards slightly. “But in the end, part of me is glad that the one to bring down everything I strove for… was you. If it were anyone else, I’d be furious at myself.” “Funny… because part of me is satisfied that I was the one to take you down,” Astra replied. She glanced at the battered Ninetales. “I’m also glad that my mother’s partner had the privilege of dealing the final blow.” Ninetales gave a firm nod of agreement, eyes glowing with satisfaction. “From one leader to another, it was a fine battle, Astra. I accept my defeat,” Giovanni proclaimed. While he was a crime boss and conqueror at heart, part of him was also a trainer, a Gym Leader, and after today’s long ongoing battle, leading his men and facing Astra and her subordinates, he found himself feeling oddly satisfied. Not that he would abandon his ambition or lust for power. He would still seek a way to escape from prison and rebuild his crime syndicate, but after today's titanic struggle, his heart burned anew with competitive spirit. Maybe one day he would face Astra again, not as a villain to a hero, but one trainer facing another in an honest battle.  Yeah… like that would ever happen. Nica observed the defeated boss from her spot in Astra’s embrace, ignoring her burning muscles and aching bones. The only emotion in her mind was satisfaction. It was a little strange, come to think of it. In the past, she had often felt as though her accomplishments were nothing in comparison to how powerful she had become over the years due to harsh training and struggles, but after spending time with her hero, something finally clicked in her heart. Never before had she ever felt as fulfilled as she did now. She had helped save Alola, no, the entire world from Team Rocket’s slavery and helped her partner’s greatest desire be realised. And now she had an amazing story to tell her hero, one that was sure to impress him. An exciting and action-filled story that she could share, making their farewell all the more special, before they finally went their separate ways.