Pokémon Eclipse

by moviemaster8510

Chapter 66 – Paradise Lost

Twilight came down fast as she passed over a large mansion attached to the Aether Paradise, the feet of the friends she carried in her magic just barely making it over the ceiling. With a slight pull up, Twilight landed herself and Sun, Glaidon, and Lillie onto the floor outside the main building, Spike swinging himself off her back to dismount. Keeping up their momentum, the five of them ran at the large open entrance with their sights on the lift inside the center of it.

Walking inside, it wasn’t abnormal that there were only a few people walking about. They were mostly for security, as most of the other employees and researchers in the facility were in their beds sleeping the night off for the next day of work. This suited Sun and the others just fine; they’d be in and out with little interference.

Appearing from around the other hallway, Wicke spotted Sun and the others running at the lift, their speed causing her to hop back in shock. “Sun, sir!” She then recognized Lillie, Gladion, Twilight, and Spike behind him. “What are you all doing here? I thought you’d be at the House base.”

“Change of plans,” he said, passing her as they all stepped onto the lift. “I’ll only be a few minutes, but you should put the building and everyone in it on high alert.”

“High al…” Wicke ran on just as the gates to the elevator rose up along its edges, beginning its descent with a slight lurch. “I’m afraid that doesn’t give a lot to go on. What in heaven’s name happened?”

Sun closed his eyes, feeling that she deserved an explanation. “Alola… no, the world is going to be under attack.”

“What?!” She suddenly understood. “Don’t tell me that Team Prism…”

“Not quite,” Gladion replied. “They were headed to the Altar of the Sunne before Tapu Fini helped stop them at the Seaport Village with a bunch of wild Pokémon.”

“Those other two trainers helped too!” Spike added.

Wicke was visibly confused. “Wait, how do you know all this?”

“Because they captured us!” Lillie shouted.

“Burnet stole Solgaleo and Lunala from us and then tried taking us to the Altar to do lord knows what! Sam, Alice, and Dexio too!”

“Wait, did you say Burnet? But… and I thought Dexio–”

The lift came to a rather abrupt stop as it reached the bottom floor, a circular room with only two doors on the left and the right. “It’s very complicated,” Sun argued, stepping off to the door on the right. “The point is that we need some things to ensure they don’t get any closer to completing their goal than they already are.”

“I…” Wicke realized the pointlessness of milking the semantics. “Okay, sir. What exactly are you looking for?”

Wicke, who was ahead of the group, tapped her key card on the reader for the door, opening it with a quick slide to the right. They entered onto a walkway with large, glowing generators along the floors to either side of them. Along the left were several cube-shaped labs supported in by large cylindrical beams connected to the ceiling.

“One of the computers in these labs contains the Ultra Beasts I helped contain with Looker and Anabel. It also contains the Poké Ball that Gladion gave me before we went to get the Sun Flute on Exeggutor Island.”

Lillie gasped, already understanding what Sun was planning. “You don’t mean–”

“The Master Ball?” Gladion asked. “You never used it after all this time?”

Sun shook his head. “Never needed to. And it’s a good thing I didn’t, right?”

“Hold on!” Twilight butted in. “You can’t get these Ultra Beasts or Master Ball on any computer in here?”

“No. I stored them on a remote server so only people like Gladion, Lillie, Lusamine, and myself can access them. They’re too precious to trust to any other person in here. Right here.”

Coming to the third lab in, Wicke went ahead once again and scanned her card on the reader, opening the door.

Wicke let out a light chuckle, trying her best to make light of the dire situation. “It certainly sounds like you have everything under control.”

“Sheesh,” Spike grumbled, “that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Despite the exterior, the space inside the room looked cramped, especially with the shelves, bookcases, and what appeared to be a bare medical bed in the right upper corner of the room with a large conical light hanging above it. Sun only focused on a large computer directly before him in the back, pushing the chair away to stand at the physical keyboard, which still maintained a slick and contemporary appearance. As Twilight and Spike stood nearby the bed, Gladion and Lillie stood behind Sun as he booted the computer on, the bed and light fixture above it whirring to life.

Twilight and Spike both hopped away from it as they heard it. “What even is this thing?” Twilight asked.

“That bed also doubles as a transportation pad,” Sun explained, “so once I’m able to collect the Ultra Beasts and the Master Ball, they’ll be sent from the computer to there. Then we can gather them and leave right away to join the others.”

Finally, a login box appeared on the otherwise blank, grey screen. Sun typed in his username and password, which only showed up as a line of asterisks, but Sun was more than confident in his keystrokes, despite the time he knew he couldn’t afford to waste. Pressing the Enter key, he was instantly bemused as the login box shook and highlighted his password, indicating that it was not correct.

“The hell?” Sun looked closer at his username, seeing that each character in it was exactly correct.

Twilight looked a bit unnerved as Sun began typing his password slower and more deliberately. “Sun? What’s happening?”

Sun finished and hit the Enter key once again, and with held, weightless breath, the sickly feeling returned with greater force as the box once again shook, not accepting what he had typed.

Spike crossed his arms nervously. “Maybe try turning it on and off again?”

“That’s not how that works!” Gladion walked over and reached for the keyboard, prompting Sun to step aside. “Let me try mine.”

Gladion put in his username, typing his as carefully as Sun had done. Wicke breathed a self-calming breath out as Gladion got to his password. Tapping the Enter key, Gladion let out a scoff as the login box shook and highlighted his password for him as well.

“You have to be kidding me,” he breathed out. “Faba, you–”

“Let me try!” Lillie stepped up to the keyboard as Gladion moved to stand beside Sun.

“How do you know it’ll work with you?” Spike wondered.

Lillie finished typing in a username that Gladion was quick to recognize. “That’s mother’s username. How did you–”

“She gave me access to it so that I can fill in for her at any point that she can’t tend to the Paradise by herself. Not even Faba would be able to change her credentials.”

Lillie was quick to type in the first password as if it were her own. To Twilight, Spike, and even Wicke’s surprise, the login box expanded downward as a second password prompt appeared before the first.

Lillie nodded, happy to see her alternative plan working. “Bingo.”

As she got to a few characters into the second password, the screen suddenly turned blank and all the lights in the room shut off. They came back on with a filter turning the room a bright, dangerous red. Everyone then turned as the sound of a slow siren blared outside in the hallways, indicating that there was indeed danger afoot. An echoed female voice sounded through the computer speakers.

“Bomb detection system activated.”

Lillie and the others turned back toward the monitor as the screen was only able to show a countdown, which was already clocked in at 14:48. They were so fear-stricken by this sight that they did not notice the sound of a Poké Ball opening up behind them.

“Initiate data transfer to: Server: Aether House. Estimated detonation of detected explosives in: T-minus, fourteen, minutes and, thirty-seven, seconds.”

Lillie began rapidly pressing on the enter key of the keyboard, doing nothing to change the display on the screen. “No, no, no, no, no, no! Shit!”

“Unbelievable!” Gladion hissed. “That Faba would go this far to–”

Twilight was suddenly covered in a psychic aura that launched her off her hooves and slammed her into the right wall, the shock and pain making her yelp out loudly as she crashed to the floor.

“Twilight!” Spike ran to her as Sun, Lillie, and Gladion all saw as the psychic aura refused to let up, Twilight whining and crying out in pain as the force pushed down on her.

Sun looked to the front of the room, only for the sight he saw to freeze his blood and narrow his eyes in pure dread. Wicke, holding a Poké Ball in her hand, watched Twilight struggle as a Kadabra stood by her, maintaining its psychic energy through its one spoon.

“Wicke…” Sun’s eyes began to water. “Not you t…”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Her Kadabra put her arms down as Twilight was freed, giving her the ability to gasp for air she was deprived of. “That should have done it.”

Hearing her voice, Lillie and Gladion turned to her, their faces contorting into expressions identical to Sun’s.

“No…” Gladion stammered. “No… no fucking way!”

One of the buttons on the left cuff of Wicke’s coat flashed red every half-second, precariously in time with the timer on the screens.

“Yes, Faba truly was quite a bastard, wasn’t he?” Wicke sounded partially mournful with the revelation she was about to give them. “But he no longer has the access necessary to give Team Prism what they needed to keep their plans in motion like I do.”

“Wicke…” Lillie whimpered. “You can’t–”

“I can, and I am. Do you remember last week when Solgaleo and Lunala were still up and peppy after their first excursion? Who do you think gave them the energy to do the second excursion that day that brought Twilight and her first set of friends to our world? Or what about the ambush on Mount Hokulani? Those grunts drew Sam and Alice and their friends out of Malie City so we could isolate them out of public view. Not only did I make the call to them to leave the city, but I sent those grunts out there in the first place.”

Sun let out an exhausted sob. Even with all the betrayal he suffered in the past few hours, this one seemed to hit him the hardest. “Just… I mean god, Wicke, why?”

“Estimated detonation of detected explosives in: T-minus, thirteen, minutes and, twelve, seconds.”

Wicke and her Kadabra kept close watch on everyone. “Pokémon research has provided so many joys for me throughout my career, but nothing could compare to when we first discovered Cosmog and the Ultra Beasts those many years ago. You could only imagine my displeasure when we all but stopped our research efforts shortly after you contained the Ultra Beasts.

“It wasn’t until Burnet came to me and had Necrozma show me a little of what lies beyond the Ultra Space that I managed to convince Lusamine to resume our studies. And then, with the power of Solgaleo as well as the Cosmog that we discovered at the Lake of the Moone that became Lunala, we had such power at our fingertips. I was frankly surprised that we were able to find Equestria so quickly!”

“Estimated detonation of detected explosives in: T-minus, eleven, minutes and, forty-two, seconds.”

Gladion seethed. “And do you know what Burnet and Necrozma plan to do to our worlds once she’s succeeded, right? Did she tell you, or did you just decide to ignore that?”

Wicke frowned in reply, almost self-spiting. “Lusamine was sitting on a winning lottery ticket that I couldn’t allow not to be cashed in. I’m sorry for what it will end up costing this world and yours, Twilight–”

“How dare you!?” Twilight’s bark frightened both Wicke and her Kadabra. “What makes you think we’d accept someone like you in our world after what you’ve just admitted?!”

“I knew what my cost would be too! That’s why Burnet promised me safety and security in Necrozma’s new world! It was the only reason I agreed to help her in the first place.”

“And now you get to watch in comfort as your fellow humans, Pokémon, and these Equestrians suffer under its rule.” The spite in Sun’s voice was palpable. “Just like you always wanted, right?”

“I’ve already made my choice! Even if there’s no going back now, it’s not the worst outcome for me!”

“Estimated detonation of detected explosives in: T-minus, ten, minutes and, seven, seconds.”

With a third of their time gone, Gladion glared harder at Burnet. “Disable those bombs right now, Wicke! It’s five against two, and I don’t think I’ll need to send a single Pokémon out to kick your sorry ass!”

“It’s pointless,” she said. “I’ve rigged the bombs so that they can no longer be deactivated, and I set the timer at fifteen minutes to allow plenty of time for the employees and the rest of you to escape.”

That last sentence genuinely surprised Sun, Lillie, and Gladion.

“Us?” Lilie wondered. “Escape?”

“Faba and the grunts are taking a boat here from the Seafolk Village as we speak. If you leave here now and don’t look back, you can join your friends at Ten Karat Hill to try and stop Burnet before this place blows and Faba comes to sweep the remains. That much I can offer you, but with the detection system in place, you can no longer access the Ultra Beasts or the Master Ball.”

“What about the transfer?” Spike’s question brought several eyes to him. “The computer said something about a data transfer to the Aether House. Can’t we just get them there?”

“I do believe Sun made himself clear that that data exists on a remote server that’s not connected to our primary systems. There’s nowhere for it to go, which means that any trace of them will be destroyed when the bombs destroy this lab and the Aether Paradise!”

Sun breathed heavily as he looked down on the ground, defeated. “No… she got us…”

“Wait!” Everyone then turned to Lillie. “Gladion, your Porygon-Z! Do you think he can override the system and patch us in?”

Gladion’s mouth fell open. He hadn’t considered this, and for his own sister to make the suggestion made the shock hit him harder.

“You’ll never make it!” Wicke’s desperate exclamation cast doubt back on Sun and his friends. “Even if you can somehow hack your way into the computer, and even if you’re able to transfer and transport the files someplace safe for you, you’ll never escape this lab in time before the bombs go off!”

“Wanna’ bet!?” Sun and the others were alerted by not just the voice, but the presence of someone coming into the room with something purple floating behind her.

Wicke and Kadabra turned around to see Lusamine with both hands on a fire extinguisher whose bottom she immediately slammed into her face, sending her and her now shattered spectacles crumpling to the floor. Sun and the others gasped as Kadabra began to charge its spoon to attack the intruder, only for Lusamine’s Pokémon, a ghastly apparition which appeared as a cloak and witch’s hat with eyes, shot a Shadow Ball into its face, sending it sliding to the floor near Twilight and Spike’s hooves.

Twilight and Spike leapt over it to stand in front of Sun and Lillie, who, with Gladion, watched in amazement as Lusamine dropped the fire extinguisher to the floor and bent down to pick the Kadabra’s ball out of Wicke’s hand. As she returned it inside, Lillie ran around Twilight and threw her arms around her mom, crying hard.

“Mother!” she wailed. “Thank goodness you’re here! Wicke betrayed us and–”

“I know.” Lusamine’s voice was calming enough to get Lillie to settle down. “I heard enough from her.”

Wicke, groaning and coughing, sat herself up and turned over as blood streamed and branched off down her lower face from her nose and below her left eye where the shards of glass from her broken glasses cut her. “Lusamine… I–”

“You shut your mouth, you traitorous bitch!” Lusamine shifted her foot so that its tip was within centimeters of Wicke’s face. “You’re lucky that I stopped after one hit.”

“It doesn’t matter how many times you choose to hit me. You’re not leaving here alive with those Ultra Beasts, or the Master Ball!”

Lusamine looked at Wicke for a few seconds before she pulled her foot back and then kicked it into her forehead, sending her into the wall and falling unconscious. Lillie, Twilight, and Spike couldn’t help but gasp once again.

“Estimated detonation of detected explosives in: T-minus, six, minutes and, fifty-one, seconds.”

Lusamine looked to the door, taking in one deep breath before turning to Sun and Glaidon. She first tossed Sun the Kadabra’s ball, which he attached to his belt.

“Gladion, send out your Porygon Z, now!” As he was told, Gladion let his balloony bird out from his ball, who also obediently went to Lusamine’s side.

“Mother?” Lillie queried, the hint of something terrible creeping in the back of her mind. “Are you seriously going to try and hack this computer?”

“Lusamine, don’t do this!” Sun shouted. “You heard Wicke yourself! You won’t be able to save yourself in time if you stay behind!”

Lusamine breathed in heavily, realizing fully the sacrifice she was set on making. “When I began the Aether Foundation, I made it my mission to protect and provide love to every Pokémon and human. If I have to give my life to ensure a brighter future for them, then I have served my purpose.”

“No, Lusamine! Let me do it! I’m the reason for all of this!” Sun began to break down, much to Lillie and Twilight’s dismay. “Please, I don’t want you to do this because of something I–”

Lusamine wrapped her arms around Sun’s back, stopping his words. “None of this is your fault. You only did what you could to protect Solgaleo and Lunala. Now please, Sun, don’t die for me, or for those two. Live for them.”

As she pulled herself off of Sun, she was then smothered once again by Lillie, who sobbed over her shoulder as she clutched her back tight. “Mom, please! There has to be another way! I don’t want you to go!”

Lusamine reached for Gladion before glancing to Sun, Twilight, and Spike. With a gentle tilt of his head, Sun understood the gesture and quietly led Twilight and Spike out of the room. Gladion joined Lillie in what appeared to be their final hug with their mother, watching Sun and Twilight exit the room.

“Oh, you two make me so proud!” Lusamine choked up. “I just know that you will help lead this new world into the light.”

Gladion closed his eyes and savored the warmth of his mother’s embrace for a few moments more, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“I love you both so much. Never forget that.” Lusamine’s grip on her children began to ease, though Lillie’s refused to. “Gladion, it’s time.”

“W… What?” Lillie’s arms relaxed in slight surprise before Gladion’s arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her off. “Wait, no! Gladion, let me go! No! NO!!”

“I’ll tell you where to find them! Now go!”

As she was dragged away, Lillie kicked, shrieked, and wailed as she reached for her, unwilling to let her go. Lusamine stared at her the entire time until she was dragged outside. She then shared a final, rueful look with her Pokémon, who floated down to receive a final hug as well. Lusamine then returned her Pokémon to its Poké Ball and put it onto her belt. Stepping to the doorway, she took off her belt clip and tossed it to Sun’s feet, who scooped it up and attached it to the back of his shorts.

Finally, Lillie managed to wrestle herself free from Gladion’s grasp before running to the door. With her hand on a red lever beside the entrance, Lusamine wordlessly pulled it down to have the door quickly slide itself shut and lock, sealing herself and Wicke inside. Lillie banged her fists on the doors as Gladion ran back over and pulled her away, running himself toward the end of the hall with Sun and a couple of remaining Aether Employees. Twilight and Spike, watching the sight in progress, both let out a couple of sobs before running off to follow them.

Lusamine then looked back to the computer where Porygon-Z awaited her, feeling safe and private enough to let a couple of tears fall and wipe her eyes.

“Estimated detonation of detected explosives in: T-minus, four, minutes and, forty-six, seconds.”

“Alright, Porygon-Z,” she grunted, briskly walking to the keyboard. “Let’s get to work.”

Charging with electricity, Porygon-Z began to blur into a lower-resolution appearance before fazing inside the monitor of the computer. At once, several infoboxes began to appear on screen, some of them showing randomly generated code, the others filled with boxes that Lusamine frantically tried to fill out the moment they appeared.

Outside, Sun opened the door for Twilight and Spike before Gladion pulled Lillie out into the lift chamber, which stood still and inactive as the odd employee left in the lower levels took to the stairs and ran for their lives up it. With her mother too far away now, Lillie collapsed into a seat on the floor as she continued to bawl.

“Lillie!” Twilight and Spike ran before her, unfurling her wings and wrapping them around her and pulling her close. “Lillie, stop!”

Lillie hugged on tight, her wailing only muffled into her shoulder.

“I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you,” she continued, “but she’s doing something that only the greatest mothers are capable of. She’s doing this because she loves you! And I want you to know that… I love you too.”

With a single, hyperventilated gasp, Lillie stopped her crying, the warmth of the alicorn’s fur suddenly feeling warmer on her chest.

“I love you, and I love Spike, Sun, Gladion, and all my other friends out there fighting for us right now! And they’re fighting because they love you too, Lillie, which is why you need to come with us up those stairs so you can continue being someone to those who deserve your love… and be loved in return.”

Spike came close to her and hugged her arm, and she responded with a gentle caress of her cheek atop his head. Sun approached her and offered her his hand. Grabbing it, Twilight and Spike stepped aside to let her pull herself up and hug him tight. Gladion came in too and offered his warm support as well, sniffling near her ear.

“Estimated detonation of detected explosives in: T-minus, two, minutes and, thirty, seconds.”

There was no time left. Lillie, Sun, and Gladion pulled away from each other, and with a look into each other’s eyes that begged for life, the three of them bounded up the stairs to the main floor, knowing they’d only have enough time that their legs could grant them.

Lusamine continued hammering away at the keyboard as a cold sweat formed on her brow. Finally, a large, square shaped window appeared on the screen asking for login credentials. After putting in her username and her two passwords, she smiled and let out a hard breath as the desktop of the computer finally came to her.

As she continued typing, bringing up a virtual box containing ten Pokémon inside, Wicke stirred awake as she looked to Lusamine continuing to type as if the lives of everyone and everything outside the room depended on her. She then looked at the closed door to her right, feeling nothing at that moment except for a splitting headache and a desire to fall back asleep.

“Estimated detonation of detected explosives in: T-minus, fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven…”

With a burst of adrenaline pumping into her veins, she picked herself up and went to the door, lifting the red lever back up and unlocking the door to open for her. Lusamine was far too concentrated as she grouped the ten Pokémon inside the box and placed them in another box on another window. In the same new box was a pixelated icon of a Poké Ball with a purple top and two round magenta bubbles on the left and right of it. She then tapped a single button which gave her a prompt.

DO YOU WISH TO WITHDRAW (10) POKÉMON AND (1) ITEM?

Lusamine pressed the button almost immediately. The progress bar moved quickly to the right, giving Lusamine much comfort that her efforts were successful. She then opened up the app on the toolbar featuring two word bubbles and continued typing away.

“Twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven…”

Wicke hobbled out from the doorway to the lift chamber and toward the stationary lift. Upon reaching it, she fell onto the control panel and weakly chuckled. Looking down on it, she was horrified to find it turned off save for a warning flashing on the screen:

LIFT DISABLED FOR EMERGENCY. PLEASE USE STAIRS.

Wicke began to whimper as she tapped on it, which grew into a loud screech as she banged her hand against it, hoping against hope that it would carry her up from her death.

“Twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight…”

Sun and the others made it to the lobby, which was now deserted save for a single Aether employee who flew for safety on the back of a Charizard he summoned from a Ride Pager. Just then, Gladion and Lillie’s Pokédexes vibrated, prompting them to pull them from their pockets.

“Two, one.”

Inside the lab hallway, several fiery explosions erupted in the back before they continued their rampage inward, engulfing the entire space with forceful flames. Inside the lab, Lusamine looked at the computer screen and the box upon it that told her that her messages were sent. Lusamine peacefully closed her eyes as an explosion thrashed its way through the open door, the intense heat and push of the blast crashing into her. Wicke screamed as the explosions in the hallway threw the sliding door into the chamber along with its fire before another bomb placed along the side of the other doorway detonated, engulfing the entire room with a roaring blaze that quickly billowed upwards.

The barrage of explosions could finally be felt above, throwing Sun, Lillie, Gladion, and Spike off their feet as Twilight rolled onto her side. The explosions from the lower levels reached the lift tunnel and the top of the stairwell at the main level, creating a geyser of heat and brightness that was quickly extinguished as the sound of sea water bursting in through the hallways washed it away. Sun and the others got to their feet and hooves, the lights one by one began to flicker before they turned off, the entire place getting plunged into darkness in just a few seconds.

As Nanu, the Trial Captains, and the trainers of the Pokémon League flew alongside Luna, her group of Equestrians, and Zeraora, some of whom flew on the backs of Pokémon or were held in Thorax’s magic, soared over the seas toward Akala Island, something caught the corner of Rainbow Dash’s eyes. As she turned her head to what she thought she saw, she noticed as the lights of the Aether Paradise just finished turning off.

“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash began to part slightly with her group, raising everyone’s suspicions.

“Rainbow Dash!” Acerola called. “Where are you going?”

“Something happened at the Aether Paradise! I’m going to check and see what happened! You guys go on without me!”

“Rainbow Dash,” Luna shouted, “please do be careful!”

“When am I not?” With that she sped off at the building as quickly as she could.

“Oh, I get it!” Pinkie Pie bounced about on Luna’s back. “It’s ironic because she’s almost never careful at all!” Everyone looked up at her, nervousness sparked inside of them. “What? I’m sure she’ll be fine!”

Suddenly, the backup generator began to kick in as only half of the lights inside the building turned on, most of which flickered from the damage the explosions’ tremors caused. Now mostly safe, Gladion and Lillie finally looked to their Pokédexes, seeing the final message Lusamine had left them.

One set of Beasts in D78. The other set and Master Ball in H113. I know you’ll save the world. This one and theirs. ❤️

Lillie put her head onto the screen and let more tears flow. She had killed herself to do it, but she managed to get them the most important tools to ensure their survival. At that moment, Porygon-Z flew down from the lift tunnel from the floor above, heading straight to Gladion and wrapping its round, stubby wings around Gladion’s neck.

Gladion sighed in relief as he embraced his Pokémon back. “Excellent job, Porygon. Thank you.”

Shortly after, Rainbow Dash flew into the entryway and slid to a halt near her friends. “Guys! What happened here?”

“Rainbow Dash!” Spike ran to the blue pegasus and hugged her leg tight, followed by Twilight putting her arm around her neck. “Boy, am I glad to see you!”

“What are you doing here?” Twilight asked. “I thought I told you to go pick up the trainers at Ula’ula!”

“We were all on our way out and I saw the lights go out! I had to be sure everyone is okay!” It then occurred to her that they were the only ones standing in the room, prompting Rainbow Dash to look around. “Hey. Where’s Lusamine? Or Wicke? Or... anyone?”

“They’re both gone.” Rainbow Dash turned to Gladion, who refused to fight back his tears as they kept pouring from his eyes. “Wicke betrayed us and tried to hold us back for Team Prism, and then Mother sacrificed herself to get us what we came for.”

Rainbow Dash’s ears fell as her lip quivered, overwhelmed with sadness to see Gladion so vulnerable. “Oh my gosh, Gladion… I’m so, so sorry.”

Walking up to him, she threw her body on his as the two hugged each other tightly, helping him mourn his loss. Gladion, the comfort he felt from his friend's head on his shoulder, let out several bellowing wails that were muffled out by her fur. Rainbow Dash allowed her own tears to flow, where they soaked on the shoulder of Gladion’s hoodie. Lillie, seeing this, came up to Sun.

“May I please have them?” She put her hand up. “My mother’s Pokémon?”

Without question, he handed her the clip. Stepping away toward an open area, she pulled each of the five balls from the clip and tossed them out, each one opening to let each Pokémon inside out. Among them was a large bipedal black bear with a pink and white head, a green, leafy Pokémon with a wide bottom and a scarlet flower atop its head, a fluffily-bodied pink creature with wings, a curly tail, and long black-tips, a long, gorgeous serpentine fish with a cream colored upper half and a tail with large blue and pink scales, as well as the ghost Pokémon Lusamine had attacked Wicke with.

Each one of the Pokémon, minus the ghost, looked about, confused over not seeing Lusamine anywhere. The ghost flew before the other four Pokémon and let out a series of breathy moans and wails that the Pokémon understood perfectly. As it continued explaining, the other four Pokémon glanced downward, their eyes watering as they heard the news. The bear on the other hand, let out a series of whines, thrashing its arms about in disbelief.

“Bewear, please!” The Pokémon calmed down over hearing her voice. “Mismagius isn’t lying. Lusamine’s gone, but she doesn’t have to die in vain! She sacrificed herself so that we can save our other friends! I know its hard, and I wish you all had an opportunity to say goodbye, but we have to keep moving, for her sake!”

Bewear, coming to the realization that its beloved trainer was no more, fell to its rump and put its paws over its eyes, shaking its head as he continued trying to convince himself that she wasn’t really gone. Both Mismagius and the pink fairy both consoled it as they wept with it. Twilight and Spike watched the sight themselves, Spike compelled to hold onto her as he cried into her arm as she rested her chin on his head.

“Twilight?” Twilight and Spike perked up at Lillie’s voice. “Could you please come here?”

Both the alicorn and dragon approached her, standing by her side.

“Bewear, Mismagius, Clefable, Lilligant, Milotic.” The five Pokémon took a small reprieve from their sadness and gave their trainer’s daughter their undivided attention as she motioned her arm to Twilight. “This is Twilight Sparkle, a very close friend of mine. I understand that Lusamine is no longer here to protect you, but I have my own Pokémon to protect. That’s why, at least for right now, I’m entrusting you all to her.”

“What?” Twilight and Spike both shouted. “Lillie, are you sure?”

“I’m positive. Twilight is one of the strongest peop– pon…” She closed her eyes as she gathered her words. “…creatures I’ve ever known. You’ll be in safe hooves with her, I guarantee it. I know this will be hard for you, but I beg you to not do this for her, or for me. Do it for Lusamine.”

Sun, Gladion, and Rainbow Dash watched in still silence as Lusamine’s former Pokémon looked to the alicorn, who sported a brave face and posture to inspire them. Finally, Bewear held its fist up into the air and let out a clean high-pitched roar. The other Pokémon followed suit, showing their full willingness to be by Twilight’s side. Twilight herself relaxed her body and face, incredibly humbled to be accepted by them so quickly. Sun and Gladion smiled as well, happy for their choice.

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash whispered with a small pump of her arm. “Right on.”

“Twilight?” Lillie asked her. “I know you were hit hard by that Kadabra, but do you think you can return the Pokémon to their Poké Balls?”

“For them? Without a doubt.” Twilight charged her horn as her magic covered the five balls still in Lillie’s hands.

With a strained groan, she lifted them out of her hands as if they were made of the densest, heaviest material on earth. She panted through the stress as she aimed each of the center buttons of each ball at each of the Pokémon. Finally, she breathed in, ready to make the command.

“Everyone, return!” All five balls shot out a red laser that connected with each Pokémon before they were converted into the same energy and sucked inside each ball.

With her task done, she set the balls back on the ground and swooned, Spike holding her steady on her right side while Lillie slid over to the left to keep her standing. Despite what she was able to do, Twilight took great pity on herself to be nearly outdone by five small Poké Balls.

“Don’t worry about it.” Lillie put each one of the balls back on her mother’s clip one-by-one. “You’ll only have to take out at most two at a time. Besides, your powers will keep getting stronger again, so it won’t be as hard anymore.”

Twilight smiled as she was handed the fully-equipped clip, the consolation indeed making her feel better about her situation. “Thank you, Lillie.”

Rainbow Dash clopped her front hoof on the ground to get her friends’ attention. “Hey, uh, sorry to ruin your moment Twi, but didn’t you say you had some things you needed to get?”

“Right!” Sun nodded as he walked toward the lift tunnel on the floor.

Looking down it, he could already see water begin to billow upwards several stories below. With an anxious huff, he faced his friends who awaited his instructions. “Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, you’ll be coming with me. Gladion, which set of Beasts is closest to my room?”

“Looks like the H113 one,” he answered. “The Master Ball will be there too.”

“Perfect. Once you get your set of Beasts, we’ll meet back here and hopefully be able to leave before Faba and the others show up.”

“Faba and the others?!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Wicke said they’re following us from the Seafolk Village,” Lillie replied. “If that’s the case, we don’t have much time left before they’re all here.”

“Then let’s go!” Spike began to run forward, prompting Sun, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash to run before him as Sun turned to the left at an entryway to a stairwell.

Lillie and Gladion followed close behind just as the lights all flickered for a moment before turning back on, a couple of them shorting out for good.

Comments

[Xp45]

I don’t mean to take up all the comment section so please feel free to comment.

The feels bro,😭

[moviemaster8510]

8956435 Hey, it’s not your fault that no one else wants to comment.

[KyleeTheShinyStealer]

Great, I’m sobbing from Lusamine’s death. Thanks for that 😭

[Spellflame]