Alright, time to Burst into action! I am....inordinately proud of everything after "Weeks Later". Just really, really proud.
Pokemon Void Version: To Open a Heart's Door
Saffron City, Kanto
Rei POV
You open the door to the training room/personal gym Jun has off the side of his apartment. As you step inside, you see a bunch of workout equipment, some of which is clearly designed for use by Pokemon. You close the door behind you and lock it before finding some protective gear and putting it on. You then pull a single worn pokeball off your belt, the others left with Jun for this "training session". You take a deep breath and sigh, before pressing the button on the pokeball. As Riolu forms in front of you, you think back to why you're taking so many precautions for such a small Pokemon.
You watch as the Umbra scientists begin the procedure once again, the little blue jackal emotionlessly staying still. You remember when they first started trying to turn the Riolu into a Shadow Pokemon, how much they struggled against the restraints, until one of the scientists had their Electric-type paralyze it. Within a month it had stopped struggling, instead its eyes showing a mix of terror and acceptance, and after another two weeks it stopped showing any emotion at all. You feel bad for the Pokemon, but you aren't in a position to do anything about it, being just a high-ranking guard for that specific laboratory, despite being an Agent and not a Grunt. And anyways, it's not like the procedure will succeed, everyone knows that Riolu and Lucario are- Wait, why is it thrashing? Why are the scientists so happy? No….but you thought….
Riolu finishes materializing as you come out of the memory, and as you expected the young Pokemon immediately jumps towards you with a Force Palm. You block it with your protected arms, and after landing Riolu walks back to the center of the room and takes in their surroundings. They turn back to you, and despite the lack of emotion in their eyes you can tell from the slight head tilt that they're curious.
"This is a personal gym belonging to a friend. I know you don't like me, and I know my attempts to apologize and get to know you during these 'bonding sessions' haven't been well received. So I thought we'd try something different this time."
You walk over to the sandbags, and find one that is rated for first-stage evolution Fighting-types. Perfect, with how aggressive and violent Riolu became from being turned into a Shadow Pokemon, anything that would work for a regular Riolu would break too quickly. As you get it set up, you spare a glance at Riolu and see that their tail is slowly wagging. That's more emotion you've seen from their body language than before, so you already think you made the right choice.
You finish setting the sandbag up, and get in a position to brace it against Riolu's attacks. You see Riolu has gotten closer, and you smile before indicating the bag "This time, we're gonna have you work out any aggression you have on this sandbag. It
should hold up, but if you want extra motivation, imagine it's one of the scientists who was experimenting on you."
That gets a reaction, as you see Riolu's muscles tense before they burst forward with an even stronger Force Palm than they greeted you with. You can FEEL the impact through the sandbag, a testament to how powerful Shadow Pokemon are, but you don't budge from your bracing position. Riolu needs this, and as they start launching into a series of punches, kicks, and palm strikes in some kind of improvised kata, you think about what you learned on your only visit to the Pokemon Coordination Lab in Orre.
You went to them because you remembered from reading up on the region that the people at the lab were pivotal in solving one of the region's Shadow Pokemon crises, and if anyone could help you undo Umbra's efforts it would be them. According to what they know, there are two ways to purify a Shadow Pokemon: a shrine dedicated to Celebi in one of Orre's villages, and a computer program pioneered by the scientists at the PCL. The shrine used a "mystical energy" to purge the darkness from a Pokemon, while the program took advantage of the semi-digital state of a Pokemon in the PC System to essentially rewrite the Pokemon to not be a Shadow Pokemon. But of course it wasn't as simple as 'we can purify it immediately', apparently a Trainer had to bond with the Shadow Pokemon and 're-open the door to the Pokemon's heart'. A task that was significantly easier said than done, as Riolu held (and still holds) an entirely reasonable grudge against you for not stepping in to save them sooner.
Unfortunately, you couldn't afford to stay near the Lab for the weeks or potentially months they claimed it might take to accomplish that. You didn't want to give Umbra a chance to find you, so you could only stay a few days at most. Luckily for you, the Lab had been working on a more convenient way of purifying Shadow Pokemon than the large Virtual Sim-dependent system they had in the lab. Their progress in that field of research led to you leaving with a USB containing what they called a 'single-use purification program'. According to the Lab's Director, it was something that was
incredibly resource and time intensive to make, as each one had to be custom-programmed based on the Shadow Pokemon's species and gender. Apparently the base code for the program was hideously complex and unintuitive, and as the Director put it, "Big brother Michael somehow coded the entire thing in a single night, despite being a Trainer and not a programmer, and he doesn't fully remember what he did to get it to actually compile properly."
After roughly a half hour of Riolu striking the sandbag, they back off and sit down on the floor, panting heavily from the exertion. You walk over to the bag you brought into the room with you, taking the opportunity to shake out your limbs and get some soreness out. You pull out a water bottle and get the jackal pup's attention before gently tossing the water to them, followed by you putting a few Oran and Lum berries within arm's reach before backing up and sitting cross-legged facing Riolu. While they seem hesitant to take the berries at first, their tiredness and post-workout hunger quickly gets the better of them.
"I'm thinking we'll go for another 30 minutes today, and then next time we could have you work on your Aura abilities. Does that sound good to you?" You can tell they're caught off guard by how they pause in eating, but the slight wag in Riolu's tail tells you they're not opposed to the idea.
You've made more progress in half an hour than you have in the months since you escaped Umbra. Maybe you actually can open the door to Riolu's heart after all.
~~ Line Break ~~
Weeks Later
You land on the ground with a sound of pain, Gible's Burst disappearing from around you in the customary flash of light. You gingerly get back up onto your knees, glaring at the Umbra Agent who is walking towards you cockily. You'd known someone from Umbra had been snooping around Saffron for you, and that going into the alley following after the potential Agent would likely be a trap, but you didn't expect him to be so prepared for you. You'd immediately gone into Zorua's Burst after walking into the alley, and you had seamlessly put your illusion into walking ahead of you a half-dozen paces so you wouldn't be caught off guard.
When you reached the disused and disrepaired battle arena you weren't expecting the illusion to be immediately hit by a strike from someone who was
ALSO using a Burst Heart. And not just any Burst Heart, but one containing a Sneasel. What followed was an
embarrassingly easy win for the Umbra Agent, who knocked you out of Zorua's Burst with a
dirty Sucker Punch-Foul Play-Sucker Punch combo, and when you used Gible's Burst, you found out that the Sneasel's fourth move was
Icicle Spear, allowing him to keep a distance advantage that you couldn't quite make up with Gible's slower speed. You did manage to land a lucky Dragon Rage, but the Icicle Spear you took in return led you to your current state.
"You know, I was expecting so much more from someone who also made Agent rank. But then again, I guess all that time running and hiding would dull your edge." Is he ... .oh Arceus he's actually going to monologue at you, "When I volunteered for this mission, I expected someone who managed to not only steal an important research subject but also disappear so totally to at least be able to land more than a couple measly hits." Wow, you really want to knock that smug look off his face. You think you recognize him, actually. What was his name, Weasel? Oh he's still talking, "But then again you did have help, didn't you? That other chick, with the Pawniard and Shinx, yeah? Maybe once I'm done bringing the Boss your head and Subject RL-001, I'll request to go after her. Bringing in two traitors would guarantee me being on the fast track for an Admin position!"
Fuck that shit!
You struggle to your feet as he gets in arm's reach, your glare having turned downright
venomous at that last sentence. "Like
Distortion am I gonna let you lay a finger on-" You don't get to finish your sentence as he punches you in the gut (thankfully without using a move), causing you to retch and collapse back to your knees. You glare up at him to see him sneering now.
"And how do you plan to stop me? You can't even fight back right now." His tone turns conversational, "You know, I read your file. I knew my Sneasel would be a perfect counter to your Pokemon, with the right moves of course. And there was no way that Subject RL-001 would try to help you, after you stood by as it was experimented on for so long."
How is he still going?! "Honestly it's a shame you turned traitor. Your track record was impressive, and you probably would have made Admin within a year, all things considered." And now the sneer is back, "But then you had to go and grow a
conscience. You couldn't stand the sight of one insignificant Pokemon getting experimented on and turned into a Shadow Pokemon, so you STOLE Umbra assets and fled. Did you think you'd get to play the hero or something?"
The disgust in Weasel's tone is unmistakable. He genuinely thinks that there was nothing wrong with what Umbra was doing. That, or he's too power hungry to care. He slowly raises his right arm as he continues talking, claw tips poised to slash down,
"Well, now you get to make like all good wannabe heroes, and
DIE!" The claw comes slashing down, and you refuse to close your eyes. Before they hit, however, you feel the sole occupied Pokeball on your belt shake before bursting open. Riolu forms in midair between you and Weasel, who is visibly caught by surprise, and then the jackal pup launches a solid Force Palm directly into the Agent's chest, knocking him off his feet and back a couple meters. Riolu lands slightly in front and to the side of you, in a fighting stance, and turns her head so you can see her eyes without losing sight of the Agent.
Her eyes aren't hollow and emotionless. You can see hatred, fury, and most of all
determination in them. The first emotion you've seen in her eyes since before the experiments began. You can't help but feel excited. Because you
know. All that bonding you did, all the time spent with her.
It was worth it. You can almost feel that the door to Riolu's heart is open now. The only thing stopping her from not being a Shadow Pokemon is the fact you haven't used the program yet.
Well, two things stopping her. You think as you turn to the Agent as he gets to his feet. You get a good look at his face, and you see something new. An emotion he hasn't had since the ambush began. He's
afraid. You start to stand up, Riolu actually helping you, and you hear him muttering
"
It shouldn't care enough to… why would it… how did the traitor…" His gaze snaps to you, anger mixing into the fear. "What did you do to Subject RL-001?! It
KNOWS you were one of those who stood by and watched it get experimented on! There's no way it would willingly risk itself to protect someone it should HATE!"
Heh, you can feel the cocky smirk growing on your face. He wasn't expecting Riolu to intervene; He wasn't
prepared for that possibility. And now that oversight is gonna enable you to turn this around.
"You're assuming she still hates me. You know
nothing of what I've actually done after leaving Umbra. But I know enough about you now to understand what kind of person you are." You see Weasel regain some composure and raise an eyebrow.
"Oh? And what kind of person am I?"
"A
coward." You can see his eyes widen, before hardening into a glare. You don't give him a chance to respond, though, "You lured me into some back alley battle arena, then tried to hit me with an immediate attack before I knew where you were. Your next actions were to use a combo of cheap shots to beat my first Burst, and then out-zoned my second. Minimal risk, but you admitted it yourself, Weasel-"
"My name is
Wessel!"
"
Weasel. You looked at my file. You brought a Burst Heart with a Pokemon that not only has type advantage, but had its moves
specifically chosen to counter my own Pokemon. You couldn't fight a fair fight if your life depended on it. And right now?
It just might." The sheer
venom in your voice makes him take a step back. You go from a smirk to full on grin, all teeth. "You could kill me right now. All you need is a well-placed strike, and I go down. But you haven't, because something happened you didn't account for. Something that makes the risk too great for you to go for that kill shot. Because for all your planning, you refused to think the Shadow Pokemon, to think
Riolu, would be a factor in this fight. You thought she would refuse to get involved, and a few weeks ago you'd probably be right. But you overlooked one thing. One critical thing."
"What?! What did I overlook?!
What did you do?!" Is that desperation in his voice? Your words must be hitting closer to home than you thought. You grab the Burst Heart off your glove from where it was fixed, prepared to do something
risky.
"You assumed that I
wouldn't try to find a way to purify her. That I wouldn't try to make a bond with her. For Arceus' sake, I disappeared in ORRE! But I did try to find a way, and because of that? Riolu chose to help me, to save me. And now that bond is gonna result in your defeat!" As you say the last word, you hold the Burst Heart out to Riolu, who touches it with a smirk of her own. The Burst Heart shines, and then Riolu seemingly dissolves and becomes captured by the Burst Heart. Your grin is practically
manic, and you see the fear in Weasel's eyes reach a new height. You slam the Burst Heart back into place on your glove, and shout out the transformation phrase
"BURST ON!
RIOLU!"
In a flash of light, you suddenly look like a hybrid of human and Riolu, and you can feel the Fighting-type power suffusing your muscles. You also instinctively know you have the ability to feel Auras around you, and that you can actively focus with that ability to feel specifics in others' Auras. You adopt a fighting stance like the one you've seen Riolu use on numerous occasions, the smirk returned to your face in full force. You begin to take a step, and-
"Sucker Punch!" Weasel cries out, as he blurs across the field and hits you in the head with his right fist, turning your head slightly. You grab his arm with your left hand, and turn your head back, his fist still connected to your cheek. You feel your strength rise, Riolu's Justified ability increasing your striking power after being hit by the Dark attack.
"My turn. Power-Up Punch!" Your right fist
slams into his stomach, knocking him back a couple feet, and your power increases again. Weasel jumps back, icy energy gathered on his claws, before he thrusts them forwards, shouting out his next attack.
"Icicle Spear!" Five spikes of ice fly towards you in rapid succession, but you aren't worried. Your eyes glow red with the energy of Detect, and you weave through the projectiles effortlessly, closing the distance before slamming home a Force Palm to his face. Before you can retreat, the Agent grabs your arm and knees you in the stomach, calling out "Foul Play!"
You stagger back a few steps, Justified kicking in once again, and before Weasel can follow up, his body visibly locks up as small electric bolts crawl across his body, a sign that Force Palm inflicted him with Paralysis. You recover at the same time he does, and you see the Agent snarl in rage.
"THAT'S IT! YOU DIE NOW!" He yells before crouching down into a stance, arms crossed with elbows in front of his chest, claws facing towards you. You adopt a stance of your own, right foot sliding back, your right fist coming down by your side as it does, left palm facing towards Weasel.
"NIGHT" Dark-type energy begins to gather on Weasel's claws, turning them from the stark white typical of the Sneasel line to something closer to a moonless night.
'Focus' You close your eyes, and feel the Fighting-type energy in your body begin being channeled into your right fist, the power boosts from Justified and Power-Up Punch adding to and amplifying the energy that gathers there.
"SLASH!" Weasel kicks off the ground, bursting towards you faster than he did with Sucker Punch, uncrossing his arms and claws coming to be right in front of him as he reaches you. You wouldn't be able to see him move if your eyes were open, but thanks to focusing on his Aura, you can sense his approach perfectly.
"Punch!" You launch your first forwards, solidly connecting with the Agent's still crossed claws. The clashing energies struggle against each other, both Burst Warriors attempting to overpower the other. The stalemate continues for what feels like minutes, before…
Weasel's body locks up, the static of Paralysis crawling over his frame again. It lasts barely a second, but a second is all that's needed to break the lock. You continue with your punch's follow-through, back foot coming forward in a step, and your Focus Punch breaks through the Night Slash, forcing Weasel's hands apart. You nail him in the center of his face, sending him flying back into the alley wall, which craters slightly on impact.
As he peels off the wall, the light of a Burst ending shines off him, and the Burst Heart he used clatters to the ground between the two of you. You exhale a deep breath, and walk over towards the Burst Heart, dropping your own Burst as you do. You activate the enchantment Kira put onto it to release Riolu as you remove the Burst Heart from your glove. Riolu walks over to the beaten Agent as you bend down to pick up Sneasel's Burst Heart. You get the impression that the Dark/Ice type would prefer you as a partner than Weasel, just off how the Agent was referring to Riolu.
Speaking of the little jackal, you look up to see her glaring down at Weasel. Open heart door or not, she is still a Shadow Pokemon, so you should probably stop her from doing something regrettable.
"Riolu, we should get home. He's not worth it." Riolu looks back at you, eyes still having anger in them, but calmer than before. She nods at you, and turns back to the Agent, giving him a kick to the side of his torso before jogging back over to you. You chuckle, unable to blame or scold Riolu for the act of petty revenge. As the two of you begin walking back out of the ally, your hand reaches down to Riolu's head, beginning to pat/rub on top. She shakes her head , knocking your hand off, but before you can retract it her paws dart up and pull it back. You glance down, and her head is tilted down and away from you, but you can imagine a cute pout on her muzzle. You chuckle again, and resume petting as the two of you step back out onto the street.
You feel like a great hurdle has been overcome, and you can't help but smile.
