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LNOEW: Chapter 74
🕑 Added 2025-06-18 16:25:08 +0000 UTCAfter that incident, things calmed down enough to let Radiance go - even to the point of getting all three of us inside the arena with Radiance. As well as Miles, on guard duty; the Paradox Pokemon seemed less perturbed by Miles being around them than any of my other Pokemon. I wonder if that has to do with them being mechanical and Miles possessing machines? Would fit with how much distaste they seem to have for Phantasm… Though on the other hand, she had a bad first meeting with Radiance and knows how to hold a grudge. I haven’t seen much on her end, but she could entirely be subtly antagonizing Radiance whenever they’re out together.
“Though that hardly explains some of their outbursts,” I muttered to myself. The Professor, standing nearer to me, turned, cocking an eyebrow. “Ah, I was just wondering about Radiance’s actions a few minutes ago.”
“Was that… unusual for them? You seemed to have it well in hand,” he pointed out, and I sighed.
“Unfortunately. As for usual… sometimes? We had a rocky start, but some days are good, like right now,” I said, gesturing ahead. Several meters in front of us, my sister stood behind an easel, busy painting Radiance, who was almost completely still, floating perfectly in place. Despite their current placidity, I had Miles hovering nearby Cyan, able to interpose if Radiance suddenly attacked her.
“So there are times when they’re totally willing to interact reasonably and not cause any trouble, and other times when they’re attacking everything around them. And I haven’t been able to find a pattern for the mood swings either.” They really did seem like mood swings, rather than an attempt to get out from being my Pokemon or the like - any time I brought up the possibility of them leaving for someone or someplace else, Radiance got even angrier.
“Sounds tiring,” Friede commented, and I huffed a mirthless chuckle.
“You could say that again. I use a Timer Ball to give me an alert before they release themselves.” I also always sleep with at least one Pokemon on guard, but to be fair, I was doing that before I met Radiance. “It’s just… exhausting, always being on guard and unsure of how things are between us.”
There was a moment of silence, and I took the opportunity to simply bask in the atmosphere. Being so high up helped calm me down immensely; there was something about the sky that was just so very soothing to my soul.
As I recomposed myself, I finally told Friede, “So that’s the situation. Any advice?”
“I’d recommend not bottling up how you’re feeling. Pokemon understand us pretty well - better than you’d think.”
“I know that perfectly well - I’d almost certainly be bottling things up if it was a human behaving that way too,” I teased before bobbing my head up and down. “But I hear you. Communication is important, and letting them know how I’m feeling is the right thing to do. Where do we go from there, though?”
“Hmm,” Friede scratched his chin, Captain Pikachu standing on his extended elbow mimicking the motion. “Well, I’m hardly a Poke-psychologist, but I’d say that they’re suffering from depression or have lost something recently. Does that fit what you know of Radiance?”
“Yuuuup. Definitely lost a lot.” Or, depending on how you look at it, they never had anything to begin with because they didn’t actually exist until a machine built by a mad scientist twisted reality until they started existing. That was a conversation that had started yesterday as a result of me going over my lines on what I might say to Turo when we finally had our talk. My attempts to placate or calm down Radiance hadn’t gone well from there. I thought they would have calmed down at least a little bit with almost a day to rest, but given the Heat Wave they sent at me upon release, I doubt it.
“Before you ask, it’s not anything any amount of money can bring back, or I would have tried it.” Friede frowned at my words before shaking his head.
“It might just take patience. Don’t push too hard or fast - you’ve got time.”
“I know,” I said calmly. I do have time. Time to figure out how to work better with them. Other things, like beating the Elite Four and stopping Professor Turo, are on a bit more of a clock. While it might be nice to earn enough respect from Radiance (and for them to gain enough control) that I’d feel comfortable using them in battle against the Elites, that’s hardly necessary. Honestly, that would just be a bonus from this trip, especially if my experiment works.
“Pikaaachu,” the small electric rodent chimed in, an eager gleam in his eyes, his cheeks crackling with a low level of electricity all around them. Friede smirked.
“You’re fired up, aren’t you, Cap?” Then to me, he asked, “Would you mind letting us go a round with Radiance? Cap here thinks he can reach them through battle.”
I barked out a laugh at the hot-blooded Pikachu. Who does he think he is, a Shounen Protagonist? Then again, I’m pretty sure this world runs on anime logic, and I can tell that he’s strong enough to give them a good fight. “Yeah, looks like Cyan is wrapping up her portrait too.”
Strolling up, I saw her putting the finishing touches on the canvas. It showed Radiance, resplendent, a burning inferno behind them and hovering over a purple pool of poison (the background not complete yet but inspired by a few Moves they had demonstrated). In the center floated Radiance, showing off all six wings and their sleek, mechanical body.
“This looks wonderful, thanks, sis,” I told her sincerely. “Once it dries, I’ll keep it in my bag with the other portrait of my team. Heh, might need that one to be updated soon,” I realized aloud, thinking about Bahamut, Radiance, and the potential newcomer in Gothorita. To say nothing about Notch’s image hopefully needing an update.
Radiance floated over, inspecting the portrait over for themselves before preening, obviously finding it up to their standards. Which are still something of a mystery, but I know they enjoy an air of regality and elegance, and this definitely checks off those boxes.
Getting their attention, I said, “Hey, Radiance, I was wondering if you wanted a match with Captain Pikachu over there.” I punctuated the end of my sentence by jerking a thumb over at Cap and Friede. “Just a friendly spar, nothing lasting damage-wise.” They made some sounds that weren’t super happy but obviously weren’t complete disagreement either. “You could fight on your own, or I could direct you - your choice.”
They were unresponsive for a few seconds, save for minute twitches in their eyes across their dome-like head, before giving a small dip of their head towards me. Accepting me? Yes! It’s just one step forward, but still.
I took my place on the far end of the field, thinking it unlikely that any shockwave would knock either of us off the edge, but judging myself to be more adept at not falling to my doom afterwards with my Aura. In front of me, Radiance’s body vibrated with anticipation.
Across from us, Friede launched his Pikachu into the air, the acrobatic Pokemon taking off his cap and tossing it back to the Professor before flipping and landing dramatically on the field. “Alright, Cap, let’s show them why we’re called the Rising Volt Tacklers!”
“Wait a moment - you’re called the ‘Rising Volt Tacklers’? Like, just you two, or the whole group?” I called out, and Friede winced.
“Ah, yeah. Did I forget to mention that?” Off to the side I heard a slapping sound, knowing it to be my sister facepalming. “What do you think, great name, right?”
“It’s, uh, certainly one of them.” Cyan sniggered at my words, clearly feeling the same way. At Friede’s (and Cap’s) fallen face, I added, “Honestly, it’s not bad. Just a bit of a mouthful. But almost any name can be good if you can back it up, so why don’t you show us what you’ve got?” I added, picking up on the ever-increasing whine from Radiance at the battle being stalled.
“Pikachu!” Cap called out eagerly, lowering himself to all fours. I grinned eagerly, waiting as the arena speakers began the countdown to battle, my mind already whirring with ideas. Pikachus are generally fast and evasive, dealing bursts of damage before retreating. So hit-and-run counters here. We don’t have a lot of self-buffing options versus an Electric Type, but the sheer power Radiance has should remove the necessity for most of that. The biggest issue is I don’t know all the Moves Radiance can use yet, but that’s fine; I saw what it did in our fight with the Rangers, so that will give me enough.
“Three, two, one, begin!” The speaker announced, and we were off! Captain Pikachu was charging ahead before Friede even gave the command.
“Thunder Punch!” He called out, shadow-boxing an uppercut of his own as Cap’s right fist glowed with electrical might.
“Sludge Wave, flood the field!” Radiance’s abdomen shifted, opening up to pour out a wave of the viscous, poisonous fluid. Cap leapt up high to avoid it, socking Radiance right in the face with his fist.
As he rebounded, I told my Pokemon, “Keep up the assault; give them nowhere safe to land!” Reeling from the attack, they still did so, but Friede just smirked as his Pikachu was falling back towards the noxious ooze.
“Land on your tail with Iron Tail!” At his Trainer’s command, Cap’s tail gained a steely-gray sheen, sticking straight and landing solidly in the ground. Not sure if the Sludge Wave residue is doing no damage to the tail or just minimal, but in either case we need to switch it up.
“Keep up the attack, but add in a Hurricane! Leave no room for escape!” With an increased surge of sludge pouring out over the field, Radiance also began spinning their six wings, spinning the air violently. Over the field, a horizontal Hurricane began forming, the air cutting towards Captain Pikachu.
“Quick Attack, get out of there!” Friede called, and Pikachu sprang away, trying to rise above and clear the attack. While he mostly did so, that wasn’t enough to fully escape the violent attack. Winds and globules of Poison smacked into the Pikachu, knocking him into the far corner of the arena. Crying out in pain, the small Pokemon still managed to slow his fall by rapidly ‘flapping’ his tail.
This one likes being in the air; I think I’m starting to see where the ‘rising’ part of this name comes into play. Before I could give a command, Radiance began glowing with electricity. “No!” I shouted, but they didn’t listen, releasing a huge Discharge into the Pikachu stuck mid-air.
If I’m lucky, this will just do less damage than it could have… I’m not lucky. I sighed as I saw all the electricity, not just the parts of the Discharge that had been aimed at our opponent, drawn into them. Rather than being hurt at all, Pikachu glowed with bright energy. “Pika Pika chu!” He laughed as he landed, before wincing at the acidic nature of the ground.
“Cap’s charged and ready now! Double Team, then Thunder Punch again,” Friede ordered, and suddenly there were dozens of Pikachus all over their side of the arena.
As they moved in, I told Radiance, “You know you can’t blindly attack the copies or shock them.” There was a grinding sound, but they didn’t blindly lash out at the nearby illusory doubles, instead waiting for me. I waited a second as well, listening, letting Cap get too close. “Hurricane around yourself, then Fiery Dance.”
The close range and his speed meant that he was able to land another powerful punch into my Paradox Pokemon, but Radiance was fast as well. Before he could escape, suddenly the floating wings moved underneath Radiance, conjuring a vertical Hurricane around both combatants this time.
Pikachu was getting buffeted around by the winds and tried to escape, flapping his tail not just hard but also skillfully, riding the winds. It was an impressive showing, and if he had a few seconds, he might have gotten out of there. He did not have a few seconds, however, as Radiance shot up to meet Cap, their diamond-shaped wings burning bright and unleashing lashes of flames out at him. The fire scorched the small Pokemon and the flames that didn’t hit him consumed the raging air enveloping the two, turning the Hurricane into a burning pillar of flame.
When it cleared, Pikachu landed heavily on the ground, bouncing a few times before he came to a stop, burns covering his fur. Even Radiance looked slightly singed by their own attack as they floated high above. “Good fight, your Pikachu did… well…” I began to say before we saw Cap slowly pull himself back up. How tough is this Pikachu that Friede found?! I’m starting to push my estimation up closer to Ash’s little monster!
“How you doing, Cap?” Friede asked, and Pikachu tossed a shaky thumbs-up at his partner, and Friede’s smile came back in full force. “All right, what say we show them what you can really do?”
“Pi.” He began running in circles; lightning shrouded his body as he picked up speed. Then a funnel of black wind began forming within.
“Rising Volt Tackle!” Friede shouted, pumping his fist up as Pikachu began to ride the wind he had made, as if running on the sky around and up he went, to meet Radiance.
Damn. I’d have so many options for this for most of my Pokemon, through honed Technical Machine Moves like Protect, or options in evasion I could trust them to follow. Seeing the way their eyes were locked onto the Captain, I knew that Radiance wouldn’t turn away from this challenge. Oh well, no point complaining about the hand you’re dealt. I just have to play it to its fullest and trust in my Pokemon.
“Fiery Dance, hit him with everything you got!” I called out, and Radiance dived down, their entire body burning hot. As the two approached, Radiance ‘swung’ their six wings around, like a burning buzzsaw grinding against Captain Pikachu. Our foe faltered for a second before pushing through, the lightning glowing brighter around them as they ascended, knocking the wings to the side and slamming into Radiance.
The lightning show was so bright we all had to avert our eyes for a moment. When I blinked the spots clear from my vision, I saw Pikachu lying on the ground, breathing heavily but unable to move any more, while on the other side Radiance was slowly picking themself up off the ground, floating up. Their wings sluggishly resumed their usual place, floating behind Radiance, but two of them were bent and flickering slightly.
Calling the match to an end, we rushed over to our respective Pokemon. “That was amazing, Radiance! Not just your power - which was still awesome - but also your control. Thank you.” I realized after a second that I had rushed closer to Radiance than I had before without any other Pokemon between us. Risky, but… screw it, I need to show them they did a good job. That I can trust them.
Throwing my arms around them, I gave them a big hug before hissing at the heat radiating off them, which quickly dropped off in response. Totally worth it. And that was really only leftover heat from the match, not them trying to burn me at all.
Glancing across the arena, I saw Friede spraying Pikachu with some medicine and cheering his Pokemon up. Striding forward, I congratulated them. “Thank you, that was a match well fought. Not to toot our own horn, but Radiance is capable of fighting off whole teams of Ranger Captains. You’ve found yourself a powerful partner.”
“Pikaaa,” Cap tiredly thanked me before holding out a fist for Radiance to bump, the Paradox Pokemon looking at the gesture warily.
“Oh, it’s a sign of respect. You knock knuckles against the other’s, though, uh… I guess you could wing bum- that works too,” I said as they placed the tip of their abdomen against it. Radiance still looks a little wary, but they did just get punched twice by that fist, so I guess it makes sense they’d use the fastest, largest acid dispersal unit on their body to match that. Plus, they just generally seem unused to battles that aren’t life-or-death conflicts. I wonder why that is? I could only theorize, but none of my hypotheses said anything good about Turo’s so-called ‘paradise.’
“Thank you for the match as well, Nemona,” Friede said, shaking my hand. “If your Pokemon are this strong, you’re well on your way to becoming a Champion.”
“You aren’t looking too shabby yourself if you ever want to give that Champion thing a try - Charizard and Cap are a good start here. Especially if you gave Cap a Light Orb, hmm, and I should probably give you guys a gift as thanks.”
“Ah, you really don’t have to,” he demurred, but I shook my head.
“Nonsense, you’re really helping us out here.” Okay, technically I could get a flight over to Alola easily, but the assistance with training Radiance is truly invaluable. And speaking of which… “Though if you really feel like it’s too much, maybe you could help me with something for Radiance?”
Both Friede and my Pokemon perked up. “What can I do?”
“Radiance has a special Ability here that gives them a huge boost to power when they’re on Electric Terrain-”
“That wasn’t them at full power?” Friede whispered, slightly aghast.
“-But rather than spend the time using the Move, which can even help certain foes like Cap showed, I want to make an item to give them that boost right away. A ‘Booster Energy’ capsule of sorts.”
The Pokemon Professor scratched his chin. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.” After making sure they were as fully healed as could be, we recalled our tired Pokemon. That was a good fight and a solid step forward, but like Friede said, I still need to have a talk with Radiance. But later.
***
A few days into our trip and I still hadn’t made the time to have that talk. In part because we’d been busy, the ship was huge, and there were tons of things to explore and help with. From laundry to advanced mechanics, to assembling large tubs of coal to keep the ship running smoothly to discussing the finer points of Type Energy theory.
This is a seriously skilled crew Friede has gathered. Orla’s a genius mechanic; I’m learning so much from her that I could never fully get from my self-studies, and Murdoch is an expert chef. They have limited food storage on an airship, but somehow he makes it all work, and deliciously to boot. And that’s saying nothing of the Professor’s own smarts; he’s already started looking into ways to let Tera Orbs keep their charge outside of Paldea. Not sure if it’ll be enough to let mine work in Alola, but it might help if it did.
The other part of the reason was that I still couldn’t find the right words to do so. Just telling them off feels like it’s missing something, even if I acknowledge that Radiance needs to stop endangering myself and others.
Pondering how to approach this led me up to the top of the ship once more, where I spotted Mr. Ludlow sitting by the edge again, this time with a Quagsire sitting placidly behind him. “Hello, sir,” I said as I approached.
“Oh, no need for that, I’m just a simple old man here,” the boat owner (passenger? - I was unsure of how he fit into the crew exactly) waved me off. “Just call me Ludlow.”
“Alrighty then, you can call me Nemona,” I said, sitting down beside him, breathing in the fresh air. “If you wouldn’t mind, may this one approach the honored elder for advice?” I asked, sticking out my tongue slightly.
“Cheeky,” he chuckled, and I joined him.
“Sorry about that, just having a little fun. But if you could lend an ear, I would truly appreciate it, Ludlow.” He dipped his head, and I took a deep breath before diving into an overview of my situation with Radiance (leaving out certain sensitive pieces of information, like being brought into existence by a machine). But the anger they felt, how they could lash out dangerously, and the uncertain situation we were stuck in I explained in detail.
“… So that’s how things are, basically.”
“Are you happy with that?” He asked, no judgment in his voice. I shook my head.
“No. I’ve been giving them space for the moment, but it’s only delaying what needs to be done, and I’m worried that letting the problem stagnate will just create further issues. I offered to be their Trainer; there’s a bond there that needs to be grown before we can get anywhere. What do you think, Mr. Ludlow?” The old man didn’t answer immediately, simply sitting there, deep in thought.
Eventually, he responded. “I believe that you might be feeling more alike this ah, ‘Radiance,’ is at the moment than you think. Might their anger be because they are also feeling lost?”
I huffed out a dark chuckle at that. “More than you know,” I said cryptically while mulling over the problem. “The issue is, I can’t give them what they want.”
“Can’t? Very rarely-”
“-Are things impossible? But sometimes, even in this world of wonder we live in, they are. What they want isn’t simply a far-off fabled land, or some incredible feat, or even access to powers that bend how reality as we know it works. All those things are, with tremendous effort, possible.” I stressed the word to make it clear to the man that I didn’t always think those methods were advisable. “What Radiance wants fundamentally isn’t; it’s an ideal that cannot, and likely never did, exist.”
I’m fairly certain, at least. I’m willing to go to Johto or Sinnoh some day and check if Celebi or Dialga can send them back, but I honestly don’t think the machine the Professor built pulled Pokemon from the far-off future. There’s just too many incongruities for that explanation to make sense.
“Do they know that?” Ludlow asked, and I let out a long breath.
“We’ve had some debate on that matter of fact.” ‘Debate’ might be overselling how reasonable and peaceful Radiance can be when presented with something they don’t like. “I can try to bring that up again, but I’m not sure where to go when we constantly lock horns on that topic.”
“Perhaps suggest that they could look into a new goal. Dreams are not as easily discarded as one might think, but there is nothing saying you must limit yourself to one dream. A new goal might help raise their spirits as well - I found in my youth that picking up a new goal always helped lift my spirits when I was feeling listless.”
“Hmm, that just might work,” I nodded my head, mulling over Ludlow’s suggestions.
***
In the very early morning, before we reached Alola, dark enough still that the sun hadn’t risen yet, I couldn’t sleep. Heading up to the top of the ship, I centered my chaotic thoughts, taking in the fresh air and gazing out over the dark horizons, wondering what mysteries and opportunities awaited just beyond. As I pondered these half-formed ideas and dreams, my mind clicked, like a eureka moment. I know what I need to say.
I released Radiance just outside the observation deck. They looked at me and Notch beside me warily. “It’s a beautiful night out,” I commented, gazing up at the night sky above us. My travels have taken me through wilderness and away from the light pollution of cities for plenty of clear sights of the same, but being higher up makes it all seem so much clearer. Like I could just reach out and touch the cosmos…
With a wistful smile, I drew my hand back down, the Iron Moth looking at me curiously. Or perhaps annoyed. “Did you have views like this where you’re from?” They made a sound, and I couldn’t quite tell whether they agreed, disagreed, or hadn’t said either way. It didn’t truly matter, as this was just small talk to segue into the heart of the matter.
“I’ve made my thoughts on how your inception into this world worked, but I could be wrong. I’m willing to try and seek out one of the Legendaries who holds dominion over time to see if they can return you.” They stared intently at me, and I quickly continued. “However, there are two things you need to accept.”
The ambient temperature notched up a degree or two around me before they shook their body in a manner very reminiscent of what I’d seen of Volcaronas online. If they had any ember scales to shed, I’m certain they’d be doing so right now. More mechanical sounds came from them that I couldn’t decipher the full meaning of.
“You- you don’t want to go back?” I guessed, and slowly, they nodded. Okay, obviously missing a lot here, and this does throw off what I was about to say, but I can work with this. I had been prepared to ask for time to arrange a meeting with a Celebi or the like, but if Radiance wanted to stick around, then that made my next point even more understandable.
“So, in that case, this means you’ll need to stop attacking everyone around you,” I said firmly. “Whether you're on my team or wish to be somewhere else, you can’t just lash out when you feel confused or upset.” It’s just a theory on my part, but they always seem the most agitated after leaving their Pokeball. I wonder if it’s somehow disorienting for them?
They made a grinding screech, but I held firm. “I’m serious here. Right now, I feel scared sometimes being around you.” For a split second the lights of their eyes disappeared before coming back on, a surprised blink from the futuristic Pokemon. “Yeah, I know I don’t always show it, but us humans are pretty weak compared to Pokemon, and you happen to be a pretty powerful one.”
“That isn’t to say I’ll always be afraid of you; all of my team are strong, but I’m not worried around them because I know they won’t hurt me. I trust them to help me, and they do the same for me. So if you’re feeling upset, just tell us. I know communication can be difficult, but keep on trying, and we’ll get there. We’re here to support you.”
Notch floated towards them, chiming in approval before knocking gently against the Iron Moth’s body with their own. Radiance looked in askance at me, and I explained, “That’s a hug. Well, as close as Notch can get to giving them at the moment.” Hopefully that will be changing soon, though.
Radiance simply floated their wings out and around their body to cover Notch, without any heat radiating off of them. “Aww,” I couldn’t help but vocalize at the hug, which had Miles immediately zipping up and snapping a picture.
“Thank you,” I told them as I released the rest of my team. They looked around curiously; Radiance in particular was uncertain until I sat down and motioned for them to join me, gazing out at the sliver of light creeping up over the edge of the world.
“All of you, I want to make it clear how much I appreciate your efforts on our journey thus far. We’ve fought hard and seen much together. It’s hardly near its end; even after the Elite Gauntlet, we’ll have more places to discover. A whole world filled with endless possibilities. And one of those is waiting down there,” I pointed at the island chain off in the far distance.
Notch drifted off towards them before I grabbed them back. “Whoa, hold on. We should wait till we all get there.” I got a rare gravelly sound from them, a pout of sorts. But when I looked into their solid blue eyes, I saw them shining with joy and hope.
Radiance tentatively made a sound, questioning what I was talking about. “Ah, right, I guess I haven’t explained. Everyone on this team has some dream or goal. Some we’ve already achieved enough, like helping Nightwing and Bahamut evolve to their final forms. Others, like Dun’s desire to be recognized as the strongest in the world or Athena’s attempts to surpass her sensei, are works in progress, slowly chipped away at with time. You can find a goal of your own, something you wish to achieve or strive for.”
“Bzzt, you might also find simple joy in just travelling along on these adventures too,” Miles spoke up. I gave them a smile. That’s true; not everyone needs some grand declaration to have fun with their friends and find joy in what the next day brings. Given how high all of us are aiming for, simply deciding to stand by our side takes a ton of work, and my second Pokemon has never faltered in their dedication.
“Notch’s goal is to become a Diancie,” I continued. “And I believe we’ll find the answer in how to do so down there.”
A/N: This part ended up longer than I thought it would be (as usual, haha), but I felt it was best to cover the issues Nemona was having with her ‘I can’t believe it’s not a Legendary’ Radiance before we dove into Notch’s stuff.
Comments
Groot
I find it interesting that Radiance doesn’t want to go back to its own time/dimension? (She/It?) was portrayed as being upset and sad at being in their current predicament. I just assumed it was because they wanted to go back, but now it might seem they’re mad/sad at something else?
