Disclaimer: This chapter contains a graphic description of a murder/death. Viewer discretion is advised.

Team Star gathered at Mela's base that night, the leaders and grunts catching up under the moonlight. It was a family reunion in a sense. Ortega and Giacomo talked as they set up a screen for a projector Mela and Penny worked on getting working. Eri set up some blankets to sit on for everyone as a lively joy filled the air. This mood would be dampened as the tape was shown but it wasn't time yet.

Penny stepped out in front of the crowd with Marshal and tried to timidly get everyone's attention to no avail.

Eri screamed, demanding silence from the crowds, "Hey! Everyone! Shut the hell up! The boss is speaking!"

Eri smiled at Penny and pat her on the back before she began to speak. She cleared her throat and took a serious tone, "A little over two years ago, someone very dear was taken from us unjustly. Many of you may remember a member of Team Star named Madeline. We have evidence we will shortly be showing that proves that she murdered by none other than director Ubel. The same who seeks to kick us out of the academy. We will be making him pay for his crimes by charging down the academy, by force if needed. I will forge this upon none of you and any who wish to leave may do so. We are calling this plan Operation Supernova. Marshal will be leading this operation. However, as is the tradition of things, I will be battling Marshal in order to prove he has the strength to stop Ubel."

There was whispering amongst the crowd as Marshal stepped forward, elaborating with a hate fueled determination, "Ubel killed my sister. To many of us, OUR sister. He is a transphobic bigot who cares not for right and wrong but his own zealotry and ego. Who will stand with us to return justice to Paldea?"

There was a tense silence as the crowd looked on the bosses, before there was a quiet chanting, "supernova..." It grew, "Supernova. Supernova! SUPERNOVA!"

Penny raised her arms and the crowd fell silent. They then heard an engine purring. Penny continued, "I have given secret orders to the bosses to design a new weapon to take on Ubel's bigoted forces. I present to you all, the effort of all of us, the Supernovamobile."

The Supernovamobile peeled out from a tent on the other end of the camp, with an airbrushed memorial on its sides of Madeline with the Team Star bosses and Marshal. The colors of the base coat of paint were a gradient, red at the front, to orange, to yellow, and white at the back, like a star mid explosion. This mechanical marvel, this beast of metal, it towered over a regular Starmobile at nearly double the size. Otherwise it imitated the appearance of its lessers.

Penny stood atop the Supernovamobile and demanded to Marshal, "Now! Brother, show to me you're strong enough to end Ubel's tyranny!"

Sister Penny would like to battle!

Penny opened by sending out her Flareon, the crowd watched in anticipation. The Supernovamobile roared to life, assisting Penny's Pokémon by calling down an artificial sunlight.

The Supernovamobile calls down harsh sunlight in response to Penny's Pokémon!

The sunlight cannot be removed!

Marshal knew Glitter would be unable to handle the heat, so instead he sent out Paws, who roared and readied for battle.

The Flareon struck first, charging full force with a Flare Blitz. Flareon surrounded itself in a roaring flame which consumed its thick fur coat, and slammed full force into Paws, lighting the bear ablaze.

Paws roared in agony and reared up on his hind legs, before slamming back down head first, slamming Flareon into the ground with a Headlong Rush.

Flareon laid on its back, severely wounded, as Paws's breathing was deep and labored. Paws lunges forward to finish Flareon off, but a harsh blast of raging fire enhanced by the harsh sunlight burned Paws to ashes. Paws cried out and fell over, fainted.

However Flareon was on the brink, and even weakened by the sun, Marshal knew Glitter could finish the job. The extravagant fish leapt from her Pokéball, surrounded by a torrent of water that evaporated behind her in the scorching sun's rays. The brutal impact toppled flareon over, fainted.

Penny sent out her leafeon next. The Supernovamobile roared to life once more, conjuring a thick field of grass across the battlefield.

The Supernovamobile conjured a grassy terrain across the battlefield!

The grassy terrain cannot be removed!

Leafeon dashed across the battlefield, energized by the sunlight and its ability chlorophyll. Absorbing the energy of the artificial light and dashing like the wind, it blasted Glitter with a destructive beam of raw energy. Glitter slammed into ground leaving a crater, fainted instantly by Solar Beam.

Grant decided to take advantage of the sunlight and sent out Sparky. Leafeon struck once more with a powerful Solar Beam, but Sparky charged through like a hot knife through butter, chomping down with a blazing bite, a Fire Fang, and thrashing about with Leafeon in her mouth. Charred and battered, Leafeon fainted.

Penny sent out Vapeoreon. The Supernovamobile called down a torrential rainfall which drenched the battlefield, weakening Sparky.

The Supernovamobile calls down a torrential rainfall in response to Penny's Pokémon!

The rainfall cannot be removed!

Vapeoreon slammed brutally into Sparky in a torrent of water, slapping her to the ground and fainting her with a powerful Aqua Jet. Marshal countered with Grips, who even in the rain could handle Vapeoreon in a war of attrition before it too fainted.

However, Grips was now on the brink as Penny sent out Jolteon. The Supernovamobile singed the grass away with a harsh electrical current, covering the ground in an electrical terrain.

The Supernovamobile conjures an electric terrain in response to Penny's Pokémon!

The electric terrain cannot be removed!

Just as Leafeon took advantage of the terraria and weather alike to use Solarbeam, Jolteon pulled a similar trick. It was faster than Grips was ready for, and thanks to the rain called upon by the Supernovamobile, its Thunder could not miss, striking true right on Grip's head, frying it and fainting it in one final mighty blow.

However, even on the backfoot, Marshal too could take advantage of the rain to reclaim his footing in the battle. Jolteon was faster but Walking Wake was an unstoppable force, ready to blast away anything in its path. Jolteon once more called down a mighty bold of lightning, a Thunder intended to take out Walking Wake, but even the powerful shock only staggered the beast, who countered with a Hydrosteam, a brutal blast of scalding water amplified by the torrential downpour. Jolteon was blasted across the battlefield fainting from the sheer force of the blast.

Penny sent out her Espeon next, the elegant Pokémon landing not upon the electrified ground, but instead an arena covered in psionic energy. The Supernovamobile conjured a psychic terrain to assist Espeon.

The Supernovamobile conjures a psychic terrain in response to Penny's Pokémon!

The psychic terrain cannot be removed!

However, this did nothing to actually help as Espeon too was blasted away by a beam of draconic energy from the primal Walking Wake, a Dragon Pulse which destroyed Espeon with immense force.

For a moment Marshal felt he had this in the bag. It was two on one now, and victory was all but assured. However, Sylveon was Marshal's final opponent,, around her neck a blue scarf which enhanced her speed, a Choice Scarf. She landed upon the earth which was covered in a pink mist, protecting all upon it from dragon type moves. It did her little good, but the Supernovamobile was merely designed to respond to the typing of the user's Pokémon.|

The Supernovamobile conjured misty terrain in response to Penny's Pokémon!

The misty terrain cannot be removed!

Sylveon was quicker than the eye could see thanks to her scarf, attacking with a blast of raw unfiltered light. The Hyper Beam was changed into a fairy type move thanks to her ability, and crushed by its power. However, Sylveon was left winded, allowing WIck to enter the fray with a brutal chomp powered by his fallen friends. The Last Respects was a mighty blow which saw Wick go clean throughSylveon with spectral power, sapping her life and fainting her ina single mighty blow.

Marshal had won, and Team Star would now be at his beck and call when he confronted Ubel for his crimes. However, the worst was not yet over, as he and everyone else had yet to witness what was on the tape.

Penny congratulated Marshal with a genuine smile as she climbed down from the Supernovamobile. "I knew you could do it bro."

"Couldn't have without you guy's support," Marshal chuckled.

Penny continued, now in a whisper, "Hey... you don't have to watch the tape, you know? I've seen it and... it's graphic dude."

Marshal nodded but replied, 'How will I ever find closure if I don't face it. I want to know what he did before I face him. At least then he can't use it to psyche me out."

Penny nodded in understanding and turned to address the crowd, "OK! Uhhhh... guys I do need to be clear. The tape we are about to show IS of a murder. You ARE going to watch someone die if you watch this. It's evidence but... I wouldn't wanna see that so no one here has to watch it. Anyone wanna just go stretch their legs or grab a soda or... anything really. Now's the time, OK?"

Penny nodded to Mela, and the projector whirred to life, projecting onto the screen. It was static at first, before the image became clear, showing what happened that day.

The day Madeline died...

The conversation between her and Ubel was tense, and was recounted at the start of this tale. Ubel continued his bigoted ramblings as the battle went on, the wind under his voice. "You degenerates spread like a disease! I will be the cure that cleanses the minds and souls of our children! Your pestilence of a culture war will die by my hand!"

Madeline retorted defiantly, "You're killing people for being who they are! When you die, Arceus will cast you into flames for using its names for your sins!"

The battle continued as Ubel hurled insults at Madeline to no avail. She was more confident than to fall for his lies. She was going to win, marry Iono, and return to her family.

Ubel's final Pokémon fell. Madeline began to lecture Ubel, genuine hatred in her voice as she spoke, "It's OVER. You really think Arceus would choose a bigot like you? Arceus is disgusted by you. To not take the lord's vain is not to avoid saying "by Arceus" but to not use its name to defend sin. You are, by your own logic, the greatest "degenerate" of all. Now I'm going back to my brother and-"

Ubel suddenly lunged forward in a blind rage, screaming such obscenities that they shall not be repeated here. Screaming of Arceusand himself as a chosen vessel of the God's will. A mad, wicked zealot.

Ubel isn't backing down...

Ubel took the first punch, staggering Madeline with a brutal to the chest, crushing her under his weight.

Ubel used Body Slam!

Madeline retorted, despite being battered by the blow, she threw him over her shoulder and slammed onto her with a brutal elbow to the ribs.

Madeline used Counter!

The blow left Ubel winded and reeling in pain, but he would not let up. Ubel raised his left first to the sky, as if in prayer. However his prayer was not answered. He looked down at the soft snow and sneered with a vile plan.

Madeline charged forward in an attempt to finish the bigot off then make her escape, but, powered by the strength of his Tera Orb, by whatever spoke to him in Area Zero for its own ends, Ubel countered.

Ubel grabbed Madeline by her head and drove her into the snow. Many stopped watching as they realized what was happening. Madeline frailed about in the snow wildly, like a man drowning.

She was suffocating, her lungs filled with ice and snow. Ubel merely watched as her desperate flailing slowed and she stopped moving. The camera picked up her gasping for air and then...

Ubel used Sheer Cold!

Madeline... has passed.

Mute crowd was silent for a few moments. Giacomo covered his mouth and tried not to vomit, and Mela began to cry uncontrollably. Atticus was covering Ortega's eyes as he turned away. He assured Ortega he didn't want to see how this ended. Penny maintained her composure on the outside but rewatching the footage put her on the verge of a panic attack. Eri did her best to console her, before turning to Marshal.

The crowd had begun to cry and vomit from stress in some cases. The horror had become a all to harsh reality as the screen stayed frozen on Madeline's body.

Penny couldn't speak, not now. She needed at least a moment to collect herself.

Eri reached out to Marshal, trying not to show she was crying as her face paint ran down her face due to her tears.

Marshal had a choice to make.

He could let himself process, let himself begin to heal, and allow Penny to speak with him. Reach out to his family for comfort from his pain.

Or...

He could lash out in pain and rally the crowd into a murderous rage.

Marshal had a choice to make...