After popular demand, I was able to finish a fic about Mohn's return to Aether Paradise. Also, Happy New Year to you all, and enjoy! Here's to my first fic of 2017!
Lusamine was tending to the Pokémon at the Conservation Area in Aether Paradise with a couple of her employees. It's been around a year and a half since the reformed Aether President returned to Alola after being fully cured of Nihilego's neurotoxins, but she was instructed by Bill to watch out for any side effects such as memory distortions, headaches, and the worst of all, irrational mood swings. She was told that it'd be temporary, but recently the Aether President was on the verge of crying after being reminded of her husband Mohn, though she was able to subdue that feeling. The whole incident of the Ultra Beasts running amok 7 years ago was because of her fault, with the original intention being for the sake of finding her husband again when he disappeared due to a Ultra Wormhole mishap.
A group of Starmie and Grimer happily welcomed Lusamine's presence as she brought them food to eat, something that she and Mohn used to do together when they weren't busy with their research on other projects. When they were a family together, the people of Alola idolized them for leading by example due to their contributions to Pokémon conservation. Lusamine missed those times dearly because she was at her happiest with Lillie, Gladion, and Mohn.
'Mohn'
As Lusamine gave the Pokémon a gentle smile, she felt a pang in heart over her husband. Her eyes looked empty, and her facial expression turned stoic, as though she was in deep thought. The Aether Foundation employees held a concerned look for their president, but they kept their distance from her.
"Miss Lusamine?" One of the employees spoke as they had a worried expression on their faces.
'Mohn!'
Feeling her relapse coming back, Lusamine dropped down to her knees as she hid her face with her hands, shaking her head slightly. The Pokémon were startled by her reaction that they backed away for their own safety.
The Aether President started to cry over the loss of her husband. Her last episode was around 5 months back when she was browsing through a couple of research documents that highlighted Professor Mohn's experimentation with the Ultra Wormholes and Cosmog. When she came back to Alola, she was given heavy restrictions by the International Police such as forbidding her from experimenting with the Ultra Beasts, Ultra Wormholes, and was to destroy the underground labs. Lusamine kept vital research information for the International Police and herself, though at the promise of not repeating the mistakes of her past.
Lusamine started to cry frantically, mumbling her husband's name as well. She wanted to move on from him, but the memories of him were too much for her to forsake so easily. All that she wanted was to be in his arms again, and to be a family once more. Of course, they wouldn't be the most perfect one, but she hoped to mend it one day.
"Quick, call her son!" The Aether Foundation employee ordered to the other as the former made a few steps to their president.
"Miss Lusamine, please!" They tried to reach out, but as they neared Lusamine, she slapped their hand away from her. Frightened by Lusamine's action, the Aether Foundation employee backed away in fear of their safety.
The Aether President started to slam her fists to the ground, not caring if she was bruising them in the process. Her eyes were open as she clenched her teeth, hiccuping in order to suppress herself from crying again. She'd never grown used to her fits, despite the support of her children, and the entirety of the Aether Foundation.
'I want him back!' Lusamine yelled in her mind as she shook her head rather violently.
Quick footsteps were heard as Gladion rushed through several Aether Foundation employees in order to get to his mother. He crouched down to her level and enveloped her into a hug.
"Mother, it's me." Gladion pleaded to her, rubbing her back to soothe her like how she used to do to him when he was a child.
Lusamine's breathing was becoming to normalize once again as she accepted Gladion's embrace. Even though Mohn was gone, at least she still had her kids with her despite how she'd treated them in the past, but they were able to reconcile that issue.
"Everyone back away from us, that's an order!" Gladion barked at the people in their vicinity as they went their way, but he stopped one of them.
"You, tell Wicke to call my sister, and say that she does not come home until tomorrow." He requested to the Aether Foundation employee.
"O-of course!" They responded as they hastily made their way to Wicke's quarters.
The former Team Skull Enforcer focused his attention on comforting his mother. It has been a once in a while occurrence for him, having to watch over Lusamine so that she wouldn't do something drastic. Luckily her depression hadn't reach to questionable levels, but he and Lillie would do any reasonable thing to support her. For all that Lusamine has done, she was still their mother.
Around that time
Sun and Lillie were spending their time together at his house in the Hau'oli Outskirts, though their position was rather… compromising so-to-speak. They were laying on his bed, a blanket covering their revealing bodies as Sun slept while Lillie was wide awake, watching over her snoozing boyfriend. Of course, that's not how their day had started. Before retreating to Sun's house, they were enjoying themselves with a good old Pokémon Battle outside Professor Kukui's house so that the latter could witness a spectacular sight.
The Alola Champion narrowly won over his girlfriend when they were down to one Pokémon, his Incineroar and her Venusaur. Despite Lillie's Pokémon Mega Evolving, it lost to the bipedal Pokémon thanks to a clutch Flare Blitz regardless of the advantage that Venusaur had with its Thick Fat Ability.
When Sun went over to check on Lillie after the match, he thought that she was upset until she gave him a kiss on the lips for a nice job on their battle. Professor Kukui congratulated them for their effort, and teased them a bit for expressing their affections; it reminded him of his relationship with his wife Burnet. The couple said their good-byes to the Pokémon Professor as they left the vicinity of his house. Once they departed back to Sun's house, the Alola Champion scooped Lillie in his arms as he led her to his bedroom, telling her that she was getting a reward. To Lillie, it was quite the reward, and so worth it.
Now, she continued to stare at her boyfriend affectionately. Lillie couldn't deny that Sun looked so adorable whenever he was asleep. The blonde gently brushed a bit of her boyfriend's hair from his face, her feet touching his as well. She enjoyed their moments of intimacy whenever they were given the opportunity to do so.
Sun started to open his eyes, though his sight took some time to adjust. Soon, his gaze was fixed to his girlfriend's, with gray eyes meeting a set of green.
"Wow, good evening to you, Lillie." Sun murmured as he tilted his head away from Lillie so that he could yawn. Then, he used his hand to cup her face.
Lillie giggled at his commentary before she scooted closer to him, her legs tangling to his, resting her head on his shoulder. "Same to you, Sun." She sighed in response.
"Hey, you think that Lusamine will be fine with you staying for the night? My mom is going to make Kantonian food once she gets back home." The Alola Champion offered to his girlfriend.
When Lillie was in Kanto years back, she has tried out various Kanto cuisines, even those that hailed from the Johto region. Since then, she has grown a liking it, and she couldn't help but be delighted to try out her boyfriend's mother's cooking again. "I'm sure that Mother will be fine with it. Just let me-" She was cut off by the sound of her Pokégear ringing in the bedroom. "I spoke too soon, hehe." Lillie gave Sun a quick smooch as she reached over to the bedside table where her portable device was placed at. She then retreated back to Sun's hold.
"Wicke?" Lillie said while looking at the caller ID. She was rather perplexed that her surrogate mother was trying to reach her at this hour, unless it was for emergencies. The later thought made Lillie realized that something was happening with her mother again. She pressed the green button in a quick manner, almost rejecting the call in the process.
"Hello, Wicke?" Lillie answered speedily, her nerves heightening. Sun had a worried look for his girlfriend, he was aware of Lusamine's issues in terms of her side effects.
"Miss Lillie! I'm afraid the president's mental state is at it once more!" Wicke told Lillie through her own communication device.
"It's as I'd feared," Lillie replied as she looked at Sun's direction, with the latter wrapping an arm around her for support. "ok, I'll be ready to hea-" the blonde was cut off by the branch executive.
"Master Gladion advised me to tell you to stay put where you are. He has the situation under control." Wicke recommended calmly. The Aether Branch Executive was looked up by the foundation for her kind and caring attitude; Gladion and Lillie considered her as their mother during Lusamine's obsession with the Ultra Beasts that severed their relationship as a family.
"But, she's my mother." Lillie attempted to persuaded Wicke but to no avail. She knew that she would have to sit this one down, especially after being assured that her brother was managing their mother.
"I understand, but I was given orders, and it's only until tomorrow. Anyway, where are you at right now?" Wicke asked.
Lillie sighed as she relented to her recommendation. "I'm with Sun at the moment, so I'll be fine staying at his house for the night."
The blonde could've sworn that the branch executive laughed through the call, but she decided to ignore it and focus on the conversation.
"Ok then. I got to go, and don't worry, we'll be sure to tend to your mother. I won't let her get into serious trouble with the International Police, not on my watch." The Aether Branch Executive assured to Lillie.
"Well then, thank you for letting me know, and send Gladion and Mother my regards." Lillie said, her nerves ceasing to tense up.
"I'll be sure to do so. Take care, Miss Lillie!" Wicke replied as she cut off the call.
Ever since Wicke's arrival at Aether Paradise, she was someone who people could depend on for advice. At the time, the then-assistant branch executive was against Lusamine's desire to study the Ultra Beasts, especially since it costed the Aether President the bond with her children. After Sun became the Alola Champion, he was tasked by Looker to meet up with a special individual in the Aether secret labs. That special individual happened to be Wicke herself, and she was able to provide Sun with the 'negative assets' of the Aether Foundation, which were the Beast Balls. When Lusamine made her return, Wicke was given strict orders to monitor her activities until they could not deem her a threat to society.
Once Lillie set her Pokégear aside, she brought herself closer to Sun, her head resting on his chest as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"I'm sorry for your mother, Lillie." Sun comforted her as he bent his head downward in order to give her a kiss on the forehead. Despite Lillie's mother completely ridding herself of the neurotoxins, she wasn't able to cope with Mohn's disappearance.
Lillie shook her head before she spoke. "It's fine, Sun. Gladion is taking care of her."
Looking back, when Sun conversed with Gladion about him as the acting-president of the Aether Foundation, he mentioned that his father was the reason why Ultra Wormholes and the Ultra Beasts were brought to the foundation's attention. However, the icing on the cake was his father's name, Mohn. That revelation made the Alola Champion question about the person who ran Poké Pelago whose name also happened to be Mohn. Nonetheless, when Sun was going to tell Gladion about it, the latter had halted him from doing so, explaining that he has no need to meddle in his family affairs. In hindsight, Sun wished that he'd done otherwise.
"Listen, Lillie. I know that you're going back to Aether Paradise tomorrow, but I'm going with you." Sun addressed on the matter.
"Sun, you don't have to, you know." Lillie gently pleaded.
"I know, but it's something important that you and Gladion should know about." The Alola Champion heavily insisted. He had a gut feeling that it would lead to their missing father, but he had to be sure first. Gladion has never presented Sun with a photo of his and Lillie's father in the first place. All that Sun wanted for them was closure, and he was going to give it to them no matter what it took.
Realizing just how important it sounded, Lillie had finally conceded to her boyfriend's persistence. "Ok, Sun. We'll discuss it together tomorrow." She proceeded to share a kiss with him to seal the deal.
After getting themselves clean and tidying up the room, Sun's mother had finally arrived around nighttime. They were able to enjoy her cooking, which Lillie heavily liked, much to Sun and his mother's amusement. The Alola Champion explained to his mother that Lillie was going to be spending the night, which was fine regardless since she considered the blonde to be a part of the family. As morning hit, the couple set off to Aether Paradise with the help of Sun's Ride Pokémon Charizard. An hour of flight later, they landed at the epicenter of the artificial island where Gladion was expecting Lillie appearance, not Sun's.
"Wait, why is Sun here?" Gladion questioned sternly. Even though they were on good terms, the former Team Skull Enforcer didn't want any of his help in regards to their family troubles.
Sun signaled for Charizard to make its leave, which it did so by roaring in approval beforehand. He had expected Gladion's response to be unwelcoming, but he shrugged it off.
"Is Mother okay?" Lillie insisted by ignoring his question. She just wanted to know the status of their mother since her mental well-being was imperative over trivial matters.
"Yes, she's making progress. Wicke is taking care of her at the moment." Gladion answered, not taking his sight away from his former rival. He just wanted for the Alola Champion to mind his own business somewhere. "But why is he here?" He once again pointed at Sun.
"Gladion, is anyone around here?" Sun asked as he kept a calm and collected mindset. It was just like treading water all over again when he and Lillie had shared an intimate moment at Resolution Cave back 2 years and a half, so at least he had experience whenever he was in such a situation.
"No, it's just us," Gladion confirmed but was starting to get irritated at Sun, "so, quit dodging the question and answer me."
"I want to help, is all." Sun simply confessed.
The former Team Skull raised an eyebrow at his answer. "Look, I've told you before, we have it under control."
Of course, Sun was not having any of that.
"Show me a picture of your father." The Alola Champion requested earnestly, puzzling the siblings altogether.
"What do you mean by that?" Lillie asked curiously.
The former Team Skull Enforcer was taken aback by him asking for a picture of their missing father. Gladion had always kept a spare picture of their family for reassurance, but he has never shown it to Sun.
"What good would that do?" Gladion brushed off Sun's demand. He assumed that it wouldn't lead to anything pertaining to Mohn.
Having enough, Sun decided that he should tell him bluntly. "Because I may know where your father is at!"
The air was silent as Lillie and Gladion's eyes went wide at the thought of Sun having a clue about their father's location.
"W-what?" Lillie stuttered, placing a hand on her chest.
Gladion felt that it was all a joke, so he snarled to Sun. "You think this is funny? Like some kind of joke?"
"It's not, and I've been trying to tell you for years! Just trust me on this!" Sun objected loudly as he got closer to Gladion. "So please, show me a picture. That's all I'm asking for."
Groaning at Sun's constant meddling, the former Team Skull Enforcer reluctantly agreed to his demand. Gladion reached for his pouch as he rummaged through it until he found an old photo. He then handed it over to the Alola Champion.
Sun's reaction had him on high alert. It showed Lusamine, Lillie, and Gladion during their early years, but it also included a man who looked quite familiar to the person who ran Poké Pelago. However, in the picture, the man had a slightly slimmer appearance, but the hair gave it away.
"Sun?" Lillie whispered in a concerned manner as she hastily went over to her boyfriend's side.
It was just as Sun had thought, there was no mistaking that the man in photo was the same Mohn from Poké Pelago. Now he'd found the missing piece of the puzzle. Sun's face brightened in response to his own epiphany.
"Of course!" Sun exclaimed in delight, much to the confusion of Lillie and Gladion.
"Did that picture give you a slight clue or what?" Gladion jeered.
"I now know how your father looks like, and where he's at!" The Alola Champion proclaimed after he handed the family photo back to Gladion.
"You really do?!" Lillie gasped in amazement. The thought of their father returning back home filled her with joy and relief.
"But," Sun interrupted her celebration as he added on an important part that needed to be addressed, "he may not remember anything that has happened during his time in Aether Paradise."
Lillie's expressed turned somber at the explanation while Gladion grew fed up and proceeded to grab Sun by the collar of his shirt.
"Brother, don't hurt him!" She pleaded to Gladion not to harm Sun.
"Ok, how long did you had that kind of assumption and why do you think that he may not remember us and our mother?" Gladion retorted rather angrily. He wanted to believe Sun's word, but after so many years, the former Team Skull Enforcer doubted that his and Lillie's father would ever come back into theirs and Lusamine's lives. Nonetheless, he wanted to cling on to one more sliver of hope.
"Ever since you told me your father's name. Like I said, I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn't listen to me." Sun revealed as he broke away from Gladion's hold.
"His memories may have been hampered because of his time in the Ultra Space. This is based on someone else's experience." The Alola Champion reasoned to the two siblings.
Sun's hypothesis was a reference to Anabel's origins as she emerged from an Ultra Wormhole and was discovered by Nanu and Looker some time ago. However, she wasn't able to recollect the past memories of her life, though she made some vague comments about being in charge of the 'Battle Tower' and hailing from the Hoenn region. So Mohn's case was similar to Anabel's, which meant that he should have a bit of his memories intact.
"I wanted to bring up the topic to Mohn at Poké Pelago, but I'd figured that the names were coincidental, so I didn't go through with it." Sun added on to the conversation.
"And that's why you wanted to see a photo of our father," Lillie commented as she grabbed Sun's hand for comfort.
The Alola Champion nodded at her girlfriend. "Yes, though I could've just asked you in the first place, but it was best for me to tell you two together. Also, I can't stand to see Lusamine in such pain. I can tell how much it has affected you guys."
In his heart, Sun knew that by bringing Mohn back to their side, it would not only relieve Lusamine from her spiraling mood swings, but would also be the last piece to finally mend their broken family. The Alola Champion just hoped that Mohn would remember some bits of his early life. Lillie and Gladion weren't going to like what Sun had planned out.
"Which is why I'm going to pay a visit to Poké Pelago right now. So, you guys stay put for now." Sun declared as he took out his Ride Pager in order to call out his Charizard.
"We're coming with you." Lillie insisted as Gladion nodded at her statement.
"Despite me having doubts on the matter, we want to see him." The former Team Skull Admin protested as Charizard landed near Sun.
Sun mentally groaned at their refusal to stay at Aether Paradise because as much as he wanted to take them with him, he had a slight fear that Mohn wouldn't recognize his own children, and that would devastate the two.
"Please, it's for your own sake because I can't guarantee that Mohn will remember your faces. Also, I want the reunion to be special if my meeting goes as expected." Sun attempted to persuade the two to stay behind.
After a few moments, Gladion had finally accepted Sun's terms, though he wasn't entirely happy about it. "Fine, but I'm holding you accountable if he doesn't come back." The former Team Skull Enforcer relented to his former rival's persuasion. "Don't forget this. You may need it just in case." He handed Sun the photo of his family, the former's reason being that if the owner of Poké Pelago wouldn't remember by words, then a picture should suffice.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Sun replied as he hopped on his Charizard.
"Please, bring him home if you can." Lillie desperately requested her boyfriend to return her father back home as she'd missed him dearly.
"I promise to do so, Lillie. I'll see you guys soon." The Alola Champion answered as he directed Charizard to the path of Poké Pelago, taking off to the skies afterwards.
Once Sun had left Aether Paradise, Lillie and Gladion headed over to their house in order to check up on their mother since it was all that they could do at the moment until Sun would arrive back with their father, but only if the plan goes in their favor. There was a growing denial that the person from Poké Pelago was not their father but someone else, though they had to have faith in Sun's intuition.
'I'm counting on you, Sun. Please bring our father back.' Gladion mentally pleaded as he and Lillie entered their house.
A couple hours later
Sun and his Charizard landed on Isle Abeens where he was able to catch a glimpse of Mohn at a distance from them. The owner of Poké Pelago was tending to the Pokémon by supplying them with his beans. Mohn noticed their presence and soon waved at Sun and his Pokémon.
"Ahh, Sun! It's been a while!" Mohn happily shouted as Sun made his way to him while Charizard stood back and left. The Alola Champion hasn't set foot on Poké Pelago for quite some time now as his last visit was almost close to 8 years now.
"Likewise." Sun replied as he extended his hand to Mohn in which the latter gladly shook. From the looks of it, the owner of Poké Pelago still looked the same since their previous encounter.
"What brings you here, lad? Not that I mind your visit, though." Mohn asked curiously while the Pokémon near him left the two and ventured out somewhere else.
Thinking about it, Sun could see a similarity between Poke Pelago and Aether Paradise in terms of their goals, and that was nurturing Pokémon for good intentions. This fueled the Alola Champion's prediction that the Mohn that stood in front of him was the same Professor Mohn who disappeared years back.
"Mohn, I know this may sound out of the blue but," Sun took a deep breath as he braced himself, "have you been feeling funny as of late?"
Mohn was confused by his statement, though he couldn't deny that he has been having memory relapses as of late. Just recently, he could've sworn that he used to take care of Pokémon somewhere else, but with the company of associates, and a blonde woman.
"To be completely honest with you, yes, I have." Mohn answered as he tried to adjust his straw hat.
Sun became elated at the blond's answer, he was getting closer to his goal but he still had to press on. "Do you know what you can remember?"
The owner of Poké Pelago looked at a group of Trumbeak and Pikipek who were feeding on the wholesome beans before shifting back to Sun's direction. "It's like, I recall helping out Pokémon with someone special, and it appeared that we had children as well. Also, it looked like I was more than a-" Mohn explained but he suddenly had a pounding headache.
"Mohn, are you okay?" Sun asked cautiously as he tried to reach Mohn, but the latter extended a hand for him to stay back.
"I can still finish." Mohn affirmed defiantly while clutching his forehead with one hand. "From what I could discern, it looked like I was once more than just a caretaker for Pokémon."
"Such as?" The Alola Champion insisted for the blond to continue.
"As though I was a scientist researching things unimaginable to the human mind." Mohn divulged by referencing his former life as a professor.
However, even though that was all that Sun needed, he wanted to assure himself that Mohn could at least remember the names of his wife and children.
"Do you remember the names of that special someone and the children that you supposedly had with?" Sun pressed on, anticipating Mohn's response.
"I'm afraid not." Mohn calmly denied.
The Alola Champion could've sworn that his heart had dropped. While Mohn was able to recollect bits of his past life, he couldn't remember Lusamine, Gladion, and Lillie's names. That thought sounded heartbreaking to the young adult. Nonetheless, Sun couldn't give up just now because he'd promised Gladion and Lillie that he'd bring their father back to them, and to be sure that he greeted them with their names.
A thought bloomed in Sun's mind at the item that Gladion had given to him before leaving to Poké Pelago.
"Wait, I want you to take a look at this." The Alola Champion hurriedly rummaged through his backpack as he pulled out the photo that Gladion had bestowed to him. He then presented it to Mohn, which he reviewed it.
"Could it be?" Mohn began to question himself. In the photo, he knew that it was him at a different time, but he was beginning to figure out as to who the others were.
"I-I think it's coming back to me." The owner of Poké Pelago started to recall the names of the woman and children the photo, though he was having a hard time uttering their names.
"Try to remember as best as you can." Sun urged to the blond. If he could say their names, then it'd make it much easier to take him to Aether Paradise.
Mohn went back to examining the photo as he struggled to remember exactly what their names were. After a while, he began to mutter something that began with the letter L.
"L-Lu-" Mohn slowly started to conjure up with a name, but it was inaudible to Sun's ears.
All that Sun could do was let Mohn figure it out in the meantime. Progress was getting there, almost too palpable to bear.
Suddenly, a series of memories began to resurface in Mohn's mind, causing him to have a blank stare.
'Gladion and Lillie will be the seed to a brighter future for the Aether Foundation, don't you think. Mohn?'
'Aside from your research in the Ultra Space hypothesis, the cultivation of Poké Beans shows good promise to the development of Pokémon.'
'Daddy! Brother and I were able to give the treats to the Pokémon!'
'Nothing could go wrong, right?'
'Sorry if this hurts, Cosmog.'
Mohn felt tears in his eyes because it was all coming back to him. Before he became in charge of Poké Pelago, he was not only a researcher, but also a loving husband and father. The last thought was the tip of the iceberg because it was from his own words.
'I'm glad that I get to spend my life with the children and you…'
'Lusamine.'
"Lusamine." Mohn repeated.
Sun perked up automatically after he heard the owner of Poké Pelago say the name of his wife. A smile formed on the Alola Champion's face afterwards. "You remembered!"
Mohn peered at the children in the photo, pointing a finger at the boy first. "Gladion," he said as he then pointed at the girl that followed suit. "Lillie."
"They were my children," The blond commented as he finally traced his finger at Lusamine's image, "our children."
The Alola Champion triumphed in victory now that Mohn regained the important bits of his lost memories. He couldn't wait to see Lillie, Gladion, and Lusamine's reaction that Mohn was about to be back into their lives. However, Sun needed to tell Mohn of the events that transpired since his disappearance.
"Before anything else, I need to tell you what you've missed out on." Sun mentioned.
"If you insist. Don't worry, I won't interrupt you." Mohn accepted.
And so, Sun began to explain how Lusamine's obsession with the Ultra Beasts spiraled her into insanity and to the point of mistreating Gladion and Lillie, the illicit activities that the Aether Foundation had committed, Gladion and Lillie running away from their estranged mother, the emergence of Solgaleo, the climactic battle with Lusamine, Lillie's journey to Kanto, and Lusamine's recovery. The Alola Champion reasoned to the blond that Lusamine's actions was solely based on finding him, though it didn't excuse her actions.
"So, all of this debacle was my fault." Mohn guessed as he and Sun sat down on a grassy patch. The owner of Poké Pelago felt guilty that he caused his wife and children so much pain due to his absence.
"Don't think of it that way. Things have been getting better, and I'm sure that they'll be excited to see you." Sun reasoned with determination.
Mohn let out a slight laugh, indicating a bit of pessimism on his part. "Do you think they even want me in their lives?"
"Of course they will! Please, have faith in me on this." The Alola Champion confided to the blond to gain the strength to face his family again.
Taken aback by Sun's refusal to give up, Mohn had finally conceded. "Ok, from what you've told me so far, I'm ready to see them again."
Hearing that was enough for Sun to call his Ride Pokémon again. Now that everything was set, he was ready to take Mohn with him. Charizard soon landed near the two.
"What will happen with the Pokémon here if you're gone?" Sun wondered. He forgot that if Mohn assimilated back to Aether Paradise, what would become of the Pokémon in Poké Pelago?
"Don't worry, they'll be fine since they have a plentiful amount of Poké Beans to eat. Also, if things work out, we can send people to manage the place." Mohn affirmed as they hopped onto Charizard.
"Ok then. So, does that mean you have your memories back?" Sun asked Mohn.
"Not exactly. I know a decent portion of it, but it's good enough for now. Anyway, let's get going." Mohn explained, with Sun nodding in response as he signaled for Charizard to lead them back to Aether Paradise.
Hours later
Sun and Mohn landed near the entrance of the mansion as they bid farewell to Charizard once it took off to the Alolan skies. Before they entered inside, the Alola Champion gave one last look to the blond. "Are you sure you're ready?" He said to Mohn.
Mohn simply shook his own head because he came this far, and he wasn't going to back out from his family again. "Sure am. Now, let's get going."
Soon, the two went inside the house, which mesmerized Mohn because of the pure white architecture that it bestowed. The Alola Champion led him straight to Lusamine's bedroom where Wicke was keeping an eye of anyone who would try to disturb the family. The Aether Branch Chief noticed them walking towards her, wondering as to who Sun had brought along with.
"Ahh, Mr. Sun. Pleasure to see you again." Wicke greeted as she payed attention to the man who looked quite ragged out. "Is this a friend of yours?"
"Not just a friend, but someone of utmost importance. Which is why we need to see them." Sun spoke as he implied Mohn's family.
"Can it be?" Wicke uttered as the man in front of her bore a resemblance to an old worker at Aether Paradise. The Aether Branch Chief finally knew who the man was, but she kept it to herself as she beamed a smile at the duo. "Very well. You two can go in."
"Thank you, Wicke." Sun thanked her as he and Mohn entered the bedroom.
'Nicely done, Sun.' Wicke mentally congratulated the Alola Champion for finding the missing professor.
As the duo ventured inside Lusamine's quarters, they spotted her resting on her bed as she was tended by her children. The three spotted Sun and his companion, which resulted in the shock of their lives.
"Everyone, I want you to meet someone." Sun proclaimed as he gestured for Mohn to make his way to his family members.
From Mohn's perspective, it seemed that Gladion and Lillie had grown so much that he couldn't fully recognize them at first, they've turned into respectable young adults. As for Lusamine, he noticed that her hair was completely different, and she looked rather worn out.
"F-father." Gladion uttered out, a wide stare straight at Mohn.
"I-is it really you?" Lillie choked out as she began to cry.
Lusamine couldn't say a single word. Here stood the missing piece of her life, one that she desperately sought to reclaim at the cost of others getting hurt in the process. She clutched on the bedsheets, waiting to see if it was all a sick and twisted dream. Her husband was a changed man. His appearance was not slim in his early days but he'd gained some weight, and he grew a slight tan. Despite his new complexity, he was still the same Mohn that she had grown to respect and love with all her heart.
"Yes. It's me, Lillie." Mohn confirmed.
Upon hearing her name, Lillie rushed over to her father, embracing him in a tight hug as she sobbed her heart out. Gladion followed suit, and for the first time in a while, he shed tears.
"I'm so sorry for not being there as you two progressed in life." Mohn lamented as he embraced his children back. The owner of Poké Pelago shifted his gaze to Lusamine who was crying at the scene.
"Y-you f-finally here w-with us again!" Gladion mumbled in his hold. The former Team Skull Enforcer knew that he should've be mad at his father for never returning home, but he'd have to give it some time for their family to recuperate.
"I miss you, too, son." Mohn comforted Gladion as he patted his back.
"We m-missed you s-o much, F-Father!" Lillie sobbed in her father's embrace.
Mohn motioned for his children to move away because he wanted to confront Lusamine. Gladion and Lillie moved to Sun's side as their father sat on the bed, right by Lusamine's side.
"Lusamine," Mohn announced as he reached for one of her pale hands in which she didn't budge at his action. "I know of what has occurred during my absence."
The Aether President refused to look at her husband's face as she was ashamed of her actions being vaguely referenced. However, Mohn had anticipated that kind of reaction.
"But I know that you've tried your best to make up for it." He stated dearly as he reached for his pocket in order to take out the photo that Sun had given to him, turning his sight to it. His wife continued to look away from him as she gritted her teeth. "I'm deeply sorry that you guys had to endure a life without me. Although my memories aren't fully intact, I'd hope that I one day regain all of it, and to make new ones with you and our children together along the way." Mohn proclaimed as he returned the photo back to his pocket.
In response, Lusamine lunged herself at her husband, crying in the crook of his neck as her slender arms grasped around him tightly, more so than Lillie's hold. The Aether President finally realized that her husband was back in her life, something that she thought was unbelievable to comprehend.
"Do y-you know how much I-I've yearned f-for you b-back?!" Lusamine gasped as her body continued to wrack in sobs. Being in her husband's hold once again made the Aether President at ease. After all of the ordeals that she and her children had to endure, their broken family was finally whole again.
"I do, honey." Mohn answered as he took in her pleasurable scent. Soon, Gladion and Lillie went over to their parents, and proceeded to embrace them as a family.
"It's good to be back." Mohn gently commented.
Sun quietly left the room out of respect for their privacy, knowing that it was a truly heartful reunion. After giving a nod to Wicke, he retreated to Lillie's room where he jumped on her bed and gathered his thoughts of today.
"What a day." Sun smirked as he began to drift to sleep since who knew how long they were going to catch up.
Later in the evening
"Sun." A voice proclaimed as they nudged on the Alola Champion's sleeping face with their finger.
Sun extended his arms upwards as he proceeded to yawn in the process. Afterward, he regained consciousness.
"Oh, hey, Lillie." Sun greeted his girlfriend. From the looks of it, their meeting with Mohn was over. "I assume your father is still with your mother, right?" The Alola Champion rose up from the bed but he chose to be in a sitting position on it.
"Yes, he is." Lillie answered as she sat right next to him.
"How did it go? I left because I wanted to leave you guys be." The Alola Champion asked, his hand linking to Lillie's.
Lillie caught Sun up in terms of how Gladion was on the verge of shouting at Mohn but relented in doing so, her explaining to her father about her adventure in the Kanto region, Mohn's plan of having Aether Foundation employees take care of the Pokémon in Poké Pelago, and Lusamine's recovery as well as restoring the name of Aether Foundation.
"That's the gist of it, but brother and I wanted to leave Mother and Father alone. They need it the most." Lillie digressed in the end.
"I'm glad that he's back in your lives, though. Remember, I promised you, Gladion, and your mother that Mohn would return. It was worth it." Sun felted elated that things were getting okay with Lillie's family. He noticed that she became quiet. "Uhh, earth to Lillie?"
Lillie proceeded to pounce at Sun as she held him in a hug, with the latter almost losing his balance on the bed.
"Thank you so much." Lillie thanked her boyfriend, crying tears of joy once more. Aside from giving her the strength to take on harrowing trials when they first met, reuniting her family with their long lost relative was one of the greatest things that Sun has given to her in her life.
Sun didn't say a single word as he happily nodded at her gratitude and gave her a kiss on the head before bringing her down on the bed while locked in their hold.
The Alola Champion would be delighted to hear from his girlfriend about how she, Gladion, Lusamine, and Mohn were able to greet the next day, but this time, as a family.
After all, they deserved a happy ending.
