Alola was waking up. The sun was rising and the day was dawning.
"Gladion?"
On Melemele island, the siblings sat together. The orange light of a new day spilled into the roof of Pokémon professor Kukui's lab, where the two had rested.
Gladion didn't hear Lillie. He was watching the Luvdisc in Kukui's aquarium. They had no cares in the world. He carried no end of burdens on his shoulders. Gladion wasn't the type to wallow in self-pity. He was tireless.
"Gladion?" Lillie repeated. Gladion snapped out of his thoughts. He faced his sister.
"What is it?" His voice was quiet, gentle. "You okay?"
"Yeah." She looked tired. "How do you think Sun is?"
"Sun's dead, Lillie," Gladion scowled, but not at her. "Sun is dead, or worse."
"I don't think so," Lillie muttered. "I think he's okay." Lillie was optimistic, even if she was shy and aloof - to Gladion however she was open. They'd been through too much to be anything other than dependent on one another for support.
"You got some kind of psychic connection with him? No," Gladion dismissed. He regretted being so harsh a moment later. "Sorry." Lillie didn't say anything. Gladion put his arm around her. Their faces were illuminated by the bright morning sun. Nebby and Type: Null rested nearby, Null's pained breathing echoing through its iron mask. Gladion noticed Null had curled around Nebby as if to protect it, similar to how he felt he had to protect Lillie.
"Lillie, our mother will come after us. We need to get away from Alola, soon. The further the better. I know people from Team Skull who can help us. There's this Unovan guy," Gladion began, and realised he was going nowhere. He couldn't begin to fathom all the power Lusamine had in the region. Sun would've surely thought of a plan the moment they got away, and Gladion was still piecing together his.
"Gladion, we won't make it on our own. I'm no Trainer. And I don't want to rely on Kukui and Burnet for money." Lillie crossed her arms, hugging her knees to her chest.
"We won't need to. If I can just find a way to-" Gladion shook his head. "There has to be a way. There has to be a way." He thought back to Hau. They'd made it off the Paradise, sure, and the two siblings and Hau had split up. Hau had become a victim of Team Skull within a day. "We- we have to be careful."
Lillie was crying. Gladion opened his mouth to reassure her, then shut it and pulled her in for a hug. "I miss Sun," she wailed into his shoulder.
"I do too," Gladion said, and was telling the truth. He missed Sun. It was all his fault, he felt.
Several meetings had happened between Lusamine and Faba regarding Sun, but elsewhere on this particular morning the conversation took a new turn.
Lusamine was trying to write a autobiography for the eighth time, every single time avoiding the topic of her childhood, teenage years and adult years. As such they never really worked out. After deciding to omit yet another passage of her younger years growing in Kalos and feeling the intense mental weight of inheriting her father's company, she gave up.
Casting a gaze around the room - the pure white, gold and black her definition of perfection - she felt unfulfilled. Sun would fill the emptiness in her soul, she was sure. She imagined the two of them observing Pokémon together, talking about Pokémon, talking in general, being able to pour all her worries into him, hugging him, telling him he was perfect... and more. While she'd never admit it, she was smitten by him in a way that she wasn't with her own children.
She had to resist going to visit him all the time. Whenever she did she always wanted to wake him, and the last time she had it almost led to disaster. She requested a progress report from Faba to try and stop herself from being drawn to Sun, her hands dancing over her datapad as she speed-typed the memo.
Sun was just as much of an addiction to her as the Ultra Beasts. She wrote his name on the paper she had been drafting her autobiography on and looked at the letters.
'As the president of the Foundation and one of the most powerful women in the world, I have often been told...'
Sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun
She couldn't read the word anymore. She continued writing as if gripped in a frenzy, her handwriting getting steadily worse. She was growing increasingly hot, her hold on the pen slipping, the nib smacking on the desk as she brought it down again and again, harder and harder. The paper tore as she dragged the pen roughly.
Sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun son son son son son son son son son -
She was unaware she had changed the spelling. She wasn't even seeing what she was writing. Her teeth were gritted and her eyes stung, the plastic casing of the pen cracking in her hand. Still she wrote. The page was covered. Her face twitched with displeasure.
She flipped the sheet over, not to be so easily deterred. "Sun," she repeated over and over. "Sun, Sun Sun..." she became aware of a faint arousal which grew in intensity the instant she felt it. "Sun. Sun. Sun." The pen finally broke in two. Ink spilled on the paper and blotted out some of the words. "Sun," she continued, dipping her finger into the spreading puddle of ink and dragging it across the desk's surface.
She shook uncontrollably. "I- I need you," she whispered, touching herself under the desk as she wrote his name in huge letters. "I-" she bit her lip, leaning onto the surface, trying to control herself again. "Sun, I need you." She needed him to understand, he would when he saw it from her point of view - he'd understand, damn it, he'd know that she meant well, that she just wanted- wanted-
A knock came at the door. Lusamine had completely forgotten she'd asked for a report from Faba. She looked at the mess on her desk and implemented the most simple solution possible. She dragged her arm across the whole desktop and spread papers, books and trinkets all over it to cover the inscription she had made.
She then buried her head in her hands to look frustrated and summoned an agitated voice to speak with. "Come in," she invited.
The door was thrust open with enthusiasm. So the news must be good. When Faba was irritated he hung around like a bad smell. When he was enthused he hung around like a bad smell with a bit more energy.
"I've thought of a way to go even further with the false memories," Faba tripped over his words with excitement, barely getting out the sentence. "It's a little... strange, but you'll appreciate its effects to no end, I believe."
"What is it?" Lusamine was still feigning irritation, her hand still between her legs, Sun still on her mind.
"Ooh, it is nefarious, miss President, nefarious indeed." Faba stopped himself from becoming too excited. "Before I explain, I'd like to make it clear. I will develop the theory to perfection. You will have to see to the practical application."
"Explain yourself," Lusamine insisted.
"It is my understanding-" Faba bent over suddenly, wheezing for a moment, "- that you want little Sun there to be... enraptured by you. Captivated." A long pause. The sentence begged to be continued, and Lusamine raised one eyebrow delicately. "Infatuated."
The President only nodded. She pretended to be very interested in her fingernails but all of her attention was on Faba's words. It was as if he knew what she had just been doing.
"My method involves stimulating the brain and then targeting and causing enough pain to the areas that light up during those stimulations to kill the connection. Once that is done, he'll have no memory of anything you've done or anyone else he may have interacted with, including your children." The difference between rehearsed Faba and improvising Faba was once again clear.
"Now, assume that we've burned away all reference to you. We then... stimulate him instead of hurt him while exposing him to various media of you, interviews, photos, whatever. He'll create new connections. Associate the experience of feeling pleasure with you."
Lusamine understood the implications that Faba was dodging. Preventing herself from smiling at the image was difficult. Her mouth was suddenly dry as Haina Desert. Licking her lips, she leaned forward in her seat. "I understand. But drugs should be enough to make him... stimulated, yes?"
"Yes, yes. It'll be up to you however exactly how far to go with what you expose him to." The President understood the meaning of that too. "The memory of the procedure itself will be removed, so he won't have a clue why he'll be so attracted to you. He'll just think of it as normal."
The two shared an unspoken moment of self consciousness. They were planning to program a sixteen year old boy into being physically attracted to someone he would consider his mother to ensure his total dedication. Both of them ignored such irrelevant moral quandaries and pressed on.
"So, is that a yes for that too?" Faba inquired.
"I see no issue." Lusamine actually saw plenty of issues, but no boundaries she hadn't crossed or played with before. Well, a few. Not many though. "How far would you recommend going?"
"Keep it... clean," was Faba's response, and his voice was subtly warning. "Going too far with this might have," he looked for the right word, "cumbersome results."
"Naturally. Anything else of importance?" Maybe she'd push it. She wanted him to love her. He had to love her.
"The prototype of my device is nearly complete. I shall have it to you within the fortnight."
"Within the-" Lusamine stopped herself. "As long as it takes. As long as it takes."
"That's the right attitude, miss President," Faba said sagely. "I'll get right back to it."
"That's very good to hear, Faba." The door closed behind the scientist's retreating back. Lusamine pushed all of the mess straight off her desk and read the three letters again. Her burning desire returned, and only speaking to him would satisfy it. She'd be fast. She wouldn't put him in danger. Her resolve was weak, but- she needed him.
"Sun, my perfect little angel," Lusamine sung quietly, "I had to wake you up. I have great news."
Sun's gamble had paid off. He immediately remembered his plan, and went to sit up, feigning pain as he moved, collapsing back. "Aah-" he moaned plaintively, drawing attention to the act.
"Is something wrong?" Sun hated just how concerned she really sounded. It was as if her feelings were genuine. He noticed it was pitch black outside through the single window. It wasn't any good to measure how long he'd been out for, but it was good to at least know it was night. A good time to escape.
"Mother-" Sun groaned, and writhed as if trying to shake off an imaginary pain. "My- ow-" he shivered. "Please-"
"What is it, Sun?" Lusamine asked. She was panicking, he could tell. "Sun, tell me what's wrong, now," she encouraged, trying to keep her voice even and failing. "Sun?!"
Sun writhed on the bed. "Can I get up? Sit up properly? I think I just need to-"
Lusamine had already unfastened one of his arms. She took off the one around his waist while Sun thanked her. Once his arms and waist were free he sat up properly, stretching. His back cracked rather convincingly as he did so. He gave a sigh and lay back down, an idea crossing his mind as he did so.
"Thank you, mother," Sun said, reaching out to her with both arms. If he could just make her drop her guard... Lusamine looked overjoyed at his response and cuddled him tightly, breaking into a huge smile. As they broke apart, he cupped her cheek in his hand, reaching over the bed and staring with a hopefully quite inoffensive expression into her venomous eyes with his own exact replicas.
"Mother," he said as if the word was a revelation all by itself. Sun had done it in such a short time - Lusamine's awareness was clearly lessened, visible in her frozen stance, her confused face, the way she still held one loose strap before it slid from her fingers, now forgotten. She took his wrist in her fingers and held his hand against her heart, exhaling deeply. He could feel her heartbeat. It was strange to know that she was a human with a heart in her chest and warm blood flowing in her body. She hadn't shown any regret, any actual consideration for how he felt. It felt more like she was a figment of his imagination, some deep, terrible nightmare - she couldn't be real, could she?
"Sun." She came closer. "I - you're so perfect..." The smell of her hair, the gleam of her eyes as they traveled over him, and the shadows she cast onto him told her she was very real, he was her prisoner, her doll to play with as much as she wanted, to manipulate and speak to and hug and touch. And he didn't want to be. He couldn't imagine any longer like this. He had to get away now while he was loose.
Sun knew what to say. He had to ignore what he personally wanted to say - 'Let me go, stop torturing me, I want to go home,' all came to mind - and just speak the words she desired to hear. "Just like you, mother."
Lusamine blinked. She'd never actually been called perfect. She had an idea of what perfection was that she adhered to rigidly. Sun saying that meant... meant she was right. They were perfect. "S- Sun... do you- want anything else?" She felt like she had to do something for him, had to reward him somehow.
"I am a little thirsty." Sun hesitated to make it a little more believable. "But I want to stay right here. With you."
Lusamine smiled at his change in tone. "I'll see to it, Sun," she said. "I'll only be a minute. I promise."
"Please be quick," he called after her in a weak, pitiable voice. Sun was impressed at his own acting skills. The moment she was gone, he sat up properly and reached down to free his legs. "Come on, this is it."
As he got to work on the second strap - a little more fiddly than the first - he saw a piece of the mirror Lusamine broke. The shards were all still there, meaning nobody else knew he was here. Nobody else had come in to clean it up in the time since she last visited. Maybe it hadn't been that long. Who knew?
His reflection watched him from the chunk of glass. He was distracted. If he left now, he'd have to live the rest of his life like this. He had rich, dark skin once. Now he was white as Lillie, and he never thought it was even possible for someone to be that light skinned. He had his race stripped away from him as easily as anything else had been.
"What even am I now?" Sun wouldn't be able to just walk out and go back home. This new form of his was a cage that he wore. Inescapable because he was the prison. Nobody would recognise him. Nobody'd believe how it happened. He'd be alone, an outcast, even if not to the public. To himself, he'd be wrong. He was mutated beyond recognition, transformed, been infected by the Aether family's appearance.
And what would Lillie think if they met again? The thought had plagued the back of his mind every waking moment since he saw what he was. His will to do anything to escape was crushed.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to just stay-
No.
His resolve returned.
He got back to work on the strap, his eyes still flitting to his reflection absently. Finally loosening it, he pushed himself up off the bed and without a second thought pulled out the IV drip he'd only just noticed in his wrist. The act of taking it out made him wince as the point of entry began to bleed.
He took up the piece of the mirror that had made him question his resolve and hid it in his hand to use as a weapon. Getting closer to the window to determine his location, all he could see was Alola's ocean. That didn't help.
Sun had to determine a quick, rudimentary plan. Not everyone on the Paradise was in on the project, surely. If he could find some sympathetic worker maybe he could get back to Akala Island and check the hotel he knew Gladion frequented. And if he was captured again he could kill himself with the makeshift blade.
A simple plan was good.
He turned to leave and his heart dropped. Lusamine was back. He'd wasted too much time on thinking, on planning and not doing. Was there a seed of doubt still in him?
"Sun?" she asked, as if she wasn't sure what to do, holding a glass of water delicately. "What are you doing?"
"I- I thought I had to - stretch my legs," he came up with quickly. There was nothing more he could do than throw out the excuse and hope she believed it.
She approached him slowly, with an inquisitive expression. Setting the glass down carefully on the bed, she brushed her hair to one side awkwardly. Sun sensed some nervousness from her, but it didn't make him any more confident as her heels clicked closer and closer, the emerald on her chest glinting.
"You could've left. But you didn't. You're loyal, obedient, beautiful." Lusamine's face was very, very close to his. "Sun..."
One arm snaked over his waist and under his shirt while she leaned ever closer. Sun didn't shy away. He had to put up with this, the implications Lillie had made about her family life were now revealed to be all too true. Her lips were warm against his, and they wasted no time in opening, Lusamine sliding her tongue insidiously into his mouth. Sun felt it roll around, his own tongue tingling. Trapped there, he could only obey her desires.
He didn't return any sort of affection, merely allowing her to fulfil all of her wants. She was overwhelming, pushing against him with a deep and almost desperate passion, a lack of regard for his idea of the situation. He found it increasingly difficult to not shove her back.
He remembered the weapon in his hand. He didn't want to kill her if he didn't have to, but now was the best possible time to do it. And if he did, he'd be free. He turned it in his fingers, finding the sharpest edge as Lusamine sat him back down on the bed.
He made a fist with the jagged edge protruding, careful not to hurt himself on it. As he prepared himself, she let go. "Sun," she said, as if begging for more. "I can tell... I can tell that once you're done... you'll be more perfect than I could even hope."
Sun didn't move. He just couldn't kill her, he wasn't a murderer. "Do I need to have much more done?" Maybe he could escape from being completely changed by her sciences.
Lusamine thought. "We just have to make sure. Here," she said and handed the glass of water to him. Sun realised he had gone to take it with the hand holding the shard. Trying to take it surreptitiously failed. "What's that in your-" She took his hand and pried his fingers open furiously, stealing back the drink.
The chunk of glass fell between them.
"Oh." Lusamine said. "Oh. Sun, you didn't want to-"
"No, no- of course-"
She wasn't listening. "You wanted to look at yourself again," she smiled, her voice slightly sad. "Sun, you're so adorable."
She'd given him his own cover, which was useful. He nodded, avoiding her gaze sheepishly. 'I should've been an actor,' he thought. She handed back the water, picking up the mirror.
"You've come around so fast. My perfect boy." Sun wasn't hers. He belonged to himself. He was not going to become her slave, he wasn't- he was going to see Lillie and Gladion again - Sun prevented himself from vocalizing those thoughts by drinking the water. If he was converted any time soon, what a last supper this would be. If it was to happen, hopefully it wouldn't leave any of him intact. He'd rather not be trapped in a body that truly did bend to Lusamine's every whim.
"Thank you, mother," he said. "When am I going to be perfect?"
"Soon, my sweet child, soon. Hopefully only a few weeks. I'm sorry, my dear, I said I wouldn't wake you."
"It's okay, mother. I like talking to you," Sun lied.
"Thank you, Sun." The little comment, 'I like talking to you,' kindled a fire in her that helped stave off some of the hunger. She needed more of that. She needed him to be the support she wanted. A son, a good son, not like Gladion who resisted and was obtuse. She needed to feel all this again, both the power and the humility that came with this relationship.
"You said," Sun questioned, "that you had good news?"
"Oh, yes. We've found a way to make sure that you really believe you're my son. You'll love me, and I'll show you all the love I can give in return. And I promise, Sun, I promise I'll never hurt you."
Sun wished he hadn't asked. There was no way to avoid being strapped down again. He just let it happen, defeat settling on him like dust. Next time he'd have to run instantly, no hesitation, no getting sentimental over his appearance. He could deal with it. He could do it. The next opportunity he had would be the one he needed.
Once he was firmly restrained, and heavily sedated, he found Lusamine's face close to his again, her expression tender. "Mine. All mine. Every part of you, Sun. Every..." her eyes wandered over him and he felt nauseated, "every part of you. Sleep well, Sun."