Author's Note: Consider this a half-chapter while i sort out my notes and thoughts on where everything is going - Once this and the next chapter are done, the Unova stuff should resume VERY quickly!

"So...This is the way to Paniola Town?"

Sun had enjoyed the lush, grassy path through to the next town over, but there had been something odd about it. Even with greenery all around him, the patches of long grass that came up past his waist, even with the occasional frightened cry from a nearby Pokémon, there seemed to be far fewer wild creatures than usual. Sun had been looking forward to making his first catch, and he'd kept Tsubaki's ball readied for when that catch would happen, but there was nothing. He'd expected something far more eventful than what he'd gotten.

"Yeah, this is it, but…" Hau had clearly noticed Sun's nervousness towards everything, though the tension seemed to be affecting him just as heavily. "Normally, a Pokémon'd have found ya by now. Guess what happened in Heahea must've gotten to 'em...You think so too, right?"

Sun nodded, looking ahead to the nearby town. The two had already made it almost completely through the route, and they were rapidly approaching a town of dust and sturdy wooden buildings, but it had been so quiet. Even trainers seemed to be sparse; Tsubaki hadn't once been able to stretch her legs against one.

Sun couldn't tell if it was frustration or anxiety taking hold of his chest. He could only tell that something seemed to sting. There was nothing on the route any longer after what had happened. Everyone had been affected! Whatever had caused such an event...It had impacted not just Heahea City. Sun doubted it would only impact Akala Island, as well. Such an event had to affect all of Alola.

Sun and Hau were so close to the town, and Sun swore he'd have walked right into the city without noticing a thing had Hau not spoken up sooner.

"Sun! Stop!"

Sun swore he felt his heart break out of his chest at the suddenness of Hau's call. Looking back, Sun realized that Hau's gaze was pointed towards his feet, or rather, something close to his feet. As Sun turned to face what Hau was looking at, he immediately realized why Hau had been so urgent. Lying at his feet was a small, damp bundle of brown and cream fur, blood staining its side. It breathed heavily, but it was clearly still alive, and it was letting out terrified squeaks as Sun knelt down to pick it up. When the Pokémon tried to run, however, it quickly fell back to the ground, and Sun took the chance to finally take the small Pokémon in his arms.

"C-Come on!" Sun urged, "It's hurt! It's hurt really bad!"

Hau only nodded and raced forward, grabbing one of Sun's arms for a moment in hopes of getting Sun to pick up speed and run alongside him. Dust followed the boys' every footstep, and Sun couldn't even take in the sights before he was in a Pokémon Center. Behind the counter, the nurse was already holding out her arms.

Sun gasped for breath as he gently handed the Pokémon to the nurse, not exchanging a word with her.

As he looked up, however, the Pokémon was letting out harsh squeals and struggling weakly, trying to head back to him. Sun swallowed the lump in his throat, letting the nurse try to soothe the little Pokémon.

Standing beside Sun at the counter, Hau let out a soft, relieved breath.

"Phew...S-Sorry 'bout all that," Hau wheezed, "I've got a Flareon, so...I guess I just saw my own Pokémon in that little guy."

"Th-That was...An Eevee, right?" Sun inquired quietly, walking over to the left of the counter, "I saw it and I...Thanks, Hau. I got to help a Pokémon because of you!"

Hau let out a laugh, placing his hands behind his head and grinning playfully.

"Aww, c'mon, Sun, I gotta!" Hau's eyes closed for a moment, but then his posture relaxed, and he looked at Sun with wide, sincere eyes. "It's just like you and Tsubaki, right? You don't need to be the one gettin' saved all the time!"

"Y...Yeah," Sun murmured, "I guess...That's why Tsubaki helped me. But...I can't see that Eevee yet. I won't be able to see her for a while, won't I?"

Hau shook his head.

"Naw," he replied quickly, "The PMCs are good about this sorta thing. If you wanna see that Eevee again...You wanna catch it, don't ya? You could have somethin' like what I've got!"

Hau reached into his bag for a Poké Ball, but as he rummaged through it, he was quickly stopped by a voice coming from the nearby café. Sun had already noticed it, and was already fast approaching it, even ordering himself a cup of Tapu Cocoa as he sat next to a familiar figure, though the familiarity with this person was definitely a recent thing.

Hau dashed over to the café, waiting for Sun's drink to be finished as the person beside the two of them began to sing.

"And what becomes of lonely shores?

I know that we're all seeking more

But nothing comes from waiting for

The winds of change to speak..."

Sun had found himself lost in this man's song. His voice had only brought to mind when Moon and he were little, and when their mother would sing to them when they had hard nights, when nightmares had taken hold or illness had kept them awake. There were times where she would sing in Alolan, telling Sun and Moon about her love of the region her father had lived in long before, telling them that she hoped that they'd one day be able to see the region themselves, and that she'd be able to see it with her own eyes as well.

Then, the move had finally happened.

Moon had been so happy to go out and see the world. Sun had been gripped by fear, finding comfort in his own home because he thought that it'd be so much safer...But the truth was that home wasn't much safer, if all the times Hala had gone off to protect the island from something had been any indication. Sun had seen lightning that had no doubt been the work of Tapu Koko. Melemele wasn't safe. Iki Town was simply a bystander in a much greater plot, and Sun had realized when Tsubaki had found him, when the wounds slashed into his face had been slashed and the gauze pad taped to it, a pad that still remained there, that he may not have belonged there after taking in a Pokémon of his own.

Sun turned to face the familiar, bespectacled man, rubbing the bandaged wound on his cheek.

This quickly set him off. Until then, there had been nothing from him save for a frustrated grumble about needing to improve his lyrics, but when Sun touched the wound, he immediately reacted.

"Ah! D-Don't touch that," he insisted, turning away from his drink, "You must keep that bandaged. Have you been taking care to ensure it's clean? I'd hate to see something worse come of it after what'd happened in the cave."

"M-Mister Komugi?" Sun asked, "Wh...What're you doing here?"

Hau chimed in with his own thoughts before Komugi could even explain himself.

"Yeah, I thought you said you wanted to see more of Melemele," Hau added on, "So what're ya doin' in Paniola Town?"

Komugi raised a finger to silence the two boys, taking a sip of coffee (coffee with a strong smell, and coffee that looked to be as black as night, for that matter) and swallowing before speaking again.

"While my interest in Tapu Koko hasn't faded in the slightest," Komugi explained, "There was a more pressing matter to attend to. I have much I wish to do in Alola, and I've decided to spend some of my time on Akala Island before heading to Ula'ula for something...Important. I hope to speak with a kahuna about something."

Hau fidgeted. Sun was handed his cup of cocoa, and listened quietly to the two as he drank.

"So is there...D'ya think something's up?" Hau asked nervously.

"Oh, no no, it's nothing of the sort! I simply have something I want to discuss with one of them." Komugi laughed quietly before speaking again. "...Actually, I should confess the truth of the matter. I did intend to speak with a kahuna, but while I'd intended to head to Ula'ula first…"

Komugi scratched the back of his head, looking away from the two.

"...I left on a whim last night, and promptly took the wrong ferry."

Sun couldn't help but laugh at this. Even someone like Komugi, who seemed mature and well-traveled, was prone to mistakes like that...It was comforting, especially when the mood needed to be lightened a little. Hau seemed just as entertained, but also clearly a bit restless.

Sun took another swig of cocoa, looking outside the Center's window. The day had been eventful, but suddenly...Suddenly, peace had hit him. No...It wasn't peace. It wasn't at all peace. It was a single moment of relief that he and Hau had happened to find themselves in the middle of.

However, his attention was quickly drawn to two new figures walking into town, both looking surprisingly stern.

One was clearly at least a little older than the other, standing tall with a single flower adorning her hair, which was as green as the lush flora of the jungle. She had a wider frame, with broad shoulders and hips, and her left calf was almost completely covered in torn gauze, and parts of a few stitched wounds were showing beneath the tears, but she seemed relatively clean otherwise. (Sun almost thought to point this out to Komugi - There was no doubt that her leg shouldn't have been exposed like that!)

Beside her was a smaller girl, one with hair as blue as the depths of the ocean. She looked to be about Sun's age, and she stood with posture as straight as an arrow. In contrast to the girl beside her, she was short and rail-thin, and she carried a pensive look on her face. She already had a few scars on her shoulders and arms despite being so young, and Sun wondered what sort of scraps she'd been in that had led to such. She and her companion occasionally exchanged words as they walked down the town's roads. Sun gave Hau's shoulder a gentle tap before gesturing to the two, causing Hau to only tilt his head in confusion.

"Huh? Hey...What're the captains doing here, anyway?" Hau spoke, "You wanna talk with them before that Eevee's healed up?"

Sun nodded, finishing off the last of his cocoa before standing up alongside Hau. Komugi turned to the two with an understanding expression, glancing outside before turning back to his coffee.

"...Well, I suppose this isn't anything I should get involved with," Komugi mused, "Both of you, take care. I'll be staying in Ula'ula for a few days, so if you two decide to head over yourselves, I hope we meet again."

Sun wondered once again where exactly Komugi had come from. He seemed to just wander wherever he pleased, even when he had a goal in mind. Sun respected that, though he was curious about whether or not Hau held the same sort of respect, especially considering that Hau had met him first.

All Hau asked as the two left the center was, "So what do you think's goin' on with him? All that talk of wanting to meet a kahuna...Ya think it's just any kahuna he wants to see?"

Sun shrugged in response.

"I dunno…" Sun murmured, "But...You and Komugi both helped me at Ten-Carat Hill. I don't think he's a bad person."

Hau gave a quick nod in agreement.

"Yeah, I agree," he replied, "When he talked to me before we got into the cave, he was totally different! He was all quiet...I didn't hear what he'd said to your mom, but it'd sounded pretty serious."

Sun looked away, blushing softly. Had he...Really worried his mother that much? Even if he'd met Tsubaki, even if he'd decided to become a trainer thanks to his experiences...It hadn't changed the fact that he'd caused so much worry.

Hau walked ahead, greeting the two captains with a new air of seriousness to him.

"Hau!" the green-haired captain began, "And is that...Moon's brother?"

"...Moon has a brother?" the other captain added on, "She doesn't visit Akala Island much, so I never heard about this. When did you find this out?"

Mallow shook her head, turning to Sun.

"Well, before all that...I'm Mallow, and this is Lana. We're captains here on the island, and we came here to talk with someone," Mallow explained, "Moon told me a lot about you, Sun! We've had a lot of battles over at the Battle Tree, and at some point, you came up...It's a long story, really. We just run into each other a lot."

Lana looked to Hau.

"Are you concerned, too?" she asked, "We came here because we heard about what happened in Heahea City. We're visiting with Kiawe before we head back to Konikoni City as a group."

Hau nodded, glancing to the side for a moment in hesitation. He wasn't going to let any information slip, that much was clear. Then again, Sun hadn't seen what had happened with Hau and Kahili. He'd been with Leaf and Ilima at the time, and he had no idea what exactly had caused Hau to suddenly seem so on edge as a result.

Nevertheless, Hau nodded.

"Yeah, there's...A lot goin' on with us," Hau chuckled, "I wanna know what you guys've been seein', so I'll go with you both. Sun?"

Sun nodded in response as well. That was all he needed to say - Immediately, Mallow gestured for him and Hau to follow, and both did, until eventually, towards the end of the dirt road, the group came across a large wooden building, fences lining one side and keeping in several Miltank.

Mallow approached the door and knocked, and the door was opened quickly. The look in this person's eyes said it all: He was the third captain they were talking about. Standing tall, with well-defined muscles, dark eyes, and hair that stood up like an open flame, he exuded a sense of power in a different way than Lana and Mallow did. The sense Sun got from Kiawe was a sense of deep pride in his duties as captain, a sense that he'd be the first to step in if the island was in the danger Sun thought it was in.

Sun immediately realized how much he liked this, and gave a warm, awkward smile to the captain.

"Mallow, Lana," Kiawe began, exhaustion echoing in his voice, "Hau. And…"

Sun paused for a moment, before realizing that Kiawe had been talking to him - Immediately, Sun leapt up, letting out a sharp gasp.

"Oh!" Sun glanced nervously between the four people around him. "It's Sun! I'm Moon's brother, and I just became a trainer! It's nice to meet you, captain!"

Kiawe nodded, gesturing for the group to head in.

"Sun...You have the same look in your eyes that she did." A smile crossed Kiawe's face, as if remembering Moon was enough to ease his mind. "I look forward to when you're able to face Akala's trials."

Sun nodded, turning back to Hau.

"So, um…" Sun began to trip on his own words. He could hardly believe what a first impression he was making - Even if Kiawe had mentioned how much he looked like Moon, he was already so nervous, meeting proper trainers! "...What's this about?"

There was a long pause between the captains and Hau, a pause that said that all four of them had realized there was a very pressing matter they hadn't addressed.

"Is...Did I do something wrong?" Sun quietly whimpered.

"...I'd like to see your Pokémon," Kiawe suddenly added, prompting nods of agreement from the other captains.

Reluctantly, Sun took out Tsubaki's ball, pressing the button on it slowly. He knew this was a test, a test he'd fail. Everyone had their eyes on him, everyone looked concerned.

Even Hau seemed to be having second thoughts about the investigation. Sun couldn't deny that he was afraid of what might happen in his own future, but he'd come so far by that point. He couldn't possibly let his lack of skill keep him from the truth about what happened to Moon. What Moon was really doing.

Tsubaki leapt out and stood up proudly, shaking her head until the fur on her neck stuck out more.

Immediately, glances were exchanged between the four Sun faced. This was it...The end of the line for him. Suddenly, he was hit with the reality that even after being allowed on that beach and allowed to see Leaf, he was still a new trainer. Hau had risen through the ranks quickly, but Sun wondered if being able to make quick progress would do him any good. The world seemed to turn quicker with every passing day.

The mid-afternoon sun beat against the back of Sun's neck, and he felt himself sweating intensely.

"So this is your only Pokémon?" Mallow asked nervously, "I don't...Sun, I don't think you should get involved with this. Kiawe has the right idea."

Lana nodded in agreement, flashing Sun a sympathetic look.

"Sun...I'm terribly sorry," she added, "Hau has been a trainer much longer than you. What we're facing is something that not every trainer can handle."

"B-But!" Sun took a step forward, causing the group to take steps back, steps that separated them from each other slightly. "I'm not weak! I can fight! I have to! I wanna fight my sister when she gets back! Please take me with you!"

"Sun, please," Mallow attempted to reason, "We want you to get strong. What's happening to Alola...I can't begin to imagine what's going on."

"It's as she says," Kiawe sighed, "We're planning to speak with kahuna Olivia when she returns to Heahea. It's why we've gathered here. Sun...I want to ask you one thing. Train. Strengthen yourself while you can, so that when you're needed, you can join the battle yourself."

"I agree completely," Lana admitted before glancing over to Hau, "...Hau? Is everything all right?"

Hau shook his head, looking Sun in the eye.

"I...I dunno about...Sun," Hau stammered, "H-He's only got Tsubaki, a-and that Eevee that's being treated. Sun, I can't...I think the captains're right. You gotta sit this out."

Hau's words were like a stab to the chest for Sun. Sit this out. Just when things had started, suddenly he was being held back from discovering the truth of things. It wasn't unreasonable, but after everything he had seen that day, it felt strange to suddenly be dropped from the investigation.

One moment, they had wanted him, and the next, they had realized he was still new.

Even if Hau was right, it didn't make his words hit any less hard.

"Y...Yeah," Sun whimpered, "I understand. You guys'll make sure Akala's safe, right? That I'll be able to start my challenge soon, and meet with the professor?"

Kiawe nodded, and the corners of his mouth turned upward.

"We will," Kiawe replied, "Alola depends on us now. For now, we must go, but someday soon...Sun, I know you'll stand with us. Good luck in your training."

There were few words exchanged after this as Kiawe led the group into his home. Hau, however, looked back. He was the last one to enter, and before then, he only said two words before leaving Sun alone:

"'M sorry."

As Hau left his side, Sun looked to the path. There was a ranch nearby, and on that ranch, he and Tsubaki could train...And he could train the Eevee he'd found, too! Maybe the group had been right that he was weak. He was on his first day as a trainer. He couldn't do much as he was. Even then…

He had Tsubaki, and he had his Eevee. He still had to name the Eevee, too! Maybe he wouldn't get to join in right away, but Hau had things under control. If Hau found out what happened to Moon, he'd say it. Sun trusted him enough to not keep such a thing secret.

Keeping that thought in mind, Sun turned back to the Pokémon Center, dashing towards it.

He would make sure his Eevee became stronger.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sun swore he saw something flicker in the sky. Shaking his head, he tried to dismiss it as nothing. He couldn't investigate anything, not when he had a new Pokémon to raise.

And raise it he would. Looking back to the path he'd taken for one moment, Sun took a deep breath and stepped into the Pokémon Center.