Sun & Moon
By: Aubrie1234
As night fell, Gladion and Silvally went down to the Marina. The Synthetic pokemon was very cautious, his feathers twitching in anxiety. But as they got down there, they found Emerson facing off against some goons from Team Astral. The goons wore similar clothing to Team Skull, but had a more blue-ish color scheme and a star icon instead of a skull. However, Gladion found that, just like Team Skull, the goons seemed to be people who had no where else to go.
"Will you both please kindly leave?" Emerson asked the two, "Or do I have to teach you both a lesson and send you away?"
"You're just a Trial Captain!" spoke one, "We can beat you easily!"
"Yeah, so just give up your pokemon!" said the other.
"Oh, can you now?" Silvally walked forward to Emerson's side and bowed, allowing Gladion to climb off. At the sight of the large, intimidating pokemon, the two Team Astral members didn't look all that confident anymore.
"I expected Moon to come, with her brilliant attitude, but I don't mind having you help out instead, Gladion." Emerson said.
"Thanks, but are you ready for a fight?"
"As much as you are."
"Vally!" hissed Silvally, ready for a fight.
"W-we'll show you how tough we are!" the two guys then sent out their pokemon, two Zubat, one for each trainer. Silvally was already out and Emerson sent out a Yungoos, where the two pokemon easily defeated Team Astral's, Silvally so strong he gave a powerful One-hit KO. Said pokemon then growled at the two goons, daring them to try attacking again.
"Ack!"
"Not cool, not cool!" the two fled as quick as they could, leaving Emerson and Gladion alone.
"Impressive. I knew you were quite powerful just to have such a pokemon, but I never expected you to be that powerful!" Emerson praised, "But that still doesn't explain why you're here and not Moon."
"She's my niece, and I didn't want her getting hurt."
"Is that all there is to it or is there more?" Gladion studied the Trial Captain's face, wondering if he could trust him, before speaking.
"You know of Team Skull, right?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I have a feeling history is going to repeat itself and again, I don't want Moon getting hurt. Especially if it's heading the way I think it is."
"Gladion," Emerson sighed, "you're trying to protect her too much. She's more powerful that you think, and though you want to protect her, which I understand, you must give her room to grow. Someday, she might become so powerful she could overthrow you!"
"I know, but I can't help it. She's part of my family and I don't want to lose her."
"You're not going to if you let her do her own thing. Now, I expect her and her friends to come to Verdant Cavern soon. Let her show you what she can do. You might then understand the amount of freedom she needs is more than you allow." Gladion blinked as Emerson left, wondering what the man meant.
"Va silv si si ally." (We need to go back.) Silvally urged, nudging his partner.
"Right." he and his pokemon left for the Pokemon Center, the human feeling a bit out of it. Silvally worried for his partner, but knew there was nothing he could do to help.
As they approached the Center, they found Moon, Ailani, and Star outside and petting a Tauros, Hau nearby.
"Seriously, it's strange with how much Tauros likes you." the Kahuna exclaimed, "It's almost as if-" he stopped himself, though, and frowned.
"Hey, look who it is!" Ailani nudged Moon, pointing at her approaching uncle. The blonde girl acknowledged Gladion's presence with a glare and the man winced. So did Ailani, as her plan to make Moon happy again failed. Said girl had been quiet and broody since her uncle had yelled at her and nothing her friends or pokemon did could snap her out of it. Hau noticed this, as much as he wished he didn't.
"Here." he handed his daughter a small, rounded remote, "Tell Moon about Ride Pokemon while I take care of this." The green-haired girl nodded and watched as her father pulled Gladion away.
"Okay, what did you do?!" Hau asked once they were out of earshot.
"I yelled at her to keep her out of danger." the blond ran a hand through his hair, "I didn't mean to hurt her, but I wanted her to be safe. I'm still not sure if Emerson gave me a verbal lashing on that or not."
"Great, now you've done it..." Hau sighed, "If she's anything like You-Know-Who, she won't forgive you unless she can beat you in a fight, so maybe you should stay away for a while."
"But-"
"No." Hau shook his head, "Go back and help Kukui. With how strong you are, she'll have to challenge you when she challenges the League. Understand?" Gladion was unresponsive for a minute before he nodded.
"I never meant-" he shook his head, "I'll...see you, then." Without looking back, he left, Silvally trailing along behind him. The pokemon did look back, though, and gave a single nod. He would take care of Gladion and do what he could. Hau nodded back before returning to the children.
"I didn't expect some of Tauros' fur to be gray." Star commented as he examined the pokemon's mane.
"He's old, but he's still strong." Hau assured, patting Tauros' side, "He's been a Ride Pokemon since before any of you were born, back I was a kid, really. The only time he was ever like this, though, was with one of my friends. In fact, you were nearly inseparable, weren't you?"
"Taur!" the Wild Bull pokemon nodded in agreement.
"So, I can use this to call him and some riding equipment whenever I need to?" Moon questioned, holding the remote.
"Yep. Now, just go around the Island, complete Emerson's challenge, fight me, and you'll be able to go on to the next island." the man instructed, "I hope to see you kids soon!"
"You too!" A smile was finally brought to Moon's face, where she and her friends waved as they left the city.
"I wonder..." Hau's smile fell, "Is Gladion right? Is there a new danger out there that they need to fight?"
"Ros." Tauros nudged him to help assure him. Hau gave the pokemon a smile, but it was sadder and didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Thanks, but like Gladion, I can't help but worry for them, especially Ailani."
"I heard that, originally, the island challenge began long ago for people to prove their strength, to themselves, others, and even the Tapus." Star spoke, "And speaking of Tapus, why do you think Tapu Koko saved Nebula and you, Moon?"
"Because it was the right thing to do?" Both Ailani and Moon were surprised he didn't see the reason why.
"I suppose." the boy sighed, "I guess I'm just used to there being another reason."
"Pew!" Nebula stuck a hand out to help its friend cheer up. With a smile of gratefulness, Star stuffed the gassy hand back into his bag.
"Thanks, Nebula."
"Past this section should be a Pokemon Center and Verdant Cavern." Ailani said, "We'll need to keep on the trail to go all the way around the island, where we should end up at Route 1, and then we can go and challenge Dad."
"Can't wait! Guys, let's go!" Moon went forward, followed by her friends and pokemon. However, they had no idea what was in store for them.
"Soon they will trust me like I was family." the man mused, handling a pokeball and examining it, "Not only will the children be surprised, so will Glutton, as Moon named him."
"Sir?" a scientist poked his head into the room.
"What is it?"
"We're ready to begin the experiment."
"Good. Tell me the results afterwords."
"Yes sir." the scientist left and the man was struck with an old memory. It was back when he was a young boy, when he had been found by Faba. He remembered nothing before that day, but had been told what his life was like before.
Like that was the truth. he thought, You were such a liar. Good thing you got your just desserts. At that the man smiled.
"Thank you, Xurkitree, for doing it." he told the pokeball, "Without you, I would have been under his control for a little longer." The pokeball shook in his hand, as if the Ultra Beast inside shivered. The man laughed.
"Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of! I was congratulating you for freeing me! What's so scary about that?" The pokeball shivered again and he shook his head.
"Ah, you still don't see the greatness in what I'm doing for you. That's understandable, but you won't see that way for much longer if the experiment works. I only want what's best for you and the other Ultra Beasts, after all." he looked out the window of the darkened room, "Soon enough, pokemon and people won't be the only ones who live in Alola. Soon your brethren will be here as well."
After fighting pokemon and trainers on their way, they finally reached the Pokemon Center and were ready to go to sleep, as tired as they were. And the next day, Moon wanted to go back along the route and check out an old house that they had passed.
"You sure about this, Moon?"Star questioned, uneasy.
"Yeah, I am. Grandpa Guzma used to tell me stories of when he lived along Route 2, so this might be his house!"
"Why do you call him Grandpa when he isn't actually your grandpa?" Ailani questioned.
"People who are really close to my family always seem like family to me, so why not?" They went up to the door, where they found a note.
"'Sorry, I'm out right now. Don't know when I'll be back, so you might have to wait a while. -Guzma'" Star read the note, "I don't suppose he told you where he keeps his spare key, do you?"
"Actually, I do." Going over to the fence, Moon rooted around the bottom of all the planks until she found a rusty key. Putting it into the lock, the door soon opened. Inside was a normal house, as they would have expected, but it seemed dusty, as if no one had lived there in some time. Curious, the kids ventured inside and looked around. In a bedroom, they found several trophies (most of which were bronze except for the single silver) and many CDs.
"This must have been his room." Ailani surmised, "And the playground outside was his."
"But he hasn't been here in a long time, has he?" Star said, "Was he ever here to take the house when his parents died?"
"Pew..."
"I don't know." Moon said, "But next time I see a Video Phone, I want to call Grandpa and ask why." Locking the house back up, the kids left and returned to the Center to prepare for the next part of the island challenge. But as they went back up the road, they encountered a Delibird at the entrance of the Berry Fields.
"Brrr!" he cried, coming over to them and tugging on their hands, gesturing frantically to the fields.
"Something wrong?" Moon asked.
"Brr!" Delibird nodded.
"Then let's go!" The kids followed the Delivery pokemon to find an old man and Delibird cornered by weirdly-dressed goons, who they could only assume were apart of Team Astral. Behind the old man was a pile of berries at the base of a palm tree.
"Takin' berries is only the start of our plans, yo!" said one.
"Let's get Figy with it! Watch while I Nanab me some berries!" said the other.
"I share my berries for free with the pokemon, but you won't get a single one from me!" protested the old man.
"So what, I'm lower than a pokemon?! I've already got self-esteem issues, man!"One said, getting up close to the man.
"Hey, stop it!" barked Ailani, she, Moon, and Star running up with Delibird.
"Stay out of this, squirts." Two said, "We'd beat you in a fight anyhow!"
"Put your money where your mouth is, then!" Moon growled, "We challenge you to a fight to leave the Berry Fields alone!"
"You're on, kiddo!" the goons sent out two Drowzees, one for each of them, so Ailani and Moon decided to tag-team.
"Go, Flareball/Suits!" The Litten and Rowlet faced off against the two Psychic-types, ready for a fight.
"Lick/Astonish!" both Starters had learned Ghost-type moves and now used them against the Drowzees, which were very effective. It knocked out at least half of their health and paralyzed one while the other flinched, giving Flareball and Suits time to attack again and knock the two out.
"Argh, not again!" the goons then fled.
"Thank you for the help, children, but truly those characters only acted big and tall. I suggest you go on with your island challenge." said the old man. The Delibirds flocked to his side, giving the kids big smiles of thankfulness.
"We were happy to help, sir." Star nodded.
"Well, if you want, you're all welcome to the Berry Fields and any berry piles like the one behind me on your journey. Be careful, though, as some piles have pokemon hidden in them."
"Oh, thank you! May I?" Moon asked.
"Be my guest." the man stepped aside and the girl began looking through the pile, only to be confronted by a Crabrawler.
"Cra!" he cried, jumping out to defend the pile. Glutton and Flareball growled and got in front of their partner, ready to defend her.
"Hey now, no need to fight!" the blonde said, then looked at the Crabrawler, "You got angry because we disturbed your meal, right?" Hesitantly, the pokemon nodded, "Well, we're sorry. I know I am, at least." Moon nudged her pokemon forward. They gave her astonished looks, but nodded and muttered apologies.
"Cra?" Crabrawler was confused at the kindness, holding himself in a defensive stance.
"Here, finish your meal first." Moon smiled. Crabrawler blinked, then shook its head and held out a claw. Moon blinked herself, but held the claw with a smile.
"I think he wants to come with you, Moon." Ailani said, "Crabrawlers don't usually get the kind of kindness you're giving him."
"Really?" Moon reached a hand out to rub the claw, "Well, I guess you could come if you want to."
"Cra!" he nodded and she brought out a pokeball. Hitting Crabrawler, he was taken into the pokeball and shook a few moments before clicking. Releasing him Crabrawler twirled around and began eating again, giving everyone sweatdrops.
"I think I'll call you Boxer, okay?"
"Cra." he acknowledged her words with a nod.
Another pokemon for Moon's team! Also, if you want the info on the pokemon to be down here, ask and I'll begin adding it. Again, sorry for it being out of order, but I hope you like it! And just what did the mysterious man mean? What is his plan and what does the experiment have to do with it? We might find out later, but for right now, please read & review!