Pokémon Radiant Sun
Here's the second chapter! Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas!
This thing already has a few follows and favorites under its belt. How? I literally just posted a prologue chapter and that's it.
Seriously though. Thanks. You folks rock.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Dunka99 (good to see you again, mate).
Let's keep this show going.
Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Alola Alola!
Three Months Later…
After all of the craziness that comes about when you move to an entirely new continent…One would think that they'd be allowed to sleep in, right?
Nope.
Sun's eyes shot open in sleepy alarm as a Meowth below him yowled loudly, rousing the 11-year old from his slumber that felt like 10 minutes to the child but was probably closer to eight hours in reality. Sun slowly opened his eyes, taking in his new room with a small start before realizing where he was. After a few moments, Sun hopped out of bed with a groan, glancing down at his wrinkled clothes with a sigh.
"Oh well, not like I needed to go anywhere today anyway." Sun mumbled tiredly, stretching for a couple of seconds as he glanced out of his window, an odd feeling thrumming through him. Excitement.
Genuine excitement that he hadn't felt in a while. After the craziness of the past few months, it was exciting to be somewhere completely different. The young boy stared out of his window, wandering over to his desk, taking in the clear blue skies out with white clouds overhead, the sound of waves crashing in the distance.
"Yeah…we're definitely not in Kanto anymore, are we?" Sun said quietly, a small smile flickering on his face as he felt the excitement hum through him even more intensely. It was his first day in Alola...
"Meooow!"
Sun looked back down at the floor, where the family Meowth was looking up at him with a questioning look. Meowth then made its way over to Sun and began rubbing himself against the child's leg, so he knelt down and petted the little cat, making him purr.
"You like our new house?" Sun said with a small smile, scratching the Meowth on the head for a few moments, earning a sigh of contentment from the cat Pokémon. One of the few Pokémon their family had personally owned, and the little cat was practically a sibling after Sun's mother bought him two years ago. Meowth kept Mom company and kept an eye on things, which back in Kanto, was the most important thing. Here in Alola, Sun expected the two of them to enjoy themselves quite a bit. As for Sun himself…he'd get the chance to be the Pokémon Trainer he had always wanted to be.
Sun made his way out of his room, with Meowth trailing behind him as he walked into the living room. As Sun entered, his Mom entered just a few moments later with her usual smile. She stopped, assessing her child's rumpled "just rolled out of bed look" with her hands on her hips.
"You were out like a light, weren't you?" She asked, amusement in her voice. "You ought to be full of energy by now!"
"Something like that." Sun replied with a shrug, walking over to the table and snatching up an apple, which he assumed his mother had gotten while he was out cold. It never ceased to amaze him how much she could accomplish when she put her mind to it. Sun guess that's why she was his Mom. She kinda had to be awesome.
"So Sun…" Mom began saying as Sun tore his way through his first apple and was reaching for a second. "…are you pumped to meet some Alolan Pokémon?"
"I guess…After breakfast."
"Oh, you! Someday you're going to learn to have a little wonder in your life!" Mom shook her head in mock dismay, though she knew her son was joking. Sun had grown up watching his mother as a Pokémon Trainer herself, and watched on the sidelines as his mother tore through the Gym Leader circuit with her super-powered team. That pretty much fueled his love and excitement for Pokémon, which held up to this very day. Going to this new region, filled with all kinds of new experiences and wonders, would be quite interesting to say the least. Sun's Mom seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him, as she said, "We're living in the Alola region now! The beautiful islands everyone wants to visit! I'm sure the Pokémon living in a place like this must be friendly, right?"
"I'm sure some are. But if this place has Spearow, then…"
"…Point taken. But still!"
"I get what you mean, Mom." Sun replied through a thick mouth filled with apple. He hastily swallowed, wincing, before he continued. "There's all sorts of cool stuff here. You don't have to try and get me hyped up. I'm plenty excited…I just suck at showing it."
The doorbell then rang, surprising them both.
"Was that the doorbell?" Mom said, turning to Sun. "That's got to be Professor Kukui. Why don't you let him in, Sun?"
The child made his way towards the door, but didn't even make it halfway there before the door was flung open and a vaguely familiar man strolled into the house like he owned the place. The man took in the mostly furnished house with an approving smile. He then walked over to the kitchen counter for a moment before turning around, flashing Sun an even brighter grin.
"Hey there, Sun!" Kukui greeted the boy, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. Sun stared in surprise at the man's midriff, thinking that it was a bit odd for him to not be wearing a shirt at all. Then again, if Sun had abs like those, he'd probably want to show off too. Sun also figured that since Professor Kukui lived in a series of tropical islands, he would probably be in pretty good shape. At least, it made sense to him.
"Good morning, Professor." Sun replied politely. Even if this guy was a bit…casual, he still had to respect the guy. He was a Regional Professor after all, and on top of that was a family friend as well. Sun didn't know the guy beyond the video call they had three months ago, but he seemed pretty alright.
"Professor? Come on, we're all friends here. The name's Kukui. Good to meet your cousin!" Kukui said as he extended a hand outward. Sun shook it, surprised at the man's iron-like grip.
"You gotta be tired after that long trip all the way out here to Alola! You feeling any jet lag? We sure are a long way from Kanto out here in Alola." Kukui mused for a moment, chuckling slightly as his eyes drifted to a nearby window, where the afternoon sun was blazing overhead. "It's still daytime out here, yeah!"
Mom took that moment to make her way over to pair, smiling at her old friend as she said, "Professor Kukui! Yes, we just arrived yesterday."
"Hey there, Mom! I just let myself in. Oh, and call me Kukui, would you?" the Professor replied warmly, beaming at the two of them as he threw apart his arms.
"Welcome to Alola!" the Professor said somewhat dramatically, making Sun smile wanly at the man as his mother giggled at Kukui's antics.
"Of course. I still remember seeing you battle the Indigo Gym Leaders back in Kanto all those years ago, you know!" Mom chirped in reply. That little bit of info interested Sun a bit. He knew that, in general, the Professors in each of the regions were fairly skilled battlers. Some of them were even legends in their own right, back in their prime. Sun was snapped out of his thoughts when his mother added, "I've been in love with Alolan Pokémon ever since, so I finally decided to come here myself!"
Kukui laughed good-naturedly at that. "Ha! I was supposed to be visiting there to research Kanto Pokémon moves and all. I thought I knew a thing or two about battling, but those Kanto Gym Leaders proved me wrong! Besides, you've competed in the League yourself! You know just as much as I do that they don't mess around in Kanto!"
The Alolan Professor then calmed himself and then addressed Sun. "Hey now, Sun! Let's get a move on to the next town over, cousin! Time for you to meet the Island Kahuna and get yourself a Pokémon, yeah!"
"Wait, Kahuna?" Sun asked, confused. What were those? Something like a Gym Leader? Usually, as far as he knew anyway, the local Gym Leader or the Regional Professor would help a new trainer get their first Pokémon or provide it themselves.
"Sure, sure. The Kahunas are crazy-strong Pokémon Trainers here in Alola, cousin! They're unbeatable for folks like me and you! And the Kahuna who lives in Iki Town is always happy to give any kid who wants to have an adventure their first Pokémon, yeah." Kukui explained as he leaned over and snatched an apple off of the table.
"Do you mind, Mom? I didn't quite get the chance to get breakfast this morning." Kukui asked with a sheepish smile.
"Help yourself, Kukui," Mom said with an amused look as the Professor took a bite of the red fruit.
"This already has the makings of a home. You both must have been working really hard to get everything all set up," Kukui commented as he chewed his breakfast.
"Something like that. There's a reason my son's been catatonic all morning!" Sun felt his cheeks heat up at that as his mother ruffled his hair with a giggle. Kukui laughed under his breath at Sun's dismay before Mom spoke up again.
"So…They'll simply give my boy a Pokémon? Just like that?" Kukui nodded in reply. "Then those Kahunas really are worth meeting!" Mom then put her hands on her hips and said, "Hurry and get ready, Sun! Your Bag and hat and things are still in the boxes in your room, I think."
Sun nodded before Mom added as an afterthought, "And didn't you leave your copy of Adventure Rules on your desk in there, too?"
The boy nodded a second time in reply, though Kukui chimed in too. "Ooh, I bet you've got a stylin' hat that'll match mine, yeah?"
Sun looked up at the man's sleek and shiny white cap, complete with a rainbow on it. It was pretty snazzy. Sun knew that his own hat couldn't compete with that kind of style. The boy simply kept smiling and made his way back to his room, shutting the door as he entered and allowing his Mom to catch up with her friend.
"Alright…" Sun muttered, walking over to the box resting by his bed and opening it, hoping that his stuff was indeed still there. His hopes were rewarded as Sun's trusty cap and bag were resting near the bottom, thankfully unharmed from the moving process. The boy quickly scrounged around for a few basic supplies, knowing that he would be coming back home later afterwards. Sun fitted his cap onto his head and slung his backpack over his shoulders. The boy started at the sound of laughter from his Mom and Kukui out in the living room and laughed quietly at that. Sun quickly made his way out of his room and walked back over to his mother, who offered him a smile as she put her hands on her hips.
"You look ready for anything, now. Have a good time out there!" Mom said to her child, stepping forward and giving him a hug, which he returned. They stepped apart and she added, "I'll be sure to have everything cleaned up and put away by the time you come back with your new Pokémon!"
"Alright mom. Don't go crazy though. I can help finish up whatever you don't when I get back." Sun said to his mother. Knowing her, she'd procrastinate on it anyway. Kukui took that moment to step forward, smiling as he gave Sun a thumbs up of approval. "Woo, that's a stylin' hat, cousin!"
Below us, our Meowth cried out, also voicing his approval as well, making the three of them crack up laughing in response.
"Your mom there. She's sure looking forward to you getting your first Pokémon, yeah?" Kukui said rather quietly as Mom went off to the side of the room with Meowth.
"Yep. She's been wanting me to go on my own adventure for years now. Ever since they increased the age limit in Kanto, she's been trying to find some loophole in the rules that would let me compete in the Indigo League, but…There's none." Sun explained to the Professor, causing his usual cheery expression to darken somewhat.
"Yes…I heard about what happened in Kanto. Those hooligans need to be put down. Someone will take care of it though. Kanto's full of tough trainers who won't stand for that kind of behavior." Kukui muttered, shaking his head in disgust. Sun silently nodded before his normal placid smile returned.
"Now…How about that Pokémon?" Sun asked the Professor, hoping to get back to a more cheerful topic.
"Now you're talking, cousin! Let's get going to Iki Town! Time for you to get a real nice Pokémon from the Island Kahuna, oh yeah!" Kukui remarked as his normal grin appeared, the man shutting his eyes as he beamed at Sun. He may have been a bit silly, but Sun had to admit the Professor had an awesome attitude.
The Professor sauntered out of the house, leaving Sun behind with his Mom. The boy turned around and was hit with a sneak attack hug from behind. Sun took it with a laugh as his mother released him, smiling at her child again.
"Seriously though, enjoy yourself out there. I'll have dinner on the table by the time you get back and we can get to know your new little friend. OK?" Sun nodded in reply to his mother before quickly running up to hug her, surprising her for a change, before jogging out the front door with a laugh. Sun made his way outside, his namesake blazing overhead and showering him in heat. The boy took in the warmth of the region, so much more intense than even the beaches of Cinnabar Island, and admired the view for a moment. Sun then made his way down the steps and walked down the path to meet with Professor Kukui, who was tapping his foot just ahead of him. The Professor seemed excited, even more than he was before.
"Now this is more like it, yeah!" Kukui yelled out. "Welcome to paradise, cousin. This is the Alola region!"
"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate the warm welcome." Sun said gratefully, appreciative that the Professor had, once again, gone out of his way to ensure that Sun's transition from one region of the world to another was as smooth as possible.
"It's my pleasure, Sun! Folks here in Alola get along by living together with Pokémon and working together too. If I didn't lend a hand, then what kind of person would that make me?" Kukui remarked before he said, "Which is why you'll be getting a Pokémon. That way you can explore Alola at your own pace with a partner by your side. You can go anywhere, yeah, as long as you got a Pokémon helping you out here. That's why we gotta get you to the Kahuna!"
"Sounds like a plan then."
"First, we're off to Iki Town! Come on, it's not far if we cut up here." Kukui said as he gestured up to the nearby path and began making his way down it. Sun stared after him for a moment and he was gone before the boy knew it.
"Really? Just…leaving me here to go down the path alone?" Sun muttered incredulously, shaking his head as he gazed down the long path. A long fence extended down both sides and there was a distinct lack of tall grass or any Pokémon. Sun even spotted a few people on the path itself. Maybe it was a totally Pokémon free area?
"Well, here goes nothing." Sun began his trek down the path, just taking in the scenery. Beautiful tropical flowers bloomed on either side of Sun as the sea breeze rustled the trees and the leaves and his hair. Sun's fear that a Pokémon would leap out at me continued to tear at him for several minutes as he trudged down the path, until…Sun realized that this was truly a path where no wild Pokémon roamed. Or at least it was monitored enough so that non-trainers would be able to walk along it without fear. Once Sun got that through his head, he stood up a little straighter and actually began to relax, taking in the sound of the distant waves crashing in the distance and the sound of the native birds chirping elsewhere.
It was a nice introduction to Alola, all things considered, Sun thought.
He continued his stride, hurrying forward so that he could see what else the new region had to offer.
