Pokémon Radiant Sun


Wow. Again, the feedback so far. Seriously overwhelming. Thanks so much, everyone!

Best of all, most of it was positive and constructive feedback, which has helped me sort out a lot of issues I was having at first with this story. Unlike most of my other fics, this one is admittedly not as concrete as some of the others. However, thanks to the feedback last chapter and with some extra time dedicated to sorting it out, I should have everything under control here.

One of the things mentioned was me focusing heavily on the in-game script for dialogue in this story. Since this is a novelization story, I at first figured that this would be just something I have to do for a story like this. After getting some feedback on this, however, I've decided to try and do more original dialogue and see how much better that works out.

On top of that, I've added a bit of extra detail and a POV shift to the previous two chapters. So now the story will be told in third-person, because I remember now why I don't usually do first person. Easy to forget some details to it. Major thanks go to WargishBoromirFan, SpoonyAzul, and Minaethiel for helping majorly with the fixes and for putting up with my nonsense. You all are fabulous.

Shoutout to the people who reviewed since the last update, which includes Dunka99, as well as four new reviewers known as Sai Og Sus, Iron-ninja, JC785, and Sneakybutterman. Thanks for the support and feedback.

Enjoy.


Chapter 3: The Guardian Deity of MeleMele Island


Sun continued his trek (alone, mind you), through the wilderness that apparently wasn't really all that wild. No Pokémon ran up to confront him or anything. It was just a simple path that led from one town to the next. It was admittedly very relaxing, Sun realized, after he finally got over his initial fears. Just walking along the trail and listening to the sounds of nature around him. He hadn't done that all too often back in Kanto, and even when he did it was with one of his parents equipped with a full team of powerful Pokémon. Sun started as two boys ran past, waving to him as he walked by, laughing cheerily.

"It certainly isn't anything like home." Sun murmured, gazing around at the gorgeous blooming flowers of red and yellow around him, feeling a small pang within him at realizing that this was really it. He was here now, and probably wouldn't be going back to Kanto for a long, long while, if ever.

"Hey! You!" Sun was snapped out of his reverie as he spotted another local, this time a man, who waved at him.

"Alola! You don't look like you're from around these parts." The older man said with a knowing smile.

"I just moved here from yesterday, sir." Sun replied to the man, his usual smile leaping into its proper place.

"Well, sonny, allow me to welcome you to our sunny little paradise." Sun fought the urge to laugh at the pun. Bad jokes like that always got him, no matter how terrible. "There's all sorts of wondrous things for a child like you to explore here." The man said with a little laugh, chortling to himself while Sun just remained politely silent.

"I'm actually on my way to get a Pokémon from the Kahuna." Sun replied to the man, earning a nod in response, as if this was all expected.

"Ah, old Hala. He'll get you all sorted out. Keep on smiling, my boy, and good luck to you." The man gave Sun a thumbs up and a bright grin, which Sun returned with a wider smile and a thumbs up of his own. Sun continued his trek, feeling a bit more lighthearted than before.

Sun reached the top of the hill after about an hour, which rewarded him with a view of mountains rising in the distance with the ocean below them. The young Kanto native looked at the picturesque view in front of him for a few minutes, taking it all in.

Sun's smile slipped away, replaced with a thoughtful frown.

Memories of home hit Sun like a train, and not all of them pleasant. There were many reasons for their move to Alola, and Sun had to admit he had been getting pretty down lately regarding what was happening back home.

Despite that, he knew he had to work past whatever he was feeling. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew he had to keep a positive attitude. He and his mother would be happy here, in Alola. They were safe, and in a beautiful new place with friendly locals. Within all of the excitement, some nervousness had wormed its way into him…with a little bit of relief being there as well.

"Just keep on smiling, Sun. Stay positive. No use in letting the small things get to you, right?" Sun muttered as a small smile finally returned to him. He wasn't sure if any of what he feeling was small, but he knew it was something that he could overcome.

Sun tore his eyes away from the quaint sight ahead of him and continued down the path, where Professor Kukui came into sight after about twenty minutes.

"So, Sun! You're lovin' Alola already, yeah?" Kukui asked the child as he finally reached him. Kukui's smile took a slight dip at the glare Sun shot at him.

"You seriously made me walk through an entire route all by myself, while I have no idea where I am or where to get where we're going. With all due respect, sir…that was really stupid." Sun said to the Professor, who nervously laughed in response, scratching the back of his head.

"…Would it help if I said sorry?"

"It's a start."

"You are disturbingly mature for a kid your age, aren't ya?"

"Yeah…My mom says the same thing. I personally blame the pop music. Now…about that apology?"

"Sorry, cousin. You'll get used to things here in no time, though. I'm sure you'll feel a lot better making your way around places on your own once you get a Pokémon." Kukui assured the boy, which actually did make Sun feel better. Maybe that was it. Maybe just being in a new place had him unsettled. Sun really hoped that having a Pokémon of his very own would maybe give him some of peace of mind.

"Apology accepted. Just…don't do that again, sir. Please." Sun said to the Professor wearily. The man shot the boy a smile in response, which Sun returned after a moment. He usually tried not to let small things like that get him down too too much. Plus Kukui apologized, so it was all water under the bridge now as far as Sun was concerned.

"Come on. It's just this way." Kukui said as he began walking further down the path. Sun kept pace with him, glancing down at the few Pokéballs clipped to the Professor's belt.

"And if you look to your right, you'll see that an excited Alolan Trainer's come to us!" Kukui spoke up as a small child sprinted up to them, grinning from ear to ear.

"Professor Kukui! You've gotta recommend another move for me sometime! Please?" the child begged the Professor, holding a single Pokeball up to him.

"Why? You already know what moves you want to use, don't you?" the Professor asked, confused. "Come find me next time your Pokémon learns a new move, and then I'll battle you. That way you can see the moves in action and learn firsthand."

Sun blinked in surprise at the level of patience the Professor was showing. Kukui was a Regional Professor that probably had a lot of better things to be doing, yet here the man was, promising to battle a little kid just to help him learn more about moves. The Professor said goodbye to the child and Sun offered the kid a wave as they continued strolling down the dirt path.

"Yep, it never ends." Kukui remarked, as if reading Sun's mind. "But when you're in a position to help others learn and grow, it never stops being rewarding, cousin."

"I never said it wasn't. I just don't think I have nearly as much patience as you, Professor." Sun admitted sheepishly, earning a cackle of delight from the man. They passed by a young woman standing in the middle of a large patch of very tall grass, a Pikachu on her shoulder. The mouse leapt into the grass with a cry, sparks trailing from its cheeks as the girl's command.

Kukui pointed at her, asking "See that girl over there? If you had a Pokémon with you, you could dive into the tall grass there and catch a few Pokémon there to add to your team. Or, you could have your Pokémon battle the other Pokémon lurking in the grass to get your Pokémon some battle experience."

The duo continued their trek, where the Professor kept up a running commentary about Pokémon training and how Alola would be a positive thing for Sun. The young boy quite agreed with him on that, and was actually getting pretty hyped up to get his first Pokémon. He wondered if it would be an Alolan starter Pokémon, or if this Kahuna would be assisting him in catching his own. Kukui and Sun passed by two trainers battling it out in the grass after about an three hours after leaving Sun's house. Sun noticed that the two trainers were using two Pokémon he had never seen before. One looked like a strange mongoose of some kind while the other…

"Is that thing…is that a Meowth!?" Sun asked as he jogged towards the edge of the grass, watching the two Pokémon dash back and forth in the grass, furiously fighting with one another. The Meowth in question looked like nothing Sun had ever seen before, with dark grey fur and a strange expression on its face, standing effortlessly on two legs as it suddenly leapt into bare area next to its trainer. The other Pokémon doing the same a few moments later. It seemed like both Pokémon were sporting some damage, with dings and scraps covering their bodies.

"Come on, Yungoos!" The small boy on the left with the strange mongoose-like Pokémon yelled out. The Pokémon crouched lower on the ground, hissing at the opposing Meowth through the thick grass.

"Yep. That Pokémon there is a totally different version of the very same Pokémon you've got living with you at home. That, Sun, is what is typically known as a regional variant." Kukui began to explain before both of the trainers realized who was watching them.

"Professor! How's it going?" the child waved at them. He then spotted Sun and pointed at the other boy, yelling out, "Are you the new kid who just flew in to Alola?"

"Uh…Yeah. The name's Sun. Nice to meet you." Sun remarked as the child quickly stepped through the grass, beaming up at him.

"I'm Kerry. Nice to meet you too! If you ever have time, let's have a Pokémon battle sometime! OK?" the kid said to Sun, extending his hand outward. Sun laughed slightly at the kid's enthusiasm, but shook his hand regardless of the fact that he currently had no Pokémon.

"Having Pokémon gives you a whole new way to communicate with other people, see?" Kukui said quietly as the kid ran back through the grass and continued his Pokémon battle. Sun watched the fight begin once again, only to be pushed along the path by Professor Kukui.

"Come on, Sun! Let's get moving! Iki Town is right over there!" Kukui said cheerfully, shoving Sun along despite his protests of wanting to see a Pokémon battle between two Pokémon he had never seen before. After realizing that he was too far away to see more, the boy simply let himself be shepherded along by the man towards a nearby town ahead of them.


Iki Town:


"And we're here! This right here is Iki Town!"

"I assumed that much, sir." Sun replied, panting slightly from the trek to the place in general. It seemed like a pretty nice little town, Sun thought, with houses neatly lined up around one section of the hill all decorated in various patterns but with the same general theme. The town gave off a vibe of ease yet reverence, as if one was supposed to be on their best behavior here or be scorned by the gods themselves. Little did Sun know that he got that feeling for a very good reason.

"Seems really quiet here." Sun piped up after a beat, looking around. That sense of overwhelming excitement had nestled in firmly and was gnawing away at him yet again, now that they had arrived at their destination.

"Well, this is the place that people come to worship the Pokémon that watches over Melemele Island, you know. Our guardian deity, Tapu Koko." Kukui replied with a laugh and a shrug.

"Wait…You worship a Pokémon here? Is it like Mew or Arceus? Or the legendary birds?" Sun asked the Professor, who shook his head.

"Nothing quite like that. See, Tapu Koko keeps us all safe and happy. It watches over us all, and protects the people of the island. We in turn praise it for its efforts. Unlike those legendaries, Tapu Koko can be actively seen from time to time travelling around the island." Kukui explained cheerfully as he glanced around the town, his cheer giving way to confusion.

"What I don't get…is what exactly is going on right now. We were supposed to meet everybody right here, weren't we?" Kukui muttered, placing a hand on his chin.

"Maybe they're all back there on Mahalo Trail." Kukui said a bit louder, thinking out loud from the looks of it. Sun just remained quiet while the man sorted out a plan of action. "That is where the ruins of Tapu Koko are, yeah…yeah that makes sense."

Kukui turned back around, grinning at me once again. "Sun, do me a solid and go find the Island Kahuna!"

"Wait, why? I don't know where I'm going." Sun asked the man, who shook his head in response.

"Because I have to wait around here to make sure we don't miss each other. The town's layout is real simple, see? There's no way you can get lost. I swear…unless you're Lillie." Kukui muttered the last part in an undertone Sun barely heard before the boy was waved off dismissively. Sun was tempted to argue, but decided that he would be safe enough in a town and it really wasn't that big of a deal.

"If you're sure, sir. What does the Island Kahuna look like?" Sun asked.

"The Island Kahuna? You can't miss him. He looks just like a Kahuna!" Kukui said very unhelpfully. Sun stared at him, his expression as deadpan as he could make it, until Kukui laughed nervously again. Sun stared at him for a little while longer before he turned around and marched off towards the large stairway in the middle of the town, determined to find the Kahuna after all of the trouble he was being put through just to get a Pokémon.

"Usually I'm so much more patient than this." Sun muttered as he looked around the town, stepping through the dirt paths and making way towards what seemed like the center of the town. Sun wondered what the deal was with the large stage-like platform in the middle of the clearing when he saw strange sight just a few hundred feet ahead of him. He spotted a young girl, wearing a white dress and hat, patting a squirming bag draped over her shoulder. Sun could faintly hear her in the distance.

"…really? You want to go…up to the ruins? I don't know what you'll hope to find there…" the girl's voice trailed off into nothingness as the wind picked up and the girl made her way down a dark path that led further into the jungle next to the village.

"Well…She certainly stands out. Maybe she's the Kahuna. If anything, I can get directions from her or something." Sun reasoned after a moment, grinning a bit at the thought of getting this little side-quest done with so he could get a Pokémon.

His first Pokémon.

Sun couldn't help the thrill of excitement that came over him then. Despite the events of the past few months, his excitement was more evident than ever. Sun snapped out of his reverie by the sound of a familiar bird cry echoing out from within the jungle.

"So there are Spearow in Alola…maybe after I get my Pokémon I can catch one. It'd be nice to have a Pokémon that I can find back home with me." Sun thought before he began making his way across the town and walked through the archway that led into the jungle that the girl had went into.


Mahalo Trail:


The path that Sun found himself seemed quite unlike the one he had been traveling before. Steep rock walls surrounded him on both sides, trees towering overhead in a way that made the space before him seemed more confined. Lush greenery was visible at the top of the rocky walls, though Sun himself was standing on a dirt trail that winded through the area. Strange statues were placed into the ground every thirty yards or so. Sun couldn't tell what they were supposed to be.

"Alright…Just follow the girl. Easy." Sun muttered as he began jogging through the path. The boy was nervous once again, more so than before, because he could hear the Pokémon around him. And there was no one else around, which fueled his unease even further. He sprinted up a few wooden staircases every now and then, but for the most part the boy steadily made his way down the winding trail while trying to stave off his own nerves.

After about an hour of walking/jogging/panting, Sun finally caught sight of the girl. She was struggling with the bag that she was carrying, and seemed to be talking to it from what he could tell.

"You can't come out! We'll get in trouble if anyone sees you!" The girl said to the bag, sounding even more nervous than Sun did. The boy nodded to himself and put on a burst of speed up the nearest staircase, but he watched the girl go even further down the trail.

"Hey! Wait!" Sun shouted out to the girl, but she was already out of sight within a few moments.

"Darn. I'm getting my work-out for the week done just after this afternoon." Sun muttered as he leaned against a rock wall, laughing a bit to himself at how out of breath he was. He rested for a moment before continuing his trek, hoping that the girl would just stop already and let him catch up with her.

To Sun's surprise, after about twenty minutes, he caught sight of the girl once again, but she was only about thirty yards ahead of him in a clearing. She was running towards a rather rickety bridge that was dangling over a massive chasm next to a waterfall, meaning a long fall and a rocky landing for anyone unlucky enough to fall down into the pit of doom.

"Hey! You!" Sun shouted at the girl. Sun then realized that the girl wasn't running…she was being dragged forward.

"W-wait! Stop!" The girl said pleadingly to the bag that was dragging the stumbling girl forward. The girl let out a yell, clamping both of her hands down on the bag for a few moments before something leapt out of the it with a cry. It was a strange-looking Pokémon, with a dark purple and blue cloud-like body and a very expressive face.

"No! Please, get back here!" The girl shouted, holding out a hand as the Pokémon bounded forward with a joyful cry. Sun took a few steps forward, wondering what he should do, when he heard a familiar cry yet again, this time recognizing it instantly.

Three dots in the sky caught Sun's attention almost instantly, sending a pang of horror through him. Three Spearow, all heading this way with malice gleaming in their beady eyes. They soared overhead before darting towards the strange Pokémon on the bridge, which caught sight of the trio of birds and let out a fearful cry. Within seconds the birds were upon the Pokémon, swooping around it and smacking it with its wings, though Sun knew it was only a matter of time before they would use their sharp beaks and begin doing some serious damage. The Pokémon from the bag cowered on the battered bridge, crying out quietly as the merciless birds above cried out with glee.

Sun grit his teeth, torn between anger at what those Spearow were doing to a defenseless Pokémon and worry about the Pokémon itself. It clearly wasn't strong enough to fend off those Spearow…It needed help. The Kanto native quickly made his way forward, where the girl finally took notice of him, turning around with a bewildered and panicked look on her face. Sun blinked momentarily in surprise, taking in the girl's appearance properly. She looked to be about his age, with long blonde hair and bright green eyes.

"Ah…" The girl seemed torn, as if she had no idea how to handle the new addition to this stressful situation. Sun looked past her, seeing the Spearow circling the strange Pokémon on the bridge, before returning his attention to her.

"Who are you?" Sun asked the girl, trying to think of some kind of plan to help the Pokémon while he was speaking, his mind racing a mile a minute.

"Never mind me…You have to help it! Please! Save Nebby!" The girl pleaded, terror seeping into her voice as she stared at Sun intensely. She then turned back towards the bridge, where Nebby was trying to flee back towards them. The Spearow would have none of it though, and swatted it further down the bridge with their wings.

"Pe-e-ew…Pew! Pew pew!" the Pokémon cried out, shaking as the Spearow cawed above it.

"Those Spearow are attacking it!" The girl explained to Sun. "But…but I'm too afraid to go out there…My legs feel like they might give out…"

The girl certainly seemed shaken, and was noticeably trembling. She looked like she absolutely had no idea what to do, and was on the verge of tears. Sun nodded to her, flashing her a reassuring smile that surprised her. He may have been outnumbered and outmatched, but there was no way he'd stand by and let a Pokémon suffer like this. He was even pretty scared but...This just seemed like something he would have to gather his courage and do.

"Just stay here. I'll go grab Nebby from the bridge. After that, we make a break for Iki Town. OK?" Sun said to the girl, who nodded quickly.

"T-thank you. Please, just save Nebby!" The girl said to Sun, who was already moving towards the bridge. He froze for a moment at the foot of the bridge, eyeing the massive drop beneath him that indeed led to a series of rocks below. On top of that, the rushing water flowing through the rocks made the drop even more deadly. He'd have to be very careful…

Sun began moving, steadily but carefully, as the Spearow continued to dive-bomb Nebby from across the bridge. One of the spiteful birds caught sight of Sun, letting out a warning cry to the young boy. Sun felt his smile widen a bit as he continued forward, despite feeling the fear and worry pound through him.

And then the bridge shook.

Sun tumbled forward as the girl behind him let out a horrified gasp. Sun barely managed to catch himself in time, grabbing the railing of the bridge to stop himself. The boy looked ahead, nodded to himself, and kept going. Twice more the bridge heaved, nearly sending Sun into the depths below, but still the child continued forward.

Finally, Sun managed to reach the strange Pokémon and crouched over it, falling to his knees protecting it from further harm as the Spearow cried out in protest. As Sun grabbed the Pokémon and prepared himself to charge back down the bridge towards the girl, one of the Spearows lunged at him with a caw.

Sun ducked down as far as he could, but the Spearow still managed to rake his shoulder as it passed by, tearing away the bit of the fabric and slicing into the boy's skin. Sun fought back a yell of pain, huddling down further but looking up to see the two other Spearow darting towards him as well, prepared to do even worse damage to him.

Beneath Sun, however, the strange Pokémon he was protecting began to glow. Before the child knew it, a massive swirling vortex had engulfed the two of them, briefly knocking away the Spearow but also destroying the bridge in the process.

"NO!" Sun heard the girl scream in horror as he and the Pokémon plunged towards the water below. A fall that would definitely not be something he could go through unscathed. He grit his teeth and clutched the Pokémon harder as the Spearow above the laughed at the doomed duo plummeting to their demise…

Suddenly, a streak of lightning erupted from the skies, despite the lack of a storm above. The lightning shot towards the bridge, coalescing into a Pokémon that spun around, smacking away all three Spearow and soaring beneath Sun, snatching up the child just before he hit the water. Before Sun could do more than realize what had happened, the Pokémon had flown back up to the bridge and gently dropped off both him and Nebby onto the cliff once more. The girl, Sun, and Nebby all watched the Pokémon as it suddenly kicked off of the ground and flipped into the air, landing gracefully a couple of yards away. The Pokémon was orange and blank, with strange yellow wing-like appendages on its arms, which ended in two long black claws.

"It's…the Guardian Deity…" the girl whispered, sounding half-amazed and half-horrified. Sun simply stared at the Pokémon, feeling nothing but childlike wonder.

"What…what are you?" Sun muttered, staring down the Pokémon as it crackled with lightning, sheer power radiating from it. The air hummed with a strange power that couldn't be described, but could be felt very clearly. The girl next to Sun muttered something else, but that was ignored, since he was too in awe of the strange being before them.

"Ko…" it replied simply extending a hand towards the boy. Sun felt the air actually shudder with energy as lightning began forming in the creature's hand, making his hair stand on end. It stopped as quickly as it started, and after a few moments the creature took several steps forward and held out its hand towards Sun, sending a small levitating object towards the boy.

Sun looked at the object in question, a strange rock of sorts, and looked at the Gaurdian Deity in confusion. The Pokémon simply nodded before Sun slowly reached out and grabbed the object, fighting a shiver as he felt something he couldn't identify roll through him.

Tapu Koko nodded slowly, it's eyes drifting from Sun, to the girl, and then to Nebby, before it let out a cry. Lightning crackled to life around it as it leapt into the sky and soared away into the heavens. The trio stared after the protector Pokémon for a few moments before the girl suddenly let out a sigh.

"Thank goodness…" She turned to the small Pokémon named Nebby and said, "You tried using your power again…didn't you? Oh Nebby…You know what happened the last time you used it. You couldn't move for ages after that. I don't want to see you like that again!"

The Pokémon cooed and leapt towards the girl, who caught it in her arms. Her stern and worried expression faltered and she sighed, her expression now downcast.

"No…I shouldn't say that. I'm sorry Nebby…" The girl muttered, patting the Pokémon on the head. "I know you were trying to save me that time…And I couldn't even help you in return."

"Pew!" The Pokémon protested, nuzzling the girl with a happy smile. The girl looked at the Pokémon with a smile of her own for a moment before she suddenly gasped again, looking at Sun.

"You're hurt! I nearly forgot!" Sun looked at the girl in surprise as she dropped to her knees and began fumbling with her bag, setting Nebby on the ground. To Suns surprise, the girl pulled out a first aid kit out of her bag and asked Sun to move his shirt so that she could put few bandages over the scratches and clean and sterilize the cut, which thankfully weren't very deep. Sun did so and had the scratches properly dressed and all taken care of.

"Please, forgive me. I am so grateful to you for helping us out of that dangerous spot. Thank you so much. I'm so, so sorry you got hurt because of me." The girl said to Sun, a mixture of relief, exhaustion, and fright evident in her voice.

"Don't worry about. Nebby's safe and I'm still fighting fit. Everything worked out." Sun replied to the girl, giving her a bright grin that seemed to catch her off guard. Sun then realized something and slapped his hand to his forehead, saying, "Wait, I'm an idiot."

"Why?" The strange girl asked, startled that Sun had suddenly slapped himself.

"Because I followed you into the forest, thinking you were the Kahuna. When I asked about what the kahuna looked like, I was told 'he looks like a kahuna.' He. Meaning that can't be you." Sun replied after a moment, shaking his head in disbelief that he had been so stupid.

"It's an easy mistake to make if you've never met someone before." The girl said with a small smile, her expression relaxing.

"I guess. Still makes me feel really silly." Sun replied to the girl, earning a small giggle from her in response. The boy looked back up into the sky, in the direction that they Pokémon had flown off into it, and thought about why it had showed up. It had saved his life…

Sun looked down at the strange stone that Tapu Koko had given him. He felt a strange force from within the stone, as well as a feeling he couldn't identify. It felt warm to touch.

"Um…Excuse me?" Sun looked at the girl, who had spoken up again and had walked towards him.

"If you could…Could you please not tell anyone about this? About seeing Nebby?" Sun blinked in confusion before the girl added, "It's…it's a secret, OK?"

Sun nodded in response, but before he could say anything the girl turned around and addressed the Pokémon below her. "Come on. Into the bag, Nebby."

Nebby let out a disappointed noise but flew into the bag regardless. The girl made sure it was secure before looking at Sun, suddenly looking a bit awkward.

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"I'm worried we might get attacked by some wild Pokémon or…or something." The girl's expression turned odd for a moment before it passed, making Sun think he just imagined it. "I know it's too much for me to ask, but…Do you think you could give us an escort back to town?"

"Of course." Sun replied, making the girl sigh with relief. With that, the duo made their way back down the trail with the mysterious Nebby in tow.

"I'm so sorry about all of this." The girl said again after a few minutes of walking.

"That again? Seriously, it's no problem. I was more than happy to help you out back there, alright?" Sun said firmly to the girl, his smile growing somewhat. The girl looked at him for a few moments before a smile appeared on her face, relief evident on her face.

"See? Cheer up." Sun said to the girl with a laugh. "Your Pokémon is safe and sound, and we're on our way right back to Iki Town. No worries."

Sun slowed down his pace so the girl could catch up to him, though now she was beaming at him. "Right…Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Sun replied back cheerfully. He then reached into his pockets and took out the strange stone that the Tapu Koko had given him and looked it over. He had never seen such a thing in his life. The boy wondered if it did anything, and began rolling over the stone in his hands, thinking about it.

"I wish I could stay positive like you seem to be able to. I admire that kind of attitude." The girl said after a minute or so of silence, looking at Sun again. The boy stopped messing with the stone and slipped it into his pocket, looking at the girl for a few moments. Sun thought about how best to respond, how to explain to her one of his oddest habits.

"Is…is there something wrong?" She asked haltingly, almost as if nervous.

"Sorry, just trying to figure out how to respond." Sun admitted sheepishly, though he did just that few moments later. "You see, sometimes its better just to smile, because it makes the world a bit lighter. You know? Like…having a bad-attitude doesn't help anyone. Frowning doesn't do any good. Smiling, though, has a habit of making other people smile. Right? It never hurts to keep a good-attitude. Even if you're not feeling like it. Negativity just drags you down. So I just try and stay positive and keep on smiling as much as possible." Sun said to the girl, his smile becoming a bit more genuine than before as he finished speaking. The blond girl stared at Sun for a long while, at his near perpetual smile, before her own shy smile returned.

"I'll keep that advice in mind. Thank you."

The two children made it back to Iki Town with no further issues, though Sun and the strange girl did hit it off pretty well as they continued talking. She was a fairly introverted and skittish young lady it seemed, but was a bit like Sun in a few ways. One of which was being very well-read and another was having a love for Pokémon. The girl had apparently been researching the ruins before trekking out here and she even told Sun a brief history of the area during their walk back to society.

"It's a shame I hadn't known someone like her back in Kanto. Not like I had a whole lot of friends there to begin with, though." Sun thought with an inward shrug. He wished she would introduce herself though, because he had forgotten to ask her what her name was and doing it now would be kind of awkward.

Eventually the duo returned to Iki Town, feeling a bit of relief that they were out of danger now. Sun's shoulder stung a bit, but otherwise didn't bother him too much.

"Hey Sun!"

The boy and girl looked off to the side and saw Professor Kukui standing across the way, waving at him. The Professor was all smiles, oblivious to the situation the pair had been through.

"Looks like you missed the Kahuna, yeah? No worries! I found him instead!" Kukui laughed before he took notice of the girl standing next to Sun. "Looks like you found my assistant though."

The children quickly made their way over to the Professor, who looked at the pair with a bright smile similar to the one Sun wore.

"Looks like you've already met…obviously, but just for the sake of formality, this here is my assistant." Kukui said, gesturing towards the girl who nervously nodded.

"Um…yes! You can call me Lillie." The girl replied, fidgeting slightly with her bag.

"Nice to formally meet you. I'm Sun." The boy replied, extending a hand towards the girl, who looked at it for a moment before hesitantly reaching forward to shake it.

"So you're an acquaintance of the Professor as well? Well, it's nice to meet you." Lillie asked Sun quietly, smiling slightly.

"See, Lillie, Sun just moved here to Alola from Kanto. Today's his first day out and about on the island. And…wait, what happened to your shoulder Sun?" The Professor was suddenly serious, walking forward and spotting the blood that was on Sun's shirt.

"We had a situation out on the trail with a few Spearow. its fine, sir." Sun said to the Professor, who insisted on checking the bandages. While he was doing this, the trio could hear a commotion happening from across the town.

"Spearow huh? Yeah, that'll do it all right. Looks like Lillie got you patched up good. That should hold until we get you back home." The Professor said as he stood up again, looking a bit relieved as he smiled at the children again.

"Have I missed something?" a new voice spoke up. The trio turned around in surprise and beheld a rather large, older man standing before them, wearing a bright yellow coat over a blue shirt with strong, tanned skin and an impressive white mustache. He wore a white, knotted belt above his white cargo pants, complete with sandals.

"Naw, but…Where'd you go off to, Kahuna? I thought we were meeting here." Kukui asked the man, who stepped forward and shook his head.

"Hmph. I am the Kahuna of this island, Professor. Whenever there is a problem on the island, it is my duty to resolve said problem." Hala said to the other man before looking up into the sky.

"Though…I believe I may not have been the only one. I, for whatever reason, thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about…" Hala murmured, his voice trailing off for a moment.

"Actually…um, yes, Kahuna Hala. Nebby was being attacked on the Plank Bridge by Spearow when this boy helped it get away." Lillie began explaining. "But then…the bridge collapsed. I…I thought that the both of them w-were going to fall into the bottom of the ravine. And that was when…when the island's Guardian Deity swooped in to save them!"

Kukui chuckled, putting his hands on his hips and grinning. "Now that's something you don't hear every day!"

"Although it is said to protect us, the truth is that in reality, Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. And yet…" Hala smiled a little. "Our guardian was moved to save you."

Hala turned to Kukui and laughed a little. "Kukui, my young boy, I think we have cause to celebrate! It seems like I should entrust such a brave and kind young boy with a Pokémon of his own. I imagine we'll make a fine trainer out of him!"

Sun's heart leapt as he heard those words. The older man stepped forward, extending a hand towards Sun with a hearty smile on his face now. "I am glad to meet you, Sun. I am Hala, the Kahuna of MeleMele Island. Welcome to Alola!"

"It's an honor sir. And thank you." Sun replied, shaking the hand of the man with a wide, eager grin on his face.

"Professor Kukui told me of your coming. I am glad that we were able to meet today, my boy." Hala said with a small chuckle before he reached into his coat and drew out three minimized Pokéballs.

"Come, my Pokémon! Let's have a look at you!" The Kahuna called out, tossing the three balls into the air and releasing three Pokémon onto the stage.

"First is the Grass-type Pokémon, Rowlet." Hala explained, gesturing towards the small brown and white owl with a bow tie-like leaf on its chest. The Pokémon hooted cheerfully, rotating on the spot and flaring its wings. Sun couldn't help but grin at the display.

"Next is the Fire-type Pokémon, Litten!" Hala continued, indicating the rather bored black and red cat that growled quietly as it was addressed. Sun was a bit put off by this, but remembered that Pokémon were just like humans in many regards. One of them was that they all had different kinds of personalities.

"And last, but certainly not least, is the Water-type Pokémon, Popplio." Hala concluded, as the blue seal-like Pokémon with an adorable pink nose barked happily, leaning forward and clapping its tail-fins together.

"So, Sun…Which Pokémon would you like to choose as your partner?" Hala asked the boy, who regarded the three Pokémon silently. There were of course pros and cons to each of them, and if he was being honest he liked all of them.

"Well…as much as I like cats, I kind of want something different, so I'll pass on Litten." Sun thought to himself, admitting that he didn't quite like the bored attitude of the cat Pokémon. He then looked to Rowlet and Popplio, both of which were looking at him with anticipation.

"Popplio would be more useful, I think. Since we're surrounded by water, it'll be really good to have on hand." Sun reasoned to himself.

"That said, I've always really liked Flying-type Pokémon, and Rowlet looks really cool. Man, this is a tough one." Sun thought, his smile faltering somewhat as he struggled to choose. He decided, in the end, to choose practicality over fondness and go with Popplio, the Water-type.

However…

As Sun stepped towards Popplio…something happened.

Something that couldn't be explained.

Something that would forever haunt Sun for the rest of his life.

The Rowlet flew up to the boy and began pecking him right in the face.