Pokémon Radiant Sun
Alright, so I just had a birthday in the past few days. That was fun…I feel so old.
Back to business. This one should have been up sooner, but I've been super busy and dealing with loads of drama. We're back in business now.
Thanks to some feedback on last chapter, I revised the stats page on my profile for Sun's Pokémon team, which now has abilities as well as moves. Feel free to check that out, but keep in mind that if you're reading this while there's more chapters ahead, you may find some things being spoiled for you. I'm warning you now, even if I'm not including the species of Pokémon on the team, you will have stuff spoiled for you if you're super familiar with Pokémon movesets and stuff.
However, I will offer a fun bit of info on Sun's team for this story. I've only used two of the Pokémon on it ever before, and I've played every single main Pokémon game there's been.
Also, a quick note since I've had some concerns about it. For those wondering about Lillie/Sun shipping or possible things like that, there's going to be a solid bit of shipping going on in general with this story.
However, I'll be explaining a bit more of what to expect (as much as I can without spoiling stuff) in chapter 11, to satisfy reader concern and curiosity. I can't do it quite yet, but if you'll wait until then, things should be a bit clearer.
Shoutout to the wonderful people who reviewed last chapter, which includes Sai Og Sus, Dunka99, Ways, Cottonmouth25, as well as two new reviewers which includes a Guest reviewer and danlagunas14.
Enjoy
Chapter 9: Birds of a Feather
Sun arrived home and bid farewell to Hau and Lillie, the former declaring that he would ensure Lillie get home safely before venturing back to Iki Town. Lillie protested at this, but Hau couldn't be persuaded to not guard Lillie on the way back. Sun just shook his head as the two made their way back to the Pokémon Research Lab and went back into his house.
"Mom! I'm home!" Sun called to his mother. Mom came back into the house from the porch outside, grinning at her child.
"I can see that. So what happened at Kukui's place? Did you and Lillie enjoy your walk on the beach?" Mom said teasingly, making Sun blush at the implications again.
"We did, but not like that!" Sun protested rather loudly as his mother giggled at him. "We just talked to Kukui about the Island Challenge. I ended up accepting the challenge itself, so…I guess I'm going on a journey then."
Mom looked at her son with a surprised expression on her face before she smiled at her boy. "Well, well…I'll have to make sure to get you packed up properly. That way you can get out there and be prepared for whatever they throw at you. I think I have a few item capsules lying around that you can use."
"Items capsules?" Sun asked.
"Oh yes. Did you really think trainers ventured off into the wildness with supplies, Pokémon food and the like just strapped to them or stuffed in their backpacks? No, item capsules have been around since the modern Poké Ball was created, though in time they both have definitely become more efficient. I'll make sure to prepare a few for you so you can take some extra food, any extra clothes and anything else I think of and have it be able to fit it all in your backpack, OK? Leave all the planning to me!" Mom said cheerfully as she plopped down on the couch.
"Is this just another excuse to put off unpacking?" Sun asked his mother.
"…No?"
"Mom."
"There is a slight possibility that you may be correct."
"You're ridiculous." Sun snorted, shaking his head in amusement while his mother laughed. With that, Sun decided to just relax with his mother for an hour or two before heading back outside to Route 1 to get some more training in with Oliver, leaving his mother behind to prepare for her child's departure.
Sun quickly realized as he walked onto the route properly and had Oliver knock out two Caterpie that the Rowlet was just way too strong for this route, and that there was no point in training in this spot anymore. Granted, some of the Pokémon by the Pokémon Research Lab were stronger, but even then it wasn't by too much. There wasn't much of a point to even try training, as it would just hurt Pokémon unnecessarily.
"Maybe…I should catch something while I'm out here…Having just one Pokémon makes no sense. Even if I wanted to make sure Oliver's strong, if we came across a stronger team we wouldn't stand a chance with just him." Sun muttered, taking off his backpack and doing a quick check of his items. He grabbed three minimized Poké Balls and slipped them into his pocket, zipping up the backpack and putting it back on his back as Oliver flew up to his head.
"Come on, partner. We're going to go try and find us a new teammate." Sun said to Oliver, grinning now as he set off towards the taller grass ahead of them, the sun blazing overhead.
"Now…What kind of Pokémon should I go for? Should I just get whatever I want, or should I take into account team balances…A balanced team sounds interesting. One of everything, maybe…That'd be kind of hard to do, though." Sun muttered, trying to puzzle this together.
"I've got a Grass-type…So what else could I get?" Sun pondered, frowning as he stood deep within the grass and thought hard, stepping through the grass as Oliver hooted above him. As they stepped back onto the dirt path, however, Oliver's head suddenly tilted and Sun became aware of something watching him. Sun glanced around and, upon seeing nothing, looked ahead of him and took a few steps.
That's when he spotted a Pikipek watching him on the ground silently as its blue eyes peered up at him curiously. It made no effort to attack or prepare for a fight or anything. It seemed content to just quietly watch them both, even as Oliver and Sun stared down the bird on the ground.
"That's weird…Usually when we come across a Pokémon it wants to fight us. This Pikipek is totally calm…which is really even more weird, since every single bird I've met has attacked me." Sun said aloud, confused at the very calm behavior of the bird as it peered up at the Pokémon and its trainer. Oliver fluttered down to the ground and cheerfully greeted its fellow Alolan Flying-type, receiving a happy chirp in reply.
"Pi? Pikipek?" the bird chirped up at Sun. Oliver responded with a hoot, which the Pikipek returned with a tweet of its own. The two birds tweeted and hooted at one another for a few moments while Sun watched on in surprise, crossing his arms. Sun continued watching the two birds converse for a few moments more before quietly sitting on the ground, continuing to watch the two of them just…talk. It was such a bizarre experience that he felt it would be rude to interrupt the two of them. Sun decided to watch the skies for a little while, eyeing the beautiful sunset of Alola and enjoying its splendor.
"Pi!"
Sun started at the sudden burst of noise and looked down at the small bird standing beside his Rowlet. The sun was beginning to dip further down into the sky, and Sun realized he must have been watching the sky for a while. Sun watched as the small bird flapped its wings and chirped again as Oliver looked up at him.
"Coo!" Oliver hooted, flapping his wings as well. The Rowlet pointed at the Pikipek with his wing for a moment before pointing at himself and then Sun.
"Oliver, I have no idea what you two are talking about." Sun said to his starter. Oliver cooed and then turned around, hooting to the Pikipek. The small bird nodded in reply, fluttering off to the side of the clearing and crouching low on the ground.
"Coo! Coo, coo!" Oliver said to his trainer, taking a similar stance as he faced the Pikipek across from him. Oliver looked up Sun, who was still watching the proceedings with a confused expression, before the bird hooted and tackled Sun to the ground.
"Hey! S-stop it, Oliver!" Sun yelped as the boy tried to get to his feet. In his haste, one of his Poké Balls fell out of his pocket and onto the ground. Oliver hopped back onto the ground as Sun stumbled away from the bird, panting slightly, as Oliver pointed to the Poké Ball, and then to the Pikipek, and then to him.
"Coo…Coo, coo coo!" Oliver hooted pointedly, pointing to the ball, the Pikipek, and Sun repeatedly.
"Wait…so now you two want to battle or something? What does that…?" Sun then blinked as a realization hit him. He scooped up the fallen Poké Ball and regarded it for a moment before holding it up.
"Are you…Were you actually listening to what I was saying earlier? About trying to figure out what kind of Pokémon I should catch?" Sun asked the Pikipek.
A nod.
"And…What, you decided to just fly over here and see what the fuss was about or something?" Sun asked confusedly. Oliver and the Pikipek shrugged in response, making Sun sigh.
"Rotom, any advice?" Sun asked as his Pokédex flew out from his backpack.
"Zzzzt! From what I've seen, I think your little Rowlet had a long talk with that Pikipek about how great it is being your Pokémon and how much fun he's had this week. Oliver here thinks that adding her to the team would work out well for you both, and she seems to think that it'd be fun getting stronger and exploring and stuff. That little Pikipek there says that she wants to have a battle with you to see if you're really as great as Oliver says you are, buddy!" Rotom replied cheerfully as Sun looked over at the bird.
"So that's your game, huh? Well… I accept your challenge, Pikipek! Let's go Oliver!" Sun shouted as he stepped forward, adjusting his hat slightly. Oliver crouched slightly, ruffling its feathers as the Pikipek across from him did the same.
"Oliver! Use Tackle!" Sun called out to his starter. Oliver flew into the air and rushed towards the Pikipek. The bird, for the most part, barely had to move to dodge the attack, which surprised both Sun and Oliver as it scooted out of the way at the last possible second. The Pikipek then used Peck on the Rowlet as he sped by, making the owl cry out in pain as the super-effective attack hit him in the back.
"Hit it with Peck!" Sun called out to the owl. Oliver hooted and charged up energy within his beak and shot forward, but again he met air as the Pikipek dove downwards, completely avoiding the attack.
"You're a speedy one, aren't you?" Sun muttered, smiling now. The Pikipek chirped as it darted forward and hit Oliver in the side with a Peck, sending the bird tumbling forward with a pained expression on his face.
"Turn around and use Leafage!" Sun yelled to his starter. Oliver whirled around and unleashed a small barrage of leaves at the Pikipek, making it cry out in pain as the leaves rushed past it, leaving a series of small lacerations on its body. The bird crashed onto the ground with a chirp of pain, twitching.
"Oliver, you really are way too strong for this area." Sun muttered as he walked over to the Pikipek, which had its eyes shut painfully. After a moment of thought, the boy maximized and tossed the Poké Ball in his hand at the bird on the ground, sucking it into the device. Three shakes and a click later, and the ball dinged to signify a successful capture.
"Heh…I just caught my first Pokémon, didn't I?" Sun said quietly, feeling excitement surge through him as bent down to pick up the Poké Ball. Sun clutched the ball tightly, grinning widely as Oliver hooted down at him.
"Hehe…So this is what it's like. Catching a Pokémon…It feels right. Like this is what I should have been doing all along…Is that weird, Oliver?" Sun asked the Rowlet. Oliver hooted in response, and Sun said, "Yeah, I don't know why I'm asking you either."
"Bzzt!" Sun yelped in surprise as Rotom suddenly shuddered to life, leaping out of his backpack and grinning down at the boy.
"Well then! Looks like you caught your first Pokémon, zz-zzt! I'll put that down into the Pokédex and update your Trainer Info for ya! Now let's take a look at your newest capture!" Rotom said merrily as it floated down into Sun's hands and began speaking in a rather professional and smooth manner.
"Pikipek, the Woodpecker Pokémon. It can peck at a rate of 16 times a second to drill holes in trees. It uses the holes for food storage and for nesting." Sun nodded and looked up further info on his new Pokémon.
"This Pikipek is female and has the Ability Keen Eye. It is a Normal/Flying Type. It currently knows the moves Peck and Growl." Rotom finished, shuddering slightly in Sun's hands. "She's a bit weak for this area, but I'm sure with your talent she'll be a great asset to you! Congrats on the catch, buddy! Bzzt!"
"Thanks for the info, Rotom. I really appreciate it," Sun said to the Pokédex. Rotom grinned at him before going back to sleep. Sun held up the Poké Ball of his new Pokémon and smiled before looking at Oliver.
"You want to meet our new friend properly now?" Sun asked the owl. The Rowlet nodded and Sun released his Pikipek onto the ground, where it let out a cry and looked up at him curiously. It then winced in pain as its injuries caught up with it, making the bird nearly tumble over. Sun quickly treated both of his Pokémon's injuries with a Potion each, and then spoke with the other small bird.
"Hey there. That was a really good battle. I'm going to go on a journey tomorrow, to see what this place has to offer. Does that sound good to you? Do you really want to come with me?" Sun asked the bird as he bent down to look at the bird at its own height. The Pikipek chirped happily in agreement, fluttering into the air and landing on Sun's uninjured shoulder.
"Welcome to the team, partner." Sun said to the small bird, reaching up and petting her on the head, receiving a happy chirp in response. Oliver hooted happily as well, something that Sun figured was a greeting of sorts. The two birds began chirping at each other as Sun picked his bag up off of the ground, slinging it over his hurt shoulder with a wince, and began the trek home.
Sun arrived home with little fanfare, his Mom cooking dinner for them as he stepped through the door.
"Oh? Back already, huh?" Mom remarked, not looking up from the pot on the stove that she was mixing with a spoon.
"Yep. I ended up catching another Pokémon." Sun said as his Mom turned around, seeing her child with two birds sitting on him.
"Of course, I should have known. Well, she's a beautiful little birdie, Sun. What's her name?" Sun frowned at that, as he hadn't thought of that yet. Sun sat down on the couch, with Oliver flitting down onto his knee and the Pikipek following a moment later.
"She doesn't have a name yet...Uh, what should I name you?" Sun muttered, taking off his hat and leaning back into the cushion, sighing with relief at not being on his feet anymore. He had done a lot of walking recently, and since he had just agreed to the Island Challenge, he would end up doing a lot more. He'd just go at his own pace, then, until he got used to it. No point in rushing this journey, after all.
Sun reached out and petted the small bird, stroking her small head and receiving a happy chirp in response. Not to leave his starter out, Sun was soon petting both of the birds in his lap while deep in thought.
"Honestly, I don't know. What kind of names would be good for a girl bird?" Sun thought to himself. He had thought of Oliver because of the significance to him. However for this little Pikipek…There was no flash of inspiration. He needed to puzzle something out.
"Well…Going back to Oliver, that's an actual human name. It's not anything crazy. Maybe I could pick one out for her like I did for Oliver?" Sun thought as he began searching his mind for names that seemed to fit the small bird.
Unlike Oliver, she seemed pretty calm and quite well-behaved. She was freshly caught and already acting like a Pokémon that had been trained for years, even while inside a totally new environment. Also, for such a weak Pokémon, she had managed to hold her own much better than most wild Pokémon they had encountered, easily dodging most of Oliver's attacks. This little Pikipek was smart, from what Sun could tell. Really smart. She also seemed to get along well with her follow Pokémon, Oliver, since they were still quietly chirping to each other. He wondered what they were talking about…
"Ugh, back on topic. Names…Maybe I should start with P names. Pikipek starts with the letter P, so…Paige? Paula? Phoebe…wait, isn't she an Elite Four member somewhere? No, back on topic. Um…" Sun sighed, closing his eyes and thinking hard about it.
"Mom, what's a good P name for a bird?" Sun asked his mother.
"There's all sorts of names that start with P, dear. Princess is one that I've used before. Pandora is an interesting one. Piper is one that would fit for you, since you play the flute. How about that?" Mom suggested as she brought her pot to the table, dolling out a helping of spaghetti onto the two plates on the table. She fished out two bowls for the two birds in Sun's lap and combined a bit of Pokémon food and spaghetti into them. Meowth's was already on the floor, and the feline in question was salivating at the smell of the pasta.
"How about…" Sun thought for a second before finally saying, "Penny."
The Pikipek cocked its head while Mom turned around, smiling a little. "That's a pretty name, dear. I think it suits her."
Sun grinned at that and said, "How about it? Do you like the name Penny?" Sun asked the small bird sitting on his knee. The Pikipek gave a small nod and a happy chirp in response while Oliver's head rotated 360 degrees, hooting all the while.
"Welcome to the family, Penny." Sun said as he brought both of the birds in for a hug, grinning happily as his mother watched on. It filled her heart with warmth at her son beginning his journey with a fresh capture and a new friend. Another member of their family had just been introduced to them and they were all the stronger for it.
"Well, Sun. Oliver. Penny. Dinner is ready, so let's eat!" Mom said as she sat down at the table, her son getting up and heading that was as well as both of his birds fluttered into the air behind him. With that, the family ate their meals happily, reveling in their newest member and preparing themselves for what would come tomorrow. After Sun's mother helped her child pack accordingly for his trip, Sun went to bed and found himself too excited to sleep.
Everything would change tomorrow, was the prevailing thought in his mind. He'd be away from home, and out on his own. He'd be interacting with others, meeting new people, and be all alone out in the elements…except for his Pokémon.
He'd get through it. He'd use this journey to become a Pokémon Trainer, and become stronger as a person, even if he wasn't sure how.
Sun was finally ensnared by sleep, watched by his two faithful birds who had been watching him in the darkness. Satisfied that their trainer was asleep, the avian duo began to slumber as well, ready and willing to help their trainer as much as possible along his way.
Ice. Ice all around him.
Sun was so cold. Cold down to his very soul, as he looked around the destroyed city he was in. Ice coated buildings and the street beneath him, with jagged spikes erupting from every angle possible all around him. Upon closer inspection, Sun realized that there were people trapped inside of the icy spikes that surrounded him on the street. Every one of the people trapped within their frozen prison had the same look of fear of their face before becoming imprisoned within the unforgiving ice. It was like a graveyard of sorts...a frozen graveyard. Sun shivered violently as he took a few tentative steps through the cold hellscape, wondering just what had happened here. Why it gave him a terrible feeling of doom and helplessness...
"Looks like we've got a live one."
Sun whirled around and felt raw terror grip his heart at the sight in front of him. Two men clad in white body armor, grinning at him as they walked past the forms of several frozen people with terrified expressions on their faces. Sun whirled around and began running away from the men, only to find three of them standing in front of him now. The white armor they wore stood out in the darkness around them, practically bone-white and designed to be both protective and intimidating.
"That's quite rude, you know. We just want to talk…Is that so bad?" the center man in front of him asked quietly, his smile snakelike.
"What…No. No, get away from me!" Sun yelled at the men, glancing behind himself and seeing the other two men nearing him. Sun sprinted away, even as the men began to follow him. Sun didn't know where he was going, but he knew that he couldn't afford to be caught. He didn't know why he felt this overwhelming sense of fear from them, but he knew it, deep inside, that they were trouble. And then…bubbling deep inside was another feeling. A burning feeling that he didn't even think he could identify, but he knew it was strong.
Sun eventually found himself in a large park with an extravagant fountain in the middle. The fountain was cracked, destroyed by a massive spire of ice. Sun looked at the sad sight for a moment before he became aware of several clicking sounds. Sun glanced behind him and gasped as he beheld the sight of the men from before, all standing behind him and aiming guns directly at him.
"You can't run…You can try, but we'll find you." All of the men said as one, grinning at him as they began to advance forward, moving amongst the graveyard of ice noisily, their armored feet crunching on the ice beneath them. Sun took a step back, not even caring if he was shot, just to get away from them before he heard a familiar growl. Sun looked behind him and saw a whirling mass of shadows, raging behind him like a roiling mass of water beneath the wrath of a thunderstorm. Each of the men ahead of him knelt before the mass of darkness while it slowly grew and grew, transforming into a massive doglike monster.
"I will bring out their deepest darkness, one by one…the true power of Pokémon..." a voice hissed, so distorted that Sun could barely make out the words. Sun then became aware that the darkness from the beast had spread and was now enveloping his feet, trapping him. Sun let out a scream and tried to escape, but found that he was trapped and growing more so with each passing moment. The armored men in white were still kneeling in front of the monster before them, which roared furiously as it slowly gained a more defined shape. It slowly formed into the shape of a dog, with two massive horns jutting out of it's head with a long slender tail behind it.
"They will know despair, and the error of their ways..." Sun distantly realized he was hyperventilating, fear pouring through every fiber of his being as the shadows swallowed his stomach and continued pulling him downwards, consuming him. The shadow dog slowly lumbered towards Sun, extending its jaw slowly and revealing several rows of gleaming white teeth. Sun screamed again as the jaws drew closer, and just when the dog's mouth closed down on him, he heard a very distinctly cold voice speak to him in a tone so twisted, so cruelly amused that it surpassed the shadow dog in terms of sheer terror to the boy.
"Isn't it beautiful…This wicked world I've wrought? This city of icy death is just the beginning."
Sun awoke from the dream then, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. He felt fear and shame and all sorts of other emotions pouring out from him as he tried to catch his breath, his body shuddering as he tried to process everything that had happened, even as parts of the nightmare became fuzzy and half-focused in his mind. He then became aware of Oliver and Penny sitting at the edge of his bed, looking worriedly at him. Sun leaned forward and snatched up both birds, hugging them tightly for comfort as he tried to calm himself down. Oliver nuzzled his trainer while Penny chirped quietly, and slowly but surely, Sun managed to find himself calmed down enough to slow down his breathing.
The boy managed to find sleep once more, despite himself, with both of his birds nestled beside him a few minutes later. Both of the birds kept a watchful eye over the boy as he slept, however. They didn't know what kind of nightmares were plaguing the boy, but they were determined to protect him from them however they could. Despite this, both of the young and tired birds succumbed to sleep themselves after a short time had passed, slumbering beside their trainer as the family rested as much as possible for the start of their journey just a few hours away.
