Pokémon Radiant Sun


I did first draft of this entire chapter in just one day (roughly 4,300 words at that time). I am very proud of this.

THE TIME HAS COME.

TOTEM BATTLE.

Before the chapter begins though, I do have some big news I'd like to drop here. Kinda fitting since this is an important chapter, but hey, what can you do?

I can now confirm that I will be leaving in mid-June to go to Basic Training for the Air Force. It's a bit longer than I expected, but I can roll with that. Now, as far as what the status of the story will be after Basic, I'm honestly unsure. I plan on giving my best friend command of the story so that he can upload pre-done chapters in my absence. That way, this story can keep going for a little bit while I'm gone, but there will definitely be a hiatus of sorts once those chapters are exhausted, at least until I can get to a computer or reacquire my laptop in Tech School, which I have been reassured is a thing I'll be able to do.

So yeah, I'll be gone for a little over two months and then I should be able to get back to a decent schedule, more or less.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Madame Rodoshe, Some Idiot, Ways, NullSilver2005, Sai Og Sus, and ShadowDragon9000, as well as two new reviewers known as Anasazi Darkmoon and skyguys. Thank you all for the support and feedback.

And thank you to those who offered their condolences last chapter. I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, can't thank you enough for that or show how much I appreciate your words.

On that note…

Enjoy.


Chapter 22: Totem Battle! Gumshoos Takes the Stage!


"I wonder how Sun's Trial is going…" Hau mused as he shut his eyes from his position on a couch, where Duke and Cassy had been snoozing on his chest. He had been chilling all morning, waiting for something interesting to happen. He had done all of the things he had told Sun he was going to do and was now bored. He hoped the boy would beat his Trial quickly. That would mean he and Sun could chat and maybe even battle. He had gotten a lot better and wanted to test his skills against his friend.

Or rather rival. Or both, really. Sun may have been the new kid on the island, but Hau had taken a liking to the boy right away. He was a rather cheerful child like himself, despite everything the other 11-year old had gone through. He admired Sun, in a way, for his determination to keep going despite the bad things in his life. The boy tried to keep smiling even when it was hardest for him to, and Hau appreciated that about his friend. He too was something who believed in positivity, in bringing people up and being supportive. Sun had been nothing but to him and Lillie, and because of that he felt the two of them had become pretty good buddies.

As for Lillie…well, that was why he considered the two of them rivals as well as friends.

Hau had fallen for Lillie the moment he had met her at Professor Kukui's Lab almost four months ago. Hau, up to that point, had never been interested in girls or anything like that. He just didn't see the appeal at all and was just content to be friends with them. But then he met Lillie, nervous and awkward and clutching a large bag with a strange Pokémon hiding within it, and he was smitten.

Lillie was special in his eyes. Beyond pretty, incredibly intelligent, and she had a great personality. No, she wasn't perfect, but Hau liked her despite those flaws. She was a great friend and the first person he ever felt this sort of connection with. They did get to become good friends fairly quickly, after all. He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, and with any luck maybe one day she would realize that she might feel the same attraction towards him as he felt towards her.

However, Sun was a roadblock standing in the way of that idea.

Hau would have been an idiot not to see the strong friendship between Sun and Lillie. They had become close more quickly than he had become with the blonde-haired girl. Both of them shared a love of music and reading and had both been through their own special brand of hardship. Sun had dealt with the darkness of Cipher and Lillie had…well, she had never explicitly told Hau what had happened to her, but he could take a few guesses and none of them were pretty.

That was why Sun was his rival. Someone to push him to improve, to become a better person and a better Trainer. Someone who was worthy of being related to the renowned Kahuna that was his grandfather. And maybe prove a little something to the father that had left his family behind…

Of course, there was also the little idea of becoming stronger so that maybe, one day, Lillie would recognize his growth and strength and see him worthy of her affection. Yeah, it wasn't particularly noble, but the thought of it did appeal to him. He cared for the girl as both a friend and maybe something else, and wanted the best for her. In his eyes this would either be himself or Sun, another kind-hearted boy that had proved to be a steadfast friend. So they were also rivals for Lillie's affection, in Hau's eyes. He'd be happy no matter what the outcome was, because he wanted his friend to be happy, but he was determined to make that first outcome with him.

"Ooo?"

Hau opened his eyes and saw Cassy and Duke watching him, and Hau grinned at both of his Pokémon. He slowly sat up and shook his head slightly, breaking himself out of his musings. Hau was about to reply when his Pokédex suddenly beeped twice, catching Hau's attention. Hau grabbed the device from his bag and opened it, surprised at what he found.

"Looks like Professor Kukui just added an update to the Pokédex. More info on Pokédex readings and improved grammar fixes, whatever that means. Guess this just means that if I scan a Pokémon, I get more info on it? That's interesting." Hau remarked before he stashed away the device and leaned back against the couch. This lasted for roughly six seconds.

"Whelp, I'm bored. Let's go get some training in, you two. Sun will be back when he gets back." Hau said as he grabbed his two Pokémon and hopped off the couch, though his thoughts turned to his friend/rival. He wondered if he had battled the Totem Pokémon yet.

"He'll beat it, and then it'll be my turn. I can hardly keep myself under control! I'm so hyped!" Hau thought to himself, grinning as he made his way outside to prepare for his first ever Trial, unaware that his friend was venturing to the deepest depths of the Verdant Cavern at that moment.


Sun and Rotom continued their journey through the tunnel as more and more light poured in from the end of it. Sun was notified by Rotom about an update for the Pokédex as they walked, which Rotom downloaded as they walked. Eventually they arrived at their destination and as Sun's eyes adjusted to the light, he was able to take in his surroundings.

It was a small clearing, surrounded on all sides by walls that rose around them, so the Alolan sun was streaming down on him from above and dousing him in heat, but also made the area incredibly bright. Grass grew all around them, even on the cliffs that loomed above. A nearby path leading up the cliffs was blocked by what looked like several large clumps of rocks, so Sun ignored that for now and focused on the small shrine ahead of him. Resting on it was a glittering gem that Sun recognized as the same Z-Crystal that Demi had held in her hand earlier that day.

"There it is…" Sun muttered, walking forward. Rotom was humming beside him, clearly excited about what was to come. What that was exactly, Sun had no idea, but he knew they were ready for whatever came next.

Sun finally reached the shrine and saw the Z-Crystal glittering from within. As he reached out to take it, he felt a strange shiver in the air. He felt as if something was watching him…a piercing gaze that seemed to cut right through him…But where was this coming from?

Rotom suddenly began playing a very creepy, haunting tune that just screamed suspense and bad things coming. Sun would have to have a talk with the Pokédex after this was all over, but for now he ignored the admittedly creepy music playing and fought back the feeling of intense nervousness and reached forward to take the Z-Crystal. Sun nearly jumped when Rotom suddenly yelled out, "Sun! Above you!"

Sun jerked his hand back and looked up and gasped at the sight of a massive Pokémon standing above him, though it was facing the opposite direction. The beast kicked off of the ground with a snarl, suddenly leaping thirty feet into the air and rolling through the air several times in an impressive show of agility. It flailed out its arms and legs to cease its movement before landing on all fours in front of Sun, who had taken several steps back as he beheld the Pokémon before him.

The Pokémon slowly rose to its feet, its expression fierce as it threw out an arm and bellowed furiously at him, the child that dared approach its domain. The impressive beast towered over the child and was much bigger than the one they had encountered a short time earlier, with a more ragged and wild look to it.

"Gumshoos, the Totem Pokémon of Verdant Cavern, has appeared!" Rotom announced as he floated behind Sun, who had pulled out a Poké Ball and took a step back. As he did so, Gumshoos let out another roar, though this time an sharp orange glow came to its eyes. A massive, fiery aura of energy suddenly exploded out from the Totem Pokémon, creating a shock-wave of force that sent Sun skidding backwards on his feet with a yell. When Sun looked back up, the Totem Pokémon was staring him down with a burning aura around it, looking even more intimidating than it did before. Rotom switched to another song, a much more intense and dramatic song that Sun actually thought sounded pretty awesome, before speaking again.

"That aura there is Z-Power! It's something that all of the Totem Pokémon here in Alola can call upon in battle! Looks like it got a Defense boost from using it!" Rotom said to Sun before adding, "That won't be enough to stop you! Go for it buddy! Bzzt!"

"Alright then. Let's show this thing what we're made of! Penny, let's go!" Sun called forth his Pikipek, who let out a chirp before fluttering down to the ground, flaring out its wings and preparing itself for a fierce battle.

"Rock Smash Penny!" Sun commanded the Pikipek, who soared towards the Totem Pokémon that seemed content to take the blow. Regardless, it snarled in pain as the Pikipek rushed into it with a beak that was glowing a harsh orange color, dealing a super-effective hit and making the Totem Pokémon stagger backwards with surprise in its eyes. As Penny began flying away, the bird looked back at Gumshoos, just in time for the Pokémon to look up at her with a horrifying expression that made the bird screech in horror.

"Scary Face…" Sun thought with a wince as Penny soared over to him, more wary of the Totem Pokémon than before. Sun then saw Gumshoos inhale deeply before roaring out into the sky. Sun wondered why this was and was about to order Penny to attack when he saw a Yungoos suddenly leap down from one of the cliffs, joining the Gumshoos on the battlefield.

"Looks like its two-on-one…Then let's even the odds! Oliver, let's-" Sun began to say before the Totem Pokémon bellowed at Sun, fury in its eyes.

"That's a no-go, Sun. Here in Alola, Pokémon are able to call upon their friends to assist them in battle. The Totem Pokémon are really well-known for this tactic. The Kahunas made it then part of the rules of battle here in Alola that if a battle becomes what's known as an SOS Battle, a fight with two wild Pokémon against a Pokémon Trainer, then the Trainer must only use one Pokémon at a time." Rotom explained as both mongoose Pokémon ahead hissed at him. Sun felt a pang of worry then. Sure, the Totem Pokémon was strong but he figured he could take it. Two Pokémon at once though? He wasn't too sure.

"Piki Pikipek!" Sun looked over at his bird, who was looking at him now. Penny nodded once and fluttered to the ground, chirping loudly at the two Pokémon, showing no fear despite the odds against her. Gumshoos roared at the small bird and Sun felt his worry and fear ebb away slightly. If Penny wasn't going to let this development worry her, than neither was he!

"Let's show these two that numbers aren't everything! Use Peck on Gumshoos!" Sun said to Penny. The Pikipek darted towards the larger of the two Pokémon, which opened its mouth and bellowed at the bird as it raced towards it, albeit slower than before thanks to being hit with Scary Face. Penny was intercepted by the Yungoos, which leapt at the small bird to try and Tackle it. The Pikipek dodged the attack by ducking low, and continued shooting towards the Gumshoos, which leapt to the side to dodge the attack.

"That thing is nimble…Penny, use Rock Smash on that Yungoos! Get it out of the way!" Sun ordered his Pikipek. Penny nodded and darted towards the smaller of the two rodents whose eyes widened in fear. However, the Totem Pokémon stepped in front of the attack and lunged at Penny, catching the small bird it its mouth and chomping down on her, making her screech in agony.

"Penny! Hang in there!" Sun called to the bird, worry in his voice as the Gumshoos spat out the Pokémon, who managed to catch herself in midair and was sporting some serious damage. This was worsened by the Yungoos suddenly tackling Penny from behind, knocking her out of the air for a few moments before the bird whirled around in midair to deliver a Rock Smash to the smaller rodent, sending it crashing to the ground with a squeal of pain.

"This is bad…Penny's strong, but even she's not good enough to take on these two at once!" Sun thought before he said, "Penny, use Echoed Voice on Gumshoos!"

As the Pikipek flew towards the massive Pokémon, it lunged forward again in a great burst of speed and caught the smaller bird in its jaws. Sun screamed out for his Pokémon as it cried out in pain before the Totem Pokémon spat it out on the ground at Sun's feet, looking smug. Sun ran forward and scooped Penny off of the ground as the Gumshoos snarled at him, but Sun looked down at Penny with a pang, realizing he had once again sent her out into a battle she couldn't have possibly won.

"I'm sorry Penny. I missed up again…" Sun muttered, cradling the fallen Pikipek. Penny opened her eyes a fraction and chirped quietly, nuzzling Sun's hand to show that she held no ill-will towards her trainer. Penny then shut her eyes and Sun looked up at the Totem Pokémon and its ally with a glare.

"We're not done yet!" Sun growled at the Totem Pokémon. Gumshoos nodded at the boy as he pulled out his other Poké Ball. "Oliver, come on!"

Sun released the Rowlet, who beheld the two Pokémon ahead of him with indifference, instead looking to his Trainer and his injured ally.

"Oliver, this is going to be a two-on-one fight. This thing can call on other Pokémon to help it, so stay sharp, alright?" Sun said to the Rowlet. Oliver nodded before turning around, hooting loudly at the duo opposing it.

"Let's get some payback for Penny! Use Razor Leaf on both of them!" Sun commanded the owl, who responded by letting out a loud chirp before flapping its wings as hard as it could, releasing a series of rotating leaves that whirled towards the two mongoose Pokémon. Gumshoos snarled in pain, taking a step back as the attack hit it, but its partner suffered a worse fate, falling to the ground covered in scratches and dings with swirls in its eyes.

"One down, one to go! Just keep an eye out for any more of them, Oliver!" Sun said, a fierce grin on his face as the Totem Pokémon looked down at its fallen companion. Gumshoos then looked up at Oliver with a horrifying expression on its face and Sun winced as Oliver too was hit by Scary Face.

"Use Tackle, now!" Sun said to his starter. Oliver nodded and shot towards the Gumshoos, who responded by narrowing its eyes as they gleamed white, hitting Oliver with a Leer attack before the bird slammed into the Totem Pokémon, making the beast stagger backwards with a roar of anger.

"Now, use Peck!" Oliver shot back towards the Totem, but the Pokémon was done playing around. Gumshoos leapt forward with a snarl, opening its mouth and catching Oliver in its teeth.

"Oliver!" Sun screamed as the Totem began shaking the owl around before releasing it, making the Pokémon flinch in pain as it struggled to remain flying.

"Peck again!" Sun commanded as the owl swooped by Gumshoos another time. Once again the Gumshoos used Bite on the owl, dealing another dose of damage to the smaller Pokémon, but this time Oliver broke free from the Totem's attack and began pecking it with its glowing beak, making the beast roar in protest as Oliver soared into the air.

"Razor Leaf!" Oliver nodded and flapped his wings harshly, releasing another barrage of swirling leaves that raced towards the Gumshoos. The Totem hissed before kicking off of the ground and leaping high into the air, dodging the attack with ease and lunging at Oliver at the same time, its mouth wide open and revealing a row of glowing white fangs.

"Dodge it, Oliver!" Sun shouted, recognizing Super Fang as the attack the Totem Pokémon was using. Oliver swooped to the side, just managing to dodge the attack as the Totem flipped in midair and landed with a crash on the ground, glaring at Sun and then at the owl soaring above him.

"Hit it with Peck!" Oliver soared towards the mongoose Pokémon, who responded by lunging at the Rowlet once again with Super Fang. To Sun's surprise, however, both Pokemon collided with each other, Oliver's shining beak pressing against Gumshoos elongated fangs, the two of them frozen in midair as the two Pokémon tried to overpower each other. Suddenly a wave of sheer force blew out from the two of them, making Sun yell out as he was knocked to the ground and both Pokémon were forced apart from one another.

"Time to wrap this up, Oliver." Sun said to his starter as he hopped back to his feet. Gumshoos dropped to all fours now, roaring in fury, as if it sensed that the battle was coming to a head. Both Oliver and the Totem Pokémon had taken a great deal of damage, so things would definitely be ending soon.

And Sun was determined to make sure that it was with him walking out with his Z-Crystal.

Sun then realized that Gumshoos wasn't going to wait around for Sun to call out an attack, instead leaping high into the air with its mouth hanging wide open, ready to bite down on Oliver again and end the battle.

"Oliver! Dive down to dodge, and then hit it with all you've got with Razor Leaf!" Sun yelled up to his owl as it watched the massive Totem race towards him. Oliver again, like it had earlier, locked eyes with Sun for a brief moment before the Totem had reached it. The beast snarled as it snapped at Oliver, who had flown to the side. Gumshoos turned around to face it and tried to use Bite on Oliver again, but the Rowlet ducked underneath the second attack and swooped out of range with a hoot before whirling around, eyes narrowed, and flapping its wings. Gumshoos' eyes widened as a torrent of spinning leaves flew from the small owl, slicing into the Totem Pokémon and making the beast yell out in pain as the attack rushed through it.

For a moment, the Totem hung there in midair, defying gravity as its body was frozen in pain. The Pokémon then began falling back to earth, it's body going limp before it crashed down onto the ground with an almighty crash, leaving a large crater in the ground.

"Is…is it over?" Sun whispered, eyeing the mass shifting in the crater. Oliver soared down to him and began watching the crater as well, looking pensive. After a moment, however, the Totem Pokémon began to rise once again, looking over at Oliver and Sun with narrowed eyes, a soft growl escaping the Gumshoos. Then, the beast stiffened up and slowly fell to the ground with a massive thud, its eyes shut tight. Sun waited several seconds to see if the creature would rise again, but as the Totem Pokémon remained still, a fierce sense of joy erupted within the boy.

"We did it! We cleared our first Trial! We beat the Totem Pokémon!" Sun yelled out, triumph in his voice. Oliver flew around, hooting loudly in excitement. Oliver landed on the ground as Sun sat down himself, applying a Revive to Penny and restoring her strength. The Pikipek let out a chirp upon returning to consciousness.

"You both were fantastic out there." Sun praised his Pokémon, pulling both of them into a tight hug as the boy began laughing, relieved that the battle had been decided in his favor. Oliver and Penny returned the embrace, and for a few moments the trio stayed still, reveling in their victory. Sun then let both of his birds go and both of them fluttered to the ground. Oliver then chirped loudly, getting Sun's attention.

"What's up, Oliver?" Sun asked the Rowlet, who was staring at him intently.

"Coo coo!" Oliver replied, extending its wings out and closing its eyes, a joyful expression on his face.

And then the Rowlet began to glow.

"Oliver…you…" Sun tailed off, his words fading into nothingness as white and blue light began to engulf his starter Pokémon. A serene and ambient glow filled the small area as ribbons of light circled around Sun's Rowlet. Rotom was busy taking pictures of Oliver and playing a little tune, but Sun again ignored that and focused on what was going on…

Oliver was evolving.

All too soon the glowing stopped as the new Pokémon that stood where his starter had been standing flared its wings, breaking the aura of light that had surrounded it and let out a louder, deeper cry that filled the clearing. It was a much larger owl with white and brown and green feathers, a familiar bowtie-like leaf sitting at the base of its neck. It now had a hair-like leaves on top of its head and it's eyes were much narrower, almost shut completely.

"Daaaarrtrix!" the Pokémon trilled, kicking off of the ground and soaring into the air with a quick burst of speed that it hadn't possessed as a Rowlet. Rotom giggled as it floated by Sun, scanning Oliver and speaking a moment later.

"Well, well, well. Let's check out what kind of Pokémon your pal Oliver turned into, eh, bucko? Zz-zz-zz! Here's the entry, now with even more info!" Rotom said with a laugh before reading aloud the entry. "Dartrix. The Blade Quill Pokémon and the evolved form of Rowlet. A bit of a dandy, it spends its free time preening its wings. Its preoccupation with any dirt on its plumage can leave it unable to battle. It throws sharp feathers called blade quills at enemies or prey. It seldom misses."

"Oliver…You evolved!" Sun yelled out, a wide grin on his face as the Dartrix swooped down and tackled Sun down to ground, making the boy yell out as he tumbled onto the rock.

"Daar!" Oliver agreed, hooting loudly. Penny chirped out at the larger owl, who chirped back at her. Oliver then turned his attention to Sun, bending down and gently pecking Sun in the forehead before hooting and taking off into the air.

"Wonder what that was all about…" Sun wondered as he staggered to his feet, groaning in pain. He hadn't quite recovered from being dragged yesterday. Sun then caught sight of Gumshoos rising to its feet with a wince, looking at Sun and nodding before running towards the Verdant Cavern and disappearing within the depths of the cave…

"What an incredible Trainer you are!"

Sun whirled around in surprise and saw Ilima approaching, the young man beaming as he walked closer. Oliver had landed on the ground again, and was watching the Captain with interest as he stopped a short distance away.

"For you to be able to defeat the Totem Pokémon that I had trained up to such a powerful state…I don't know what I can say!" Ilima admitted, shrugging after a moment.

"That I'm awesome and my team is too?" Sun suggested, making both of them start laughing.

"That's a sentiment I can agree with, actually. By working in harmony with your Pokémon, you have cleared the Trial of Ilima! You're a phenomenal Trainer, Sun. As the Captain of the Verdant Cavern, I offer you my most sincere congratulations. The Z-Crystal from the pedestal is yours now!" Ilima said to the boy, pointing behind him to the small shrine. Sun walked over to the pedestal and scooped up the Z-Crystal, which was warm to touch. The child grinned widely as he held out the Z-Crystal in his hands before tossing it skyward, catching it, bending low to the ground and raising it to the sky.

"If you want to try victorious poses out, I'll have to say that one wasn't all that impressive." Ilima drily remarked as Sun looked at the Z-Crystal in his hands, now alight with some strange form of fiery energy. As Sun brought down the Z-Crystal to look at, however, the glow vanished. Sun then looked over at the Captain with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry. Couldn't help it." Sun admitted with a chuckle, blushing slightly.

"Indeed. Also, I must also congratulate your Rowlet on evolving into a Dartrix. May your new form fit you well." Ilima said to Oliver, who just nodded because that's kind of how he is. Ilima then returned his attention to Sun, his expression a bit more serious.

"What you have just received is the Normal Z-Crystal. It is known as Normalium Z. From now on, if you let a Pokémon that can use a Normal-type move hold that…" Ilima then began to strike a series of poses, ending with both arms crossed in front of him with his thumbs pointing in opposite directions. "…and strike an elegant pose like this one…then you will be able to strengthen a Normal-type move by unleashing Z-Power!"

"That looks absolutely ridiculous. Can't I just skip that part and just use the Normalium Z?" Sun asked, receiving a shake of the head in response.

"No. Sorry, that's just how it works."

"How does that make any sense?"

"We live in a world of creatures that can shoot lightning, summon water and rocks from out of nowhere, and shoot beams of energy that can wreck cities. Not much that goes on here makes any sort of sense, Sun." Ilima deadpanned, making Sun sag slightly. Ilima then ruined it by chuckling a little before saying, "Moving right along…"

Ilima turned on his heel and began walking out of the area, but his steps slowed and he looked over his shoulder at the Kanto-native. "First, there is one thing I forgot to mention."

"Yes?"

"The Totem Pokémon! In every locale where a Captain holds his or her Trials, you will encounter a particularly strong Pokémon, much like Gumshoos just now. During such battles against Pokémon of their nature, they may summon allies to shore up their offense and provide a much more difficult battle." Ilima explained, but Sun cut him off.

"Yeah, that gave me some trouble. Rotom said that's something special to Alola." Sun replied, making the Trial Captain nod in response.

"Yes. It's not a tactic often seen in other regions. Perhaps Pokémon in Alola are simply more inclined to help one another?" Ilima mused before shaking his head and offering Sun a cheery smile. "Anyway, since you have managed to defeat the Totem Pokémon and proved yourself, you can now try to catch any of the Pokémon you find here in this cave. In fact…" Ilima reached into the small pack he had strapped to his back and tossed several red and blue Poké Balls towards Sun, who caught them.

"Have some Great Balls." Ilima then tossed a few more at Sun, who couldn't hold all of the balls and dropped them onto the ground. One awkward moment later and the last of them were stowed away.

"Truthfully, I think we're going to head back to the Pokémon Center. I'm feeling a bit rough after yesterday and I think some rest for these two is in order." Sun said as Oliver soared by him, hooting joyfully. Penny fluttered onto Sun's head with a tired chirp.

"If you'll allow me, let me see to your Pokémon after all of their hard work in here." Ilima offered, which Sun accepted. One healing session later and the three of them were all ready to go.

"If we're done here, I have something interesting I'd like to show you later on. Meet me at the beginning of Route 3 tomorrow morning." Ilima said to Sun before walking out of the area without so much as another word. Sun sighed before walking ahead, with Oliver soaring beside him and Penny resting on his head. The Kanto boy couldn't stop smiling though, triumph and relief filling him after a long and hard-fought battle against the Totem Pokémon. They had conquered Ilima's Trial, and now that they had completed it…

All that remained was the showdown with the Kahuna of Melemele Island himself.


Post Edit Note:

The site for whatever reason was acting super weird this morning and crashed the first time I tried uploading this chapter. I deleted and uploaded this chapter two more times since I didn't get any kind of email notification that it was published, like I normally do, but despite that I never received a email from this site. If anyone feels like letting me know if they got the email for this chapter going up via message or review, that'd be appreciated. Thank you for your time.