Pokémon Radiant Sun
I'm glad that so many enjoyed the fluffiness of last chapter. There's plenty more where that came from, with some moments going from hilarious to adorable for Sun and Lillie. I've got some fantastic moments lined up for the next few chapters.
Also, for those curious about Hau getting a ship, don't worry, I've got that covered. Gladion gets one too! And no, I'm not shipping them together. Though I might make a few jokes about it because that ship is waaaay too popular and their interactions in-game are funny not to make light of.
I will say though, that if people correctly manage to guess who Hau and Gladion get paired with, I'll personally message you to confirm it. So feel free to fire off some guesses. Amuse me, mortals!
Also, I've just now realized we're nearing 200 reviews for this thing. I wonder if we'll hit that point with the 25th chapter...
LET'S FIND OUT!
So yeah. Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, skyguys, BouncingFish (who I believe is ShadowDragon9000 but I am unsure of this), Madame Rodoshe, a Guest reviewer, BraviaryScout, and Sai Og Sus. Thank you all so much for the support. It hasn't been an easy week for me, so seeing the kind words and feedback in my emails/review section really give me a boost at times like this.
And without further ado...
Enjoy.
Chapter 25: Walk With Me
Hala almost winced as his Mankey slammed into the ground hard enough to leave an indent in it. His latest challenger had been quite the fierce one, alright. The Kahuna watched his Pokémon struggle to its feet once again, panting in pain.
"Mankey, use Karate Chop!" Hala commanded. The Fighting-type nodded and sprinted forward. The Kahuna observed his opponent, a strange boy with blonde hair watching the approaching Pokémon with intense, focused green eyes.
"Tackle! Stop it in its tracks!" the boy commanded the strange beast in front of him. In all of his years, Hala had never seen a Pokémon quite like the one in front of him. If he wasn't a more polite man, he would have described the Pokémon as a monstrosity. Regardless of what he thought of the Pokémon, it crouched low and lumbered forward, smashing into his tired Mankey after ducking its head to avoid the Karate Chop attack. The Pig Monkey Pokémon's eyes widened in pain before it flew backwards and crashed down in a heap in front of Hala, unresponsive.
"Well, young man. You have defeated this Kahuna and the Pokémon he commands. Even without a Z-Ring, you have proven yourself more than worthy of the Fightium-Z." Hala declared as he returned his Mankey and smiled at the young man before him, making his way over to his younger opponent.
"I feel like you were holding back." The teen said grunted as Hala chuckled, despite the boy's expression remaining rather sour.
"I may or may not have. If I fought every Trainer I encountered at my full strength, I'd never get a decent battle here on this Island. Regardless, you have proven yourself skilled in battle and are more than strong enough to wield this!" Hala chortled as he reached into a jacket pocket and extended a hand out to the young man, offering him the Z-Crystal. The teen took it and stuffed it into a pocket, a small scowl on his face as Hala also stamped the boy's Trainer Passport with the stamp of Melemele Island.
"So, where to next for you, son?" Hala asked the teen.
"That's of no concern to you, sir. I'm leaving this Island, though. I need to face stronger Trainers, and that won't happen if I stay here." The teen replied, reaching over to his Pokémon before grimacing slightly, his other hand going to a barely concealed cut on his left arm. The boy's sweater around the cut looked mangled, as if attacked by some kind of animal.
"Are you alright-?" Hala began to ask, reaching towards the teen, but the boy's Pokémon growled at him and the young man took a step back.
"I'm fine. It's nothing. It's a reminder of what's at stake. And how far we have to go." The teen muttered as he released his own arm and turned around.
"Null, come on. We've got a boat to catch in a few days and we can't miss it." The teen said to the Pokémon at its side. The beast grunted after a moment and padded after its Trainer, who had begun walking away.
"My boy, I do have one last question before you leave." Hala said after a moment, crossing his arms. The teen hesitated at the words of the Kahuna, but eventually turned around to face the older man, frowning even more.
"Yeah?"
"What is your name, if I may ask? I always like to know the names of Trainers who have shown me that they possess a fierce strength about them. Just like you have." Hala said kindly to the blonde-haired Trainer. The two Trainers looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Hala could see that the boy was only older than his own grandson by maybe two or three years. This teen had the eyes of someone who had suffered and seen the harshness of the world. The way he carried himself, the constant frown on his face and seriousness he held himself with. The child was a fighter in every sense of the word. Maybe it was just him, but he had been around long enough to get a sense of who people were when they battled him. And Hala was sure this child was special.
A moment later, he received a curt and quiet answer.
"My name is Gladion." The boy replied before turning forward once again and walking out of the village without another word. Hala smiled as he saw the young man rest a hand on the head of the strange Pokémon he had at his side, and wondered just where that teen's journey would take him.
Sun and Lillie flinched as the sunlight slammed into them from above, dousing them with even more warmth. Oliver and Penny soared past them with two chirps, and Sun returned his Pokémon after thanking them for their help.
"So now what?" Sun asked his friend.
"Um…I don't know. I was expecting Hau or Professor Kukui to be here by now. Did you-" Lillie began to say before suddenly Hau!
"Heeeeey!" Hau whooped as he sprinted up to them, grinning like a madman. Hau pile-drived Lillie into a hug, nearly knocking the girl down completely. Hau squeezed the girl giddily as Lillie hugged the boy back. Sun chuckled at the antics of his friend as he crossed his arms. After a few long moments Sun wondered why Hau wasn't breaking the hug.
"Hau?"
"Yeah Lillie?"
"You can…um, let go now?"
"Do I have to? You're warm! And you smell nice!"
"Hau, don't make me smack you again."
Hau broke away from Lillie with a smirk while Sun watched the boy with a small pang of annoyance. He didn't know why, but he felt a strange emotion stirring within him at the sight of Hau hugging Lillie. A sort of weird, unpleasant burning sensation that made him feel a little mad. Sun shook his head slightly, trying to brush it off. Hau was his friend, he couldn't feel this way towards him as he had done nothing wrong.
"So, how've you been doing, Hau?" Lillie asked her friend politely, snapping Sun out of his musings.
Hau put his hands behind his head, a small chuckle escaping him. "Not too bad. Hanging with Sun, clearing Trials, you know how it goes. I'd give you a sneak peek of my skills, but Sun's being a dork and doesn't want to battle me."
"Hau, if I battle you, can you stop bugging me about it?" Sun asked the boy exasperatedly. Hau beamed at his friend with his eyes shut before nodding. Sun sighed and looked over at Lillie.
"You two battle. I…I'll watch." Lillie said to the two of them, offering them a small smile. Soon enough Sun and Hau were separated and ready to battle along the cliff.
"Alright Hau. I'll start this off. Oliver, let's go!" Sun yelled, calling out his starter. Oliver swooped to the ground with a hoot, regarding Hau with amusement before beginning to preen itself.
"Heh. Been looking forward to this. Duke, come on and show them your stuff!" Hau said as he yanked a Poké Ball off of his belt, tossing it into the air for a brief moment before hurling it forward. Duke the Pikachu appeared on the ground with a wide smile, ready to fight.
"Duke, use Growl!" Hau ordered the electrical mouse, his grin widening in excitement.
"I've seen that trick before! Don't give him a chance to set up! Razor Leaf!" Sun ordered Oliver as the bird took flight, even as the Pikachu let loose a furious growl at the owl. Oliver unleashed a series of spinning leaves at the Pikachu on the ground.
"Dodge, Duke! Stay lively!" Hau yelled to his Pikachu, who quickly began running along the ground frantically as Oliver continued to hurl Razor Leafs at the evasive mouse. Despite its speed, Oliver's aim couldn't be denied, and the Pikachu was quickly covered in dings and scraps as the attack caught up with him.
"Yikes. Forgot how strong that bird is. Use Electro Ball and knock it out of the sky!" Hau called to Duke, who spun around twice and unleashed a ball of yellow electricity at Oliver, making it back off as it flew higher to avoid the attack.
"Hit it with Peck!" Sun commanded the Dartrix hovered in the air, eyeing the mouse on the ground. The owl nodded and shot forward with a great burst of speed towards Duke, his beak shining bright white.
"Dodge by jumping, and then aim down with Electro Ball!" Hau yelled out, grinning widely. Duke waited a few moments for the owl to come closer before suddenly leaping into the air and spinning around rapidly, charging up a swirling ball of wildly charging electricity before hurling it downwards at the Dartrix as it swooped just past. Oliver winced in pain as the attack hit him from above, sending electricity surging through him. Nevertheless, Oliver turned around and glared at the Pikachu as he fell towards the ground, making Duke shiver in fear.
"Huh. I thought that would've done more damage. Oh well. Quick Attack!" Hau said to his Pikachu. Duke crouched low before darting forward, almost quicker than the eye could follow.
"Meet that Pikachu halfway! Use Tackle!" Sun yelled to his starter. Oliver almost smirked as it soared forward and collided with Duke, a small shudder running through the air as the two Pokémon fought for dominance.
The attacks then broke off suddenly, as Oliver surged forward and knocked Duke to the ground. The Pikachu tumbled several times before finally collapsing with a groan.
"Duke is unable to battle! The victory goes to Sun!"
Hau and Sun both looked over to Lillie who had her hands raised and gestured over to Sun. The girl was smiling as Nebby floated nearby, having escaped the bag yet again.
"Lillie, are you going to be our referee?" Hau asked, laughing as the girl put her hands on her hips, an embarrassed blush coming to her cheeks.
"If you two are going to make me watch you battle, I'm going to make the most of it and have some fun too. Now choose your next Pokémon, Hau." Lillie huffed as Nebby cooed on encouragement.
"Heh. We should take you shopping for a referee shirt or something. Maybe a flag too." Hau mused quietly as he let out Casey the Popplio. The Water-type watched Oliver land down on the ground across from them and sighed inwardly. This wasn't going to last long.
"Oliver, use Razor Leaf!"
"Casey, use Disarming Voice!"
Hau's Popplio opened its mouth wide and unleashed a pink heart-shaped beam of energy from its mouth as a strange shrieking sound rang out across the cliffs. As she did this, Oliver flapped his wings and released a barrage of spinning leaves at the Pokémon. The Razor Leaf tore through the attack as it connected with it, disrupting it completely to Hau's surprise. Casey's eyes widened in horror as the Razor Leaf attack smashed into her, making her squeal in pain for several moments before she collapsed and remained completely still.
"With…just one attack?" Hau muttered in horror, returning his Popplio as Sun ran forward to hug Oliver.
"Casey is unable to battle…The winner of the battle is Sun!" Lillie declared as she gestured over to Sun again, grinning now. Sun chuckled at his friend's antics, glad that she was at least having some fun.
"Bz-zz-zzt! Heya Sun. Guess who just learned Foresight?" Rotom asked cheerily, floating out of Sun's backpack.
"Was it Professor Kukui?"
"…I wish. Zz-zzt! But seriously though, Oliver learned Foresight. Pretty neat stuff!" Rotom declared. Hau and Lillie walked over to Sun, both of them looking pretty happy.
"Aww…Lame. I wanted to show off my Pokémon's best side some more, you know?" Hau drawled with a smile on his face.
"That was kind of fun." Lillie chimed in as she knelt down and began healing Oliver. After a minute, she brought both of Hau's Pokémon back to perfect health again.
"You bet it was. Even though I get wrecked by just one Pokémon. You know, Sun…We've both beaten the Totem Pokémon. That means that at this point, we've gotten pretty strong. I wonder though…are we really good enough to beat my gramps at this rate?" Hau asked, his smile fading a little.
"Hey there you three!"
The trio of children turned around to see Professor Kukui jogging up to greet them. The man stopped short of them, not looking the least bit out of the breath with his Rockruff happily panting at his feet.
"Glad to see everyone's alright. Sorry about leaving you behind like that Lillie. I'll be sure to be more careful in the future when we're traveling around." Kukui said with a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head.
"It's okay Professor. I should've made sure my phone was charged before we set out this morning," Lillie replied.
"Alright. We'll have a discussion about that later then. So, you two." Kukui said, turning to address Sun and Hau. "You excited for your trip back to Iki Town? Old Hala must be rubbing his hands with glee at the thought of being able to battle you two."
"What do you mean, Professor?" Lillie asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
"Heh, it's all a part of the Trials, yeah? After you clear one Island's Trials, you gotta battle that Island's Kahuna! Taking on the Island Kahuna in battle is called a Grand Trial. For someone like me, who's researching Pokémon moves and studying the subtleties of battle, nothing could be better than the chance to see some more fierce and fiery hot Pokémon battles in a Grand Trial! I'm so pumped!" Professor Kukui whooped with excitement gleaming in his eyes. From what Sun could tell, the Professor seemed more hyped for their battle then they were!
"Well…I don't know about fierce or fiery…" Hau mumbled, looking suddenly nervous. Kukui clapped Hau on the back with a wide smile, brushing aside whatever reservations the boy had.
"Ha! I'll be the judge of that! Let's all get back to-" Kukui was cut off by a small ringtone going off. The Professor frowned and pulled out a small cell phone and put it to his ear.
"Yeah Doc? I…Oh really? A breakthrough? That's…Got it. Pretty strong readings like that indicate some sort of abnormality. My wife will definitely be wanting at least two of us there investigating this, so I'll definitely join you. Give me a few and I'll be right there, alright cousin? Seeya." Kukui hung his phone with a small sigh.
"Well, turns out Doc just had a small discovery over by the Normal Trial Site. Seems important enough for me to go check out. Do you three want a teleport to Iki Town or do you want to walk there? It's maybe a two days walk from our current position, at a normal pace," Kukui said to the group.
"I'm fine with walking. It's a nice day out with plenty of clouds and a nice breeze. It'd be a shame to just waste it." Hau remarked before he looked over at Sun.
"I'm indifferent. Lillie, your call." Sun said with a shrug before looking to his blonde friend. Lillie thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.
"You get going, Professor. We should be okay. If there's an abnormality going on that relates to the Ultra Space at all, you should be there to see what's going on. Especially since it might help out Nebby." Lillie said to the Professor, who seemed a bit surprised that his assistant would be willing to risk something happening to her in the wilds.
"You sure, Lillie?" Kukui asked the girl, who resolutely nodded.
"Alright, if you're sure." Kukui said as he set down his pack and began exchanging some items with Lillie. Once that was sorted out, Kukui released his Starmie.
"I should be back in two days or so. If there's any issues, Lillie, call me or text me. That goes for all of you. Okay?" Kukui said to the trio. Each of the children nodded, so Kukui then flashed them a bright smile.
"Then just catch that Tailwind and blast right on through Route 3!" Kukui said with a laugh before vanishing on the spot.
"Well, now it's just the three of us." Lillie said with a bracing smile, though she was met with a curious frown by Hau.
"Kinda surprised that you didn't just go with him, Lillie. Usually you're a bit…you know, cautious about stuff." Hau remarked as Lillie's smile faded.
"I know…But...just because I'm trying to be careful doesn't mean I should live my entire life in fear. If I want to spend some time with my friends, who I trust to help me if something happens, then I should be able to do that…Right?" Lillie asked Hau and Sun with an almost pleading look. As if hoping she wasn't being a burden on them.
Hau and Sun exchanged a brief look before they both embraced Lillie in a tight hug, which the blonde-haired girl returned. Oliver and Penny joined in, as did Nebby, making the heap of children and Pokémon fall to the ground laughing, Lillie the loudest of all.
After taking a few minutes to recover, the trio set out on their trek back to Iki Town, where the Kahuna awaited them…
Nightfall came quicker than the trio liked, having spent most of the afternoon walking around looking for Lillie. The three of them quickly set up camp and ate a dinner that consisted of some sandwiches Hau had made. Sun and Lillie practiced their flutes together, much to their delight. Hau and all of the Pokémon acted as an audience, chirping and dancing along at the appropriate times. Lillie seemed to be greatly enjoying herself, much to the relief of the boys, and the assistant to the Professor almost appeared to glow with joy at being with her friends and having fun.
"You've improved Sun!" Lillie said to her friend, a wide smile on her face as they finished a simple but face-paced duet. Sun grinned at his friend while Hau clapped loudly along with all of their Pokémon.
"Another awesome song, you two. Lillie, you ever think of doing any professional playing?" Hau asked Lillie, making the girl look away bashfully for a moment.
"Oh no. I'm not that good. I'd like to be some day, though." Lillie admitted as she and Sun put away their instruments, having played for the better part of an hour.
"Well, keep that up and you'll be famous! Just like that pretty lady from your favorite band!" Hau stated as he leaned back against a tree, chuckling.
"Zoey's a professional musician in a world-famous band, Hau. I'm moderately skilled with a flute. There's a big difference, though I appreciate the sentiment." Lillie said to her friend as she stowed her flute case in her bag, where Nebby had been sleeping peacefully.
"We really should be heading to sleep though. Especially if we want to make it to Iki Town by tomorrow." Sun remarked as he put his flute case into an item capsule and sealed it, stuffing it into his bag and flopping down on his sleeping bag. It didn't take much longer for the children to chatter tiredly and fall asleep underneath the stars.
Lillie found out quickly that she wasn't the only one who suffered from nightmares.
They had plagued her for quite some time, even more so after she left home. But as she grew more comfortable and gained a few friends, the nightmares stopped being so bad, even when they did come. However…this allowed her to see that her friend Sun was beginning to suffer from the effects of them.
She noticed it after the first night she spent with the boy out in the wilds. How hard it was for him to wake up and how tired and strained he seemed. He smiled, like always, brushing it off and meeting the day with his usual enthusiasm.
As their little trio talked and chatted and laughed and carried on, Lillie kept an eye on the boy she admired and saw him staring off into the sky with a lost expression, deep in thought about something that he couldn't get around. Lillie was a pretty smart girl, however, and could guess what kind of nightmares were keeping her friend up and making him unhappy at the moment. He certainly presented a better facade of being fine to the world than she did. Two breakdowns already this week for her. But Sun? From what she had heard from Hau that morning, Sun had held strong ever since their talk in the rain storm.
"But…Just because he's holding himself together doesn't mean he's not hurting. How…Can I help him?" Lillie thought, biting her lip in worry as she reached into her bag to pet Nebby, something to keep her busy as well as soothe the Pokémon she was trying to protect.
Lillie was lost in her thoughts for a long while that day. Thankfully Hau and Rotom launched into a full-scale musical and were completely oblivious to her and Sun's personal brainstorming sessions. The Professor's assistant finally remembered a bit of advice that Professor Burnet had told her after Lana and Kiawe had gotten into a fight, which had upset her.
"Sometimes when people are struggling, Lillie…It's better to just ask them what's going on. If they're okay. Extend that hand, even if the other person doesn't think or know that they need it. The thought itself that you care is almost as important as the act."
Lillie nodded to herself, a motion of resolve to help herself help her friend…if that made any sense. Nevertheless, Lillie quickened her pace a little and caught up with Sun. The boy was currently watching Oliver and Penny swoop through the sky, his hands in his pockets and looking quite tired. Lillie gripped her bag with one hand, nodded to herself again, and reached forward and tapped Sun lightly on the shoulder.
"What's up?" Sun asked, looking over at his friend in surprise.
"You okay?" Lillie asked gently. Sun hesitated for a moment before shrugging. Lillie gave the exhausted-looking boy a confused look for a moment before Sun sighed and shook his head. Lillie drew closer to the Kanto-native and asked very quietly, "What's wrong?"
"Just…stuck in my own thoughts. It sucks, but I just can't stop thinking about some stuff. And when I think about that stuff, it just…brings me down. It makes me just wonder what I could have done. If this was all my fault…that maybe I deserve everything that's happened to me." Sun said to Lillie, sighing again as he looked upwards, a wretched smile on his face.
"Sun, as someone who also doesn't think that much of themselves…please stop. It's not healthy." Lillie replied, giving her friend a soft smile.
"I know it isn't. But it's really hard to stop thinking about it. All that bad stuff happened and we just ran away from it all-" Sun began to say but Lillie shook her head, making Sun stop speaking. Hau suddenly stop walking and the two children caught up with their smiling friend, with Rotom floating overhead and watching with curiosity.
"Dude, I'm Lillie on this. I know bad stuff's going on in your life, but dwelling on that stuff does nothing good for you." Hau remarked with as he suddenly slung an arm around both of his friends.
"Bad things in life come at you. You deal with them one way or another, and then life goes on. Dwelling on it and wondering what could have been and blaming yourself is just bad. Bad, bad, bad, you know? It's just like Tutu says. You gotta look forward and just enjoy life as it happens, because tomorrow ain't guaranteed buddy." Hau said with a laugh as Sun and Lillie exchanged a look. Sun thought about it and knew that Hau and Lillie were both right. Getting hung up on the past and on bad thoughts wasn't healthy or beneficial in any way, but it was hard not to think about these things when they were a core part of his life for several months, and some of these things had been factors of his life for as long as he knew, like his father.
However…Sun knew what he needed to say to his friends and do. He knew this was something he needed to work on. He could overcome this.
"You're right…Both of you are. Sorry about all this it's just…hard. Trying to stay positive and keeping up a smile while all this bad stuff happens back home is proving to just be really, really difficult." Sun admitted to his friends. "But I'll keep trying. I'll be having a talk with Mom when I get back home and I know there's others I can talk to about this. Like you two."
"Yep! What else are friends for?" Hau asked cheerfully, pulling both of his friends into a bear hug. Sun couldn't help but laugh as his friend's efforts to cheer him up.
"If you ever need anything, I'll be happy to help in any way I can." Lillie added after a moment, smiling at Sun while she vainly tried to escape Hau's death grip of a hug. Sun found himself smiling at the sight, finding it funny.
"Thanks you two…You're the best." Sun said to his friends, his smile becoming a bit more genuine as he spoke. Hau finally broke the hug and the trio continued their walk towards civilization. After crossing a large bridge, the trio made note that the sun was setting once again for them.
"I can see Iki Town in the distance, but it's still a few hours off. You two want to set up camp or do you want to just keep going?" Hau asked his two friends. Lillie looked at the setting sun with dismay, as she was hoping they would be able to make it to town before night fell.
"Rotom, how're we looking? Can we make it there before sundown?" Sun asked the device as Penny landed on Sun's head.
"About twenty-two minutes until sundown. It'll take roughly three hours and ten minutes, by our current pace, to reach Iki Town. My recommendation is that we camp for the night and get to town in the morning." Rotom replied as it floated by with a buzz.
Sun opened his mouth to reply when a loud, deafening sound erupted outward nearby. The three children flinched in surprise, having not expected the noise. The sound was sharp and quick, descending into reverberations within moments.
"W-what was that?" Hau asked, looking around the path that they were on.
"Was…that a gunshot?" Sun asked after a moment, confused as he began looking towards where he thought the sound had come from.
"I…It may have been. I wonder if someone's in trouble." Lillie muttered, rubbing her ears after the surprisingly loud noise. Sun took a cautious step towards where the sound had come from, and Hau spoke up.
"Uh…Maybe it's not a good idea to head towards the loud noises." Hau said nervously, putting his hands behind his head with an uncharacteristic frown. Sun nodded in agreement, but then a second gunshot rang out. And then a third. And a fourth. A loud, furious snarl then began emanating from the direction the shots had rung out from.
"Oliver, Penny. Stay close." Sun said as he turned directly towards where the sound was coming from and began heading towards it. Hau and Lillie hesitated before following their friend, with Lillie catching up to Sun quickly while Hau lagged far behind, still nervous. It didn't take long for them to stumble into a clearing and find the person who had been firing the gun.
What they soon realized, however, was that it was the absolute worst-case scenario for them.
Standing in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by several dead Pokémon was a slender woman wearing all-white body armor. Her bright red hair stretched out behind her like raging flames, a small demonic smile on her face as her bright blue eyes regarded the three children entering the area with amusement. The woman was armed to the teeth with guns and blades, wielding a pistol in her hand that was aimed at a Growlithe that was crouched low on the ground, growling furiously as it stood protectively over a very small Rattata. After a moment the smaller Pokémon scurried off into the bushes, leaving the Growlithe standing alone against the woman.
"Well now...I need to work on being more subtle in the wilds." The woman said conversationally before she fired a shot, which the dog Pokémon dodged as it lunged forward-
Only for a second bullet to tear through its chest and send it to the ground in a heap.
"NO!" Sun screamed as he ran forward, falling to the ground to check on the Growlithe. The dog was bleeding profusely from its chest as it struggled to move through the pain, fury in the Growlithe's eyes. Lillie quickly joined Sun's side in making sure the Puppy Pokémon was okay before looking up at the woman and feeling horror sink into her as she realized something truly awful.
"S-sun…I know that woman…" Lillie whispered as Sun looked up at the woman, taking in her appearance. After a few moments it finally clicked home for him.
"Keep fighting everyone! We can do this!" Erika shouted, urging the group of frightened Pokémon Trainers forward as the battle around Celadon raged around them. The Gym Leader began rallying the Trainers forward atop her Venasaur that was unleashing deadly attack after deadly attack on the criminals, completely focused on what was ahead of her. Sun watched the screen helplessly as a lone figure garbed in the white armor of Cipher suddenly leapt atop the Venasaur that was attacking her comrades, drawing a slender silver blade and twirling it in her hands with an expert flourish as she approached the Gym Leader unawares.
"No…You can't." The woman hissed into the Erika's ear, like a whisper in the wind as she plunged the knife through Erika's chest and through her heart, sealing the woman's fate and ending her life. Erika tumbled forward as the assassin removed her blade, still dripping with crimson as she smiled down at the fallen fighter.
Sun felt his body tremble with rage and horror as Amber Fontaine stared him down, her smile widening a little as she took in the sight of the boy and girl in front of her. Sun stood upright, even as the Cipher Admin shifted the gun's aim to the Kanto-native. Lillie felt herself slowly hiding behind Sun, unnerved by the almost familiar maniacal gaze in the assassin's eyes that sent shivers down her spine and reminded the small girl of her own nightmares.
"You…" Sun breathed, fury and hate pounding through his voice. His body trembled with anger at the sight of the murdering assassin from Cipher, the one who had cut down Erika.
"Yes, I am often guilty of being me. Sorry about that." Amber joked evenly, though the two children saw a spark of curiosity flash to her eyes.
"I wasn't expecting to actually run into anyone while I was here. Guess I got careless. Oh well…looks like you know me from somewhere, though. I've got so many victims I can't even begin to start guessing, so let's skip the formalities. Yeah, they're dead. And soon you will be too." Amber remarked as she leveled her gun at Sun's head and fired the pistol.
"Ko ko kooo!"
An orange and yellow blur suddenly dropped down from above, blocking the bullet from reaching either one of the two children and crashing down onto the ground with authority. Sun and Lillie took a step back in surprise while Amber lowered her weapon, eyeing the newest arrival with interest. To Sun and Lillie, it was obvious who had just saved them from being shot.
"Tapu Koko…" Lillie whispered, standing upright and shuddering with fear as she clutched Sun's arm tightly enough for it to hurt. The legendary protector had its arms held out, creating a shield of sorts that protected them from further harm. Amber scowled and was about to say something when all of a sudden Sun's Z-Ring began glowing like a beacon, sending out a pulse of energy that enveloped the entire clearing.
"DON'T YOU DARE HURT THEM!" the voice spoke from the Z-Ring, its voice ethereal and sounding like it was amplified by a hundred, but the identity of the speaker was undeniable.
"What on earth are you?" Amber whispered, looking a bit awed at the sound of the strange voice now speaking to her.
"THESE TWO ARE SPECIAL…I WILL NOT ALLOW EITHER OF THEM TO BE HARMED SO LONG AS THEY ARE ON MY ISLAND." Tapu Koko continued, ignoring the woman as it released its shield-state and revealing its face to the assassin, eyes burning with righteous fury.
"So…I guess this is the Island Guardian I was briefed about. I wasn't told you could speak." Amber remarked, curiosity on her face.
"LEAVE THIS PLACE OR YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT." Tapu Koko demanded, its voice echoing out from the artifact that it had entrusted to Sun, and that it was now channeling its power through at the moment. The Pokémon shuddered then, an fierce aura of lightning crackling into existence around it, making the air shiver with the power radiating from the legendary protector. Sun then realized that the entire clearing was now glowing yellow and an odd surge of electricity was running through the air and ground around them.
"Alright then...Show me your power, Island Guardian!" Amber replied with a razor sharp smile, leveling her pistol at Tapu Koko and pulling the trigger.
