Pokémon Radiant Sun
So we got another new look at Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Looks bloody awesome. I'm quite hyped for the games now and am looking forward to seeing this latest installment next month.
On a related note, I've begun watching through more of the anime. Honestly? I like it. The characters are well-done for the most part and it's a lot less obnoxious about some things as it usually is. I'm looking forward to watching more and seeing our favorite characters more. Not Alolan Professor Oak though, because I'm too busy cringing at his…whatever the hell he does.
On an unrelated note, I finally started school this week. I've kind of been on standby for it for a while, but now I'm finally learning about my job, which I won't go into for obvious reasons. My time, as you can tell, was severely limited this week, but I still managed to get a solid update done on time and I know I can work out an effective schedule to continue updating as usual. But things will be harder for me from here on in, as the most important thing for me at this stage is to pass my tests and study so I can continue to better serve during my time in the Air Force.
Anyways, back to story stuff.
Hau kinda stole the spotlight last chapter, which I'll admit was really another mistake on my part, despite me thinking last chapter was done fairly well as a whole. It was a bit OOC for him to do what he did, and while he does explain himself here in this chapter and I think the reasoning sets up something down the road, I'll admit that I took a potential running joke too far. I'll work on making sure to not stray out of a character's limits and such in the future, and I appreciate those of you who offered feedback about it. Constructive criticism is my favorite kind, because it helps me improve as a writer and if it helps me write a better story, then it's absolutely welcomed.
Speaking of Hau, I think I've finally decided on a path for him as far as the story is concerned. I was uncertain who I even wanted to ship him with for sure, but I think I've finally decided on a path forward for him through all of the islands. You all may be surprised by the end result, but I'll say I was inspired by my recent foray into the anime and I'm even more excited for the next island. I'll still manage to keep you on your times, I imagine.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Consumer of Fantasy, Cottonmouth25, Gokan123, skyguys, Anasazi Darkmoon, BraviaryScout, DarkestShade73, and a new reviewer known as AKhaos. Thanks for the support and feedback folks.
Here's a fun fact about this chapter. While playing through my Pokémon Sun game to help write this chapter, it was the first time I ever battled Ilima during this point in the game. I didn't even know it was a thing to go back and battle the Captains on my first go-through the game.
I hope you all…
Enjoy.
Chapter 33: Battle Captain! Dueling with the Prince!
To Sun's surprise, the group ended up having a large dinner party that night at the lab to celebrate Sun's win against the Kahuna and to celebrate the group leaving to the next island. Laura handled most of the cooking, though Lillie and William both jumped in to assist the teacher with cooking. Meanwhile, the others watched the Pokémon playing and even battling outside.
Tapu Koko was sparring against Kukui's Snorlax and Magnezone and was dancing around them, blasting the duo with lightning and displaying incredible feats of skill and agility that bespoke centuries of experience.
The Guardian Deity glided through the air with a flip as it avoided a Hyper Beam from Snorlax, only to unleash a Brave Bird from above, diving into the massive Pokémon and knocking it to the ground and KO'ing it. Manezone fired a Flash Cannon at the Guardian Deity, who quickly moved its arms and blocked the powerful attack with its shield. Tapu Koko threw apart its arms and unleashed a massive torrent of electricity that slammed into Magnezone, making the Pokémon screech in pain before collapsing to the ground.
"Kokoooo!" Tapu Koko bellowed, throwing apart its arms in triumph.
"That thing is a beast." Sun stated, grinning at the Guardian Deity as Professor Kukui's Rockruff launched itself at Tapu Koko, only to be repelled away by a Thundershock.
"That it is. This is fascinating…" Colress's fingers danced across his data-pad as he observed the battling legendary. Brago and Winter unleashed attacks of fire and ice at the deity, who seemed to dance out of the way with a cry. Penny and Oliver darted towards Tapu Koko, only for an Electro Ball to separate the two and a Discharge to knock both of them out of the sky completely. Tapu Koko then screeched as an Ice Beam slammed into it, freezing the legendary solid.
"Oh my…I actually hit it!" Dusk the Absol stated in absolute shock as everyone stared at the frozen Pokémon. Tapu Koko's eyes narrowed in its icy prison, but it remained still.
"Fantastic work, Dusk." Colress praised his Absol as he walked onto the grass, smiling at his Pokémon. The Absol pawed the grass shyly, though let out a sigh as her Trainer patted her on the head before examining Tapu Koko. The legendary let out a muffled screech before the icy exploded outwards, making Colress gasp and stumble back in surprise. Dusk leapt in front of her Trainer, prepared to protect him as Tapu Koko flipped through the air and landed in a crouch, fury in it's eyes. Colress' smile widened as he stowed his data-pad away, crossing his arms.
"TAPUUUUU!" the Guardian Deity cried out, throwing its arms out-
Before completely relaxing, giving a shrug as it floated into the air. The Pokémon vanished in a burst of sheer speed, appearing behind Colress and pressing a claw against the man's throat.
"I see…" Colress breathed, his eyes gleaming with excitement despite being at the legendary Pokémon's mercy. Dusk remained still, unwilling to risk her Trainer getting hurt because she made the wrong move.
And then Tapu Koko removed his claw and bounced away, floating towards Sun and the others. Tapu Koko regarded the group of Trainers, focusing on Hau, Lillie and Sun.
"Ko…"
"Hey there, Tapu Koko. Did you have fun playing out here?" Sun asked the legendary with a wide smile, greeting it like an old friend. Tapu Koko regarded the question for a moment before slowly reaching towards Sun. The boy was surprised when the legendary grabbed his hat from his head and put it on itself.
"Huh. Didn't know Tapu Koko had a sense of style." Laura joked as the Tapu let out a strange noise chirping that may have been laughter. After a few moments the deity took the hat off and instead of putting back on Sun's head, put it on Lillie's instead, confusing the girl. Tapu Koko bounced away from the group and exploded with energy, lightning coursing through its body before it leapt into the air. The Pokémon gained altitude quickly before blasting off into the sky, like a shooting star.
"The Guardian Deities of Alola certainly are something, huh?" Laura remarked lightly, grinning as Lillie poked the hat on her head. The young girl turned around to face everyone, smiling faintly.
"How do you all like my new look?" Lillie remarked with a slight twirl, making everyone laugh in response. She did hand the hat back over to Sun, attempting to smooth out her hair as well. Colress joined the group beaming with excitement, with Dusk trailing behind him.
"So interesting…I can't wait to sit down and go through everything we've learned today." Colress murmured as he brushed past them, making Kukui laugh.
"He's officially gone for the night. I think this is a good place to wrap up things here as well, since I'll probably be helping him out before getting packed myself. Once we head out in the morning, it'll be a while before we return to the lab." Kukui said to the others.
"Who's going to watch over the lab while we're away, Professor?" Lillie asked Kukui.
"I am." William said, raising a hand. "I've done it several times before and it helps me gain a better understanding of running a lab myself. I hope to become a Regional Professor one day, so…yeah."
"William has been a great help. Considering Professor Kukui's proactive research and my own important work assisting with Burnet's study of the Ultra…" Colress cut himself off and said, "Anyways, someone has to stay behind to look after the place, and thankfully William is not only qualified but this will help him with his own goals."
"Exactly. It's all works out." Kukui remarked with a grin. The group departed not long after that, with Sun and Hau bidding Lillie and the others goodnight. The trio walked up the path with the moon illuminating their path ahead of them. Laura's Meowth trailed behind them, but the rest of their Pokémon were resting within their Poké Balls after playing with Tapu Koko.
Laura chattered a bit with Hau about her work at the school and how she was helping young children learn about Pokémon. Sun listened for a while, but eventually Sun couldn't resist asking Hau what on earth he was thinking when he looked up Lillie's skirt.
"I'll admit some confusion to it as well, Hau. That didn't seem like you." Laura said to the other boy, who scratched his head nervously.
"Yeah, it definitely wasn't my best idea."
"No, it wasn't, you smiley pervert." Sun grumbled, earning a serious look from Hau.
"Dude, I wasn't doing it to be a pervert. I did it because I wanted to find out something I've been wondering ever since I met Lillie." Hau explained, his expression completely serious, though his small smile remained.
"And what would that be?" Laura asked, curious as well.
"Well…Imagine meeting a really weird, but pretty, girl wearing a fancy white ball-gown. In Alola. Easily one of the hottest regions in the world. It's freaking weird, you know? And then you find out this girl is super sweet and awesome and a great friend. And then the more I spent time with Lillie, the more I realize that the girl only wears white, and every outfit she has is a dress of some kind. She's a wonderful person, but she's so…odd!" Hau explained, a strange sense of frustration emitting from the boy that confused Sun. He seemed agitated, which surprised the boy as well, as Hau didn't show outward displeasure very often.
"What does have to do with what happened back there?" Sun asked.
"Well…I've already explained my own attraction to her. Plus she's one of the closest friends I have, next to you, Sun. But I've always wondered something about her and today curiosity finally got the better of me."
"Curiosity?"
"Yeah. I wanted to know if everything Lillie wore was white. Like…everything, everything." Hau explained, putting emphasis on the word. Sun's mind wondered what Hau had learned, but then realized what he was thinking of asking and shook his head to clear the unwanted thoughts from distracting him.
"Even after all this time, there's so much I don't know about her, and there's so many odd quirks to her I want to learn about. She's become an important part of my life, and yet she's so tight-lipped about her secrets though…so tonight I kinda just lost my self-control and decided to find out one of my questions for myself." Hau explained with a careless hand gesture. "I know it's not a good reason, and I know what I did was wrong, but it's the truth. In the moment I figured I'd learn what I wanted to and get away with it, but that didn't happen and I got reminded that you've got to always respect people's personal space and stuff. Tutu talked to me about it a while back and I…guess I didn't think hard enough on what he said. Getting kicked in the balls was a life-lesson that I won't forget soon."
"I hope not. Next time it'll be me." Sun said to Hau.
Hau did a fist-pump gesture, his smile widening. "I'll hold you to that, Sun. Besides, I plan on making it up to Lillie. I don't think she's mad at me, we've been through too much for one mistake to ruin our awesome bond after all, but I still want to do something to help put this behind us!"
"I'm sure she'd appreciate it." Sun admitted, knowing that Lillie wouldn't hold a grudge against Hau for earlier. She was too good of a friend to hold grudges.
"You are…surprisingly thoughtful sometimes, Hau." Laura remarked after a few moments, surprised at how insightful the young boy was. She then remembered that he had been raised by the wise and renowned Kahuna of Melemele Island, so maybe some of the wisdom he had been bought up with came through at odd times?
Sun also stared at the boy for a few moments, processing what he had heard, before turning away. After hearing Hau out, he could admit that he did see where his friend was coming from. He too wondered about Lillie and her past, and wondered why the girl was so reserved. Why did Lillie have such an inferiority complex? Why did she have Nebby in the first place? What was with the elegant white dresses she wore all the time? Sun didn't blame Hau for letting curiosity overwhelm his good judgement, though he would never have done what he did…Sun did however flush at the thought of what Hau may have seen under her-
"No. I do not need to be thinking about that. Lillie's my friend. And I respect her way to much to be thinking about her that way." Sun thought to himself, trying to wrestle his thoughts about from Lillie. He didn't have much success, however, and cursed himself for allowing his mind to wander like this.
Hau was given a lift home on Jace while Laura and Sun entered their home. Sun crashed on his bed with glee, releasing his three Pokémon with a sigh. Oliver fluttered to his side and made a questioning chirp.
"It'll be alright…ugh, growing up sucks." Sun muttered as he shut his eyes. Oliver hooted before snuggling against Sun's side, making the boy feel a rush of affection for his starter.
He was deep in thought, however, as Hau's words earlier got him wondering about a few things. The night he and his mother had spoken about his father, they had gotten onto the topic of Lillie and that led into…THE TALK. Sun's mother had explained the "Pidgeotto and the Beedril" to him, since his father wasn't there and the job fell to her. Needless to say the conversation was awkward and yet enlightening for many reasons. It explained a lot of things Sun had been wondering about for some time and thanks to his mother being a teacher, it was all told to him in a way that he understood.
"The next few years will be a time of growth for you, mentally and physically. Your body will experiencing all kinds of changes and you'll definitely struggle with them. You'll even notice your way of thinking change too, dear. Especially when it comes to girls your age. The best thing you can do is be aware of how you're changing and not let things get the best of you. Just keep smiling dear, and take things as they come, and you'll be just fine." Laura had explained to her child cheerily.
Sun smiled slightly as Penny nestled next to him and Brago leapt onto his bed and curled up at his feet. The Kanto-native allowed sleep to envelop him, even as he wondered what all would happen to him as he continued to grow from a child into a young adult.
The group arrived at the Marina early the next morning, and they were greeted by the sight of an incredibly derelict boat coated with graffiti.
"That looks about as stable as a gingerbread space-station." Rotom remarked, eyeing the vessel with distaste.
"I don't think boats are supposed to have this much duct-tape on them." Hau said as he looked at the boat, examining it skeptically.
"Nonsense! It builds character!" Kukui declared, smiling without a care in the world.
"I think it also builds citations." Sun pointed out, gesturing to a pink slip attached to a window on the boat. Kukui waved a hand dismissively at the note, snatching it away and stuffing it into a pocket.
"Professor, I hate to say it, but we may need some help with this." Lillie said to Kukui, who continued beaming with her.
"Says you. And you know what, I'll even do it without you kids helping me out!" Kukui suddenly declared, surprising all of them.
"Professor Kukui NOT exploiting child labor? DOES NOT COMPUTE." Rotom intoned, spinning around in circles in midair before collapsing dramatically into Sun's backpack.
"Sarcastic little shit." Kukui muttered darkly, crossing his arms as his smile twitched slightly. This also earned him a look from Lillie.
"You didn't hear that." Kukui said with a nervous laugh as the girl crossed her arms.
"Of course not Professor. Of course not." Lillie popped open her phone and showed Kukui a contact that she had pulled up. Sun smirked when he saw that Lillie had the number of a certain Laura Smiles ready and able to be called at a moment's notice.
"I…see your point." Kukui said as beads of nervous sweat began dripping down his head. Just then the group heard a yell of fury.
"Well screw you too! Bye bye, douchebags!"
"My angry girl senses are tingling." Rotom said as he floated out of Sun's backpack. The boy looked to their left and beheld the sight of a young girl with dark skin and black hair wearing a bright yellow dress making rude gestures to a ship leaving the docks. The girl sighed angrily and then sat down on the ground, looking downcast. After a moment Sun recognized the girl as Demi, the friendly girl he and Hau had met near the Verdant Cave a while back.
"Hey Demi!" Sun waved to the girl, who looked up in surprise and looked over at him. Her eyes widened in surprise and a grin split her face as she hopped to her feet and jogged towards them. Lillie hung back as Sun and Hau greeted the girl, mainly because Professor Kukui tapped her on the shoulder.
"This is uh…gonna take more than my skills,to tell the truth. Grab some rooms at the Pokémon Center, just use my name. It's gonna be a week before this thing is operational…gonna hope for the one day thing though…" Kukui muttered to Lillie.
"Of course Professor." Lillie replied quietly, with Kukui giving Lillie and smile before hurrying off down the docks.
"So what's up? Haven't seen you boys in a while. And you've brought a new person along! Hi, I'm Demi!" the cheerful girl bounded forward, beaming at Lillie who smiled shyly.
"I'm Lillie. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lillie said politely. Demi chuckled and curtsied to Lillie, who blinked in surprise for a moment.
"I feel like I'm meeting a fairytale princess!" Demi gushed as Lillie continued to be thrown off by someone more energetic and cheerful than Hau. It was almost overwhelming to her.
"Demi, can you take it down a notch or twelve?" Sun asked the girl, who looked back and forth between him and Lillie.
"Oh crap, sorry! I get like this around new friends." Demi apologized, grinning sheepishly at Lillie. The girl in white recovered after a few seconds, smiling back at her now.
"Any friend of Sun and Hau's is a friend of mine." Lillie stated, making Demi laugh in response. The two girls began chatting about themselves, but Sun interjected with a question.
"Why were you yelling at that boat, Demi?" Sun asked the girl. Demi scowled and crossed her arms, apparently quite annoyed still.
"The stuck up jerks running that ferry to the next island wouldn't let me on because I was too young or some crap. I'm thirteen for crying out loud." Demi huffed, gritting her teeth. "Add that onto the not-fun conversation I had with my parents earlier today, and it's just…a bad time."
"You know, if you need to get to the next island, I'm sure the Professor would be happy to let a friend of ours tag along with us." Hau offered Demi, who grinned at the boy.
"I'd be really grateful, and it'd help me out a lot. You're sure it's no trouble?" Demi asked the trio.
"Not at all! I'm more than happy to help out. We all need a Helping Hand sometimes in battle, right?" Sun saw Professor Kukui walking towards them, looking annoyed but still smiling.
"Feel free to join our merry little crew to the next island. But…uh, I've got some bad news. It'll be a week to get this boat seaworthy according to my friends here at the docks. You kids do your thing and be back at the Pokémon Center by nightfall. I'll be sorting this out…somehow." Kukui said to the kids as he hopped onto the boat, sighing and muttering curses under his breath that the children pretended not to hear.
"Must have been quite the bill to get this boat fixed." Demi stated, grinning at the Professor's misfortune.
"Well…You all can stay here if you want. I'm going to go a magical adventure with Tauros." Sun said as he pulled out his ride pager, pressing the button on it that would summon Tauros to his location.
"How long are you going to be gone?" Lillie asked, not surprised Sun had suddenly decided on this course of action. She was surprised he hadn't charged around the island on the bull already by now. This was as good a time as any to get this out of his system. He had also explained other motives earlier about wanting to explore the island on his own.
"No idea. I figure I can get around the island pretty quickly on the back of a Tauros, though. Maybe a week?" Sun shrugged, but he added, "I may as well. There's a lot of the island I didn't get to explore and with Tauros I can take my time and still get back here on time."
"On time? Kukui won't have this done in a week." Demi stated with an amused grin.
"Challenge accepted!"
"Fair enough." Sun replied, smirking at the girl. With that, the group of children saw a massive bull stampede towards them. Sun ducked into a nearby shop to change into his Ride Gear. He stepped out of the shop, feeling ridiculous but feeling prepared to ride Tauros. Demi looked the Kanto boy up and down, grinning.
"Sun, you pull off that look quite well." Demi said with an approving gleam in her eyes, making Sun blush at the compliment. Lillie's eyes narrowed in response, but she said nothing. Sun got atop the massive beast and grinned down at them.
"See you all in a week. Hau, don't stay up too late. Lillie, eat your veggies. Demi, don't play in traffic. Professor, don't forget to change your underwear every day." Sun said to each of them.
"You're not my real mom! I don't have to listen to you!" came Kukui's reply from inside his boat.
"And like that, I'm gone." Sun gave his friends a salute from atop the bull before commanding Tauros forward. With a roar the bull bolted down the road while Sun wore a fierce grin on his face. Soon enough the boy was out of sight.
"Well…Now what?" Demi asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Dinner and shopping?" Lillie suggested.
"Lillie, I have a feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Demi grinned and held out a fist to the other girl, who tapped it a moment later with a giggle.
"What? That's boring!" Hay pouted, but Demi slung an arm around the boy, surprising him.
"Hau, don't be like that! After all, you get to hang out with two beautiful ladies like us for a week. How's that not a win?" Demi asked, narrowing her eyes as Lillie's own widened at the display. The other girl was quite…forward, wasn't she?
"Well, when you put it that way, I'm thinking we should get dinner. I'm thinking that cool sandwich shop down the road. I think they make grilled-cheese there, Lillie." Hau said, shifting his attention to the blonde-haired girl.
"That sounds wonderful, Hau!" Lillie grinned as Demi looped one of her arms in one of Hau's, a playful grin on her face. With a nod from the other girl, Lillie did the same with Hau's other arm, making the boy giggle with mirth. The trio then set off down the road, eager to have a good time while their other friend ventured off around the island on the back of a wild bull.
Sun arrived at the Pokémon Center a week later in good spirits, having gotten to speed all across Melemele Island on the back of a Tauros and see many new areas he hadn't gotten to explore while travelling with Hau, Lillie, and Hugh. It was a nice little side adventure that helped him get back into the travelling mindset, and it made him even more eager to travel to Akala Island and resume his Island Trial.
Thanks to his new friend Tauros, Sun was able to access several new spots and found quite a few helpful items that were hidden behind massive rocks. He was also able to explore a small hidden cave within Melemele Meadow that he hadn't had the chance to explore the first time he was there because he was distracted by-, ahem, I mean...helping Lillie.
These items included a shiny gold Nugget, two Star Pieces, some Stardust, an Expert Belt, something that Rotom called a Never-Melt Ice, and two TMs. One was TM 46 Thief, and the other was TM 83 Infestation.
Over the course of that week, Sun made efforts to try and reunite Brago with his family so that he could give them a proper goodbye. Eventually they came across a pack of Growlithe and Arcanine prowling an area close to the Verdant Cavern. Sun let the Growlithe return to his pack for a few hours while he watched the clouds with Oliver, Penny, and Tauros. When Brago returned he seemed much happier than when he had left and when asked what had happened, the dog barked and licked Sun on the cheek.
As for Penny, however, Sun and his Trumbeak couldn't find her family no matter where he looked. Penny, however, didn't seem to mind this and whenever Sun tried to apologize to Penny the bird would always chirp at her Trainer before nuzzling him, showing him that she held no ill will towards him.
Sun did take the time to teach Penny Brick Break, overwriting Rock Smash because he knew the other move was better and there was no point in wasting a precious move spot on two Fighting-type moves. He also taught Brago Thief, on the off-chance that he needed the move in the future. It was also just fun getting the dog back into the swing of things, especially on the day Sun rode back into town and Brago was cleared by the hospital for battle after one last healing from the Pokémon Center.
When Sun had arrived at the Pokémon Center, he wasn't surprised to find Vivian sitting in the middle of the Pokémon Center lobby holding an impromptu concert for about thirty other people. Sun stood there, listening as he shut his eyes and allowed himself to be swept away by the beautiful yet somber melody the strange woman elicited from the instrument she masterfully played. Several people were dropping money into a large jar that the violinist from Unova had lying beside her on the floor.
Lillie, Demi, and Hau were watching the strange woman from the back of the café, each of them closing their eyes and looking quite at peace. Sun handed his Pokémon to Nurse Joy for healing and went to sit with his friends.
"Heya folks." Sun said as he plopped down into a chair, surprising his friends.
"Oh hey, Sun. How was your trip?" Hau asked as he sat back in his chair.
"Not too bad. Found some cool items and found a lot of cool side areas." Sun explained some of his adventures and what he had been trying to do with Penny and Brago to his friends. After he did that, he got his Pokémon from Nurse Joy and saw Vivian get up from the floor and bow to her audience, smiling widely. She scooped up the full jar of money and walked over to Nurse Joy, handing the woman the jar.
Nurse Joy seemed taken aback by the money, which Sun realized was a donation from the musician, but Vivian shook her head when Nurse Joy tried to give the money back to her. Vivian spun on her heel and strutted out of the building with her gait confident.
"I may not like her, but that was pretty cool of her. Nurse Joy really does deserve that money." Hau said as Nurse Joy shook her head from behind the counter, a small smile on the woman's face. Sun could tell she appreciated the gesture and that it probably wasn't often people returned the favor to the woman who had helped out hundreds of trainers over her career and went above and beyond her job every single day.
"I just can't believe her confidence. I couldn't ever play my flute in front of so many people," Lillie said quietly.
"It's all about having faith in yourself, Lillie. I could teach you some tips, if you want!" Demi offered, but Lillie politely declined.
"Still…Maybe we could have a beach day tomorrow while Kukui wraps up his repairs. It'd be fun!" Demi said to the three other children, who looked thoughtful.
"Yeah, sounds fun!" Sun laughed, grinning in excitement.
"Beach day? I'M IN! WOOO!" Hau cheered, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"Um…I can't." Lillie said quietly, blushing slightly.
"What!? Why?" Demi demanded, surprised by this.
"I…don't have a swimsuit." Lillie mumbled, embarrassed at the admission.
"You don't have a swimsuit?" Demi asked, sounding baffled. They were in Alola, the tropical islands of water and sunshine and fun. How did ANYONE not have proper swimming attire at all times!?
"N-no. I don't…um, I don't go to the beach very often. And I don't particularly like wearing things like that…" Lillie said quietly, sounding flustered and looking anywhere but Sun's direction.
"Oh hell no. We're going to have an awesome day at the beach tomorrow and you're going to have an awesome swimsuit that'll blow all of the boy's minds." Demi declared, pumping her fist into the air. She then paused and a said, "Or girls. I don't know which way you swing, but either way, we're getting you an awesome swimsuit, girl!"
"If it'll get you to stop screaming in this Pokémon Center, I'll happily go with you." Lillie gave in, making Demi squeal in delight, grabbing the girl by the arm and dragging her out of the Pokémon Center without further ado.
"So…I'm gonna go train." Hau said, getting up.
"Huh? Why?" Sun asked.
"Because I lost to my grandfather in front of people I've known my entire life." Hau deadpanned, making Sun wince in response. Hau suddenly broke out into a grin and flicked Sun on the head.
"Heh, you're too easy, Sunshine. I do want to go get some training in while I'm still here. I need to work out new strategies and stuff that Demi helped me with earlier. She's a trip, but she's really good!" Hau stated, his gaze drifting into nothing for a moment before he snapped back to reality.
"Anyways, you have a good night man. I'll be back later!" Hau bid his friend farewell, leaving Sun to his own devices. Sun sighed and left the Pokémon Center himself, determined not to just hide in his room and read while the day was still so young. However, after two hours had passed, he realized he was bored and lonely.
"Well…Now what?" Sun said to himself, crossing his arms. He was deep within the city at that point and didn't feel like returning just then. He needed something to do...
"Yo, yo yo!" Sun face-palmed at the sight of two familiar young men in black outfits with blue hair making their way towards him. Sun recognized the two of them at a distance, and saw they were the two Team Skull goons who had attempted to crash his Normal Trial. Axen and Kevin.
Sun didn't particularly feel like dealing with Team Skull at the moment, so he decided to just duck inside the nearest house, a massive mansion, and apologize to the owners later. As Sun closed the door behind him, the two members of Team Skull crossed their arms in unison.
"Why's the little dude have to be like that? We just wanted to say hey." Axen huffed, scratching his head.
"Kids these days. No consideration for their elders." Kevin replied, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.
"Guess we should meet up with Gladion. He's by the docks, right?" Axen asked Kevin, receiving a nod in reply. With that, the two members of Team Skull jogged away, leaving behind Sun, who was watching them from the window of the house.
"You do know that what you did is considered breaking and entering, right?" Sun turned around and saw a cheerful man with white hair regarding him with a small smile.
"Sorry sir. Team Skull showed up and-"
"Ah, say no more. Those kids are nothing but trouble, and you were looking to avoid it. Are they gone now?" the man asked, to which Sun replied with a nod.
"Yeah. It's crazy how those guys just show up out of nowhere. I kinda feel bad for Captain Ilima. He has to deal with their nonsense a lot more than I do." Sun said with a frown, but his statement got a grin out of the man.
"You must be one of Ilima's friends, then." The man stated, to which Sun nodded an affirmative. "Well then, welcome and hello there! Feel free to make yourself at home, young man. Any friend to my son is a friend of mine!" the man said happily, extending a hand to Sun, which the young boy shook.
"Nice to meet you sir." Sun said politely, amazed that he had stumbled upon the Captain's home by mistake. It was a very large and comfy place, with a Machamp sitting on the floor nearby watching him intently. Sun raised a hand in greeting to the Superpower Pokémon, who raised a single hand in response.
"Polite too. I wonder if you're that prodigy child that my son spoke so highly of the other day. Sun, right?" Ilima's father guessed.
"Yes sir."
"Fantastic. One thing though, first…" Ilima's father walked over to the stairs, followed by Sun.
"I'd like to hear what you think of my boy. Is he doing a good job as a Captain?" the man asked Sun, who considered the question for a few moments before nodding.
"He's a good captain. He treats other Pokémon Trainers with respect and he cares about the people of the island." Sun replied, receiving a nod from the man, though he laughed sheepishly.
"Sorry. I probably shouldn't have asked you something like that out of the blue…You see, our Ilima has just always been obsessed with Pokémon battling, ever since he was a boy. He's like a different person when he battles – you can see it in his eyes!" Ilima's father said with a smile smile, recalling memories of his child battling years ago. Sun couldn't help a smile at the pride and love in the man's voice.
"To tell the truth…I've always been a little worried about whether or not he would do all right as a Captain. He's still a relatively young and well…Ah, but my worries aren't your worries. Sorry to hold you up. If you're looking for Ilima, he's in his room. Feel free to head on upstairs." Ilima's father walked away then, leaving Sun to his thoughts. With a shrug the boy ascended the stairway and made his way to a room at the end of a hallway.
Sun knocked twice before hearing a familiar voice call, "Come in!"
Sun opened the door and entered the Captain's room, and was immediately surprised by how large and packed it was. Bookcases stood in the middle of the room while toys, trophies, computers and the like decorated the young man's room. The Captain himself was looking at the wall, deep in thought before he turned around and gave Sun a wide smile.
"Thank you for coming, Sun." Ilima said cordially, as always. "And you arrived with such exquisite timing!"
"Thank Team Skull for that." Sun replied, making the Captain's smile falter somewhat.
"They didn't bother you too much, did they?" Ilima asked.
"About as much as usual. I cut them off by hiding in your house. Thankfully your dad was cool about it and told me to head upstairs to say hi." Sun explained, making Ilima's smile return.
"Good. That lot is a nuisance but sadly too numerous for me to deal with on my own. And Kahuna Hala is too busy with his duties to sort the issue out himself, so…" Ilima shrugged and said, "Anyways, I've been conducting research on battle planning for quite some time, and at last my simulation is complete."
"Sounds neat."
"Indeed it is! Would you be so kind as to test it with me, Sun?" Ilima asked the young boy from Kanto. Sun grinned at the Captain.
"Sure," Sun replied with a grin, making Ilima nod twice before smiling widely.
"You have my gratitude. Very well then. To the Trainer's School!" Ilima declared, catching Sun by surprise as he initiated a scene transition before his very eyes.
Trainer's School
"Before we begin, allow me to explain…"
"I didn't know people other than the author could do that. I wonder what other powers Captain Ilima possesses." Rotom wondered aloud, receiving a glare from Sun for interrupting Ilima. The young Captain continued though.
"It's not battle results that interest me. Rather, it's the carefully thought-out strategies. Or novel tactics employed by Trainers. How those plans infect one's opponent and influence the outcome of battles – that is where my interest lies!" Ilima stated, opening his eyes as a bright gleam entered them. Sun grinned in anticipation, knowing the following battle would be much more heated than the last one the two had down at the docks before.
"Now give me everything you've got, Sun!" Ilima commanded, a confident smile on his face as he drew an Ultra Ball from his belt.
"You bet." Sun replied, drawing a Poké Ball from his own belt.
"Go, Gumshoos!" Ilima called forth the large mongoose-like Pokémon, which was smaller than the Totem Pokémon he had battled a few weeks back but was still fairly large and seemed quite powerful.
"Brago, this is your first battle. Do your best!" Sun called forth the Growlithe, who let out a loud bark at being released before quickly falling into a crouch, wasting no time. Sun smiled at that. His newest Pokémon was one that took battles seriously, and Sun couldn't wait to train with him later. However he then noticed that the much larger Gumshoos had taken a step back from the Growlithe and looked visibly unnerved by it as Brago glared it down, which confused Sun for a moment. Luckily Rotom was there to assist, as always.
"Zzzt! That's Brago's special ability! Intimidate! He can lower the attack power of an opponent just by facing them in battle!" Rotom explained to the young Trainer. Sun looked down at the dog in front of him, his thoughts racing at the idea of using his ability in battle. It was definitely useful if what Rotom said was the case. However…he knew that the Growlithe he had just caught was still pretty fresh with no real training. Sun wanted to give him some battling experience, but not let him get knocked out either.
"Brago, use Ember!" Sun commanded, throwing out a hand as the Growlithe nodded quickly, opening his maw and releasing a small burst of fire at the unmoving Gumshoos. Ilima flinched as the flames crashed into his Pokémon, despite the fire not doing much damage to him.
"Alright…Gumshoos, let's cut his Growlithe down to size!" Ilima brandished the Z-Ring on his wrist and struck a series of poses, filling Sun with horror as a familiar burst of energy rushed out from the Captain and surrounded his Pokémon.
"Gumshoos! Channel Leer…and use Z-Leer!" Ilima commanded, his voice shaking with excitement at the battle just barely underway. Sun couldn't help a wince as the Gumshoos narrowed its eyes at Brago, a horrifying gleam coming to them that made Sun shiver in fear. Brago seemed surprised by the force of the glare sent his way, but after a moment the Growlithe scoffed and shook his head, making the Gumshoos roar in fury.
"You may have lowered his defenses, but it's not going to rattle him." Sun explained as he drew out his Growlithe's Poké Ball.
"Brago. Return." Sun called back the dog Pokémon with a smile and clipped the ball to his belt before drawing out another Poké Ball. Ilima laughed in delight, claping his hands.
"And just like that you've neutralized the effects of my Z-Leer. Well played!" Ilima praised Sun, making the boy laugh as well. This was a lot different than the battle he had gone through with the Kahuna. This was just a fun little showdown. Nothing at stake except spending time with a friend and Pokémon.
"Penny, let's go!" Sun called forth the Trumbeak, who let out a joyful cry upon release.
"Heh. Figured you'd go for her. Gumshoos, take her out! Use Tackle!" Ilima commanded as Penny landed on the ground. Gumshoos growled and bounded towards the Trumbeak, who seemed content to stand there.
"Penny, dodge it with a flap of your wings!" Sun ordered the Trumbeak. Penny's eyes gleamed as the Gumshoos reached her, but the Trumbeak flapped her wings hard as the massive Pokémon leapt into the air, just dodging the Gumshoos and putting her in a perfect attacking position.
"Use Brick Break!" Sun called to Penny, who let out a cry as her beak glowed bright white and slammed down on the back of the Gumshoos, causing the Pokémon to roar in pain.
"Now my friend, while she's close, use Tackle!" Ilima called to his Pokémon. Gumshoos kicked off of the ground and rocketed towards Penny, slamming into the surprised Trumbeak hard. Penny tumbled through the air, chirping with a wince.
"Use Supersonic!" Sun called out as the Gumshoos landed back on the ground. Penny nodded and released a sound-wave from her beak that reached Gumshoos a few moments later, making the Pokémon sway on its feet.
"Fight through it, Gumshoos! Use Tackle once more!" Ilima called out to his Pokémon. To Sun's dismay the Stakeout Pokémon seemed to gain some awareness in itself and looked straight at Penny, charging into her again as she landed on the ground. Penny crashed into the dirt with a cry, making Sun wince.
"Come on, Penny! Don't give up now! Hit it with another Brick Break!" Sun called to his bird as she rose and took flight again. Penny nodded and shot towards Gumshoos again, slamming into the Gumshoos and sending it skidding across the field back towards Ilima.
"That's how you do it, Penny!" Sun cheered for his Trumbeak, who let out a tired chirp as the Gumshoos slowly rose to its feet.
"If I may?" Ilima drew a yellow bottle out from his pocket and walked forward, spraying his Pokémon with what Sun recognized as a Full Heal. Sun sighed, realizing that his strategy had just been shot. But then again…maybe taking out the Gumshoos didn't require much more strategy than just getting one more good hit in…
"Now, Gumshoos! Use Tackle and wrap this up!" Ilima commanded, his smile wide as he punched out with his fist. Gumshoos crouched low on the ground and growled before bounding towards Penny, who seemed to prepare herself for the attack. As Gumshoos launched itself into the air, Sun called out to Penny.
"Dodge the attack and hit it with Brick Break with everything you've got!" Sun yelled to his bird as the massive mongoose rushed towards her. Penny darted through the air and veered off to the right just as the Gumshoos reached her, bringing down her glowing beak onto the other Pokémon's back. Gumshoos howled as it fell towards the ground and crashed into a big heap, though the swirls in its eyes told both Trainers that it was done battling.
"Ah. That's a shame." Ilima chuckled as he recalled his Gumshoos. "Thank you, my friend. Now-"
Suddenly Rotom swooped in front of Sun, pointing at Penny with a wide smile on its face. "Hey Sun, guess who just learned a new move?"
"Let me guess. Penny?"
"Man, you're good at this game! But yeah, she learned Pluck! Isn't that great?" Rotom cheered as Penny soared back over to him. Sun grinned and patted the bird on the head, receiving a happy but tired chirp in response.
"Good job. You were awesome out there." Sun said quietly, making Penny chirp as she shut her eyes.
"And it looks like Brago just learned Odor Sleuth. Good call using him for a little bit and then switching him out with Penny. That's a great way for weaker Pokémon to gain experience!" Rotom said before blinking and yelling out, "Oh no, I forgot the music!"
Rotom then began playing a fairly upbeat battle music that Sun had heard him play a few times before. Both Trainers looked at each other and shrugged before Ilima grabbed another Ultra Ball from his belt and released the Pokémon within.
"Smeargle, let's go!" Ilima called out his signature Pokémon. The Painter Pokémon landed on the ground with a determined grunt, even as his Trainer clenched his fists and doubled over, unable to contain his excitement.
"Brago, come back out!" Sun called forth the Growlithe again, and just like with the Gumshoos, Brago growled and narrowed its eyes, making the Smeargle flinch and take a step back as Brago's Intimidate ability hit it.
"Alright, Smeargle-"
"Brago, return." Sun called the Growlithe back, to Ilima's surprise.
"I'm trying to get him some experience battling, but I also don't want him knocked out. I know that Smeargle of yours has some tricks up its sleeve." Sun said to the Captain, grinning at him. Ilima and Smeargle exchanged a look before the both of them broke into laughter.
"Very well, Sun. But which Pokémon will you choose?" Ilima asked as Sun clipped Brago's ball to his belt and drew out another.
"Oliver, let's give them a battle to remember!" Sun called forth his starter, who erupted from his Poké Ball with a cry as he swooped down to the ground. Smeargle glared down the Dartrix, remembering how the owl had defeated it as a Rowlet just a short time ago.
"Let's hit that bird with Water Gun!" Ilima called out, surprising Sun. And Oliver too, as the bird took the attack head-on. Despite it doing very little damage, Oliver let out a screech of fury as it tried to shake the water off and fix its now misaligned feathers.
"Oliver, focus on Smeargle!" Sun called to the owl, who looked at him for a moment before giving the Smeargle a glare of fury. The Painter Pokémon shrank back, terrified.
"Huh…I didn't know a Dartrix could use the Intimidate ability as well. Or is Sun's Dartrix just...terrifying beyond belief?" Ilima mused softly as Smeargle nodded in agreement.
"Let's show them our strength! Smeargle, use Ember!" Ilima cried out. Smeargle nodded and sprinted forward, clutching its tail as the Pokémon swung it around and unleashed a small blast of fire at Oliver, who was quickly flying towards it.
"Tank the hit and use Razor Leaf when you're close!" Sun called to Oliver. The Dartrix tucked in its wings and took the attack head-on, wincing in pain as the flames scorched its body. However, soon the Dartrix broke free of the flames and reached the surprised Smeargle, who was defenseless against him as he swung both wings downwards and released a torrent of spinning leaves that sliced through the Smeargle with ease. The Painter Pokémon staggered backwards with a cry before collapsing to the ground senseless.
"Wha…You…" Ilima stammered, looking up at Oliver and down at his now-unconscious Smeargle several times in quick succession.
"Yeah, Oliver's kind of awesome." Sun said as the Dartrix soared over to him, landing on the ground. Oliver gave Sun a thumbs up with his feathers, seeming very amused as he began to preen himself.
"He…knocked out my Smeargle…with just one attack?" Ilima stammered, looking dumbfounded still as he tried to process what had just happened. After a moment Ilima blinked and shook his head, a wide smile coming to the Captain as he returned his Pokémon.
"Yes! It seems that you are once more victorious!" Ilima declared, reaching into his pocket and paying Sun for his victory.
"Looks like it. Man, did you make me work for this win though. You were way tougher to take down this time." Sun said to the Captain, extending a hand to the young man. Ilima beamed and shook Sun's hand, showing each other the respect that the other had earned through battle.
"Wonderful! What a truly wonderful battle!" Ilima crowed, still grinning with joy. "I'll be feeling the aftershocks from that battle for a long time to come. That was the best I could've hoped for!"
For whatever, reason, something clicked in Sun's mind as he regarded the Captain and his joy for battling. He wondered what it was, but then disregarded it just as quickly as it had appeared.
"Thank you, my friend. Please, allow me to treat you to some tea and snacks back in my room." Ilima offered to the other Trainer, who was all too happy to accept the Captain's offer. Sun and Ilima set off down the road, chatting about battling and even where their adventures would take them next. Sun couldn't help but be amazed at all of the wonderful friends he had made so far on his journey, and wondered how many other people would step into his life and become his friend as well as he continued to travel and grow in Alola.
"Boss, this is Bone Unit 71. Mission accomplished on Melemele Island. Grabbed some fool's Pokémon, got some other useful stuff and a few shards of Buginium-Z, and are preparing to bail." Axen said, pressing his phone against his ear as Kevin and Gladion listened intently.
"Good. Get to Akala and start trying to get the down-low on how to mess with those Captains. And there's that Battle Royal Avenue place that needs looking into. Yeah...You boys get on that. You too, Gladion." Came the harsh voice from the other side of the phone, cruel amusement evident in the man's tone.
Gladion opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it. Nothing good came of talking back to the feared and renowned leader of Team Skull. Even he was wary of the man because he knew that if he slipped up around him, he would not be able to withstand the man's wrath.
"Understood, Guzma." Gladion replied quietly, gritting his teeth in anger.
"Get to it then. Report when you've got something useful to tell me." Guzma ended the phone call with a click, and Axen stuffed the phone into his pocket with a sigh.
"You really hate him, don't you?" Axen asked, being serious for once. Gladion regarded the young man with suspicion for a moment before sighing.
"I hate him and I hate what this group stands for. But I'm working with you and that's all that matters." Gladion replied with a growl as he walked towards the boat that the trio had appropriated earlier and began to prepare it for departure. Gladion released his two Pokémon and as his Zubat landed on his shoulders and Null grunted from beside him, the boat began to slowly move away from Hau'oli City and into the waters of Alola.
"Ugh…this is going to be one boring boat ride…Know any good jokes? Or puns? Honestly, I don't care which at this point." Axen asked Kevin, who shrugged as the city slowly drew away from them.
"Why are graveyards so noisy?" Kevin asked Axen after a moment.
"Because of all the coffin. Heard it." Axen replied, not even remotely amused.
"I guess that's one of the very few downsides to being with Team Skull. I only know bone and skeleton-related jokes…Even worse is that you've heard them all." Kevin sighed, leaning against the cabin of the boat.
"Dang…That's lame, yo." Axen admitted, sitting down on the floor. Gladion shook his head, wondering how he had ended up with the two of them following him around on Melemele Island. He then realized that it didn't matter so long as they didn't get in the way of him and his mission. After leaving everything behind, he really couldn't afford distractions. He had to get stronger as quickly as possible. Team Skull was a necessary evil…at least that's what he kept telling himself.
With that knowledge in mind, he decided to at least entertain himself during the long trip to the next island.
"How did the skeleton know it was going to rain?" Gladion suddenly asked Axen, whose expression turned to confusion as the young man looked over his shoulder at him, his pale green eyes shimmering in the sunset.
"That's a new one." Kevin stated, cocking his head.
"Ha, that's easy. He could feel it in his bones!" Axen guessed, crossing his arms.
"No…he read the weather forecast, you idiot." Gladion replied as he turned around, facing the sea as Axen swore in annoyance and Kevin laughed. Null snorted in amusement as Gladion looked towards the sunrise, a faint smile crossing his face before it faded away and was replaced by the ever-present mask of fierceness. The boat continued to race across the ocean, water spraying into the air as the Alolan sun blazed overhead.
