Pokémon Radiant Sun


I'll admit, the reactions I got last chapter were exactly what I was hoping for. We'll see where Demi's path takes her and if/how she bounces back from recent events. But let's just say that I made Demi a main character for a reason.

I don't exactly take a lot of pride in myself, despite everything I've done and been told. But I'll admit. I'm proud of last chapter and a lot of what I've done in this story.

Anyways, onto other related topics of equal importance.

Going to address the elephant in the room now. You see…when I mentioned that Hau and Gladion were getting ships in this story, I never specified who they were. Ever. I offered to message people back in chapter 25 that if they made a firm guess in the review section and were right. I didn't message a single person back. And to the one or two people who were maybe in the ballpark, with one person on the fence between two characters, I don't count that. One or the other. That said I did look back through the reviews and didn't see any correct guesses, so I may have been mistaken then.

I'll leave you all to speculate. Maybe some hints here and there may tip people off. Maybe not. We'll see.

Though I will make another quick note of something I've noticed appearing in the comment section. Night Slash may be a fairly strong Trainer, but also keep into account that Team Skull and Gladion are all pretty weak at the moment in the story. Type: Null and Gladion are the strongest out of that group, and Null is at level 20 at this point in the story. Any Trainer with a Pokemon over 40 should be able to completely mop the floor with anything below that. Gothitelle evolves at level 41, so even if Night Slash's Pokemon had just evolved, she should have been able to defeat Team Skull, Gladion, and Demi. However, that didn't happen due to their teamwork and numbers.

I generally try to keep events in the story based off of the game mechanics as much as possible. Yes, I'll maybe have battles where both sides take more hits than they should be able to, but that's usually just to make it a more intense affair. I take into account team levels, Pokémon abilities and moves and viability, plausibility, and so much more. Mainly because I want there to be as few flaws and mistakes in this story as possible (see last chapter where a Spearow dodged a Shadow Ball it didn't need to dodge because it's totally immune to the attack for confirmation), but also because I want this story to be the best one I can make it. Hopefully that helps explain some things, because this is something that cropped up with Amber, another Trainer with a high-leveled team.

Speaking of games, I did notice several remarks in the reviews regarding how USUM has begun to affect the story. I did say that I was debating how to incorporate the ideas the game had into the story, and that's culminated in this chapter. While I'm not going to full-on throw every little idea USUM had into this story, there will be some things that get included because they mesh well with this story or help with something plot-related. The latter happens to be the case with the current Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill.

Which reminds me. If you're a fan of the Captains in the game, you'll be very happy to hear that I'll be focusing on them quite a bit. Especially on Akala Island. Most notably Lana, because she's adorable in-game and in the anime. She's just my favorite of the bunch.

Though Lillie is still best character. And best girl. Just sayin'.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Angelfir3, BouncingFish. Madame Rodoshe, Sai Og Sus, Infinite Nexus, Cottonmouth25, sceptilezeno, BraviaryScout, Rare Joe Star, Consumer of Fantasy, Ways, TheHero'sSpirit, GeekyGamer314, bigboy9969, Gokan123, DarkestShade73, as well as 3 new reviewers known as EL Hunter, Ultimate blazer, and LordAzrael1. The favorites, follows, and reviews as of late have been absolutely fantastic, and I thank you all for the support.

This was supposed to be a fairly short chapter. I obviously failed at this task.

Enjoy.


Chapter 43: There Can Be Only One


Gladion leaned against the wall of the Pokémon Center, sighing deeply in exhaustion. He was tired…oh so tired. He had kept up his walls, as he always did with Team Skull, but right now he needed to breathe. Let down the vice he kept around his soul for only a brief moment.

He usually dealt with his particular cadre of Team Skull Grunts in small doses, usually leaving on his own and coming when called.

"Like a dog," Gladion bitterly thought, but it was his use to the organization. They allowed him to hide in plain sight from those who hunted him and Null. And so he stuck with them as he gathered his strength and became stronger.

The past few hours had seen him sticking with Team Skull and their newest companion, Demi, for far longer than he was used to and his patience was fraying. Gladion was surprised when a voice spoke up from beside him, nearly jumping as his concentration was scattered and the walls rose up once again.

"So now what?" Kevin asked Gladion, who shrugged. He was surprised that the Team Skull Grunt had snuck up on him, and the teen cursed himself for being so distracted.

"She made me promise to wait for her outside. She wanted to thank us again for helping her out and letting her tag along with us for a bit." Gladion said in a low voice, stuffing his hands inside of his pockets.

"Not surprised when she's as bad off as she was. I'm looking forward to her telling us just what happened to her, man. Stupid Trials do nothing but hurt people." Kevin said with an annoyed sigh, crossing his arms. Truthfully, Gladion could see the Grunt's point. The Island Challenge, while fluffed up with its history and significance, also had its very negative points. And that wasn't just in how dangerous they were. Team Skull has living proof of the toxicity that the Island Challenge created on the families who lived and breathed the culture of Alola with so much intensity. Gladion counted himself lucky he had gone through them with no problems so far. Gladion may not have agreed with Team Skull's methods or style, but he understood them.

Both Kevin and Gladion turned around as Demi walked out of the Pokémon Center, dressed in a shimmering forest green dress with a baseball cap pulled low over her head, her long black hair tied into a ponytail. Gladion's gaze lingered on the girl for several moments as Demi offered them both a wan smile that faded as she walked over to them. Gladion averted his gaze from the dark-haired teen, his scowl deepening.

"Don't get distracted." Gladion scolded himself, gritting his teeth in annoyance.

"All set. Sorry about that…Nurse Joy wanted to make sure I could travel, since I refused to stay the night here." Demi said quietly as she approached.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Today's the best day our little group had for a while. Speaking of, we've got to split up the earnings from that bandit's bounty, yo. Should be fun. After that, chow time." Kevin remarked with a hidden grin.

"Dinner sounds good." Demi murmured, crossing her arms as she adjusted the strap of her bag.

"You're good to walk, right?" Gladion asked Demi, glancing back at her. The girl smiled faintly at the teen who had saved her and nodded.

"Yeah…I should be okay. The cuts were cleaned up and bandaged and my ankle was only sprained. I just might need to go a little slow for a bit." Demi explained to Gladion, who nodded.

"Then let's go." Gladion said in a low voice. The trio walked over to a cluster of nearby trees, where Tim, Axen, and Kayla were waiting. The trio eyed the other three arrivals for a moment before returning to their conversation.

"We should divide it evenly. No point in being greedy…even though I totally deserve a quarter of the take." Axen said jokingly, earning a middle finger from Tim.

"Right. Making it uneven just pisses everyone off, anyway. Demi, you were the one who turned him in, so you get a stake in this too." Kayla said, surprising the other girl, who opened her mouth to protest. Kayla cut Demi off. "Don't give me that look. Axen talked me into it. Consider it thanks for being the one who got us into this situation to begin with. If it wasn't for you getting captured by Creeper Douche 9000, we'd be a lot poorer than we are now. That prick wasn't kidding. That bounty on him made us all quite a bit wealthier."

"I don't want anything. I just want this behind me." Demi said firmly, making Kayla blink in surprise. Kayla shrugged after a moment.

"More for us, then. Don't ever say that Team Skull isn't fair. I'll even give Brood Master a bit more of the profit. Sound good, Gladdy?" Kayla asked Gladion, who didn't reply. Kayla shrugged and turned back to Demi, who was watching the exchange with interest. Kayla smirked under her bandanna, but shook her head.

"So, you're sticking with us for a bit longer then?" Kayla asked Demi, who nodded. "Why? You could've gotten some real rest and stuff at the Pokémon Center. Pretty sure that after whatever happened at that Trial, you've got some people worried about you too."

"My family has made it clear that they've got other priorities…" Demi said bitterly, feeling her heart ache at the words. Gladion gave her a sympathetic look and seemed like he was about to say something, but seemed to think better of it and remained silent. Demi continued with, "My friends are definitely worried about me, but I'm not comfortable with talking to them right now. I lost my temper when everything happened and I'm…I'm ashamed of myself. I really don't handle stressful situations well and I don't want to hurt them more than I already have."

"Yikes...Sorry to hear that. Family drama is never fun." Axen said with a shake of the head. Tim nodded in agreement, clenching his fists.

"You all are okay with me traveling with you for a bit longer until I get my head back on straight, so that's what I'll do. I don't want to be alone right now…but I don't want to burden my friends with more of my drama." Demi said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"Eh. No one's perfect. Except me, of course." Axen remarked with a chuckle, earning a kick in the shin from Kayla.

"Drater etulosba na er'uoy." Tim said as he cast a bored look to Axen, who waved a hand.

"Sorry, I can't understand you over the sound of your gibberish." Axen said to Tim. The taller Team Skull Grunt sighed angrily and stepped forward, drawing back his fist to deck Axen in the mouth, but Kayla shot him a look and made him lower his hand.

"Back to the topic at hand…I mean, I don't have an issue with you hanging around. After helping us and knowing that you got screwed like we did by those damn Trials, it'd be pretty shitty of us to rob you and leave you unconscious on the road like we initially planned." Kayla said to Demi, who narrowed her eyes at the girl. Kayla chuckled a few moments later, putting her hands on her hips.

"Heh, can you blame me? We're Team Skull, after all. We've got standards, but we're hard as bone. Now let's get moving. I want to be at Kiawe's Trial sometime before next week. Maybe if we're lucky we can swipe some of his Z-Crystal stash and make some nice profit." Kayla mused as she began walking down the road.

Gladion got up off of his tree, stuffing his hands in his pockets as the group began moving down the road. Demi walked slowly, but the group of thugs did the same to keep pace with her and not leave her behind. The teen in black could tell that while the girl they had picked up was fairly friendly to them, she was being cautious despite this. Rightfully so, of course, but Gladion couldn't help but be amused as he watched her from afar. He cursed himself again for getting distracted by their new acquaintance.

"At least for a little bit, I don't have to deal with their crap alone." Gladion thought before he realized he didn't need to travel with them any longer for the time being. He'd just meet up with them at the Fire Trial site later, as he usually did when it came to him being paired with Team Skull groups.

"I'll be heading back to my hotel room now. Try not to get eaten or choke on your own tongues." Gladion said to the Team Skull Grunts, who all turned around and looked at the teen in annoyance at the jab.

"You're leaving?" Demi asked, surprised.

"I'm not officially with Team Skull. I'm an Enforcer, some extra muscle for when they can't provide it themselves. I travel with them when they need me, but I don't travel around with them forever. I have my own place, while they have their town. Now, I'll be going." Gladion said to the Team Skull Grunts before turning his gaze to Demi. "Good luck. And…I'm sorry for your loss."

Demi winced at the boy's words, a hand going to her heart. Gladion then realized that for a little while, Demi had forgotten about her starter's demise in all the recent excitement. Despite this, Demi nodded slowly and said in a very small voice, "I appreciate that, Gladion. Thanks for helping me earlier."

Gladion nodded without reply and turned away and began walking in the opposite direction from the group. Kayla stomped her foot, scowling underneath her bandanna. "The Boss said you were to stick with us until he called us back. He hasn't called us back, so you're staying with us and the girl. Got it? Or do you want us to have to get him to teach you another lesson?" Kayla said to Gladion as she pulled a phone out of her pocket threateningly. The teen in black growled something unkind under his breath as he stopped in his tracks.

"A lesson?" Demi asked quietly. Kevin shook his head in response, indicating that now wasn't a good time.

Gladion shook in fury for a moment before whirling around and walking back in their direction. The Team Skull squad began walking, with Kayla and Axen laughing under their breath at Gladion's fury. Demi watched the teen with a bit of worry. What was wrong with him? Why did Team Skull treat her, some random Trainer, with more respect than their accomplice and Enforcer?

"Hey, is everything-" Demi began to ask as the teen neared her, but Gladion cut her off.

"Save it." Gladion hissed, brushing past her and pacing away as Team Skull made their way down the road.

"Is he…alright?" Demi asked Kevin quietly. She may not have known any of them that well, but Gladion had been tense and irritable ever since the group had defeated Night Slash. Demi had seen glimpses of kindness within him despite that. After all, Gladion was the first to jump into the clearing and protect her from Night Slash. He had offered her a helping hand and let her ride on Type: Null all the way to the Pokémon Center…he had even offered condolences before he was about to leave.

So why was he acting so serious and angry now? It couldn't have just been the ridicule Team Skull gave him, though that clearly wasn't helping. Being the kind of person she was, she couldn't help but worry about someone who was unhappy or upset. Much like Hau, she wanted to help people if she could.

Kevin shrugged by way of response. "Yep. That's Gladion for you. I mean, he's an alright guy. He's just a hardass and that makes it hard to get along with him. The fact that he's not an official member of Team Skull just proves that he's a lone wolf sort of guy. Homeless? Some freaky thing as his main Pokémon? Surrounded by people who don't like him? Yeah, he's an unfriendly one, but no one is surprised by that, yo. If you want to try and make friends with him, by all means, go ahead. It'd be funny to watch." Kevin offered as he stuck his hands inside of his pockets, smirking at her from under his bandanna. Demi looked ahead at the teen known as Gladion, unsure of what to think. She disregarded him for the moment, since she had enough to worry about right now.

Demi had a dilemma to deal with, after all. What was she to do next? As odd as it was that Team Skull had taken it upon themselves to help her, it didn't exactly give Demi an idea of what her next move should be.

"Well, maybe some food and sleep will help. If not, maybe I can ask my new 'friends' for some advice…Though to be honest, I want to know why they're being so nice to me. This is Team Skull! The stupid crooks just like the ones I sent packing just the other day! Why are they acting like they know exactly what I'm going through…" Demi wondered, feeling a headache coming on with a wince.

Well, no matter what, she had to keep moving forward. Nothing good came from dwelling on the past. She just had to look forward to the future, no matter what it would bring.


"Yeah…it's one big mess, Mom." Sun sighed as he sank onto his bed, eyeing the setting sun out of his window. Penny chirped sadly as Oliver slept soundly and Brago watched them all from his place at the foot of Sun's bed. Their Trainer rested the phone on his pillow, the boy using the speaker-phone function so that he wouldn't have to hold the device to his ear.

Despite their efforts, the Trial Guides were unable to find Demi. They had received a call late in the evening that she had healed her Pokémon and received some treatment for her injuries at a Pokémon Center a few hours away, but she had departed afterwards and had vanished into the wilds.

Sun was worried. While Demi was a capable Trainer and was certainly able to handle being in the wilds on her own, she was still in a horrible state of mind. Grieving over the death of her starter and just…devastated. Sun remembered the look of pain and anger on her face when Demi had learned that the Trial that had killed her Feya would be running again like nothing had ever happened in just a day or two.

It made him wonder if the Island Challenge was more dangerous than Professor Kukui and Kahuna Hala had let on. Sun decided to look into the matter later, once things had calmed down a little.

"Sounds like it. How's Hau holding up?" Laura asked.

"Not good. He's been looking on Route 4 for the past few hours." Sun explained to his mother, who sighed deeply.

"That boy has the biggest heart I've ever seen. But he really shouldn't have said what he did to a girl who just lost her Pokémon. I don't blame her for wanting to get away from it all. Do you know anything about where she might've gone?" Laura asked Sun.

"Hau talked with her parents on the phone before he left. Apparently Demi and her folks got into a fight. I just know that there was a lot of crying on their end and they seemed to think it was all their fault that Demi was upset." Sun explained to his mother, who hummed on the other end of the phone.

"You said Demi was under a lot of stress from her family to do well on her Island Challenge?" Laura said to her child.

"Yeah. She doesn't have the best relationship with her parents, if I remember right."

"I've heard that this isn't uncommon within Alola. Hau's mother mentioned once that a lot of children are put under a lot of pressure to complete the Island Challenge, and those who fail or give up on them can be ostracized a bit in their families and communities. I believe Team Skull formed around something like that…" Laura mused quietly, her tone thoughtful.

"I remember back at Verdant Cavern, the Team Skull goons I ran into there warned me to stay away from the Island Challenge so that I wouldn't go through the same things they went through." Sun replied as he leaned back on his bed.

"I suppose they may have said that out of genuine worry that someone didn't suffer the same fate they did. I mean…They're crooks, but they're not evil. Not like Cipher." Sun's mother said with a small sigh as the boy glanced over at the Pokémon Egg resting on the table nearby. Sun winced at the very sight of it, shutting his eyes and sighing as the memories…No. It was nothing. It had to be nothing.

"-Sun? Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, s-sorry Mom."

"Is everything okay?" Laura asked, concerned as to why her child had suddenly went silent for about thirty seconds for no reason. Sun grit his teeth, hating the fact that he was about to lie to his mother.

"Mom, I'm fine. It's just been a long day. I'll be better in the morning." Sun said to his mother, who didn't reply for a moment.

"Dear, you know that you can tell me anything, right?" Laura said to her child, her voice still filled with concern. Sun felt his chest constrict for a moment, and he seriously considered telling her. Explaining what had happened to him. Telling her about Nova…His mind recoiled at the mere suggestion of it though and Sun sighed shakily, recovering his composure. Maybe someday. Not now. Not with everything going on.

"Of course."

"So what are you going to do now?" Laura asked her child.

"I think I'm going to check on Hau. He…wasn't doing well when I last checked. Lana's out with Olivia at the Trial site. They said something about retiring the Totem Pokémon there since the powers in the area had been effecting it for too long…whatever that means. Either way, Lana is working on taming a new Totem Pokémon as we speak. She's still in danger of losing her position as Trial Captain, so she's making sure her new Totem Pokémon is up to snuff." Sun explained to his mother.

"Does Professor Kukui know?" Laura asked Sun.

"He's going to have a meeting with Olivia tomorrow, after a test run of the Trial and some other stuff going on. I think…" Sun trailed off, unsure of the specifics. Why would the Captain and Kahuna confide in him, after all? He wasn't even entirely sure Lana had explained all the details of what she had been doing. "I've already offered to be the first person to test the Water Trial and be the first person to battle the new Totem Pokémon."

"Sun, after what happened to Demi, maybe you should wait until the new Totem Pokémon is settled in. If you got hurt…" Laura trailed off, but Sun chuckled into the phone.

"If I get hurt, then the Kahuna will step in herself. But I'm not going to let this scare me away from beating the Island Challenge. And if I do beat this thing, then I can be the first to say I overcame the newest Totem Pokémon and Lana gets to stay a Captain because the Trial went well. It's win-win." Sun said to his mother, confidence in his voice. Laura sighed into the phone.

"I swear, I can't tell who you take after sometimes."

"In a good way or bad way?"

"I'm undecided. Right now, you're definitely taking after me. I'm so proud of you, you know that right?"

"Yep!" Sun said with a wide grin, making his mother laugh into the phone. The mother and son talked for a short while longer before they ended their call, with Sun feeling a bit lighter about everything that had happened. Sun hopped out of bed and decided to find Hau. Last time he had talked to his friend, he hadn't been doing well. Sun recalled his Pokémon and went downstairs, and was surprised to find Hau slumped over on the floor next to a TV, watching the news regarding the situation in Kanto.

Sun watched as well, learning that Team Rocket had regained a firm foothold in the region thanks to their alliance with Cipher. The Executives within the syndicate had issued demands from the Pokémon League, who were flat-out refusing to even listen to the criminals. Sun grit his teeth and ignored the broadcast, instead walking over to his friend and looking down at him.

"No luck?" Sun asked Hau.

"Nope. Not answering her phone either." Hau said quietly, an uncharacteristic frown on his face. The boy closed his eyes and Sun sat down next to him, frowning as well.

"As much crap as I give you about Lillie, it looks like I'm just as bad with girls, huh?" Hau said with a heavy sigh. Sun remembered his decision the other day to talk with Hau about their mutual friend in white, and decided that now would be as good a time as any to ask Hau about this. The situation with Demi had put the boy in a serious mood, so maybe he'd be of some help.

"No…I'm still worse than you. Speaking of, Hau…Why do you think I have a crush on Lillie?" Sun asked Hau, who opened an eye at him.

"Dude, it's obvious to anyone who looks at you two. You both are so close after just a few months of knowing each other. You're shy around each other and flustered and awkward but supporting one another no matter what and being amazing friends. Honestly I'm jealous of what you two have, man. It's what I've wanted from Lillie ever since I met her." Hau admitted as he sat up.

"I know I like her, myself. A lot. She's pretty and kind and amazing in so many ways. But right now I'm just her friend. Her rock. The one who helped her when she was struggling to figure out her new home on Melemele Island. And man, she struggled a lot. I helped her get out of that shell a little and…And I'm proud of that. I'm proud to be her very first real friend. And if I never get to be more than that, if I just stay her friend, then I'm also okay with that because I care about Lillie. With you, however, things are a bit different. The bond you and Lillie share runs a bit deeper, buddy. So truth is...I might be fighting an uphill battle. But I'll keep fighting." Hau explained to Sun, who just stared at his friend in surprise.

"How can you be okay with that?" Sun asked Hau, who smiled weakly at him in response.

"ʻO ka poʻe maikaʻi loa i ke ola ka waiwai. The best people in life are worth it, Sunshine." Hau replied as he laid back down on the ground.

"I guess so…Hau I…I think you're right." Sun said heavily, crossing his arms as heat suffused his face. Hau looked at him with confusion, and Sun elaborated.

"I think I might have a crush on Lillie." Sun admitted, making Hau's eyes widen in shock. "I think I like her the same way you do. Maybe more. I just feel so many odd emotions when I'm around her. She makes me happy. I know I'm, well…attracted to her. She's the prettiest girl I know. Heck, I even admitted that to her once and she got so flustered. It was adorable, heh. I feel like the day is just a bit brighter with her around me, you know? She's got her problems, but she has so many positives that I'm okay with that. She has a beautiful soul." Sun explained as Hau listened intently, a little smile on his face. While Hau had always had his eyes set on Lillie, it was nice seeing his friend realize his own feelings for their white-wearing friend.

"I told you so. She's beautiful in general though, too." Hau added with a chuckle.

"Yeah…So is that what I'm feeling? Do I…'like like' her? I'm so confused about this, man. I feel kind of bad for even feeling like this in the first place. She's my friend, after all. Is this okay? I just…don't know!" Sun burst out, flopping down on the floor with a heavy sigh. Hau chuckled beside him, putting his hands behind his head.

"The heart's a crazy thing, buddy. Much like with me and Demi, you can't help who you're attracted to. Sometimes it's your best friend. Sometimes it's a total stranger. It's just part of being human. And to answer your question, Sun, yes. You definitely like her. Sadly we're at an age where we don't know what's going on with us. You're going to be confused as all hell. Trust me. I'm still confused on a lot of stuff…But you'll get through it. The trick is figuring out if she feels the same way and if so…Where to go from there?" Hau said to Sun, as serious as he could be. Sun looked away from Hau, deep in thought.

"I like Lillie…But where do we go from here? Does she like me back? Do…I'll talk with her about this. She's my friend. I just have to gather the nerve to do it." Sun decided with an inward sigh. Just the thought of doing that made him nervous.

"What if I tell her how I feel and she pushes me away? What if she doesn't want to be my friend anymore?" Sun asked Hau.

"That's the risk of being open about your feelings, Sun. It carries risk. But the best things in life are worth a bit of risk. Tell me, would you do anything for Lillie if she asked you right now?" Hau asked Sun, who smiled a little.

"Yeah. I've done that a few times already, actually."

"Hehehehe. The lady has us both wrapped around her finger and she has no idea."

"Yeah…Totally worth it though."

"Yep. Lillie's worth it. Guess that makes us rivals for her affection as well as Island Challenge rivals too, huh?" Hau asked Sun, who grinned at his friend.

"At least it's you." Sun said to Hau, extending a hand to his friend. Hau shook it, grinning like his old self again.

"So, now that we've got that sorted out…What's going to happen with you and Demi?" Sun asked Hau, who frowned again. Sun winced at how badly he set that up. Maybe he should have waited to bring that up.

"I'll wait for her to get in touch. I like her too, but…I'm having second thoughts now after this. We'll see what happens." Hau admitted with a small shrug before a loud beeping startled the two boys. Sun dug out his phone and saw that an unknown number had texted him. Sun opened his phone and read the message, eyes widening in surprise.

"Well…speak of the devil." Sun remarked softly, scanning over the message he just received.

Hey Sun. Hope you're doing well. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Physically, anyway. Call off the search parties or whatever is going on. I'm with some friends right now. I kind of accidentally smashed my phone, so don't bother calling me for a while. Spread the word, would you?

Tell Hau and Lana that they both deserve better. In regards to friends and…other stuff. You know? I plan on apologizing to Lana later, in person, but I can't face any of you right now. Please understand that I just need time to figure myself out. I'm a mess right now, but I'll bounce back. Good luck on the Island Challenge.

Please be safe, because that Totem is nasty.

Thanks for being my friend. :D

-Demi.

Sun showed the text to Hau. The boy's eyes widened, but he sighed again.

"She's okay. That's what matters…Man, girls are a trip." Hau chuckled wryly as he flopped back down on the carpet. Sun nodded, though truthfully, he was still worried about his friend. The Kanto-native's gaze traveled to his backpack on the ground, and his thoughts returned to his Egg. He reached over and unzipped the back of the pack and took out the Eevee Egg, setting it on the ground. Hau's eyes widened in surprise as Sun stared at the Egg.

"I'm sorry…But I just can't." Sun murmured to the little Egg as he put a hand on top of the incubator.

"Where'd you get that?" Hau said quietly with awe, as if he was scared of waking up the little Pokémon within.

"Day Care Center. They found it and just gave it to me. And it's tearing me apart, Hau." Sun said softly as he shut his eyes, shivering as his mind threatened to drag him back to despair. Sun felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to see Hau watching him with worry in his eyes.

"Hey…You okay?" Hau asked. Sun shook his head slowly, returning his gaze to the Egg.

"Hau…This Egg. I can't even look at it without my very being just twisting apart. I can feel my mind going haywire just seeing it. Knowing that inside is an innocent Pokémon that has never hurt anyone, so vulnerable and pure and…Hau, I can't have that on my conscious again. I can't let another baby die because of me." Sun whispered, feeling his eyes burn with tears.

"Whoa, whoa! Sun, what's…your scaring me, man. What happened?" Hau asked Sun, who shook his head.

"I can't say, Hau. I can't even think about what he did. What...This Egg is reminding me of the worst day of my life. And it's tearing me apart. I want to tell someone, anyone, about what happened. But I can't. I want to get rid of this stupid darkness that won't go away in my heart and my mind but I just…can't!" Sun hissed as a tear rolled down his face. Sun was surprised when an arm wrapped around his shoulder.

"Sun…Buddy. Your like, my best friend. You and Lillie. And with that in mind, think about everything you've learned in Alola. We treat each other like family for the most part. You think Kukui calls people 'cousin' for no reason? We look after one another here, man. You're practically a brother to me, you know? And because of that, I promise you this. No matter how much crap you're going through, I'll be right there by your side. So if you need to keep this bottled up for a bit longer, I'm here for you. If you want to vent and get this thing off your back, I'll be right there to listen. Alright?" Hau said seriously to Sun, who wordlessly nodded. Hau grinned and pulled Sun into a hug, and the two friends embraced for several moments.

Sun and Hau separated, with Sun nodding gratefully to his friend. Hau turned back around to face the Egg, scooting closer to it and peering at it with interest. An idea came to Sun's mind, and after a few moments of thought he realized that the idea was worth mentioning to Hau.

"Hey, Hau?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you…do me a huge favor?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"I want you to have that Egg."

"What!?" Hau stood up in shock, looking at Sun as everyone in the Pokémon Center looked in Hau's direction. The boy disregarded them, instead looking at Sun. The boy looked up at him with a sad little smile on his face.

"You c-can't be serious. This is a Pokémon Egg. It's a new teammate! There's so much potential here…How can you just give it away?" Hau asked hoarsely, with Sun softly laughing at his friend's reaction.

"Because I know I can't take care of what's inside of it as best as possible. I have trouble even looking at the Egg, Hau. I know what's inside of it and it's tearing me apart. Please, help me out here. Take this Egg and give it a future. Make sure it's happy and taken care of." Sun said to his friend, who slowly shook his head.

"I…Sun, I don't know…" Hau looked over at the Egg. As someone who watched and learned from the Kahuna, his grandfather, he had seen many Pokémon hatched from Eggs. He knew how special they were. What it meant to care for another life. To witness something be brought into the world and nurture it so that it could grow up strong.

"Hau. This Egg has a very special Pokémon inside of it. A Pokémon I know that would be great for your team. And a Pokémon I know would be in really good hands with you watching over it. Please." Sun said, a note of pleading in his voice. Hau looked back and forth between his friend and the Pokémon Egg on the floor.

Hau sagged his shoulders and sat down on the floor, looking down. He finally looked up at Sun, a little smirk on his face.

"If it helps out a friend…How can I say no?" Hau said quietly. Sun smiled at his friend and picked up the incubator, handing it to Hau. The boy admired the Pokémon Egg for a few moments before looking back at Sun.

"Thanks, man. I'll take care of it." Hau said to Sun, his smile widening a bit.

"I know you will." Sun said to his friend before Sun saw the Egg twitch ever so slightly in the incubator. Hau let out a shrill shriek of surprise, once again earning a look from everyone nearby.

"By the way, Eggs move when they're about to hatch. Looks like it won't be much longer." Sun said to Hau, who picked up the incubator and looked at the Egg inside with reverence. Hau's smile of simple joy told Sun that he had made the right choice. While he was losing out on the chance to raise an Egg, it was a reminder of something he'd be happier to forget. This would also help Hau get his mind off of the fiasco with Demi and help him expand his team. It would work out for everyone.

A distant rumble of thunder snapped Sun out of his musing. Sun looked out the window and saw rain pouring down outside, illuminated by the moon peeking through the clouds before the light was extinguished by the pitch-black storm.

"A storm…Lana's still out at the Trial site with Kahuna Olivia, isn't she?" Hau asked quietly, watching the raging rain as it slapped against the doors of the Pokémon Center. Both Sun and Hau remained sitting on the floor as Hau clutched the Pokémon Egg in his hands, hoping the Captain and Kahuna were safe.


Lana stood at the shore, eyeing the roiling water with apprehension. The Captain drew out a Poké Ball and released a massive spider that landed on the ground with a small chatter. Lana smiled at her Pokémon before getting atop the spider, looking out at the water. Despite the fear in her heart and how tired she was after the events of today, she knew it was her duty to see this through to the end.

"Alright, Charlotte. We have work to do out there." Lana said to the Araquanid, who shot forward across the rough waters with a gleam in her massive eyes. She had nothing to fear from the monster that lived within Brooklet Hill, as the Araquanid owned by Lana had already proven it was stronger than its larger brother. Lana took a shuddering breath as she tried to calm her nerves. Failing to do that, she instead bellowed out her decree as the storm picked up strength.

"Rise, Totem Araquanid! I challenge you!" Lana shouted as the storm above Brooklet Hill raged and swirled overhead. Lana was drenched to the bone as she rode atop her own smaller spider, her teeth gritted as she maintained her balance on the raging waters.

After a few moments, a massive shadow emerged from beneath the dark depths and a monstrous spider erupted from the water. An Araquanid quite like her own, but nearly twice as large. It unleashed a horrific scream of fury as it walked across the water effortlessly, spitting and hissing as its fiery orange aura suddenly flared to life, allowing it to become stronger as Z-Power coursed through its body.

Lana gasped as the Totem Pokémon suddenly hunched over with a whine of pain, shutting its eyes tight as the orange aura around it suddenly began to turn dark red. The Totem Pokémon let out a roar of agony as it thrashed its head back and forth before turning to Lana, its eyes narrowed in pain-filled rage as its limbs twitched from the uncontrollable power surging through its veins.

Olivia's eyes narrowed at the display from the safety of the shore, a crimson wolf standing beside her with an annoyed expression on its face. The Kahuna patted her grumpy Lycanroc on the head as she muttered, "Just as suspected. The Z-Power that the Totem Pokémon can wield has overwhelmed the Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill. Why is this? Why can some Pokémon handle the burden of Z-Power but others cannot?"

Back on the water, Lana stared down her Totem Pokémon with a firm frown on her face. Lana wasn't scared now that she saw how much the Pokémon was suffering before her. Her mind flashed back to the incident with Demi earlier that day and Lana shook her head fiercely to jar herself back to reality. Only she could save the Pokémon from itself.

"Very well…I'll save you from your fate. There is another I've prepared for this day. Another who shares your gift, trained by me!" Lana cried as she grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt and released the Pokémon within. A grey, blue, and white-colored fish landed in the water and swam back up to the surface, eyeing Lana with concern. It then turned to Totem Araquanid and its eyes narrowed.

"Lana…" The Captain started as Charlotte spoke to her. A testament to the bond she shared with her Araquanid. "Be quick. My brother here is most agitated. He'll attack soon."

"Very well." Lana breathed, standing tall as she held out her hand, her eyes shining with determination. The small fish beside her glared down the massive monster across the water.

"Show your true strength, my friend! Become the protector you were meant to be and unleash your true potential! Wishiwashi, let's go!" Lana called out as her Z-Ring gleamed in the lightning's flash overhead. The small fish before her let out a cry as its eyes gleamed yellow, its cry somehow echoing outward and making the monster before them take a single step back in surprise.

Below the water, dozens upon dozens of Wishiwashi were rushing forth to join with their champion, forming into a massive fish-like monster of water and Pokémon that shuddered and writhed as it eyed its opponent. As one, the monster let out an ethereal bellow of fury as a fiery aura of orange energy exploded outwards, making Lana grin.

"Rise, Totem Wishiwashi!" Lana yelled out as the storm above crackled with lightning, setting the scene between the battle of goliaths. Olivia smirked as she watched Lana from across the water, pride filling her heart as she crossed her arms.

"For such a meek girl…You really do have a strong heart. So long as you watch over Brooklet Hill and command this Totem, this place will remain safe. Now show them you mean business, Captain Lana!" Olivia whispered to herself as the two massive beasts glared each other down.

Totem Araquanid snarled and shot forward, firing a stream of bubbles at Wishiwashi. Without a command, the fish dove into the water and darted towards Araquanid, erupting from the water beneath it and throwing the spider high into the air. Totem Araquanid flipped in midair but righted itself with a hiss, firing a Spider Web at Wishiwashi and making the beast snarl in annoyance before firing off a Water Gun to knock Araquanid away. The collective Wishiwashi that made up the new Totem Pokémon made quick work of the web surrounding them, freeing their champion as it surged forward and snarled with anger at the insolent spider that dared attack the Captain earlier that day.

"Well done, Wishiwashi! Now, let's show them the strength of our bond! Ice Beam!" Lana shouted, throwing out a hand. Wishiwashi let out a roar and fired a wicked beam of icy energy, which slammed into Totem Araquanid and made it screech in pain as the water it was standing on froze solid. If the monster hadn't been frozen already, it would have slipped and fell. Araquanid snarled and shivered before it released a stream of bubbles at Wishiwashi, who growled as the bubbles exploded against it.

"Wishiwashi, dive below the water and hit it with Waterfall!" Lana yelled out, with the beast grunting in response and darting below the water, becoming an ominous shadow underneath the roiling tide before exploding out from beneath the ice, sending Araquanid flying.

"Excellent-" Lana began to say before she saw Araquanid suddenly right itself in midair and lunge downwards, its pincers forming a gleaming X-shape before it slammed down on the head of Wishiwashi, making the fish scream in pain.

"No! Wishiwashi!" Lana cried out as the beast retreated backwards, growling as Araquanid landed on the water. The spider screeched as the red aura around it flared again, with the Pokémon releasing an Ice Beam of its own that exploded against the skin of Wishiwashi, making the Pokémon thrash in pain as ice encased it. With a lash of its tail, the ice shattered, leaving a very angry Wishiwashi glaring down the spider.

"I wasn't expecting you to go down easy. Very well. Use Water Gun!" Lana commanded the new Totem Pokémon, who bobbed its head before firing a rocket-like burst of water. Even after so long together, Lana was still amazed at the sheer power of Wishiwashi. What was supposed to be a standard Water Gun resembled a Hydro Pump as the multitude of fish surrounding their champion worked together. The end result was a blast that sent Totem Araquanid reeling backwards with a snarl, making the spider dive into the water. Lana gasped as the ominous figure slithered in the water, emerging close to where she was and firing an Ice Beam at Wishiwashi.

"Dodge and use Aqua Ring!" Lana shouted out to her Totem. Wishiwashi rolled in the water, making the waves thrash beneath it before it let out a roar. The rain around the Small Fry Pokémon froze in place before slowly forming five large rings around it. The rings began to rotate, slowly healing the monster's injuries.

Araquanid hissed and fired another Ice Beam at Wishiwashi, who countered with one of his own. The two icy blasts collided in the center of the lake, slowly creating ice below as the attacks struggled for dominance. Eventually both attacks exploded in the center, sending a wave of cold across the water that made Lana shiver intensely.

The Totem Pokémon that burned red snarled with hate and slammed glowing sharp legs into the ice, creating an opening for it to dive under the water. Wishiwashi did the same, smashing through the ice with its head and diving below with a groan. Lana watched the water below, but could only see shadows.

"What do you think?" Lana asked Charlotte, her Araquanid.

"I believe the contest will be close. You trained Washua well, and he has spirit. But the maddened one is furious at having been unable to kill the other girl and you earlier. My fellow Araquanid will try however it can to defeat you this time. However-" Charlotte was cut off as the Totem Araquanid burst out of the ice and water, skittering on the water's surface for a moment before turning to face Lana.

"I'm so sorry…Truly, I am." Lana whispered to the Totem Pokémon. The beast roared in response, the cry sending a shockwave of force across the lake that made Olivia flinch on the shore. Totem Araquanid lunged at Lana with two glowing pincers. Lana's eyes widened and Charlotte prepared herself to attack, but a massive explosion of water erupted from underneath Araquanid, stopping its attack.

Wishiwashi rose from the depths, grabbing two of Totem Araquanid's legs in its mouth as it slowly rose into the air. As gravity finally caught up to the beast and halted its ascent, the Totem slowly rotated around and hurled the spider into the nearby clump of rocks, creating a small explosion of dust and pebbles and creating a furious screech from the maddened spider.

Wishiwashi landed back in the water and eyed Araquanid as it scuttled out of the rubble and dove into the depths of the sea. Within moments the beast was breaking free from the water, spewing bubbles at Wishiwashi and darting around it, trying to wear down the massive beast with small attacks and using its superior speed to weaken the other Totem.

Eventually Totem Araquanid snarled and lunged at Wishiwashi with X-Scissor, but Wishiwashi bashed the spider into the depths of the water with his tail, sending the monster retreating within the water below. Wishiwashi watched the waters for a moment before grunting, seemingly content to let the spider return on its own.

"This battle is a bit closer than I-" Lana began to say before she was suddenly thrown into the water as a result of something slamming into her and Charlotte. Lana choked under the waves as water threatened to fill her lungs and the Captain shot to the surface, sputtering and coughing as she forced the water out of her body. She looked up to see her beloved Araquanid being thrown across the water by the Totem Araquanid, a savage look in its eyes and snarled furiously at her, eyeing the blue-haired Captain with primal hate. The beast shot a stream of bubbles at the Captain, who submerged herself under the water and swam as hard as she could, shuddering inwardly as she felt the powerful attack explode within the water nearby.

Lana burst out of the water a short distance away, panting and struggling to stay afloat. "Wishiwashi! Use Waterfall!" Lana shouted as she floated above the raging waters. She was glad that was an expert swimmer, otherwise she would likely be in serious trouble. As it was, she figured she'd be able to manage a few minutes in the rough waters before she would need assistance.

Wishwashi lunged at Totem Araquanid and slammed into it, sending the beast into the water where the two of them thrashed. Araquanid drove its sharp pincers into the Small Fry Pokémon, even as Wishiwashi blasted Araquanid with water and slammed its massive tail into the spider. Lana watched the two Totem's battle with a horrified sense of awe. To Lana's horror, however, Wishiwashi was hit with another X-Scissor and crashed into the water with a snarl, its body exploding apart and leaving a single exhausted Wishiwashi in its place.

"No…" Lana whispered, horrified as the massive spider clicked furiously as it approached the weakened fish.

"Wishiwashi! Don't give up! I know you can do it!" Lana screamed to her friend, who quickly dove under the water as Araquanid lunged forward, missing with another X-Scissor attack. The spider hissed furiously and dove under the water. The small shadow of Wishiwashi led the massive spider around the lake, a furious game of cat and mouse except with far deadlier stakes. Lana suddenly broke out into a smile as a bright light shined under the water, illuminating a lone figure as a multitude of shapes swirled around it, forming a massive fish.

"That clever little…He led Totem Araquanid around the lake so he could recover his strength from Aqua Ring to regain his School Form." Lana thought with pride as several loud booms thudded underwater, proof of the power struggle going on within the depths.

"Lana!" the Captain turned around and saw her Araquanid floating over to her, looking worried. Lana smiled as her the spider bent down low so Lana could climb onto her, with the girl sighing with relief at being free from the water and that her Pokémon was okay.

"Thank you, friend." Lana whispered as she sat down on her own spider. As the Captain spoke, both Wishiwashi and Totem Araquanid burst free from the water, with Araquanid flying onto the air and slamming down on a large rock with a squeal of pain. Wishiwashi shuddered and shook his head, but was otherwise still alright. Totem Araquanid hissed and lunged at Wishiwashi, crossing its front legs and charging up X-Scissor again.

"That idiot is going to pay. Washua better beat my brother senseless." Charlotte chittered back at Lana as they observed the two behemoths readying themselves for another clash. The Captain smiled as Wishiwashi slammed its tail into Araquanid once again just before the beast struck him, sending the spider hurtling across the lake and smashing into the water, sending up a tremendous spray.

"I believe that Totem Wishiwashi is just about done here. I think I have an idea of what move I wish to end this with." Lana said with a small smile as Wishiwashi swam back over to her. The massive Pokémon groaned, its tone questioning.

"I'm alright. I wasn't expecting Totem Araquanid to attack me and Charlotte, though." Lana replied to Wishiwashi, who returned its glowing gaze to the wounded Totem ahead of it. Lana wordlessly pointed forward and Wishiwashi rushed ahead, a snarl escaping from the beast as it charged ahead with Waterfall, slamming into Araquanid once again before shooting the airborne spider with Water Gun, sending it spiraling through the air before smashing back down onto the water with an implosion of water.

"Come by here, my friend. Let's finish this together!" Lana called to her Totem Pokémon. The massive fish rushed forward, drawing close to Lana's position. The Water Trial Captain leapt from her Araquanid and landed atop the massive Wishiwashi as it swam by, a wild grin on her face as she faced forward and raced along the deadly waters. Totem Araquanid shuddered as it recovered its senses, resurfacing with a hiss. The beast clicked its pincers angrily, eyeing Lana and the Small Fry Pokémon with loathing in its glare.

"Let's wrap this up with one final move! Everything we've got, okay!?" Lana shouted above the thunder's roar. Wishiwashi responded by increasing its speed, racing towards Totem Araquanid with narrowed eyes and forcing every ounce of energy it had into one final attack.

"Return!" Lana shouted, throwing out a hand as Wishiwashi began to glow bright white, the Pokémon's mind flashing back to happier times with the brave girl riding atop its back…


"It'll be okay…You must have been washed ashore from the storm, weren't you?"

Wishiwashi opened its eyes weakly, struggling to breathe as the sun above roasted it. The injuries it had sustained had from those damned Fearow had left it unable to move, and the previous night's storm had moved its weak body ashore. While it could survive for a time outside of the water, that time had long since passed and its life force was running out. The Small Fry Pokémon was surprised when two arms gently wrapped around it, careful not to aggravate its wounds.

"It's okay. We're nearly there!" the voice said soothingly. It came as a shock to the weakened fish as fresh cold water suddenly engulfed it, making its entire body sing with relief before the Pokémon winced at its injuries. A hand patted the Pokémon on the head under the water, making it look up and resurface. A smiling girl with blue hair was sitting down at the water's edge next to him, looking relieved. A fishing pole and an Araquanid lay next to her, the latter watching him with quiet interest.

"Better?" Lana asked the Wishiwashi, who nodded. "I'm glad. You're still hurt, though. If you've been gone from the lake all night, I bet your friends are worried."

Wishiwashi nodded, wincing again. Lana frowned at that and quickly grabbed some medical supplies from her bag. She took her time, treating Wishiwashi's wounds. The Pokémon had seen the Captain here and there, but it was the first time he had encountered Lana in person.

Lana had been the first human Wishiwashi had met. That was the luckiest day of the fish's life, he reflected. Lana visited Wishiwashi every day for a week after they had met, checking on his injuries daily and playing in the water with her new friend.

Soon afterwards, Wishiwashi consented to be caught and trained by the Captain, wishing to spend more time with her. He would spend many happy months training with Lana, learning what it was like to protect others and become powerful. Under her care, it had become a hero to his friends and a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

All because of the girl who had taught him the meaning of strength and kindness.


Totem Araquanid quivered as it struggled to remain standing, even as Wishiwashi rushed towards it with a burning white aura. Lana rode atop the beast with a wide smile on her face, her heart racing as their bond manifested in the raging aura around them. The Small Fry Pokémon collided with Araquanid with a thunderous roar, sending the other Totem into the rocks with a squeal and a great crash.

As the dust cleared, Lana could see blood gently dripping from the spider Pokémon's body as it fainted with a twitch. One Totem had fallen, and another would rise to take its place. As was tradition in Alola.

"We…we did it." Lana said with an exhausted but happy sigh as she hopped off of Wishiwashi and was caught by her own Araquanid, who allowed her to climb back onto her back. Wishiwashi roared in triumph, diving below the water and returning to Lana's side with a pleased look on the monster's face.

"You were amazing. You'll be a wonderful Totem Pokémon, my dear friend." Lana whispered, patting the school of Pokémon on their collective heads before they dispersed, leaving just one larger Wishiwashi in their place. Lana hugged the fish to her chest, a tear running down her face.

"I'm…I'm so proud of you. Even if I'm not Captain anymore after tomorrow, I want you to keep this place safe, okay? And make sure no Trainers get hurt." Lana said to the small fish, who nodded as he shut his eyes. Lana let go of the fish as he dove under the water, taking his rightful place as the protector of Brooklet Hill.

Lana reached down to her Araquanid and patted her side. Without a word, the two floated over to the fallen Totem Pokémon, who was weakly stirring. Lana leapt from her faithful Pokémon's back and landed on the rocks, gasping in pain as her leg twinged. Lana walked over to the massive Araquanid, who hissed at her.

"You lost control…You became a mindless, hateful Pokémon driven by the power that you can't handle anymore. I was not the Captain who proved themselves against you. That was another. But I still would like to think that we had a connection. I'm sorry that I can't help you get through this. Please forgive me." Lana whispered as she pulled out a Luxury Ball from her bag and tossed it at the Totem Pokémon. The beast screeched as it was sucked into the ball. Lana sighed as the ball shook three times before clicking, signifying that it was captured. Lana retrieved the ball and returned to her own Araquanid, who was watching her with worry.

"I'll be okay…Thank you for being here with me through all of this." Lana whispered, reaching into the water bubble of her strongest Pokémon and patting her lovingly on the head as they returned to the Kahuna waiting for them. Lana walked onto the shore as they made landfall, with Olivia giving her a wide smile.

"That was very well done. An unorthodox choice of Totem Pokémon, but a powerful one nevertheless. It's always difficult to control a Totem that you yourself have not trained personally. That Araquanid belonged to a Captain who was more headstrong and wild, like the ocean during a storm, oddly enough. You have an opposite approach to life, Lana. You are serenity and calm, like the lake on a cloudless morning." Olivia said before wincing. "Ugh, I sound like Professor Oak and his awful haiku's. Anyway, your choice in Totem Pokémon reflects your personality, I think. You'll do fine tomorrow, and prove that you still deserve to be the Captain of Brooklet Hill." Olivia said to Lana, who nodded tiredly. A faint cry caught their attention, and Lana and Olivia saw the newly crowned Totem Wishiwashi watching them from the shallows nearby.

"I think he wants to spend a bit of time with you. I'll be back at the Pokémon Center. Spend some time with him and go over what will happen tomorrow, but please make sure to get some rest. Okay?" the Kahuna instructed Lana. The Captain nodded slowly before walking over to her former Pokémon and sitting down in the water. Olivia smiled at the young teen before walking down the path, leaving Lana and the Totem Pokémon alone.

The Kahuna returned to the Pokémon Center and requested a room before ordering a Tapu Cocoa. There was no point in returning home when she needed to be here bright and early tomorrow. Besides, she had damage control to do. Having a Heahea City Council member's daughter get attacked during a Trial and suddenly go missing wasn't exactly good publicity. Olivia had smoothed over some feathers and had agreed to an interview the following day with Adrian Battlestorm. This would hopefully be a chance to earn back some faith from the City Council but also showcase that Lana did have everything under control as Captain of the Water Trial.

Olivia sat down on a couch and sighed, rubbing her temples as the minutes ticked by. She knew Lana wasn't going to be much longer and was just ensuring everything went well tomorrow. Apparently she already had a volunteer for the first Trial with the new Totem. Olivia would be there to supervise and to make the evaluation process official, despite her own faith in the Captain. While the Island Challenge was far more dangerous than many believed, she would still do her best to minimize problems and appease the public.

The Kahuna looked up and saw two familiar boys approaching her. Hau sat down on the floor, holding a Pokémon Egg in his arms, while Sun flopped down on the cushion beside her, looking exhausted.

"Long day, huh boys?" Olivia asked with a quirk of the mouth.

"Something like that…" Sun groaned as he closed his eyes. Olivia chuckled and the trio waited silently as they relaxed, with Lana arriving half an hour later utterly drenched but smiling softly. Lana looked over at them and nodded before heading to Nurse Joy, handing over her Poké Balls and receiving a blue and white Pokémon Egg in return. Lana walked over to them and sat down.

"Everything is in order." Lana said as she looked over at Sun. "Please meet me at the entrance to Brooklet Hill at 8 A.M. tomorrow morning. And be prepared for a challenge."

"I'm always ready." Sun said as he opened a single eye, smirking at Lana. He then sat up in surprise at seeing the Captain with a Pokémon Egg of her own. Lana giggled at Sun's surprise.

"You seem surprised to see me with my Egg. This was a gift from my parents when I received the title of Captain a few months ago. It's very close to hatching, so I've had Nurse Joy help keep an eye on it while I've been busy with the Trials. I can't wait to see what Pokémon comes out of it!" Lana said quietly as she gently hugged her Egg, which visibly twitched in her embrace. As if on cue, the Eevee Egg in Hau's arms twitched as well.

"Oh my! Your Egg seems to be about ready to hatch as well, Hau." Lana said with quiet surprise.

"Yeah…Holy crap, I'm going to be a dad." Hau said in a stunned voice. Sun and Lana burst out into giggles at the boy's tone while Olivia just shook her head, a bemused smile on her face.

"So neither of you have any idea of what's in your Eggs?" Olivia asked Hau and Lana.

"No idea. My parents just told me it cost a lot of money and that I would love it." Lana said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"I'm clueless. Sun knows, since this was his Egg originally, but he won't tell me. I'm flying blind here." Hau admitted, earning a surprised look from Olivia.

"You gave Hau your Pokémon Egg? Whatever for?" Olivia asked, baffled. Sun shrugged, which confused the Kahuna even more.

"I don't have a good history with Pokémon Eggs. I decided that the Egg needed to go to someone who would take care of it. Hau's one of the nicest guys I know. If I can't trust him to take care of the baby Pokémon in that Egg, then I don't know who I could trust." Sun said to the Kahuna, making Hau actually blush a bit at the declaration of trust. Olivia's expression turned to one of understanding while Lana just smiled.

"Speaking of…Thank you. Both of you. You supported me even when you shouldn't have. Instead of chasing your friend down, you consoled me and helped me, despite barely even knowing me. If there's anything I can do to-" Lana was cut off by a shake of the head from Hau.

"Don't mention it. It was the right thing to do." Hau said with a small smile, not feeling his usual cheer at the thought of their missing friend.

"Well…be that as it may, I'm in your debt." Lana said softly as she looked down at her Pokémon Egg, trying to push away the worry and dread in her heart. Lana shut her eyes tight and took a calming breath.

Everything would be okay. She had to believe that. Believe in herself. And believe in the Pokémon she had entrusted to protect the Brooklet Hill.


Hau laid awake, even as Duke and Cassy slumbered beside him. Hau sighed softly, thinking back on what happened with Demi and cursing himself for hurting her. He'd give her as much time as she needed…But he also realized that this may very well as have killed their chance at a relationship.

Hau had wanted it. Wanted her. She was a soul much like his, one that burned with passion and cheer and a desire to make others happy. Demi had a wonderful fire to her, she radiated an energy that just meshed so well with his own. She was beautiful, too, on top of all of her other positives. But…

Maybe birds of a feather didn't always flock together. He'd have to wait and see.

So instead, Hau reached over and pulled Cassy closer to him. The Brionne looked up at Hau, confused as it was jostled awake, but Hau hugged his starter closer to him. He'd never take his first Pokémon for granted again. She was his first Pokémon friend. He had chosen her, and she had chosen him, just like Oliver and Sun.

"I'll make sure to cherish her and my Pokémon even more so…It's the least I can do for you, Demi." Hau thought to himself with a small smile before he finally succumbed to sleep's sweet embrace.


The Following Morning…


Sun entered the area walking side-by-side with the Kahuna, feeling self-conscious. As much as he wanted everything to go well here, he couldn't help but worry about messing this up. What if the Totem Pokémon beat him? What if he beat it…wrong, somehow and made Lana lose her position as Captain? What if-

"You'll do fine."

Sun's head snapped to his right in surprise as Olivia walked forward, all confidence and grace as she cast a glance to the young Trainer beside her.

"Lana is a very able and compassionate Captain. You seem to be a capable Trainer, and a brave one at that for challenging the new Totem after the incident yesterday. I commend you for that."

"What's…going to happen to the old Totem Pokémon?" Sun asked Olivia.

"I plan on discussing the fate of Totem Araquanid with Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet soon, now that Lana has captured it and ensured it will no longer hurt anyone else. The new Totem Pokémon that Lana tamed yesterday should be more than capable of being a challenge to upcoming Trainers, but be able to be reined in should something like what happened the other day occur. You and Lana will be fine. I believe in you both." Olivia said to the Kanto-native, smiling at him. Sun smiled at the remark, feeling a bit better now that he knew the Kahuna believed in him.

Finally, the sight of a small pond with a waterfall pouring into it came into view, as well as a very nervous Lana standing alone on a wooden bridge on the water. Lana closed her eyes, preparing herself for the task ahead.

"Let's start this off right…" Lana took a breath, exhaling softly and drawing upon her strength. She looked up and looked at Sun with a neutral expression on her face, the two young Trainers ignoring Olivia as the Kahuna watched them both from a short distance away, having fallen back to observe them. Neither of them saw the hopeful smile on her face.

"Hello. I'm Lana. I serve as the Captain of Brooklet Hill."


Howdy folks. FygonNick here with a quick post-chapter note. I hope you enjoyed the latest update. I definitely had fun writing it.

I'll be heading home for the holidays this Christmas, and while I'll be able to update twice more before the end of the year, I'll likely be taking a break from writing in general so that I can spend time with family and unwind after a very rough 2017. Long story short, I'll be taking a short break during the holidays but continue to update.

However this means that when I return to work in the new year, I'll be taking a two week break from updating the story so I can buckle back down and get back ahead on chapters. Apologies in advance for the small delay, but it's that time of year and this will be one of the last times I get to see my family for a very long time.

On a happier note, though, I'm excited to say that I'll be getting a PS4 this Christmas and I'll definitely be playing a lot of my XBox One. So, if any of you feel like adding me as a friend on either one of these consoles, feel free to shoot me a message with your PSN/Gamertag and I'll add you when I arrive home next week.

Take care and stay awesome. Next update will be on the one-year anniversary of the story and covers the Water Trial. Needless to say, I'm hyped.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!