Pokémon Radiant Sun


Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen and whoever else is reading this story. Privately hoping that lobster people are reading this at the bottom of the ocean. Wouldn't that be awesome? Seriously, just take a second and think of it…

Anyways, howdy. Alolan fun times are inbound, after a short break so I could catch back up after the holidays. After the excitement of the Water Trial, we'll be getting back into the thick of things as our heroes get back onto the road! In this chapter we'll see new faces, old faces, and maybe get some questions answered!

Also, this story has hit 200 follows! Like, that's insane. Seriously, thank you all so much!

(A serious note before final upload. My computer has suddenly decided to start giving me some serious issues, and I'll likely have to get a new one this week. If there's a bit more flubs in this chapter than usual, it's because I was in a hurry to get this up before my computer crapped out on me again like its done twice now. So there is a possibility for the next chapter to be delayed, at least until I can get chance to swing by somewhere a get a new computer. We'll see. Hoping that things work out for me, but I'm letting you all know in advance in case worst comes to worst.)

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes hafizsyaraf5, Madame Rodoshe, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, DarkestShade73, Angelfir3, AncientHero2000, BraviaryScout, Lord-Azrael3, Gokan123, SonicIKE, Annimo, as well as three new reviewers known as Codyrod26, Whispersofadragon, and RC-DA. Thanks for all of the feedback and support folks. Here's to an awesome year of excitement and awesome!

This is my longest chapter in a while. Let's get back to it!

Enjoy.


Chapter 46: Until the Last Ember Fades


"Gooooood morning, Uncle!"

"Uooggh…Why are you doing this again?"

"Because you've been letting your duties slip again, hehe! No worries though! I've got you covered. I've decided to give you a wake-up call every single morning from now on so that you have to get stuff done! It's foolproof!"

"Except for the part where you're annoying me…"

"We all have to make sacrifices. Now, first thing on your agenda is heading to the Heahea City jail and bailing out that friend of yours. Bring him up to speed and all that. Then you need to do a lecture at Malie City's retirement home before staring into the sky trying to find meaning in your life for about two hours at the pier. And then we do lunch!"

"Is it too late in the morning to just throw myself under a goddamn bus instead?"

"Yep! Much too late! And since I'm an early riser, you'll never have the chance to do such an awful thing because you sleep in all the time! Muahahaha!"

"…You're an evil little hellion. You know that, right?"

"Uh-huh! And that's why you love me!"

"You're delusional."

"Well, I hope you have a wonderful day! You're special and appreciated, okay Uncle? You mean the world to me and a bunch of people, and I want you to always remember that! See you in a few hours!"

"Yeah…whatever."

"Bye bye!"

"Hmph."

Click.


"So, Doctor, what's your conclusion?"

"I…genuinely don't know."

Lillie watched silently as she pet Nebby from the nearby couch, watching Colress and Professor Kukui as they observed Shadow Celebi in its container. The Time Travel Pokémon twitched in the fluid that immersed it, its shadowy aura flickering every few seconds. Lillie felt her heart wrench at the sight of the Pokémon of purity and time reduced to such a state. Nebby was unusually quiet, watching the Time Travel Pokémon with reverence it didn't even understand. Meanwhile, Hugh was curled up with Aria on another couch, listening intently while the other girl slept. According to Hugh, she wasn't doing too well at the moment.

"How so?" Kukui asked Colress, who adjusted his glasses. The man pulled out his tablet and tapped it a few times, causing several screens in the room to suddenly boot up and display lines of data and figures that Lillie could make no sense of.

"Celebi is a Pokémon that has two very special abilities. Time travel and the power of purification. It is able to travel through the time stream and is known as a harbinger of a peaceful future. However, it is prevented from acting too much on the world around it, thankfully." Colress explained to the others, though Lillie piped up.

"Wait…If Celebi can travel through time, why can it not do things in the past or future?" Lillie asked Colress.

"From what I understand, Legendary Pokémon usually answer to beings above it in the food chain, so to speak. It is commonly believed that Latios and Latias, two Legendary dragons from Hoenn, answer to Rayquaza. Celebi are usually those who serve under Dialga, the Pokémon who controls time from his domain. They act on Dialga's will, serving to help stabilize the timeline and help keep order in the world. According to some ancient edict, Celebi cannot directly interfere with the past or future unless they're told to by Dialga, or have no other choice."

"I'd imagine that having this Celebi get captured and corrupted made Dialga quite angry. Especially since it's indirectly messed up quite a few things in the timeline by attacking people and throwing people through time." Kukui noted, with Colress nodding.

"We should be glad that the Creation Trio are not able to act on the outside world, easily at least. Their rage would be so great that none of us would survive." Colress noted dryly, a small smirk flashing across his face.

"If Cipher did not capture Celebi to tamper with time and alter events to their liking…then why did they capture it?" came a timid voice from nearby. Kukui cast a surprised glance to the Absol peering up at them from the floor nearby, curiosity on her face. The shy Pokémon seemed to realize what she had done and looked away, though Kukui smiled in response.

"Curiosity isn't a sin, Dusk. And to answer your question, Cipher didn't capture a Celebi to mess with time. They've tried to alter past and future events, but even Shadow Celebi must adhere to Dialga's rules, from what I understand. They did what they did because this Celebi was the one who powered the Relic Stone that purified Pokémon back in Oore. They took away a vital resource in the battle going on between them and Wes, who was forced to rely on the Pokémon HQ Lab and their Purify Chamber instead to purify Shadow Pokémon…And we can't exactly go to them for help with Shadow Celebi anymore." Kukui explained to everyone. Lillie cocked her head in confusion.

"Why not?" Lillie asked the Professor, who's expression darkened.

"Amber Fontaine went to the lab in Oore and burned it to the ground, slaughtering every person there. Even worse, she killed Michael Evens, the boy responsible for bringing down Cipher's second attempt in dominating the region. There's nothing left of their work that could help us, and there's not a single person alive who knows about the Purify Chamber well enough to help us." Colress explained to Lillie, who shrank back in her chair in horror. She vividly remembered the terrifying and powerful assassin and their last encounter. Lillie hadn't considered that her reign of destruction hadn't just started with Unova or Kanto. She'd be at this for a long while.

"Doc, you created a cannon and system that can channel the power of a Legendary dragon and helped Ghetsis with his plan to recreate a fusion form of Kyurem, which was only spoken about in legends. How is this harder for you than that?" Kukui asked in confusion. One of Colress' eyes twitched at the comment.

"Professor Kukui…I'm a scientist. Not a miracle worker. And I'd rather not be reminded of what I did for Ghetsis. I regret not killing him myself every single day that passes." Colress said with a hint of irritation in his voice as his fists clenched. It was actually the angriest Lillie had ever seen the scientist, and was astonished to see even this much anger out of him. He must have been incredibly frustrated that the intricacies of this were eluding him.

"My apologies, Doctor."

"I'm not a doctor either. At least not a qualified one. I'm just smarter than most of them."

"If your genius wasn't responsible for ensuring that I survived being stabbed by an assassin, I'd be terrified right now." Kukui admitted while Lillie and Hugh laughed. Colress' expression lightened, a smirk on his face.

"But if we could find a way to purify Celebi, then we could have the means to purify any Shadow Pokémon we encounter. Celebi would no doubt want to assist us, in an attempt to save face and help others. It'd be an invaluable ally against Cipher." Colress said with a small smile before shaking his head.

"Celebi will be okay..." rasped a voice, making everyone look towards Aria with surprise. She looked exhausted, but was alert. "We will get Celebi purified…he's here in Alola. He can help us. Do not trust him though." Aria said firmly as her eyes began to flicker green. The woman began to shake, but Hugh embraced the woman and held her steady. Lillie watched the entire scene with mild horror in her eyes before she blinked and looked down, as if in deep thought.

There was a solution to this…Lillie knew someone who could help. But did she dare involve them in this, knowing what they could do? What they had done…

"And when we do purify Celebi, I'm strangling it for giving me this stupid future sight crap!" Aria hissed as she buried her face in Hugh's shirt. Hugh rubbed the woman's back, murmuring something they didn't hear. Aria hugged Hugh back, a muffled sob barely audible now. Kukui turned to Colress, his expression troubled.

"I wish your visions were more...direct with answers." Hugh said to Aria, who pulled away from her friend and scowled.

"His face was blurry and I've never seen this person before! How the hell am I supposed to know who this is?" Aria growled at Hugh, who kissed Aria on the lips to silence her. Aria shut her eyes for several seconds before she broke the kiss and collapsed on top of Hugh, sighing deeply.

"Yes, well…That doesn't solve our current problem. We have no idea how to purify Shadow Celebi and it's too dangerous to have conscious for any period of time. And those who would know how to handle such a Pokémon are dead or missing." Kukui said to Colress, his eyes traveling to Lillie, Aria, and Hugh. Lillie chimed in, surprisingly.

"I…I know someone who may be able to help Celebi." Lillie said softly, shutting her eyes.

"What? S-seriously? Lillie, why didn't you say anything before?" Kukui asked, absolutely baffled that his assistant knew a solution to their conundrum. Lillie opened her eyes, and Kukui saw fear in her gaze.

"Because I'm hiding from them. But they can help. They know stuff like this. They have a lot of information when it comes to helping Pokémon. And I remember a long time ago…that one of them helped with a machine that healed Pokémon who were broken. Pokémon who were suffering. Just like Celebi is right now." Lillie said in a whisper. Colress and Kukui both realized who Lillie was referring to, and the doctor spoke up.

"Are you referring to the Purify Chamber? Lillie, who on earth would you know from the Aether Foundation that worked on…Ah, wait. Of course…He's nearly as well-traveled as me. I nearly forgot the man was operating out of Alola now. I wouldn't be all that surprised if he had been involved with the Purify Chamber at some stage." Colress said with a small smile before he frowned, looking over to Lillie.

"Who's the Aether Foundation?" Hugh asked.

"I'll explain later. This matter is between me, Kukui, Burnet, and Lillie." Colress explained firmly, and Hugh nodded in response, respecting the scientist's wishes.

"Lillie, you do realize that if we ask their assistance, that this may place you in danger? Besides, after what you have told us about them, I'm unsure whether or not I would allow them to come so close to such an important Pokémon like Celebi. They may attempt to procure it for their own experiments." Colress said to the girl, who sighed and hugged Nebby close to her.

"Then maybe you could keep an eye on them. You're a famous scientist, Doctor Colress, and strong enough to stand against them if you must. They'd be honored to have you involved in their work, especially due to your own talent and intellect." Lillie said to the scientist, who shrugged.

"I could fight them, but I'd rather not. Working together would do so much more good…But you're correct. If necessary, I can keep tabs on them all. Admittedly I have been doing so already, though that was more in regards to the Ultra Space than anything else. If anyone would have collaborated with the Pokémon HQ Lab in Oore, it would be the Aether Foundation. Lillie, are you sure that you want us to involve them in this? It'd draw attention to the Dimensional Research Lab." Colress asked Lillie, who nodded.

"I want to help however I can. If it means getting their help, then so be it. I trust you all to help keep me and Nebby safe." Lillie said with a resolute nod. Kukui smiled with pride at the girl's bravery, and clapped his hands together.

"I'll make some calls then. You're going to have to disappear for a little while, though. Is that okay?" Kukui asked Lillie, who nodded. "I may or may not be heading on a little trip myself soon. Maybe I can drop you off to your two favorite Trainers. I know a certain boy from Kanto would love to see you again."

Lillie flushed at the insinuation and opened her mouth to reply, but the front doors opened and each of them turned to see who walked in. Lillie blinked in surprise while Kukui said, "Hello there. Can I help you two?"

"Um…I…" a woman with flowing black hair spoke, seeming nervous. Lillie recognized her, and was surprised to see Vivian the violinist looking so nervous when she was usually so confident. Noah stood behind her, a small smile on his face as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, you've got this." Noah said encouragingly to his girlfriend. Vivian sighed and stood up a little straighter, but faltered when Aria got up from off of the couch and made her way over to Vivian, her eyes flashing with emotion as she stared down her friend.

"Hello Vivian…Nice to see you again." Aria said softly as her eyes flickered green, an eerie glow creeping them before reverting to their normal blue color. The violinist gulped nervously but stepped forward, her body trembling in what Lillie realize was fear. She was actually scared of Aria.

"I…I had heard you came back." Vivian said softly, sounding as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "We hoped, but…Aria, I'm so sorry. I messed everything up. If it wasn't for me, Wes would still be here. Cipher would probably be gone and-"

Vivian stopped speaking as Aria took another step towards the other woman, making Vivian flinch. Noah remained silent, watching them with a guarded expression. Hugh and Lillie watched on in silence, until Lillie asked Hugh a question.

"Why is she so scared of Aria? They're friends, aren't they?" Lillie asked Hugh, who shrugged.

"Maybe. But Vivian has a lot to answer for. She ran away before our final fight with Cipher in Unova, taking our one shot at taking down Shadow Kyurem with her. She decided to bail on us, accidentally taking the Master Ball we worked so hard to get with her. Because of her, Wes wasn't able to snag Shadow Kyurem. Because of her, Cipher was able to dominate Unova and unleash hell on Kanto. Aria has every right to be pissed. And Vivian knows Aria can beat her in a battle if it comes down to it…And an actual fight. But I don't think it'd come to that." Hugh explained softly as the two women stared each other down.

"I'm…I'm sorry. Everything that's happened…It's all because of me. I let you down. I let Wes down. I'm a terrible friend, aren't I?" Vivian murmured, crossing her arms. Aria wordlessly shook her head, clenching her fists.

"You're an idiot." Aria said bluntly, making Vivian wince at her harsh tone. Vivian was even more surprised when Aria stepped forward and hugged her friend tightly.

"…Why?" came a whisper from Vivian. "How can you just…forgive me like that?"

"Because life is too short to hold grudges. My trip through time made me appreciate what I have a lot more than I did before. Besides, Wes was equally wrong in that stupid argument you two had. You had no idea you had the Master Ball on you when you ran away. You were scared. And not everyone can stand up to danger like that, Vivian...But I want to know, will you still stand by us? We're still looking for a surefire way to get back at them. To make things right and save everyone. We've got Celebi, we're working on Zygarde, and we're getting stronger. There's still hope, Vivian. Are you with us?" Aria asked the other woman, who bit her lip. Vivian looked down at the ground before she finally returned the hug from the new Snagger, hugging her tightly as a single tear trailed down her cheek.

"Until the end, Little Miss Heroine." Vivian whispered as she separated from Aria, smirking at her friend. Noah chuckled at the two, shaking his head with mirth while Professor Kukui walked up to the pair.

"I love resolutions. On that happy note, let's get to work folks. They'll be here in a few days and we need to be ready for whoever they send to assist us with Celebi." Kukui said with an excited grin, clapping both women on the shoulders. Lillie couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face as Nebby squirmed in her arms, happily flailing its arms with a cry.


Hau ended up defeating Totem Wishiwashi just two hours after Sun did. Sun actually got to watch Hau battle the beast from the shore along with Lana, which the boy enjoyed. Hau had a much easier time of things than Sun did, due to having seen a Wishiwashi before and knowing about its special ability. After the Trial ended, the trio fished out on the water and enjoyed the wonderful weather.

Sun was surprised by how quickly Lana became their friend after she got used to being around them. And by them, I mean Hau. The cheerful boy had to be careful not to hug Lana too often or too enthusiastically, but aside from that she was a quirky and soft-spoken but overall fun person to hang out with. Another friend made in the wonderful region of Alola. Two days passed with the new friends spending time with each other and helping Lana make sure that she would have no further problems with her Trial.

However, on the day of the Trial officially opening to everyone again, the two boys decided that they needed to head to their next Trial. Lana was a bit sad to see them go, but happily walked them down the path past the Pokémon Center with her Pokémon Egg in hand. Apparently, in order to get to the next Trial, they would have to venture through several routes and pass through Royal Avenue, an area of Alola known for tournaments and exhibitions of strength and skill. Lana explained this all to Sun and Hau as they walked.

"I hear that there's going to be some kind of showcase at Royal Avenue this week. Mallow and Kiawe are going to go, and have been trying to get me to attend as well." Lana said to Hau and Sun, who looked at the girl.

"Showcase?" Hau asked, cocking his head in confusion. Lana giggled at Hau's expression and elaborated.

"Foreign Trainers compete with Alolan ones to show off and stuff. Pokémon Coordinators, Pokémon Performers, and all sorts of other interesting things. I hear there's going to be a renowned Water-type expert there." Lana said with an excited smile.

"Sounds wicked." Hau said excitedly, grinning widely.

"I bet Kukui knows something about this…" Sun mused before nodding. "We'll check it out."

"I'll try and go there myself in a few days. It'd be nice to meet up with you all there, but it may be difficult. My schedule is full with challengers and I have to make up for the lost time." Lana explained to the two boys, who nodded understandingly.

"So, goodbye for now." Lana said almost reluctantly as she set her Pokémon Egg on the ground. Sun stepped forward and hugged his friend, who happily returned the gesture. Lana did the same with Hau, though she was blushing a bit after the two separated. Lana picked her Egg back up, smiling at her new friends that had helped her through one of the worst times in her life. She would never forget their kindness.

"Next is Kiawe's Trial. It will take place at Wela Volcano Park. Oh…" Lana snapped her fingers. "That reminds me. Did you see any Sudowoodo by Paniola Ranch?"

"No. Hau, did you?" Sun asked his friend, who nodded.

"Yeah. They were blocking the path to the south. Me and Demi didn't need to go that way, but it was a bit odd to see." Hau noted, receiving a nod from Lana.

"They were causing some trouble for people, so I gave them a little dose of Z-Power using my Waterium Z. Just a little lesson for them. They came back though. Hmm…" Lana's smile became mischievous and, admittedly in Sun's opinion, fairly adorable. "I wonder how they will react now that they see that you have Waterium Z, too?"

"Probably not well." Sun replied, smirking now. Lana chuckled softly while Hau fist-pumped with excitement.

"Aww man! I'm getting hyped now, Sunshine! Let's get this show on the road. Lana, thanks for being so awesome." Hau said to the girl, who blushed bright pink but nodded in reply with a happy smile on her face. Sun waved at Lana with an 'Alola', and began walking down the road. Hau put a hand to his chin, looking thoughtful, remaining still.

"Um…Is everything okay, Hau?" Lana asked the boy, who grinned widely in response.

"Yep." Hau set his bag down on the ground and opened it up, tearing through the insides to try and find something. Sun turned around and watched his friend with amusement, wondering what he was up to. He found out when Hau pulled out a notebook, grabbed a pen, scrawled something down on a piece of paper, and then tore out the paper and handed it to Lana.

"Keep in touch. You're an awesome Captain and an awesome person. Keep your head held high, alright?" Hau said to Lana, tapping her lightly on the nose. Lana accepted the piece of paper, bewildered at Hau's antics. She then opened the paper with one hand and suddenly blushed crimson as she read what was on it. Hau took that moment to wave his arms in farewell and say, "Alola!"

"Alola…" Lana squeaked out, her hands trembling as Hau turned around and jogged after his friend. Sun gave his friend a look of surprise before looking back at Lana, who was staring down at a piece of paper while blushing deeply.

"Dude, you broke her. Nice going. Did you give her your phone number?" Sun said with a chuckle as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Hau pouted, crossing his arms, but he nodded an affirmative.

"Yep. And hey, I thought she could use the compliment! I had a lot of fun with her the past few days. Once she gets comfortable, she's really funny and interesting!" Hau said defensively, but Sun grinned at his friend.

"Oh I know. Lana's really cool. I'm just surprised you gave her your number. What was that about?" Sun asked Hau, who chuckled.

"I dunno. Like I said, she's a friend and I'd like to be able to see how she's doing. You can never have too many friends, you know?" Hau protested as they walked down the path, leaving the stunned Lana behind.

"A boy just gave me his number...I…I don't even…" Lana sputtered, still holding the piece of paper with Hau's number on it tightly in her hands. The Captain's blush faded as a wide smile appeared on her face. She quickly put her new friend's number into her phone and returned to the Pokémon Center, practically skipping with joy.


Hau and Sun continued down the path to Route 4 and entered Paniola Ranch with few problems. Sun battled with Brago against some wild Pokémon, to make up for not using him during the Trial itself. Hau just kept up a chatter with his friend about recent events.

Eventually the sun set and the duo made camp outside of Paniola Ranch. Oliver dosed while Penny and Brago hunted, bringing back food for those who wanted to eat it. Sun practiced on his flute while Hau listened and offered his feedback on the songs. It turned out that after having spent so much time with Lillie, Hau knew a thing or two about music. He couldn't play an instrument, sadly, but that just meant Sun had a unique perspective to judge his music. Hau was a silly, but helpful, critic and Sun appreciated that in his friend.

As the two friends were getting ready to turn in for the night, Hau had the idea to call Lillie and give her an update on them. It'd be nice to check in with her as well. Sun called her number and put the phone on speaker, and after two rings, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Alola, Lillie!" Sun and Hau said to their friend, receiving a soft laugh from the other side of the phone. Even though things hadn't changed at all between them, Sun was nervous about talking with Lillie…After all, he knew how he felt around her. And it was admittedly a bit daunting to the boy to know these feelings, but he was glad he knew how he felt. Now came the hard part of doing something with these feelings, and sorting out what he wanted from them.

"Alola Sun! Alola Hau! How have you boys been doing?" Lillie said happily from the other end of the phone.

"Pretty good. Your two favorite Trainers just scored themselves a Waterium Z each, got to hang out with a Captain for a few days, and now we're heading to Royal Avenue. Looks like some cool stuff is happening there, so we're going to see what kind of trouble we can get into." Hau said with a laugh, making Sun shake his head. Like he needed any help getting in trouble.

"That sounds interesting. I can't help but wonder what sort of events are going on there. Maybe I can ask Professor Burnet. Professor Kukui is out at the moment with Doctor Colress at a remote lab on the other side of the island with Kahuna Olivia." Lillie explained to Sun, who was curious but decided that if he needed to know, someone would have told him. Hau had no such reservations.

"Any idea what's up?" Hau asked.

"I think it may be to study the Totem that attacked Demi. The Araquanid, remember?" Lillie said in response, making Sun shudder. He was very glad that he hadn't needed to face that monster. That said, Wishiwashi was pretty brutal...

"I'll keep you both updated if I find out more, but I doubt I will. I'm only Professor Kukui's assistant...So, nothing of note happened besides the Trial itself and the incident with Demi?" Lillie asked the two boys.

Hau explained a run-in with Team Skull and how Demi had defeated a group of them all on her own. Sun explained how he taught Penny Hidden Power, which he had vowed to never use again because it was a terrible move in his opinion. Hau then chimed in with another aside that Sun had almost forgotten had happened to them.

"Remember the Edgy dude? Gladywhatever?" Hau said to Sun, who nodded.

"Yep. We did run into this weird guy named Gladion. He had a strange monster Pokémon on his team and…uh, let's just say Gladion and Hau didn't exactly see eye-to-eye. Him and Hau are just about polar opposites. The guy gave me one of the best battles I've had in a while though." Sun explained to Lillie, who remained quiet for several long moments.

"Guy was a real piece of work. I don't think he ever had a day of fun in his life." Hau remarked with a chuckle, smirking at Sun.

"…Gladion?" came a whisper from the other end of the phone. Sun and Hau exchanged a look of concern. Lillie's voice was a mixture of shock and wonder.

"Uh, yeah. Do you…know him?" Hau asked Lillie, who remained silent.

"…N-no. Sorry, I just…No. I don't know him. I was thinking about someone else. Sorry." Lillie apologized, making Hau shrug in response. Sun wasn't entirely convinced. He could hear how surprised Lillie was at hearing the name of the serious boy that had bested Hau, but didn't want to press the issue. He knew how Lillie was about people digging for information about her. Sun and Hau continued to chat with their friend, and Lillie in turn filled them in on what had happened since she had returned to the Dimensional Research Lab.

Apparently, Colress and Kukui had made little headway with Shadow Celebi. While they could study the Pokémon until they were blue in the face, simply observing it while the beast was unconscious wasn't enough to sort out a way to purify the creature. However, they were going to enlist the help of an associate of Colress' that may be able to assist them. Lillie also told them of other matters, like Vivian and Aria making up and Lillie going shopping with Professor Burnet and spending time with everyone. Sun couldn't help a smile at how happy his friend sounded.

"I do miss you both though. You said you're a day or so from Royal Avenue?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah. It shouldn't be too much longer. I think we'll be there by tomorrow night." Hau explained to their friend, who remained silent for a few moments.

"Sorry, Aria was checking on something in the room. Well, I won't keep you both up much longer. I know Hau wakes up early and Sun isn't a morning person, so you need to get as much sleep as possible." Lillie said to the two boys, laughing softly. Hau smirked while Sun crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Gee, thanks Mom." Sun said as Lillie giggled on the other end of the line.

"I'll make sure our favorite ray of Sunshine gets all the sleep he needs." Hau said cheekily, patting Sun on the head. Sun surprised his friend by flicking him on the nose, making him yelp in pain. Lillie just laughed at the boy's antics, despite not being able to see what they were doing. The boys bid their friend goodnight and slipped into their sleeping bags. Sun was able to fall asleep with little difficulty, but Hau remained awake for a time in thought.

"Looks like everyone's life is getting complicated these days. Lillie's got her past to deal with. Sun can't shake off what his Dad's crap did to him. Poor Demi lost Feya…And now with me, I'm more confused than ever about what I want." Hau sighed before smiling a little.

"Nah, I'll sort it out. Tutu says it's all part of growing up. All I know for sure is that I'm going to keep having fun, get better as a Trainer, and make as many people happy as I can. That's my path." Hau decided as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to slip into the warm embrace of sleep a few minutes later.

That next morning, Hau and Sun encountered the Sudowoodo that Lana had mentioned. A small boy standing next to the two rock tree creatures explained that the duo of Rock-type Pokémon had been regular nuisances and blocked the path frequently for no good reason. However, when Sun and Hau flashed their Waterium Z's at the Sudowoodo, both of them suddenly let out an oddly shrill scream and sprinted off in the opposite direction, waving their arms about.

"Ha ha! The Sudowoodo were off like a flash once they were reminded of that Z-Power!" the boy laughed, pointing at the fake tree Pokémon sprinting down the road. "Thanks, you two! Now everyone can use the road again. Here's a little something in return for the two of you!"

The boy handed both Hau and Sun a small pendant shaped like a droplet of water. Sun would later to explain to Hau that this was a Mystic Water, a Held Item that was designed to increase the strength of Water-type moves. The boy looked thoughtful as he looked skyward.

"I wonder if maybe those Sudowoodo ran off to the Battle Royal Dome to try and get stronger. It's about a days walk down the road." The boy said aloud before catching Sun's confused look. "You know about the Battle Royal Dome, right? That's the place where you enter Battle Royals! And they have all sorts of other cool stuff happening there too!"

"Lana and Professor Kukui both said we need to head that way for some fun times." Sun said with a small smile, crossing his arms.

"Let's get going then, Sunshine!" Hau said with a grin, pulling his Pokémon Egg out of his bag and walking ahead. Sun bid farewell to the boy and followed his friend. Sun called out his three Pokémon, intent on doing some training. He followed his friend, glancing at the Alolan sun as it burned brightly overhead.


After five days with Team Skull, Demi decided she was officially confused. Not by her dilemma or by her misery or by anything like that. She knew what was going there, and knew that she'd eventually get over what had happened to her.

No…

What confused her was that she was beginning to actually like the group she had found herself traveling with.

The crew of Team Skull that had saved her life were surprisingly friendly once you got to know them. She used to think of Team Skull as a collective group of thugs that just wanted to cause trouble. And while that last part was true, Demi realized that every single member of Team Skull was still a person at the end of the day. They had hopes, dreams, fears, and were still very much human. The group that had helped fend off Night Slash were proof of this, and Demi couldn't help but learn about her new companions as they trekked around Akala Island. They even seemed eager to talk about themselves to Demi.

Kayla was relatively unkind in general, having come from a rough upbringing that showed her little kindness. The Island Challenge that she was forced to compete in despite her wishes only made her even angrier at the people of Alola. Despite that, however, she was fiercely loyal to her brothers and sisters in Team Skull, and was the leader of this particular squad of Team Skull Grunts.

Axen was the jokester of the group, enjoying making snarky remarks and suggestions and always trying to keep things lively. He didn't care who his jabs were at, so long as he got a laugh. Tragically, he had lost most of his team to Totem Araquanid just a few years ago. But the Captain before Lana had been able to cover up the incident and had Axen charged with assault for his troubles when the young man had lashed out in his grief, much like Demi had. Axen fled into the wilds and was eventually picked up by someone named Plumeria, who had helped him to join Team Skull.

Kevin was a bit of a softie when it came down to it. While not particularly smart or talented, he had a good heart. Kevin had started and ended his Island Challenge early, having been unable to defeat Totem Gumshoos at Verdant Cavern. He had tried and failed a grand total of nine times at the first Trial. The failure eventually led to Kevin giving up hope as a Trainer and led him down a depressed road to nowhere. He turned to crime to keep himself alive in the wilds, having been unable to face his family or be good enough to win battles for money as a Trainer. Team Skull eventually crossed paths with him and they became his new family.

Demi admittedly knew next to nothing about Tim. She just knew the guy had family problems and hated the Island Challenge like the rest of Team Skull. The others didn't know much about him either, since he was fairly quiet in general. Due to the damage his mind had been subjected to as a result of Night Slash's Gothitelle, he couldn't speak properly and Demi had a feeling she wouldn't be finding out more about him.

And Gladion…She hadn't figured out yet. She wanted too, though. She liked mysteries, and the aloof boy was a conundrum she was determined to solve. Or at least learn more about. After all…He was the one who had stepped in to save her life, and he was interesting. Him and the monstrous Type: Null who walked alongside him.

Demi walked at the back of the group, smiling as Kayla chatted with Tim while Gladion just ignored everything that was going on. He seemed lost in thought today, which was fine with Demi because she still had to figure out a path forward…

Did she really want to though?

"You seem troubled." Demi started at the soft voice of Gladion. The teen didn't make eye contact with her, instead watching the sun as it slowly descended behind the clouds overhead, but was keeping pace with her. Kayla was looking back at them with amusement before turning her head forward.

"Is it that obvious?" Demi asked with a faint laugh that she didn't really feel. Gladion shrugged in response while Type: Null groaned from beside his Trainer.

"So…what now? Have you made any progress?" Gladion asked Demi, his voice low. The girl shook her head, looking skyward. She truthfully didn't have an answer. Her heart was broken, her mind was still a mess, and she had a decision to make about her future. Honestly, what she really wanted was to go to her room and sleep for a week, alternating between sobbing and eating ice cream. But that wasn't an option for her. She wished she had an option to just throw it all to the side and just…be done with it all.

"I don't want to do anything. But I need to figure something out. Is that okay?" Demi said quietly, sighing softly. To her surprise Gladion nodded understandingly, looking over at her.

"It's only been a few days. Deciding on a path to go from here after such a loss isn't one to take lightly. Take all the time you need. They've developed a liking to you, so they won't rush you. If anything, they're likely going to…Actually, forget I said that. I won't spoil it. I want to see what choice you make." Gladion said as he looked forward, his mouth threatening to curl into a smirk.

"They like me?" Demi asked, surprised as she looked over at the group of Team Skull ahead of them, chatting about their plans.

"Yep. You were hurt by the Island Challenge, like they've been. And you proved yourself in battle as well. I'll admit to having been impressed by you myself. Not many Trainers would have the guts to get back up and fight after losing a starter and getting thrown around by a bandit's Psychic-type." Gladion said as his eyes glanced at Demi, who he was surprised to see was smiling at him. Gladion quickly averted his eyes as Demi chuckled softly, the first time she had laughed and felt mirth since Feya died.

"Well…It's nice to know someone appreciates me. Sucks my family doesn't seem too." Demi muttered, her smile vanishing just like that. Gladion sighed sympathetically at her words.

"Sometimes all you have to rely on when it comes down to it is just yourself and your Pokémon. It's what I do. I may be with Team Skull, but the road I walk is for me and Null alone." Gladion said softly, making Demi give him a sad look.

"Is that why you're so unhappy, Gladion?" Demi asked the teen, whose expression hardened, his gaze becoming sharp.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gladion growled in response Demi shook her head, suddenly feeling tired. She just…wanted this journey to end. Demi then blinked, looking away from Gladion and staring into space as she began to think of something...

Suddenly Demi knew exactly what she could do to ensure she never went through this again. She stopped in her tracks, making Gladion do the same a few moments later. The teen looked at the girl in concern, but Demi ignored him.

"Hey, can we hold up a sec?" Demi asked Tim and Kayla, who were deep in conversation ahead of them. Axen and Kevin had split away from the group to take care of something at Royal Avenue just yesterday, so their group was down to four now. Kayla and Tim stopped, surprised at the request.

"What's up?" Kayla asked.

"I've made a decision on something." Demi announced to the group of Trainers. Team Skull looked at her expectantly, as Demi grabbed both of the Poké Balls at her waist and held them out. She pressed the button on the front of them, holding them down for several seconds before both balls released the Pokémon within in a blue jet of light instead of the usual white. A bewildered Quilava and a bored Litwick looked around their surroundings before looking back at their Trainer. Demi watched them with a somber smile as she knelt down to them, with everyone else watching her with surprise on their faces.

Demi had just released both Torch and Aou.

"This is it, you two…I'm done with this." Demi said to her Quilava and Litwick, who just stared back at the girl with open confusion on their faces. Gladion and the rest of Team Skull stared at Demi in abject shock.


Sun and Hau continued along their path, battling a few Trainers and ensuring their teams got a bit stronger. They did take a side trip to a small path that connected to Paniola Town, where Sun found the TM88, which was for Sleep Talk. A neat, if useless find.

Brago learned the move Reversal, a Fighting-type move that inflicted more damage on the opponent in proportion to how much strength the Pokémon using it had left to battle. This was a much more useful move, in Sun's opinion.

They made their way down the road and eventually by the time they got to a crossroads, it was late in the afternoon. However when they did arrive, a scene was already unfolding before the two boys.

"Whoa." Hau stated, eyeing the group ahead of them with some surprise. A massive horse-like Pokémon snorted in fury as it glanced towards them, neighing loudly. A young woman shorter than the two of them with long black hair tied into two massive, bushy ponytails stood beside the beast. She was dressed in a khaki outfit stained with dirt with a purple bonnet covering her head. She also wore purple gloves and black boots, which were also caked with dirt. Her eyes were the color of steel, powerful and unyielding as she observed the two children for a moment.

"You there, Trainer. Can you come to my aid?" the woman asked, looking at Sun. Sun blinked at the noticeable accent in her voice that seemed much thicker than the regular people in Alola had. Maybe she was from another island? "Over here."

The woman turned around and Sun and Hau saw the two Team Skull Grunts standing behind her, looking angry. Sun stepped forward, with Hau observing, ready to step in if need be. Sun figured the reason he was chosen by the woman instead of Hau was because the other boy was holding a Pokémon Egg in his hands. After a moment of observing the two Team Skull Grunts, Sun recognized them as the two guys who interfered with his Trial back on Melemele Island, Axen and Kevin. A scared Drifloon floated near the woman, eyeing Team Skull with fear in her eyes.

"Yo, yo, yo! Don't go turning your backside on us!" Kevin barked at the woman, stomping down his feet in anger.

"I mean, it's not even nice to begin with! If it was Olivia, that'd be another story…" Axen mused before Kevin looked at him with a bewildered expression.

"Bro, now's not the time." Kevin said quietly, nudging his friend in the arm. Axen seemed to realize that after a moment as well.

"Shit. Sorry, man." Axen muttered before he looked up at Sun and seemed to recognize him, because his fists clenched. "And YOU! You're that numbskull Trainer from Melemele, yo!"

"These scoundrels are Pokémon thieves. And you're on familiar terms with them?" the woman asked Sun, her gaze flicking over to him.

"Well, yeah, I know them…" Sun admitted.

"Yeah, that's right, you do!" Axen yelled over to Sun, who smirked at the Grunt.

"But that's only because they keep trying to mess with me during my Island Trials. And because I keep beating them."

"Well screw you too, asshole." Axen shot back, with Hau snickering behind the Kanto-native. The woman standing opposite of Team Skull regarded the two children behind her for a moment before she smiled slightly.

"I am Hapu." The woman said after a moment, introducing herself to them.

"I'm Sun and this is Hau. And the two guys harassing you are Axen and Kevin, if I remember right." Sun said to the woman, who nodded.

"Damn straight you remember us. We strike fear into the hearts of the weak, yo." Axen remarked, clearly pleased that Sun had remembered his name.

"Be real though. Who could ever forget this handsome face?" Kevin remarked, chuckling softly to himself.

"You all look the freaking same, man. I have no idea what you're talking about." Hau remarked, earning two middle-finger salutes from Team Skull.

"No one asked you, yo!"

"Yeah, we didn't need your opinion! After we kick these two to the curb, we're nabbing that Egg and making an omelet!" Axen yelled at Hau, lifting a fist in his direction. Hau frowned, but shrugged a moment later.

"You guys aren't even worth the effort." Hau remarked, smirking at the two teens as they glared down the grandson of the Kahuna from Melemele Island. Sun wondered that if being related to the famous man made Hau a target for Team Skull, in a way. Hapu speaking snapped Sun out of his reverie.

"Life in the big city sure is something else. Pokémon thieves roam about brazenly…" Hapu mused darkly, eyeing the two thieves with thinly veiled disgust. She turned to Sun, her expression as hard as stone.

"Hmm. I leave that one to you." Hapu said to Sun. Sun wondered why he needed to get involved at all. Axen and Kevin weren't exactly strong Trainers, and whatever the Pokémon was that was standing beside the woman, it looked like something even Sun didn't want to fight.

"We're not thieves, yo! It's a legitimate business!" Kevin protested as he crossed his arms.

"We got straight messed up in Melemele…got exiled to Akala…but we ain't goin' out like that!" Axen barked, drawing a single Poké Ball and releasing his Drowzee as Kevin released his Zubat.

"Brago, let's go!" Sun said, calling out his Growlithe. Brago crouched and glared down the Drowzee, lowering the Pokémon's attack as Axen grit his teeth.

"Flame Wheel!" Sun commanded the canine. The dog barked before leaping high into the air and rolling forward, becoming a raging ball of flames. Axen yelled at Drowzee to dodge, but Brago moved too quickly and slammed into the Psychic-type, knocking it to the ground.

"Come on, man! Show this fool we mean business!" Axen yelled to his partner, who pushed itself to their feet, glaring at Brago.

"Confusion!" Axen yelled out, with Drowzee's eyes glowing a harsh blue. Brago snarled in pain as he was smashed onto the ground several times before Drowzee released the attack, panting slightly.

"Looks like he's nearly done. Brago, use Bite!" Sun yelled out. Brago nodded and lunged forward, his teeth glowing white as he chomped down on the arm of Drowzee and suddenly swung upwards, launching the Psychic-type into the air. Axen watched in horror as his partner crashed onto the ground senseless. He returned his Pokémon with a wince.

"Fight back already!"

Axen and Sun turned and saw that Kevin and Hapu's battle was going rather oddly. Kevin's Zubat was repeatedly attacking Hapu's massive horse Pokémon, but they weren't fighting back. That said, it was obvious that none of the Zubat's attacks were doing much of anything to the huge Pokémon. Whatever it was, the Pokémon was something quite strong indeed.

"Is this it? Surely you can do better than this, for all of your bravado." Hapu said, sounding almost disappointed in the fierce fight Kevin and Zubat were putting up.

"S-shut up! Zubat, Wing Attack! Full power!" Kevin yelled to his partner, who slammed his wings into the face of the horse Pokémon with a loud screech, receiving an annoyed snort in response.

"Mudsdale…use Heavy Slam." Hapu said softly, crossing her arms. The massive Pokémon at the woman's command snorted in response, neighing loudly before glowing a harsh yellow color. Zubat could do nothing but screech in horror as the horse leapt into the air and crashed into it. Sun and Hau both winced at the sheer force used in the move, sending Zubat crashing onto the ground with a faint hiss and kicking up fierce gust of wind that rushed through the clearing.

"No! Zubat!" Kevin yelled out, worry in his voice. The teen sprinted over to his Zubat, dropping to his knees with a horrified look on his face. Sun could see that the Pokémon was injured as well as knocked out, with one of its wings badly broken.

"You shouldn't pick fights…Especially when you have no clue as to who you're competing against. And your Pokémon has paid the price because of your actions. I'd recommend getting the poor thing to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible, and maybe consider whether such a Pokémon deserves to be used as a tool for a petty thug." Hapu said almost coldly, her words making Kevin flinch at her harshness.

"Back the hell off, bitch! It's bad enough you wrecked us, but don't go insulting us too, yo!" Axen barked at the woman before turning to Sun, gritting his teeth.

"Bone-dry!" Axen growled as he suddenly reached into his pocket and threw down a hefty bit of money. Kevin returned his Zubat with a small sigh as he got back to his feet, raising an eyebrow at Axen.

"Dude, that's way more money than you should have given him for losing." Kevin said to Axen, who sighed.

"I know man. But something's making me want to give him more of my money because I lost. I have no idea what that is." Axen admitted, shrugging his shoulders. Sun decided that he would never tell anyone about the evils of the Amulet Coin, but he had to admit using it on Team Skull was hilarious.

"Man, our life sucks. At times like this, it's hard to give a-"

"Damn?"

"Nah, I was going to say Sawsbuck. But that works too." Kevin lamented, crossing his arms before turning to Sun, who was trying not to laugh. They may have been idiots trying to rob people, but they were funny idiots. "Agh, with all these loses, we're gonna anger our bosses! These tears taste like salt, yo! It's all your fault, yo!"

The Drifloon let out a cry as it floated behind Hapu. Mudsdale neighed angrily, pawing the ground as his eyes narrowed. "Mudsdale, shall we stomp these scoundrels?" Hapu said as she stepped forward, strength burning in her steely glare. "It'll be a mess to clean up afterward, but I am willing if you are."

"Time for us to break out, yo! Gotta tell y'all peace out, yo!" Axen yelped, taking a few steps back from the powerful horse.

"I'm not gonna keep telling you this…except when I keep telling you this! You better listen to what my homie says and drill it into that thick skull of yours! Seriously, you'd better not forget, numbskull!" Kevin barked at Sun, pointing a finger at him before the two Trainers sprinted away.

Hapu turned to the Drifloon. "You'll be fine getting home?"

Drifloon let out a happy cry, and Hapu gently patted the Pokémon on the head. Without further ado, the Pokémon floated off towards the nearby city that was about a ten minute walk from where they were at now.

"Glad to see that one will get home on her own." Hapu said warmly, watching the Pokémon depart. She turned to Sun, a grateful smile on her face. "I've got you to thank for that. Give me your name again, Trainer."

"Sun. Nice to meet you." Sun said to the woman, extending his hand to her. Hapu shook Sun's hand, and Sun winced at the strength in her grip.

"You really did show them up good, Sunny boy. And Hapu…jeez, talk about overkill. You're really tough!" Hau gushed excitedly, bounding forward with a grin.

"Thank you...Hau, was it? I'm glad that me and Mudsdale put a bit of fire in your eyes with that little show." Hapu said happily, nodding to the Kahuna's grandson. She then turned to Sun. "Sun, eh? That's a fine name. I like the way you handled yourself in battle." Hapu remarked, a smirk on her face. As if sizing him up to see how he would fare in a showdown against her.

"We're both on our Island Challenge." Hau explained to the woman as he stepped over to Sun. Hapu nodded, her smile widening slightly.

"A worthy quest. As for me…Well, Mudsdale and I are always wandering all about Alola to try and achieve our goals, so perhaps we'll meet again someday. I am indebted to you for your aid, after all." Hapu said with a soft laugh, patting her Mudsdale on the side. The massive horse neighed in response, stepping forward and nuzzling Sun for a moment before doing the same to Hau.

"Pokémon are able to inherently sense the strength within Trainers. You both are young, much like myself, but with time you both will become mighty Trainers. At least, that's what Mudsdale thinks." Hapu said to them, glancing to her Pokémon before regarding the two children thoughtfully. The horse nickered softly, and Hapu nodded.

"Ah yes…You may wish to try your hand at a Battle Royal or two, Sun and Hau. Mudsdale here thinks you'd be well suited to it, given how strong you are. Maybe it'll help you along your journey in some way. Regardless, I wish you both the best of luck." Hapu said before she turned around, quickly hopping onto Mudsdale's back and into the creature's saddle.

"Take care, Miss Hapu! Alola!" Hau said to the woman, beaming up at her.

"Safe travels, ma'am. Alola!" Sun called to the woman as she looked down at them from her saddle, the boy waving at the woman. Hapu waved at them as well and with a flick of the reins, Mudsdale was slowly galloping down the road, kicking up a trail of dust behind them.

"Man…We really do run into some characters, don't we?" Hau asked Sun. The Kanto-native nodded in agreement before he returned Brago. With that, the duo made their way to Royal Avenue proper.

The city itself seemed to be a fairly new-looking place, with none of the buildings showing any sign of the wear that time would show upon them. Signs gleamed in the descending sunlight while flowers bloomed in the city square. Shops and restaurants chattered with activity, while the massive stadium that the city was famous for loomed in the distance, a colorful and glistening monolith that made Sun's heart race with excitement.

But that was for another day.

Sun and Hau headed straight to the Pokémon Center to get a room for the night. They'd see if they could check out the sights in the city and participate in whatever events were going on in the Stadium nearby tomorrow. As the two children were about to enter the Pokémon Center, a familiar figure exited the building. Sun and Hau both stopped in their tracks, completely thrown off by-

"Professor Kukui?" Sun stated, eyeing the man with surprise.

"Heh. Alola, cousins!" Kukui said happily, greeting them both before he blinked and snapped his fingers.

"Sorry boys. I wish I could chat, but I've got to meet Burnet at a place and…Anyways, I already booked your room, so no worries. I've got a surprise for you waiting upstairs anyway. Goodnight!" Kukui said cheerily, quickly walking away from them with a wave.

"Wait, what? Surprise?" Sun asked, but the Professor was quickly out of sight. Sun and Hau exchanged a look before they entered the building, sighing with relief as the air conditioning washed over them. A quick check with Nurse Joy confirmed that Kukui had booked a room for them for the entire week on his behalf. Sun decided to head upstairs to the room while Hau would remain downstairs, since he wanted a checkup on his Egg. Sun left his Pokémon with Nurse Joy for a checkup of their own and found his room, opening the door with the key given to him.

However, when he opened the door, he wasn't expecting what was behind it. And what he saw made him smile widely.

"I thought you two would never get here." Lillie said quietly, grinning at Sun as she set her book down from the bed she was sitting on. Nebby happily waved to him from on top of her head.


"I'm releasing you. You're free to go wherever you want. I'm not your Trainer anymore." Demi said quietly, her voice strained. Torch suddenly looked alarmed, crying out in protest and shaking his head furiously. Aou simply blinked in silence, watching Demi with a bewildered expression.

"You're just giving up? After all that?" Kayla asked after a long pause.

"What is the point in continuing with this? I don't want to be a Trainer anymore. The Island Challenge can rot for all I care. And I'm not going to risk more of my Pokémon to whatever fresh hell Alola wants to unleash on me next." Demi shot back at Kayla, turning around. "If I'm going down, I'm not taking them with me. For all I know the police are trying to hunt me down for attacking Lana-"

"Talk about a bunch of BS!"

Demi started as Axen and Kevin suddenly burst out onto the road, glaring angrily at them. The two approached and Demi was almost grateful for the interruption.

"Stupid Sun kid wrecked us again! We can't catch a break!" Axen huffed, crossing his arms.

"Sun? That's the kid I battled the other day." Gladion said quietly, eyeing Axen with interest.

"You fought Sun?" Demi asked Gladion, Axen, and Kevin.

"Don't dodge the question. How could you just release your Pokémon!?" Kayla demanded, looking as angry as Gladion had ever seen her.

"Because after what happened with Feya, do I even deserve Pokémon? I'm a Fire-type specialist...and I went up against a powerful Water-type Totem, and got my starter killed. And so done with this. The heartache, the pain, and feeling like this is just one big bother. So I'm releasing what Pokémon I have left. They deserve better than a washed up little girl who couldn't beat a stupid spider." Demi hissed back at the Team Skull Grunt, who glared back at her with equal fury in her eyes.

"That's bullshit. An easy out. You're quitting on them, yo. After everything your Pokémon did for you, you're releasing them?" Kayla breathed, her eyes fiery with anger.

"You have no idea what this is like for me. Feya was my best friend, and she's gone. I'm not going to risk something like that happening to Aou and Torch. It's the right thing to do." Demi shot back, with Kayla taking a step back. The Grunt's expression turned to surprise and then sadness, with Kayla then wordlessly pointing behind Demi, who turned around.

Aou was floating away from them all. Demi's former Litwick's flame was burning cheerily as he departed without a backwards glance. Demi felt her hand go to her heart, wincing as her beloved Litwick left her behind. It was better this way. Aou had never been much of a fighter. Had never enjoyed being a part of her team, like Torch and Feya did. Now he didn't have to worry about getting hurt or being stuck with his useless Trainer anymore.

"See…He wanted to go. It's better this way." Demi said as she turned around to face Team Skull. Tim shook his head, clenching his fists.

"Is it really better this way?" Kayla asked darkly, glaring at Demi. "No matter how bad it got, I never released my Pokémon. They stuck by me through all the crap I went through. I may only have my Spearow now, but I never threw away my Pokémon in a fit of grief."

"Shut up! You don't get it!" Demi barked at Kayla, who stood her ground. The other teen laughed at Demi, gesturing to everyone around her.

"You're delusional and you know it. Team Skull knows your pain, Demi Palena. We were created from the ashes of those who were left behind. Those who have suffered because of the ancient traditions of these stupid islands. Forsaken, but not forgotten. We know your pain well, yo…And I think this is a pretty dumb choice. Right boys?" Kayla said, glancing at the others. Tim nodded silently, but the others spoke up.

"Damn, girl. You're in a world of pain, but there's better ways to do it than this." Axen said, sounding angry himself. Kevin interjected, however, stepping forward.

"Do you all seriously blame her? Yo, I've been there. I have been at rock bottom and it's a miserable time. But releasing your Pokémon like that just does nothing but cause trouble. Trust me on this, because I've done it. Do you really want to give up on being a Trainer?" Kevin asked Demi, who nodded firmly.

"I'm done with the Island Challenge. It can burn for all I care. I'm done with being a Trainer too…Clearly I'm not good enough to be one if I can't keep my Pokémon safe." Demi said in reply, walking forward.

"You're not even going to give your Pokémon a choice? That's not fair to them." Kevin said to Demi, who looked back at him.

"Life isn't fair…I wanted nothing more than be an incredible Trainer. Beat the Island Challenge so my family would finally leave me alone about it! But I failed them…I failed Feya. I failed Torch. I failed Aou. I failed everyone. So I'm done. I'm done with all of it. I don't want to hurt them or myself anymore." Demi said to all of them, fighting back the tears now. Why did any of this have to happen?

Demi whirled around and continued down the road, and was surprised when a teen in black suddenly cut her off, his green eyes gleaming in the setting sun. Demi and Gladion stared each other down, with the fierce teen's expression hard as the silence between them stretched on.

"What do you think, Gladion?" Demi asked, her voice sounding weary. Gladion sighed, crossing his arms.

"You're better than this, Demi. You're letting an awful experience and your grief cloud your judgement. And while Aou seems to be gone for good, I think you should look behind you." Gladion said to Demi, who did just that. She was surprised to see Torch still sitting there, staring at her with a pleading expression on his face.

"Looks to me like he doesn't want to go, yo." Axen remarked, chuckling softly under his breath.

"Torch, you're free. Go. Find a place far away from me and be happy, okay?" Demi said to the Quilava, who shook his head.

"Damn it, Torch…Just go. Please. Go…" Demi said quietly, taking a step back from the Quilava. Torch barked out in response, his flames burning bright. Demi clenched her fists, a spike of anger coursing through her.

"Don't you get it?! I released you! Get out of here, you stupid…Agh, Torchy, just go! I don't want this anymore!" Demi shouted at her Quilava, whirling around and running down the road, trying not to let the tears show. They dripped down her face regardless as Demi tried to run from her sorrows, the pain that she was forcing herself through because she deserved it. She deserved this for letting Feya fall. She didn't deserve any of her Pokémon, and-

"LAVA!"

A burst of flames crashed into the road in front of her, making Demi stumble to a halt. Demi fell to the ground and stared at Torch, who was staring her down with anger in his eyes as flames whirled around him. The anger faded as the Quilava calmed himself, staring into Demi's eyes.

"Why…I'm not worth it, Torch." Demi said quietly as the Quilava stepped towards her, the flames dying away. Torch sighed in response before nuzzling Demi's face.

"Quil…La la." Torch replied by way of answer, sitting down on the ground beside Demi. The two former partners stared at each other for a few moments before the sound of clapping jarred Demi out of her reverie.

"Your final flame doesn't seem to want to go out. That's loyalty for you, right there. I can respect that." Kevin said with a chuckle as he and the rest of Team Skull approached them.

"Would you really send him away now? He clearly still loves you, despite everything you say. You're not a failure and not a hazard to your Pokémon." Kayla said firmly, pulling a Great Ball out of the backpack slung over her shoulder and tossing it to Demi, who stared at it. Gladion spoke up, snapping Demi out of her trance.

"Catch him, Demi. A Pokémon like him doesn't care where the road takes him, so long as he walks it with you." Gladion said as he walked forward, reaching down and patting Torch on the head. The Quilava glanced at the teen for a moment before returning his gaze to his former Trainer. The only Trainer he would ever have. Torch wouldn't give up on Demi like she had given up on herself.

"I don't…I don't deserve any of this. Why…" Demi mumbled, looking at all of them. From Torch, who refused to leave her side even when she had released him. To Team Skull, who were trying to talk her out of a seemingly hasty decision.

"Because life's a bitch. If it was a whore, it'd be easy." Axen remarked with a chuckle, earning an elbow to the ribs from Tim.

"Life sucks and then you die, yo. Best way to deal with it is get back up and show life that you're not going to let the bullshit get you down. That's what the people who fight the bad guys do. We're the bad guys, so that means we have to be even surer not to give up than them. Make sense?" Kayla replied, crossing her arms. Demi looked down at the Great Ball in her hands before looking down at Torch. Her final flame. The last smoldering ember of the wonderful blaze that had been her team just a week ago. An ember that refused to burn out.

"You're with me then…Until the end?" Demi whispered to Torch. The Quilava nodded happily, barking in reply. The girl sighed deeply, closing her eyes, before wrapping the Quilava in a fierce embrace.

"Alright…Damned if I do, damned if I don't. For better or worse, we're in this together, Torchy." Demi said as she pressed the Great Ball against the forehead of her final Pokémon. Torch cried out in joy as he was sucked into the Great Ball, which clicked right away to show that no resistance was shown by the Quilava. Demi was helped up by Tim, and Demi looked at the criminals around her.

"I don't deserve any of this…But thank you. Again." Demi said softly, a weak smile on her face as she clipped Torch's Great Ball to her waist.

"Now that we've got this soap opera done with, let's bounce, yo. We'll walk a bit in the moonlight before we crash for the night!" Axen said with a laugh, punching the air as he sauntered down the road. Tim and Kevin followed, with Demi and Gladion following them.

"Guys…wait."

All of the Trainers looked to Kayla, who was looking down at the ground deep in thought and hadn't moved from the spot she had been standing at before. She snapped her fingers and gestured to her Team Skull compatriots, who walked over to her with confusion in their eyes. The group quickly discussed something with animated gestures, with each of them nodding several times before splitting up. Axen shoved Gladion aside and the Team Skull Grunts formed a circle of sorts around Demi, who tensed.

"What is this?" Demi asked the group nervously. Kevin and Axen laughed at her response.

"It's nothing serious, no worries." Axen remarked, crossing his arms.

"Just hear us out, yo." Kevin added a moment later, smiling underneath his bandanna.

"We'd like to formally extend an offer to you." Kayla said as she reached into a pocket and pulled out a gleaming chain with the Team Skull emblem on the front. "An offer to become a member of Team Skull, Demi Pelana, and join our dysfunctional little family."

"…What?" Demi muttered, taking a step back as Kayla grabbed her bandanna and lowered it, revealing a smile of amusement. Kevin, Axen, and Tim did the same, lowering their bandannas and smiling at her.

"Just so you know, if a member if Team Skull reveals their face to someone not associated with the group, it's a gesture of trust." Gladion said softly to Demi, who dimly acknowledged the information as the members of Team Skull smiled at her.

"You heard me. We want you to join us. The Island Challenge is nothing but a toxic blight that's become cancerous to these islands. You and I both know that. You're just like us, Demi. And you…You don't have much left because of the Island Challenge. Your friends are hurt because you lashed out at them when you were upset. Your family turned their back on you. And now all you have left is a Quilava and a grieving heart."

"Let Team Skull lend you a hand. And together we can show Alola what happens when they leave their sons and daughters in the dust. We can be your new family." Kayla said as she walked forward, a genuine smile on her face as she extended a hand to Demi, the pendant of metal dangling from her hand. The stunned teen stared down at the hand in shock, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"No pressure. We understand if you don't want in. Team Skull is voluntary. You can join if you want. You can leave if you feel like it. Not much more to it than that." Axen explained as Demi's eyes flicked to him. Tim nodded in response.

"Like Kayla said, you really can't get any worse off. The Island Challenge needs to go away. It's a disease rotting Alola from the inside out. We can be that change! Join up with us and we can help you." Kevin said quietly, his expression almost pleading. Kayla looked to Tim, Axen, and Kevin, and then to Gladion. Demi followed the girl's gaze, but Gladion's expression became unreadable.

"Don't look at me. This is your choice." Gladion said to Demi, who looked back at the proffered chain dangling from her hand. The offer that was being made. A chance to be with those who understood the struggle she had dealt with since the day she was born. She would be surrounded by those who had suffered at the hands of the Island Challenge. And perhaps…A chance to make a difference in Alola. To make things change for the better, against a stagnant tradition that had done nothing but hurt her and her family.

"Tick tock, Demi. Now's the time to choose. Do you want to continue suffering at the hands of Alola's stupidest tradition? Or are you ready to stand up against it and show everyone what you're made of?" Kayla asked Demi, who stared at the shining necklace in the girl's grip. Demi closed her eyes, considering every facet of the situation…she could feel the cool breeze blow through the clearing, the gentle clinking of the chain in Kayla's hand the only sound around them as the minutes ticked by. Kayla's smile never wavered, while the others watched with anticipation.

Demi then opened her eyes, her decision finally made.

The black-haired girl reached forward and clasped Kayla's hand, gripping the necklace tightly. Kayla grinned and embraced Demi like a sister while Gladion sighed and shut his eyes, having seen this outcome coming since the beginning. He felt a small shiver creep down his spine as Kayla separated from Demi. Kayla beamed at their newest member as she said one simple thing to the girl that seemed to resonate with each of them there.

"Welcome to Team Skull."