Pokémon Radiant Sun


Howdy folks. Time for another chapter.

I'd apologize for the slight tardiness of this chapter, but this weekend was my birthday and I went out with friends and enjoyed it, so I wasn't able to work on this chapter as much as I wanted too, plus I had a bit less time than I usually do since the last chapter updated on Tuesday.

On top of that, my schedule may continue to be screwed up since I'm likely going to lose access to my internet for the remainder of my time in Tech School, which is the only way I can use Google Docs, which is...You know, the only way I can do chapters right now. I'll see if I can work around it somehow, maybe download Microsoft Word again and just go elsewhere to upload, or maybe I'll keep my internet and...I don't know.

I'll do what I can and keep you all posted. Thank you for continuing to bear with me while I try and deal with the insanity. Keep in mind my classes are becoming more and more difficult, and...Heh, let's just say my birthday wasn't the best. But I'm going to try and stay positive as we roll into this next chapter.

I'd just like to state for the record that I do in fact backup all of my files on USB. I just haven't done it with very recent things, like my outline for the story or my RS chapters since they're backed up on this site. Everything else is backed up. I planned for something happening to my laptop, but I didn't expect it to be messed up with so little warning, going from operational to totally ruined in a day or two. The only real setback is that my schedule is jacked up and that last chapter was a few days late and that this is going up on Wednesday instead of Sunday, which I don't think anyone really cares about since the update schedule for this story is still pretty good and no one has really complained about my many setbacks due to the glorious insanity that is military life.

Enough complaining. Onto story stuff.

Weirdly enough, I ended up having two cameos this chapter. Like, I didn't intend for it to happen, it just...did. So hey, more excitement and awesome from some fan favorites. Huzzah!

After this, we'll officially be on the road to the Fire Trial, with a few twists along the way. I've got some big things in store for the next few chapters, as we continue on through the Island Challenge!

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Cottonmouth25, Angelfir3, hafizsyaraf5, Madame Rodoshe, GeekyGamer314, skyguys, Sai Og Sus, SonicIKE, DarkestShade73, a Guest reviewer, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, Ways, TheOneWhoSaysMeep, and another Guest reviewer, as well as a new reviewer known as Champion of the Divine Sun. Thanks for the feedback, patience, and support. It's amazing and I appreciate you all supporting this story.

Also, I have decided at the end of the this chapter to...Do something different. This story has gone through many changes and the final result you see now isn't what was intended at first. In another story, another universe, things may have played out very differently for all involved in the story. I thought it'd be fun to occasionally explore those routes when they become relevant, like they do in this chapter. It'll become clear at the end, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

So...

Enjoy.


Chapter 48: Jackal


"Attack!"

The horde of Pokémon rushed at Jack, who just smiled as his shadow extended outwards, a eerie laugh echoing out and making every single one of the Pokémon slow their approach, wary of what was coming. Lillie shivered as the sinister guffaws grew louder and louder, filling the street with the laughter of the damned.

"Ignore the shadow! It's Jack we want!" Bone Brother B yelled, throwing out an arm as some of the Pokémon decided to chance it and attack.

"Gretel...get 'em." Jack commanded calmly, and with a horrifying cackle a massive ghost Pokémon that Lillie didn't recognize rose from Jack's shadow. The sinister Pokémon snatched a lunging Torracat and a Bagon out of the air with a giggle, slamming both of them into the sidewalk with a sickening crunch. The massive ghost rose to its massive full height, giving the Bone Brother's pause.

"If you know who I am, then understand that Gretel is far less forgiving than me. Back off." Jack said to Team Skull, still smiling as Gretel hovered protectively in front of Jack and Lillie, the Dusknoir flexing her hands with a sinister laugh.

"He's just got the one Pokémon. Take him down!" Bone Brother A yelled, issuing a series of commands. The other two brothers nodded and instructed their horde forward while Jack just sighed.

"Poor old man's going to be so annoyed. But it's for a good cause. Gretel, Dark Pulse. Shadow Punch on anything that gets close." Jack instructed the Dusknoir, who whirled around to give the man a salute before spinning back around and firing off a Dark Pulse from the mouth on her stomach, enveloping the Gumshoos and Tentacruel in the blast and sending them both flying backwards with roars of pain.

"I warned all of you." Jack said as Gretel rushed forward, her fists glowing jet-black as a Golbat lunged from above at her. The Dusknoir giggled as she delivered a wicked uppercut to the massive bat, knocking it skyward with a hiss. However, this allowed a speedy Scyther to dart pass her guard and deliver an X-Scissor, knocking the ghost back a few feet with a groan.

"Stand strong. Fire Punch!" Jack said to the ghost, who snapped her fingers with both hands and ignited them in a burning flame. The Scyther growled and rushed forward, slashing the ghost again, but received a punch to the face that left an awful burn on the Mantis Pokémon's right cheek and sent it crashing to the ground.

"Damn it. Get him, you lot!" Bone Brother C bellowed as his Bagon slowly rose to its feet, panting from the pain it was in. The Murkrow perched on the man's shoulder launched itself into the air and fired a Dark Pulse at Jack, only for a Shadow Ball to slam into the blast and neutralize it.

"How pathetic...If you think I'd allow you to hurt the Commander or the child behind him, you three are deluded." Gretel said as she held out both of her hands, charging up a Shadow Ball within each and firing them at the Scyther as it shot forward again. The Mantis Pokémon screamed as an explosion enveloped it, sending it senseless to the ground.

"Magneton, Shock Wave! Trumbeak, use Aerial Ace! Drapion, use Venoshock!" Bone Brother A snarled as all three of his Pokémon rushed forward.

"Psychic! Dodge what you can!" Jack yelled out. Gretel threw out her hands as her red eye glowed blue, with her hands following a few moments later. The Trumbeak stopped in its tracks with a screech, getting thrown into the path of the Magneton as it released Shock Wave. The bird cried out in agony as the attack surged through it, though this left the Drapion free to hit the Dusknoir with Venoshock, due to its immunity to the move. Gretel hissed in pain as the liquid washed over her, and Lillie winced in sympathy as an acrid smell filled the air.

"Night Slash!" Bone Brother A yelled out as the Drapion growled angrily, crouching low before lunging forward.

"Duck, follow up with Fire Punch. Psychic!" Gretel rushed at the Ogre Scorpion and met it head-on, diving under its attack and delivering a Fire Punch to its face before spinning around and hitting hit with a massive blast of energy, courtesy of the Bagon snarling at her. Gretel shook off the Dragon Rage attack and allowed the psychic energy to flow through her, erupting outwards and rushing into the Bagon, who flew into the air and slammed down into the concrete hard enough to leave a massive crack.

Gretel seized up as a blast of electricity struck her, followed by a blast of fire and a surge of water from the Torracat and Tentacruel respectively. The Dusknoir whirled around and hurled two Shadow Balls at the Pokémon, hitting the Tentacruel and nearly hitting the Torracat as it bounded out of danger. Gretel prepared to send another Shadow Ball its way, but felt searing pain tear through her back and knock her to the ground.

"That's it! Let's find out if Ghost Pokémon can die today, Drapion and Magneton!" Bone Brother A laughed as his two Pokémon charged at the Dusknoir.

"Put down that Magneton. Draw it in with Psychic and use Fire Punch. Then get the Drapion. It's definitely the strongest one out here." Jack said to Gretel, just receiving a nod in response. Lillie marveled at the level of teamwork on display, and wondered how long Gretel and Jack had been together. The Dusknoir used Psychic to pull the Magneton close to her, where she knocked it out with a brutal double Fire Punch. She then flew at the Drapion, who fired off another Venoshock at the ghost. Gretel dodged the attack and engaged the massive Poison/Dark-type.

"Foolish little ingrate...I was old before you were born!" Gretel hissed as she floated back, dodging two Night Slashes from the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon before soaring forward and delivering a series of Fire Punches to her opponent's chest that made the Drapion stumble backwards with a snarl.

"This isn't going well." Bone Brother B grumbled as he watched his Golbat and Torracat rise to their feet, panting from the pain they were in. "Flame Charge and Air Cutter, let's go!"

Both Pokémon charged forward to attack the Dusknoir. Gretel laughed as Jack commanded her to use Shadow Ball on the two of them, only for the Drapion to step in front of the two of them to block the attack, kicking up a fierce blast of smoke.

"Get the Commander!" Bone Brother B roared over the mayhem. Lillie's eyes widened as the Golbat suddenly burst out from the smoke and slammed into Jack, knocking him to the pavement with a yell of pain.

"Mister Jack!" Lillie yelled out as Nebby let out a cry of distress from within his bag. The massive bat hissed, its teeth glowing bright purple, but was surprised when Jack suddenly stabbed the Golbat with a massive serrated knife he had pulled from his jacket. The bat fluttered into the air, spilling crimson on the ground as it tried to retreat.

"Sir, behind you!" Lillie called out, seeing the Torracat burst out of the smoke cloaked in fire. The Commander flipped the knife in his grip and hurled it at the Torracat as it rushed towards him, catching the Pokémon in the side and sending it crumpling to the ground with a massive gash in its side, the Pokémon's flames dying away.

"Commander, are you okay?" Gretel asked, her voice filled with concern. Jack got to his feet with a wince, but his eyes widened in horror.

"Gretel, dodge!" Jack yelled out. The Dusknoir whirled around in surprise, but was too late to do much else than that. Three Dark Pulses slammed into the Dusknoir at once, making the ghost scream as an explosion ripped outwards, knocking Lillie off of her feet from the force of the blast. Jack scowled as he took a step back from the explosion, eyeing the smoke with concern. The Bone Brothers ran forward, digging out healing items and quickly healing their Pokémon with an air of urgency.

"Gretel, status report! You okay?" Jack asked his partner, receiving a soft laugh in response. The smoke cleared, revealing Gretel standing tall. However the Dusknoir was holding her chest and her tone was much less jovial than it was before, a noticeable shiver of pain running down the ghost.

"This is fun. They'll wear me down eventually though. Guzma trained them well and I'm woefully out of practice. That last attack really hurt." Gretel replied as she rushed forward, throwing a Shadow Punch at the injured Torracat as it leapt through the air, cloaked in flames. The cat slammed into the chest of the ghost, but received a shadowy fist to the face in return. This sent it hurtling through the air and into a streetlight, leaving a massive dent in the side of it as the Pokémon fell to the ground senseless. The Dusknoir then screamed as another Dark Pulse slammed into her from behind as the Murkrow swooped down from above, shrieking with laughter.

"Stupid birds. Gretel, Thunder Punch!" Jack barked as the Dusknoir snapped her head up. With a laugh the ghost suddenly flickered into the air in front of the bird Pokémon, surprising it. The Murkrow was further surprised when Gretel's fists exploded in a cloak of lightning and smashed into it, leaving the bird plummeting towards the ground. Gretel dropped to the ground in time for a Dragon Rage to slam into her from the side, making her snarl in pain and send a Shadow Ball towards the Bagon, knocking it across the street and rendering it unconscious.

"Get up! All of you, get the hell up damn it!" Bone Brother B bellowed to the Pokémon, who were trying and failing to get to their feet. The Drapion snarled and lunged forward, slamming into Gretel with Night Slash and making the ghost scream in agony, darting into her shadow and putting distance between her and the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon.

"Come on...where are...Ah, there we go." Jack breathed as the sounds of police sirens filled the air. Lillie watched as several cop cars sped down the street towards their position. The Bone Brothers eyed the approaching law enforcement with horror in their eyes.

"This place is getting a bit hectic. I think we should bail now while they're distracted." Jack said to Gretel, who tiredly nodded and soared over to Jack, grabbing his hand. The Dusknoir offered her hand to Lillie, who hesitated, but grabbed the ghost's hand as well. Without another word, Lillie and Jack were both pulled into the shadows and whisked away as the police swarmed the street.

"Damn it! Commander Jack duped us. He was waiting for the police to show up!" Bone Brother C yelled out, returning his battered Pokémon and beginning to run down the road, his brothers doing the same. However, the police were able to quickly surround the criminals and the officers got out of their cars, releasing a few of their Pokémon and preparing to apprehend the trio that had been wreaking havoc in Royal Avenue.

Suddenly a cluster of Team Skulls Grunts flickered into appearance with a girl wearing a bright yellow sundress standing beside them, looking wary. A Team Skull necklace was draped around her neck and a Quilava was crouched next to her, ready to fight.

"Seriously, you just had to pick a fight, guys?" Kayla asked the Bone Brothers, who all gave her a dirty look.

"Shut it, runt. Let's bail." Bone Brother B growled, putting a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

"Can't believe you guys teleported me right into a standoff. Not what I had in mind." The girl in the dress grumbled, keeping her hand on Axen's shoulder. Kevin and Kayla laughed while Tim just rolled his eyes.

"I guess this is the new girl?" Bone Brother A asked, eyeing the girl in the dress with a skeptical look. Demi looked up into the man's face, scowling at him. The Bone Brother chuckled, patting the girl on the shoulder. "Oh yeah. She's got fire. She'll fit in for sure."

"Not sure if I want too, if this is how casual you guys are about a squad of cops closing in to arrest us." Demi hissed at them, a pit of nervousness bubbling away frantically in her stomach.

"No worries, Demi. Watch this." Axen laughed softly before he flipped off the cops around them. "Alola, you losers! Thanks for swinging by, but we've gotta bounce. Today and tomorrow belongs to Team Skull!" Axen laughed before his Drowzee's eyes glowed and the air shimmered…

And with a flash they were gone, leaving the furious authorities with nothing but a scene to clean up.


Lillie wasn't sure if she could ever accurately describe what it felt like to travel through the shadows, pulled along by the Dusknoir of Commander Jack. It was cold and Lillie could see nothing around her, the world rushing past her infinitely-

And then they were back in the bright daylight, with Lillie gasping as the light blinded her. The girl stumbled forward, falling to the ground disoriented, but a strong hand grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Careful. It always take a few moments to readjust to traveling via Shadow Sneak. Sit down. Open your eyes after a few moments. Catch your breath." Jack instructed from beside Lillie, helping the girl to sit down on the sidewalk. Lillie did as the man instructed, and opened her eyes to see that they were back near the Battle Royal Dome, though it was in a side park area with a few benches nearby. Gretel hovered nearby, peering at Lillie with interest, while Jack looked down the road with his eyes darting around like a dog on guard.

"She looks a lot like Sonya, sir." Gretel murmured, earning a look from Jack as he turned around. His face looked pained, and the man stepped forward and put a hand on the ghost's shoulder.

"I know." Jack replied shortly, looking over his partner and her injuries. "Now, how bad are you hurt? You took a lot of hits, but sometimes it's hard to tell."

"It hurts, but I'll be fine. I wouldn't say no to some treatment though. I hate battling through injuries. So annoying." Gretel replied cheerily, her eyes narrowing as she chortled. Lillie piped up, catching both of their attention.

"I've got plenty of healing supplies in my bag. I can help heal you, if you want." Lillie offered to the Dusknoir, who patted the girl on her head.

"Well thank you, dear. I'd like that very much." Gretel said happily to Lillie, who dropped her bag onto the ground and unzipped it. Nebby leapt free from the bag, flying into Lillie's arms and shaking in terror. Lillie hugged the Cosmog close and whispered to him, consoling the upset Pokémon.

"Well, that's a Pokémon I've never seen before." Jack noted, raising an eyebrow at Nebby. The Cosmog finally calmed down and was now sitting on Lillie's head, eyeing Jack and Gretel with curiosity as Lillie dug through her bag and pulled out a Hyper Potion and a Burn Heal.

"This is Nebby. And I have to ask that you keep his existence a secret. Bad people want to hurt Nebby and it's my job to protect him." Lillie said as she approached Gretel and began applying Burn Heal to the Gripper Pokémon. Lillie made quick work of healing Gretel, restoring her to pristine health in a mere two minutes.

"Much better! Thank you, Miss…?"

"Lillie."

"Miss Lillie." Gretel finished, turning to Jack. "I'll return to the shadows. We should move, in case there's more of them."

"Noted. Lillie, do you have family or friends in Royal Avenue?" Jack asked Lillie, who nodded. "Then take us to them. Me and Gretel will keep lookout."

"Of course, and thank you again Mister Jack." Lillie said to the man, whose expression lightened somewhat as he crossed his arms.

"Might be best if I officially introduce myself. The name's Caleb Jackson, Retired Police Commander of the Alolan Regional Police Department and former member of the International Police. Codename: Jackal." Jack said to Lillie, offering the girl a small lopsided smile. Lillie's eyes widened in surprise, taking a step back. That was...not at all what she was expecting!

"But...you don't look like-" Lillie began, receiving a bark-like laugh from Jack.

"Yeah, I don't look like a police veteran, do I? Well, you shouldn't judge a book by their cover. I served Alola for over 21 years, but looking at me now you'd never be able to tell." Jack remarked, looking amused at Lillie's surprise.

"And...the International Police?" Lillie asked, almost as surprised to find one of the elusive members of the group standing before her as she was learning that the dangerous-looking man that had saved her was basically a hero.

The International Police were a secretive group dedicated to keeping the peace in all of the regions. Lillie knew little about them save for that and the fact that each of their members were sworn to secrecy about all they did. They were also very powerful Trainers.

"Yeah. I'm retired, though. Been that way for a while...Anyways, that's the old me. The ruined old hound you've got in front of you has had a very, very rough time of things lately, so I'll apologize for scaring you back in Heahea City. That particular day was…" Jack trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. Lillie watched in surprise as the man coughed and wiped furiously at his eyes, sighing as he looked away. Gretel looked down, a laugh escaping her that held none of the cheer from before, almost like a wail than anything else.

"Damn it. Shouldn't dwell…" Jack muttered as Gretel slipped into his shadow.

"It never does help, does it?"

Lillie screamed and jumped back as a man suddenly erupted from the shadow of a nearby tree, hands in his pockets and eyeing Jack and Lillie as an Alolan Persian slunk around beneath his legs. Lillie hid behind Jack, but then she began to recognize the man.

"Nanu. I'm surprised you came to track me down. I don't like you straining yourself on my account. Remember what Acey said, you're old and feeble and your brain is turning to mush." Jack said to the gray-haired man with a rough cough that seemed to be a laugh of some kind. Nanu simply shrugged at him, brushing aside the jab. The older man had crimson eyes that radiated an air of supreme boredom, and he was wearing a black police jacket with a red shirt with black slacks. He wore black and red sandals on his feet and a Z-Ring on his wrist.

"As much as the idea of waiting for you and doing nothing appeals to me, I am technically in charge of making sure you're not getting into trouble. Bailing you out of jail wasn't cheap." Nanu replied dryly, earning a shrug from Jack.

"Ran into some trouble on my way there. Couldn't leave this girl to the Bone Brothers, now could I?" Jack replied, earning a scoff from Nanu. Lillie just gaped, looking back and forth between the two men.

Lillie looked at Nanu and said in a very small voice, "This...You're the…"

"Don't remind me. It's way too early in the day for this, and that includes being reminded that the gods hate me." Nanu responded dully, not even giving Lillie a glance. The girl's reverence for the highly-respected man diminished somewhat at his very rude attitude.

"I was just surprised is all. I don't run into a Kahuna every day!" Lillie replied hotly to the man, who just rolled his eyes.

"Well, at least you're underwhelmed, which means I haven't lost my touch. Jack, when you're done playing babysitter, find me at Crown Peak. We have a lot to discuss, and Acerola won't ever let me hear the end of it if I skip dinner again. So some hustle would be appreciated." Nanu said to Jack, who nodded in reply. Nanu looked back to Lillie, giving her a calculating look.

"You better sort out whatever you have to with that Pokémon. Team Skull wants it and Guzma is stupid and determined enough to keep at this forever. I'd wish you luck...but I don't feel like it." Nanu remarked as slipped his hands into his pockets.

With that, Nanu suddenly fell into his own shadow, making Lillie yell out in surprise.

"Yeah, he does that a lot. Lazy old man gets a kick out of terrifying people with it. One of the few things that can make him smile anymore. I do the same with Gretel, though, so I can't judge." Jack remarked, crossing his arms. "Let's get moving."

Lillie nodded and put Nebby back in his bag before zipping it up and slinging it over her shoulders. Jack and Lillie made their way out of the small park and began walking down the road.

"So...You know Kahuna Nanu?" Lillie asked Jack, receiving a nod. Lillie had only heard about the man and seen a picture of him once in the newspaper, which failed to mention how rude and blunt the man was.

"We used to be each other's boss, actually. He was my supervisor in the International Police, and I was above him on the actual police force here in Alola. He still serves, but I had to retire after...Well, that whole song and dance." Jack said vaguely, waving his hand through the air. Lillie had the distinct feeling Jack didn't want to talk about why he had to retire, so she decided not to press the issue.

"He bailed you out of jail, though?"

"Yeah, after that scene in the hospital you saw the other week, I got thrown in jail. Nanu bailed me out yesterday and is keeping tabs on me now. He's worried I'll do something drastic since everything's gone so bad, but...as much as I want to die, I'm not going down yet." Jack remarked lightly, receiving a horrified look from Lillie.

"H-how...How can you just be so casual about something like that? That's terrible!" Lillie said to the man, who stopped walking and looked down at her with a familiar expression that she had seen on Sun. The look of someone who had no idea what to do with themself, so great was their despair. Jack too, had been through unimaginable pain. Recently too. Just like Sun. Except his seemed bad enough for it to completely break the formidable man.

"When I met you on that sidewalk in Heahea City...I had been in a car crash just two hours prior. A drunk driver blew through a red light and hit our car head-on. My daughter, Sonya, died at the scene. She was about your age…" Jack said very quietly, walking ahead of Lillie. The girl just stared at the man, transfixed in horror at the man's revelation. Lillie ran after the Commander, walking alongside him with her mind racing as she remembered the state Jack was in when they had first met. The man had been covered in fresh, bleeding injuries and had been limping badly...a wild look of anger and pain in his eyes…

Lillie and Sun had met Jack just hours after he had lost his daughter...

"Oh my god…" Lillie thought, a hand going to her heart as she tried to imagine the pain Jack must have been going through, The veteran wasn't done yet, though.

"And my wife...Well, she was put in a coma after the wreck. She didn't wake up, though...They pulled the plug on her a few days ago and she passed too. I lost both of my girls in just a matter of days." Jack continued on, the anger and sadness and self-loathing pulsing through his gritted teeth. Lillie could feel the man's crippling fury and pain, and Lillie remembered the scene she had witnessed back at the hospital.


"You promised me you would save her! You bastards promised me!"


"The doctor's promised me they could help my Clara. They failed. They pulled the plug on her and let her die. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye." Jack hissed, clenching his fists in righteous fury.


"You're not going to take me out of here! Clara! I'll save you!"


"So here I am. Trying to find a way to keep going. I've lost my career. Most of my friends. And now my beautiful angels...All that's left is a broken dog who just wants to be put out his misery." Jack growled as he shoved his hands into his pockets, uncaring that Lillie was having to jog to keep up with him and that boiling hot tears were running down his face.

"But...sir, there's always something to live for. Always. That...just isn't the answer, no matter how bad things get." Lillie said to the man, who let out an empty laugh.

"Yeah, that's what they say, until you're at that point yourself. But I'm not allowed to die yet. No...Nanu's counting on me to help him. Bad things are happening, Lillie. Bad people are around these islands that want to hurt others for their own ends." Jack said to Lillie, stopping in his tracks and looking at her.

"I know that, sir...I'm trying to fight them too, in my own way. I won't let them win." Lillie said to Jack, who raised an eyebrow, his anger calming due to surprise at the girl's words.

"You? Fight them?" Jack said skeptically, a trace of grim amusement in his eyes.

"Y-yes...I may be weak. I may not be a Trainer or be strong in any way. But...Nebby is counting on me. And even if I may falter, I have friends supporting me all the way with their strength. I have to keep fighting because they believe in me. I have to be brave, even if I am scared. I won't give up!" Lillie said to the man, who leaned to one side with surprise on his face. Jack looked down at Lillie for a long while, taking in the determined look on the little girl's face. She was young, scared, and weak...But she would still keep fighting against people like Team Skull no matter what.

"Kids...They really are treasures, huh? I almost lost sight of that, in my misery. I won't forget it again." Jack said as a sad little smile flashed across his face. The man turned around, beckoning Lillie to follow. The two walked at a more sedate pace, with Jack keeping a lookout.

"I'm...sorry, sir."

"About?"

"Just...everything. What you've lost. And for assuming that just because you're big and scary, that you're a bad person. But you're not. You're a very good person going through something no one should suffer through. You saved me and Nebby from those men, and I'll always be thankful for rescuing us." Lillie said to the man with a grateful smile on her face.

"You never know what people are going through. You don't know their story...So don't assume. Stay kind, Lillie. It's what makes people believe that maybe there's something to fight for in this world." Jack said before he caught sight of two young Trainers running towards them. Lillie smiled upon seeing them, sighing softly.

"Those are my friends." Lillie said to Jack as the man stepped in front of her. Jack nodded and stepped aside, though he kept a watchful eye on her regardless.

"Lillie! There you are!" Mallow cried out. Sun sprinted past her and tackled Lillie in a fierce hug that the girl returned after a moment of surprise, blushing furiously at the sudden and very public gesture of affection from her friend.

"I was so worried…" Sun muttered, separating from his friend and looking at her with a relieved expression. Sun regarded the massive man behind her, his eyes going wide as he recognized them from their first encounter.

"And this is where I leave you." Jack said to Lillie, who turned around to face the man who had saved her and Nebby. Lillie bowed to the Commander, smiling up at him. Jack almost winced at the happy expression on the girl's face, reminding him of another precious girl who he hadn't been able to save.

"No...Not now. Wait until you're with Nanu. Hold it together." Jack thought to himself as Sun and Mallow looked at the wild man warily.

"Lillie, is this guy giving you trouble again?" Sun asked, stepping forward to stand by Lillie. The girl shook her head in response.

"No. This man saved me and Nebby from Team Skull. He's a hero, Sun." Lillie said to Sun, who blinked in surprise. Lillie turned around to face the Commander and said, "Thank you so much for everything, sir. I can't thank you enough for helping me!"

Jack waved dismissively, brushing aside the thanks. "I'd hate for something bad to happen to a brave little girl like you. Those idiots should be behind bars by now, so something good came out of it. Anyways, I'm off to meet old Nanu, so you take care now. And...be good, alright?" Jack said to the girl, receiving a nod in reply. Jack stepped backwards as Gretel rose from the shadows.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lillie." Gretel said, shaking the girl's hands enthusiastically. Lillie laughed as the ghost sank back into Jack's shadow. The Commander gave the group a two-finger salute in farewell and walked off down the street. His heart felt just a little bit lighter than it had in quite some time, which wasn't saying much considering recent events, but it mattered to him. Jack didn't have to wait long for Gretel to speak again. He knew his partner would have something to say before they met back with Nanu.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"That girl...I saw her future. With, you know, Future Sight?"

"Did you now? And what did you see?"

"That is a very special girl. And she and her little pet must be protected at all costs. Miss Lillie and the boy at her side...They will undergo the most painful of times, but rise from the ashes as something greater. Together they will usher in a golden age for Alola. A strength that burns hotter than the sun and shines more brilliantly than the moon." Gretel replied softly as she rose from Jack's shadow, swaying as her eyes glowed a harsh red. Jack regarded his partner thoughtfully before looking back at the departing girl he had rescued earlier.

"Hmph...Maybe Nanu was right after all. I suppose even after all these years, my oath to protect Alola still stands." Jack said quietly, smiling as Lillie and her friends vanished from his sight. "That girl...If my fate is to be a guardian for the weak so that they may grow to become stronger, than be it. I may not have anything to live for anymore. But maybe I can still protect those who do deserve to live."

"Not quite what I had in mind when I said I wanted you to think of less depressing thoughts, but I'll take it!" Gretel laughed as she grabbed Jack and dove with him into his shadow, vanishing from the street.


Lillie quickly gave her friends a rundown of the events that had occurred with Jack, including her discussion with the man and his story. Mallow was deeply interested in the story, considering that Jack's wife was one of the most well-known singers in recent history. Clara Ho'omaha had been in the news as of late due to her sudden and tragic passing, with several tribute programs playing on TV to pay respect for the fallen singer. Sun even remembered back on Route 5 when he heard the news about Commander Jack and Clara, and how he wondered how someone got through such a massive loss.

"Well, I guess what he said is true. You really can't judge a book by their cover." Sun remarked, earning a nod of agreement from Mallow and Lillie.

Lana and Hau entered the Pokémon Center, laughing as they brought in a box of donuts for everyone to eat. The two Trainers were caught up to speed, and were equally surprised and horrified, though Hau was just glad Lillie was okay.

"So, you two were gone for a while. Did the date go okay?" Mallow asked teasingly, earning a confused look from Hau and a massive blush from Lana.

"Shutupshutupshutup!"Lana stammered, burying her face in her hands with embarrassment while Sun and Lillie giggled.

"But...we just went to get snacks and played with some Pokémon out in the park." Hau stated, cocking his head.

"I know that, Hau, but they think we went out on a date." Lana said with her face muffled in her hands. Hau shrugged and snagged a donut.

"I mean, what's so bad about that? Sun was basically a coat rack for Lillie and Mallow all day. Can we discuss how absolutely whipped Sunshine here is?" Hau said with a smirk, earning a snicker from Mallow as she wheeled around to face an embarrassed Sun. Thanks to the suggestion, Sun was quickly reduced to a red-faced and pouting boy because of how submissive and easily manipulated he had been earlier.

Unseen by the others, Lana gave Hau a grateful smile at the misdirection. Hau gave the girl a thumbs up, and with that the group continued to laugh and enjoy their time together before their night came to a close.


The rest of the week played out in this fashion. Battle Royals in the morning, exploring and training by afternoon with Hugh, and hanging out with Mallow and Lana come nightfall. Lillie was always kept within eyesight, lest she fall victim to Team Skull yet again. Sun and Hau ended up having to battle a few of them within the city to save a few kids who were getting mugged by the thugs.

On their final planned day for being at Royal Avenue, Hugh finally got his chance to try out the Battle Royal's more serious showdowns. Naturally, everyone came along to show their support for the crimson-eyed young man, who managed to win the event with a fierce showing from his Simisage and Flygon, battling a massive man with a strange blue mask and two other Trainers that were unmemorable. Hugh shook the hand of the masked man, who let out a booming laugh Sun could hear all the way up in his seat. The group rushed to the lobby to congratulate Hugh, but found him shaking the hand of the masked man he had just defeated.

"Wahaha! That battling spirit is roaring like a big wave, kid! What's your name?" the masked man asked Hugh, who grinned back at the man.

"Hugh Iustitia. You're Crasher Wake, right? One of the Sinnoh Gym Leaders?" Hugh asked Wake, who cackled with delight.

"Ah, my reputation precedes me! Yes, my boy, I'm the Gym Leader of Pastoria City. Water-type expert and twelve-time Sinnoh Heavyweight Champion, as well as runner-up in the Amateur Regional Karaoke Showdown!" the foreign Gym Leader proclaimed, putting his hands on his waist.

"You're a Water-type expert? So you're the one I heard about!" Lana said with an excited smile. Crasher Wake chuckled at the remark.

"You betcha, little lady. I recognize the two of you. You're two of the Captains from this island, right? Pleased to meet you!" Wake boomed happily, extending a hand out to them. Mallow giggled as she shook the Gym Leader's hand, and Lana did the same, though she looked up at Wake with a reverent smile.

"Sir, I specialize in Water Pokémon as well!" Lana piped up, earning a hearty laugh from Wake.

"Is that so? Mind showing me some of the special ones found only here in Alola? I've only been here for a week and haven't had a chance to look around all that much." Wake admitted with a chuckle. Lana nodded and grabbed a Poké Ball from her waist, releasing her Araquanid.

"This is my Araquanid, Charlotte. She evolves from Dewpider, which is…" Lana grabbed another two Poké Balls from her belt and called out two small spider-like Pokémon that Sun recognized from his Water Trial. Wake eyed the Pokémon with excitement, bending down to see them better.

"Zzzt! This looks like a job for Rotom Dex!" Sun yelped as Rotom frantically burst out of his backpack, zooming around through the air.

"Wow, excited much?" Sun asked the device, who spun around to face him.

"Hey, I haven't had much time to shine! Time for me to do what I do best!" Rotom proclaimed before he swooped down to where the small bug Pokémon were standing.

"Dewpider. The Water Bubble Pokémon. It crawls onto the land in search of food. Its water bubble allows it to breathe and protects its soft head. When it comes across enemies or potential prey, this Pokémon smashes its water-bubble-covered head into them." Rotom Dex explained as Wake looked over at it before returning his attention to the two Dewpiders.

"I'm helping these two get a bit stronger in my spare time. They really belong to my two little sisters, but they're not old enough to be serious Trainers and I have Charlotte so…" Lana shrugged with a small smile.

"Another job for Rotom Dex!" the device yelled out happily as it floated by Charlotte, loading up its data.

"Araquanid. The Water Bubble Pokémon. Despite what its appearance suggests, it cares for others. If it finds vulnerable, weak Pokémon, it protectively brings them into its water bubble. It delivers headbutts with the water bubble on its head. Small Pokémon get sucked into the bubble, where they drown."

"So...does that imply that it murders small Pokémon in its attempt to help them or…"

"Incredible! Is this a Bug and Water-type? Not many of those, is there?" Wake asked, grinning widely.

"There's actually another line of Pokémon here in Alola who have that typing as well, sir." Mallow remarked as Wake picked up one of the Dewpider. The small Pokémon happy let out a cry as the wrestler held it.

"Seriously, are we just ignoring that Pokédex entry about the whole killing innocent Pokémon thing or...?"

"Hau, stop interrupting. It's rude."

"That little one is very feisty. I'm surprised she's as calm as she is in your hands, sir." Lana said to the man, who laughed in response.

"Pokémon can sense strength, even in little ones like these. And they respect it, too. It's why Pokémon listen to their Trainers better after acquiring Gym Badges. You think it's just Pokémon that get stronger on journeys? No. Trainers become stronger, in both body and heart, along the way as well. This little one can sense my strength and knows I won't her hurt. So that's why she's happy." Wake explained as he set down the Dewpider and patted her on the head, though he also pet the other one so she wouldn't feel left out. Wake stood back up and laughed again.

"Ahh, I'm so pumped! I'm glad I took Kukui up on his offer to come here!" Wake barked, grinning widely.

"You know Professor Kukui?" Lillie asked, surprised. Crasher Wake laughed yet again, pounding a fist to his chest.

"Ha! You're kidding, right? He's a dear friend of mine! We go back way back! He invited me here so I can take part in the Akala Island Grand Championship Tournament! Besides, I have way too many vacation days and kinda need to use them up...So here I am!" Wake finished with another laugh.

"How've you been liking Alola so far?" Hugh asked the man.

"I love it! The whole Island Challenge thingy looks like loads of fun. Kukui even fixed things up so I could give it a run myself. I'll be training up a few rookies to strengthen them up a bit along the way for some extra fun." Wake explained as he crossed his arms.

"Speaking of, I need to find the Professor. He said he needed my advice on something important. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, do you?" Wake asked the children.

"He hasn't been around much this week, but I think he's in the Battle Royal Dome somewhere." Lillie piped up, receiving a nod of thanks from the Gym Leader.

"Then that's where my journey shall begin! I hope you all have a fantastic day and make sure to look on the bright side of life!" Wake boomed with another laugh as he departed, in search of an even more eccentric man.

"Why do I have the feeling that even if he didn't find the Professor, he'd have a great time just in the adventure of looking for him?" Sun asked the others.

"I mean, I liked him!" Hau said cheerfully, putting his hands behind his head. Lana bent down to pat the two Dewpiders on the head before returning them. The Araquanid was returned next, and Lana looked over at Wake as he walked out of sight as she reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokémon Egg.

"I bet there's a lot I can learn from someone like him. I'll definitely try and talk to him if he does come around for the Water Trial." Lana said with an excited smile.

"You should go for it. I'd love to talk to a Grass-type Gym Leader sometime. With all the tourists we get, I'm amazed more of them don't make themselves known." Mallow complained, sighing as she shrugged.

"I'm sure they do come around, but don't advertise their presence. Sometimes people just want to enjoy their time in the sun. I actually met another Gym Leader a little while ago, but I wouldn't have known it if they hadn't accidentally let it slip." Hugh admitted with a grin, earning two glares from the Captains.

"Which Gym Leader?" Mallow asked.

"Old man Ramos, from Kalos."

"He's a Grass-type specialist! Hugh, how could you do this to me!?"

"How on earth would I have gotten in contact with you, even if he did want to be bothered by random teenagers?"

"I...Uh...hmm...Crap. Kinda got me there."

"Exactly."

"Ugh, all this arguing. Unproductive. We should focus on more important things, like going out for Malasadas. Who's down for a snack...okay, more like lunch." Hau admitted after a moment, grinning widely.

"Hau, we've went to that store every single day this week. I think it's time we address the fact that you're addicted to those things." Mallow said to Hau, who looked at her with a scandalized expression, as if she suggested something horrible.

"I...I can't even come up with a response to that. Do you all think this?" Hau asked his friends, who all nodded. Admittedly, they were all tired of the things by now since Hau insisted on going to eat at the Royal Avenue Malasada Shop every single day they had been there.

"I thought you were all my friends. Like…" Hau trailed off, almost seeming like he was about to cry. He then straightened up, pumping his fist outwards.

"Fine, if you all won't go with me, I'll find someone who will!" Hau proclaimed, turning to Sun.

"Not a chance." Sun replied flatly, making Hau's smile falter.

"Alright, then I'll go with Plan B. Lana, you want to come with? I'll buy!" Hau asked the girl, who shrugged in reply.

"I wouldn't mind having just one Malasada, if its a sour one that is." Lana replied, earning a massive grin from Hau.

"Ha! Suck it, nerds! At least someone here can appreciate good food! Let's roll, Captain!" Hau declared as he speed-walked off. Lana rolled her eyes and ran as fast as she dared with her Egg in her hands. Lana caught up with Hau, who thankfully slowed down for her, and the two set off towards the Malasada shop. At Lana's suggestion, Hau grabbed his Egg from his bag and walked with it in his hands like Lana was now.

"Just so you know, the only reason I agreed is because I'm smart and haven't been eating those things as much as they have. When you've been friends with a food wizard like Mallow as long as I have, you learn not to burn yourself out on good foods by overindulging." Lana explained to Hau, who just grinned at her.

"Makes sense to me! I could never get tired of them!" Hau proclaimed as he looked skyward, eyeing beautiful sky with a fond smile.

"So, are you having fun in Royal Avenue? We've been quite active this week." Lana asked her friend, who nodded happily.

"You bet. The Battle Royals are awesome, I get to hang with my friends, and best of all I'm getting to have all these awesome experiences." Hau replied as he looked up towards the sky. "That's what my journey is all about. Having fun and enjoying life with my Pokémon. And right now I'd like to say this journey has been a huge success so far.

"That's good. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying yourself."

"Yeah...How about you, Lana? You've been spending a lot of time with us. Have you been having fun?" Hau asked the Water-type specialist.

"I have. It's nice to get to spend time with you all. I usually don't end up being friends with the Trial-goers I meet every day, but...You and Sun were special. And I'm very thankful to be your friends." Lana said quietly, offering Hau a grateful smile. Hau grinned back at the Captain as they neared a large fountain on Royal Square, which was essentially a park surrounded by flowers of all kinds.

"Hey, the pleasure is ours. You can't ever have enough friends, you know?" Hau replied before he suddenly looked down at his Egg, which had just twitched in his hands.

"This little thing is so close to hatching! I can't wait to see what's inside." Hau said as he rubbed the top of the Egg, his smile widening. Lana couldn't help a giggle, thinking it was adorable how excited Hau was about his Egg hatching…

And then Lana's Egg began to glow.

"Lana! Your Egg!" Hau yelped, staring at Lana's Egg as she looked down, admiring the glowing object with surprised awe. Hau quickly moved the girl over to the nearby fountain. She sat down and watched the Egg with an excited gleam in her eyes as it continued to flash white again and again before it trembled and a small crack appeared at the top.

Lana and Hau both let out cries of surprise as the Egg began to glow a brilliant shade of light blue before a multitude of cracks ran down the surface. And then, the Pokémon Egg exploded in a shower of fragments, revealing a small blue seal Pokémon with two flippers and a pink nose. The small Pokémon shuddered for a moment before it opened its eyes, seeing the blue-haired girl staring down at it with an awed expression.

"Brawrk?" the Pokémon cried out, smiling happily at Lana as it threw apart its arms. Lana let out a gasp and embraced her new Pokémon, hugging it to her chest.

"Oh my goodness! It's a Popplio!" Lana said tearfully as the baby Pokémon nuzzled the Trainer that it knew was its mother. Hau couldn't help the massive smile on his face as he saw Lana happily holding the infant.

"Congrats, Lana! You're a mom now!" Hau said to the Captain, receiving a happy grin in response as a tear rolled down her face. Lana held out her Popplio as it happily barked a greeting to his mother, who laughed softly.

"Hello there, little one. I'm Lana, and it's very nice to meet you." Lana whispered, pressing her nose against her Popplio's nose. Hau could see the sheer joy in her eyes and knew that this newborn Popplio was in good hands. Lana had a good heart and would make sure it was well taken care of. Lana held the baby Pokémon in her arms and let the infant curl up happily within them, barking out again.

"I bet the little guy might like something to eat." Hau said with a chuckle. Lana pondered that for a moment before she nodded.

"I read that it newborn Pokémon should eat within the first hour of hatching, if possible. Thankfully, I prepared for something like this." Lana said as she hopped to her feet.

"You brought food for the little guy?" Hau asked Lana, who grinned at him.

"Of course. Any Trainer who is expecting a newborn Pokémon should prepare accordingly...um...You did the same, right?" Lana asked Hau, who laughed nervously. Lana sighed and would have face-palmed, but she was holding a baby Popplio.

"Looks like we're going shopping after this. I'll text Mallow and have her meet us at the Thrifty Megamart. You all were planning on leaving Royal Avenue today, correct?" Lana asked Hau as the two of them began walking again.

"Yeah. We've got to get going, you know?" Hau answered with a shrug.

"I understand. It's been nice though...We should definitely hang out again sometime." Lana said quietly, smiling and looking away so that Hau couldn't see the blush on her face. The Popplio in Lana's arms squirmed and barked out occasionally, eyeing everything around it with an infantile sense of wonder.

With that, the two Trainers made good time to the Malasada Shop. Hau ordered a plate of the desserts for himself while Lana just got a large Sour Malasada for herself, along with a cup of Tapu Cocoa. The baby Popplio was the center of attention for the store, though, happily burbling in joy as Lana smiled down proudly at her newborn Popplio.

"You're practically glowing, Lana. Are you really that happy?" Hau asked his friend as he began to scarf down his first Malasada. Lana nodded as she pulled a small bottle out of her bag and began to fill it with Pokémon baby formula.

"Of course I am. I...This is the first Egg I have ever gotten a chance to watch over and see hatch. I...Can't explain it, Hau. But I'm so happy right now to have this little one hatch happy and healthy." Lana said as she held her Popplio in her arms and began to bottle-feed the newborn. Popplio took a moment to understand what was going on, but soon the baby was silently eating its first meal.

"Your Malasada is getting cold." Hau noted as he downed his third treat. Lana stuck her tongue out at her friend, who just smirked.

"It'll just have to wait. You keep on enjoying yours, though. I know how much you like them." Lana laughed quietly as she continued to care for her baby Pokémon.

"Fair enough. I have to say though, this whole scene is super cute. You're totally prepared to be a mom to your new Pokémon, and that's awesome." Hau praised his friend, who smiled inwardly as Lana blushed bright pink at the praise. Hau may not have been exactly a genius when it came to women, but he knew everyone liked getting compliments and that Lana was very happy to get them from him.

"T-thank you, Hau, but I...I…" Lana trailed off, her eyes widening in surprise. Hau had the same reaction as he eyed the Pokémon Egg on the table that belonged to him, that had suddenly began to twitch and glow like the Popplio Egg had done before…

"It's hatching!" Hau whispered as he suddenly hopped to his feet. The entire shop caught sight of the glowing Egg and watched with bated breath as Hau carefully removed the lid to the incubator, his hands shaking as he watched his Egg slowly began to crack apart. Lana and her Popplio watched in awe as well, amazed to see the spectacle before them.

And then, the Egg exploded in a shower of glowing fragments and a glowing Pokémon was left in its place. After a few moments the glow died, revealing a small and furry brown and creme-colored Pokémon. The baby Pokémon yipped happily as it looked at Hau, who seemed absolutely speechless.

"Eeeeeveeee!" the Pokémon greeted Hau, taking a slow step before tumbling forward. Hau moved quicker than he had moved in his life to catch the baby before it fell onto the table, sweeping it up in his arms with a massive smile on his face.

"An Eevee! Wow, Hau, that's incredible!" Lana breathed as her Popplio watched on with a bemused expression on its face.

"Hi there...I'm Hau. Welcome to the world." Hau whispered as he held the Pokémon up to his face. The Eevee yipped happily as Hau rubbed his face against the face of the infant, giggling to himself.

"Oh my god, he is so adorable right now." Lana thought as she hugged her Popplio, watching Hau completely ignore his Malasadas and shower the newborn Pokémon with affection, which the Eevee was more than happy to receive. Hau pulled out his standard-issue Pokédex and scanned his Eevee, an automated female voice reading the entry on the Pokémon aloud for them.

"Eevee. The Evolution Pokémon. Possessing an unbalanced and unstable genetic makeup, it conceals many possible evolutions. Current studies show that it can evolve into an incredible eight different species of Pokémon. This Eevee is male with the ability Adaptability."

"Can I borrow that for a moment?" Lana asked as she finished feeding her Popplio. She stuffed the bottle away as the small seal barked happily, nuzzling Lana's neck affectionately as she quickly prepared another bottle. She handed it to Hau, who blinked before taking it. Lana checked the data on her new Popplio as Hau tried to figure out how to feed his baby Eevee. It took about three minutes or so, but eventually he and the Eevee sorted out the problem and Hau was feeding his newest Pokémon.

"This little one is male as well. We'll need to get them both checked out by Nurse Joy. I'm so excited to see what Popplio can do once it gets older. But...I don't think I'll battle with him for a while." Lana said as she finally reached for her Malasada, taking a big bite of the desert. Popplio curled up in her arms, deciding now would be a nice time for a nap. Hau just continued to pet his Eevee, beaming with joy.

"Your face looks like it's going to break, Hau." Lana laughed softly, to which Hau replied by sticking his tongue out.

"Psh, yeah right. I'm always in a great mood. Except now, I'm in an amazing mood because I've got an awesome new Pokémon and I'm technically a dad now!" Hau said happily as he hugged the Eevee close to his face. Hau's smile faltered as he shut his eyes tight, making a silent promise to himself and the newborn in his arms.

"I swear to you, little buddy...I'll be a better Dad to you than mine was to me."


Hau and Lana both departed from the Malasada Shop after being congratulated on their Eggs hatching by several patrons of the store. Both Trainers got their respective baby Pokémon checked out by Nurse Joy, who gave both newborns a clean bill of health. As the duo made their way towards the other end of the city and the Thrifty Megamart with their baby Pokémon held in their arms, Lana spoke up.

"So...I suppose we should come up with names for them, huh?" Lana said quietly as the two of them walked down the sidewalk. Hau hummed happily in response, scratching his baby Eevee behind the ears, receiving a happy purr from the small Pokémon in his arms.

"Yep. Umm...Jeez, that's hard. Eevee can evolve into all sorts of things. And I don't really know much about this little guy yet, so...Hmm…" Hau thought hard but couldn't come up with anything.

"Well, I settled on a name already." Lana said happily as she hugged her Popplio close to her chest, making the infant happily bark out as he threw his arms around his mother. "I'm naming this little guy Bubbles."

"Bubbles?"

"The Popplio line is well-known for them. Don't tell me you don't know that, Hau. You have a Brionne!"

"I mean, I did know that, it's just not something I think about regularly. I don't have a haunted Pokédex chilling in my backpack."

"Fair point. So...Names for your Eevee?"

Hau groaned in frustration, throwing his head up. "This is hard! Bubbles is a good name, too...Man…"

"Well, it all depends on your train of thought. Maybe you could name him after a potential evolved form? Or something that speaks to you as a person. Maybe your battling style? You could name him after someone important to you. A word in another language, maybe?" Lana suggested to a surprised Hau, who seemed to not expect the outpouring of suggestions.

"Well, I have no idea what he'll evolve into. It depends on him. And...Well, I got him from Sun. Maybe…" Hau's frown slowly quirked into a smile as he turned the baby Eevee around and held him up.

"How about...Kaha?" Hau asked the Eevee, who happily yipped in response. Lana smirked in response to hearing the name. Kaha meant "sunny" in Alolan, and was actually quite fitting. Hau's baby Eevee would have a good name no matter what it evolved into and it was pretty adorable too.

Lana smiled as she watched Hau happily play with his newborn Pokémon with fondness. She really had taken a great liking to the boy, as much as she tried to brush off Mallow's teasing about it. While Sun had likewise been kind to her and was handsome in his own regard, she appreciated Hau's love for life and just general cheer. The boy remained positive and strong no matter what was thrown his way, and was a friend to anyone. Hau had every reason to hate her, after being the cause of him having a falling out with Demi, who had been a much prettier girl that admitted to Lana that they were close to becoming something more.

But Hau didn't care about any of that. He became Lana's friend instead. Hau thought she was a lot better than she thought she was, and made her smile a lot more than Lana usually did. And while she wasn't very good around cute boys, she was willing to risk being awkward just so she could spend time with him. Lana knew that anything more than friendship was a very long shot, but she also didn't mind if it didn't go further than that. A Trainer like Hau didn't come along every day. She was happy to be his friend.

The two Trainers fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence, with Bubbles and Kaha occupying their parent's attention. It wasn't long before they arrived in a massive parking lot on the edge of the city, where their friends were waiting for them.

"Oh my god...Babies!" Mallow yelled as she sprinted over to Lana and Hau, eyeing the newborn Pokémon with eyes that practically glowed. However, it seemed both infants didn't take too kindly to the loud noises the Captain was making, and the both of them burst into tears.

"Nice going, Mallow." Lana said with an annoyed look on her face.

"B-but...Agh, fudge. Sorry guys. I'll tone it down a bit, even if those babies are super adorable." Mallow admitted as both infants were calmed down by a calm Lana and a frantic Hau, who was making shushing sounds to placate the upset Eevee.

"It's okay...the loud noises stopped. See?" Hau asked the Pokémon as it tearfully looked up. Kaha nuzzled Hau's chest with a small shudder, mewing softly.

"Oh, come on man...This little guy is just about going to break me with how cute he is." Hau sighed as he hugged the Eevee. Lillie giggled softly while Sun just took a step back, slowly inhaling and exhaling.

"It's okay...Just breathe. This is about Hau. This is Hau's Eevee. This is a different one. He's not here now...That baby is safe. It's safe." Sun told himself, frantically struggling to remain calm. He hoped Hau evolved the Eevee soon. Maybe then he wouldn't constantly be reminded of things he desperately wanted to repress.

"So, can we get down to the shopping part? I was hoping to get this little guy some stuff for the road. Lana had some food and a spare bottle, but I mean…" Hau shrugged as best as he could as his Eevee watched the others with interest as Hau stroked its back. Bubbles happily barked from Lana's arms, greeting the others now that it was calm again. Mallow went over to Lana and, with her permission, pet the newborn Popplio with a wide smile. Lillie did the same with Kaha and Bubbles, smiling widely at the adorable newborns. Sun pet the Popplio with no problems, but it took a great deal of willpower to gently pet the Eevee and remain calm. Hau smiled sadly at Sun and mouthed 'thank you' to his friend. Sun didn't reply with anything save for a nod.

"And now the moment we've all been waiting for…" Mallow said breathlessly, her smile growing widely as she gestured towards the store a few hundred yards away. "Now...we can commence with the shopping!" Mallow bellowed manically, her hair billowing in the wind as a thunderclap echoed in the distance, despite it being a cloudless and sunny day.

Hau cowered behind Lana while Lillie and Sun exchanged a look of bemusement.

"Is she always this terrifying when it comes to shopping?" Hau asked Lana in a hushed whisper. Lana giggled in response, not answering Hau's question. The boy sighed as Kaha yipped happily in Hau's arms.

The group made their way to the store, with Hau and Lana explaining how their Eggs finally hatched. Sun burst into laughter upon finding out that Hau's Egg hatched in a Malasada Shop of all places. It didn't take long for everyone else to join in the laughter, with Hau laughing the loudest.

However, Sun did have a small surprise pop up during their trek to the store. A familiar tremble went through his backpack and the boy pulled out the Zygarde Cube, walking over to a nearby truck and extracting the Cell that was lying in the shade. The group made their way towards the large building in the distance. To their surprise, they saw Kiawe standing outside with a sign and wearing a bright red T-shirt, chatting with customers.

"Kiawe works here part-time on top of his Captain duties. He's...Trying hard, but it's not easy balancing the two." Lana explained in a hushed voice as a large woman walked towards the wrong door as it opened, with Kiawe standing next to it.

"Good afternoon, ma'am, and welcome to the Thrifty Megamart! We're having a massive sale to close out the- Ma'am, I'm sorry but you can't come in this way aaaaand...thank you for your cooperation." Kiawe hissed as the customer walked away from him, having entered the store from the exit door.

Mallow snickered as Kiawe turned around, giving her a very dirty look before pointing away from him. Since it was obvious that the Captain was having a bad day, the group decided to make themselves scarce and instead enjoy the deals inside, going through the correct door.

Upon entry, another employee greeted them with a smile. "Welcome to the Thrifty Megamart, where the sales are explosive!"

"How's it going, Greg?" Mallow asked the young man, who laughed sheepishly.

"Nearly done with my shift. It's been brutal today, but...eh." Greg shrugged before he grinned at them again. "We're doing a super-sale today and handing out these special discount coupons. One-time only and only for this store."

Greg handed each of the Trainers plus Lillie a coupon before explaining, "Just show that discount coupon to the check-out staff when you're ringing up at the register. Our store pursues value over all else! Discount coupons are right up our alley, but this week is our biggest sale of the year, so make sure to shop 'til you drop...Or run out of savings."

"Noted. Stay sane, dude." Mallow said to the young man, who bid them farewell.

Hau and Lana quickly went off to the Pokémon Care Aisle, where they went to get supplies for their newborns. Mallow and Lillie helped Sun with choosing items for himself and his Pokémon. Sun even called out his Pokémon for help choosing certain Pokémon foods, which thankfully allowed for free samples.

Sun learned that Brago liked peanut butter and had much enjoyment watching the dog attempt to get the substance out of his mouth. Oliver had to be dragged away from the Slowpoke Tail Sandwiches after attempting to sneak one while Sun wasn't looking. Penny wasn't much better, having to be returned after getting into a fight with a fat Pidgey over a free sample of Oran Berries from Hoenn.

"Red-Hot Tamato Chips, huh?" Sun muttered as Lillie grabbed a bag of the chips that promised a 'sizzling sensation with every bite'.

"Oh yes, they're very spicy. I imagine Mallow's bought a ton of them." Lillie said as she looked over at Mallow, who had a shopping cart with several large bags of the chips. The girl stuck her tongue out at them and kept shopping as Lillie laughed softly. The girl in white spotted Lana discreetly adding Lava Cookies to her shopping cart when Hau wasn't looking and couldn't help another laugh.

Sun decided to splurge and get plenty of supplies for the road. He also picked up a travel cookbook for the road, hoping to improve his range of cookable foods to something past soup and occasional game that had some random spices thrown on it. On top of that, Sun bought plenty of healing items and medicine. Lillie did the same, getting extra for Hau since he had to buy special food and items for Kaha.

When it came time to check out, Sun had all but forgotten about his coupon, and when his purchases were finally rang up, he was amazed at the savings. His bill, which would have essentially cleaned him out, was cut in half thanks to the coupon. Sun and company departed the store, where they met Kiawe again.

"You all seem prepared. Did you enjoy your time here?" Kiawe asked them all with his 'customer-service face', meaning he was dying on the inside and his smile was plastered on his face.

"Just give us a few days to make it to your Trial. We'll show you how prepared we are then." Hau said to the Captain, receiving a genuine smile that time.

"I look forward to it. On behalf of the Thrifty Megamart, I hope you all have a great day. Please come back anytime." Kiawe said to the group as they departed the store.

"I hope I never have to get a real job." Hau said in a deadpan tone, shuddering. Lana and Mallow laughed at the remark, though they both eyed the sun as it descended overhead.

"Only a few hours of light left. You three heading out now?" Mallow asked them, receiving a nod from Sun.

"We already checked out of our rooms at the Pokémon Center. We'll keep in touch though, alright?" Sun said to the girls. Mallow beamed and threw herself at Lillie and Sun, hugging them both before very gently hugging Hau to avoid upsetting his Eevee again. Lana did the same thing, though she was surprised when Hau wrapped an arm around her and gave her a one-armed hug in return.

"Thank you for bearing with my madness." Hau said as Kaha cried out in response, happily waving his tail.

"It was my pleasure." Lana said with a giggle as the others watched the exchange with smiles. It was with this that the two groups split up, with Lillie, Sun, and Hau leaving the two Captains behind as they ventured towards Wela Volcano Park, where the Fire Trial awaited them. Mallow and Lana watched them for a time before they turned around and walked down the sidewalk.

"So, Lana...What now?"

"Home for me. It's been a little bit since I've gotten to just enjoy being with my family. How about you?"

"No idea. Might see if I can train a bit at the Battle Royal Dome. You think those boys can handle Kiawe's Trial and the Totem?"

"Of course. Trainers like those guys aren't to be trifled with. Fantasized about on a lonely Saturday night while home alone in the bathtub? Definitely. But not underestimated."

"Lana, there may be hope for you yet. I'm so proud."

"If you tell Hau, I'll make sure they never find your body, Mallow."

Mallow just winked at her friend and skipped off, leaving Lana behind for a brief moment before the blue-haired girl jogged after her friend. Lana wore a small smile on her face as she chased the other Captain down the street with Bubbles happily barking in her arms.


Fragments…In another time. Another universe...

Sun would have hatched the Eevee and proudly raised it as his own. His father, Ashton, would not have been a permanent shadow over his head, and would instead have died shortly after Sun's birth. From this incident, many things would have changed and not been as they were now.

The Eevee would have hatched at the same time as it did for Hau. It would have been female and been named Mimi, after a suggestion from Lillie.

Mimi would become the heart of the team, a bright and happy child who loved everyone she met, especially the Trainer that was her father. This love and affection would manifest into power for her and she would evolve into a Sylveon, allowing her to save Oliver's life after a brutal attack from the Bone Brothers as Sun and Hau journeyed to meet Faba and travel to the Aether Foundation. The Sylveon would blow away Team Skull and take her place amongst Sun's team as a joyful but powerful force to be reckoned with.

But that was one story...and this is another.