Pokémon Radiant Sun
Yeah, this ain't no April Fools. Tis a new chapter! Also, Happy Easter to those who celebrate it! And happy Sunday to those who don't!
This past week has been an interesting one. I've managed to beat Crash Bandicoot 2 for the first time in decades and I got back into my Alpha Sapphire Nuzlocke, which has led me to Fortree City. More on this development later, because why not?
There may be a minor uptick on profanity in this chapter, but that's only because of a scene I've been wanting to do for a long time finally happens in this chapter which requires it. Not gonna lie, this chapter took some really interesting turns as I was writing it. It also went much longer than I thought it would, so yeah! Let's go!
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Champion of the Divine Sun, SonicIKE, Angelfir3, Sai Og Sus, Moonlight Butterfree, Ultimate blazer, operettaoceanic, two Guest reviewers, BraviaryScout, DarkestShade73 and Gokan123. Thank you all so much for the fantastic support!
Enjoy!
Chapter 55: The Forsaken
Professor Kukui arrived at the Aether Lab not too long after the children had woken. He was happy to see that they were okay, after hearing from Colress the scary news about Cipher.
However, he was not anticipating Oliver suddenly rushing him the moment he walked through the door, laughing maniacally. Kukui dove out the door while Oliver just missed catching the Professor in his talons.
"Drat! I'm not going to miss this time, Professor!" Oliver yelled, his beak glowing white as he soared towards Kukui.
"Oh god, I'm reliving that nightmare again! Only this time I'm wearing pants! And that damn bird can talk now!? Oh Arceus, where will it end!?" Kukui screamed as Oliver chased the man down the road. Meanwhile, in the nearby trees, Hau, Lillie, Sun, and Colress were cracking up at their little prank on Kukui.
"I have to say, Oliver really does love griefing people." Lillie remarked, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye.
"Oh yeah, but that's because he's evil." Hau commented, earning a cold look from Penny before the Trainer shrugged. "What? Its true."
"He's wonderfully sadistic. How odd that such an eclectic Pokémon was chosen by you, Sun." Colress noted, earning a shrug from Sun.
"I wasn't going to pick Oliver, actually. But he really wanted to go with me that day, and I couldn't say no. That owl was painfully persuasive." Sun remarked, earning a round of laughter.
"He's a bit of a dandy and a jerk, but he does really care about you." Penny chimed in from her perch on a nearby tree. "He just...has an odd way of showing it."
"I know. I wouldn't change a single thing about him. Or any of you, for that matter." Sun said, grinning at Penny and Brago.
"Thank you, Alpha. Though I have to ask, should we call Oliver off soon? I don't think that Dartrix likes the fact that the Professor has been dodging his attacks so far." Brago asked, gesturing with his paw ahead of them, where Kukui rolled to the side to avoid a Leafage and had called out Rockruff and a Rufflet to battle the Dartrix.
"It's on now!" Oliver screeched, diving forward and releasing a barrage of leaves. Sun ran over to where Oliver was and yelled, "Impromptu Pokémon battle! Follow up with Pluck on Rufflet!"
"Rufflet, use Peck! Rockruff, Stone Edge!" Kukui yelled out to his two Pokémon. Rockruff grinned and howled, calling forth several blue pillars of rock that shot out of the ground.
"Soar high and dodge!" Sun called out, with Oliver doing just that. The owl continued to throw leaves at Rockruff, who yelped in pain as the attack slashed against him. Rufflet slammed into Oliver from the side, knocking the owl down for a moment before Oliver shot towards the smaller bird. Oliver jammed his glowing beak into the side of the little eagle Pokémon, sending him fluttering down towards the ground.
"Use Razor Leaf!" Sun called to his Dartrix as he landed on top of one of the stone pillars. The owl flapped his wings hard, releasing another wave of leaves that made Rockruff howl in pain while Rufflet managed to dodge by launching itself higher into the air. Rockruff finally toppled over, but not before Kukui called out for the dog to use Rock Throw, which hit Oliver and made him plummet to the ground with a heavy crash.
"Use Shadow Claw, yeah!" Kukui yelled out as he returned Rockruff, punching his fist outwards. The Rufflet dove towards Oliver as he struggled to get back to his feet, slashing him deeply with shadowy talons. Oliver screeched in pain and kicked Rufflet away from him, flapping into the air and glaring down the other bird.
"Heh, you've gotten better Sun!" Kukui said with a grin.
"Thanks Professor. But I owe to them, though. Oliver, Penny, and Brago." Sun said before he swung his arm down. "Let's finish this! Use Pluck!"
"Got it!" Oliver replied as he shot forward with a elongated glowing beak.
"Aerial Ace, Rufflet! Full-power!" Kukui yelled out as both birds shot towards one another. Sun, however, had other plans for how this would go.
"Use Protect!" Sun yelled out. Oliver's expression turned into a mischievous grin as he called up a shield around himself, still moving through the air as Rufflet charged at him, too quickly to avoid the now-moving projectile that couldn't be broken by its attack.
Professor Kukui's jaw hit the ground as Oliver slammed into Rufflet, knocking the Eaglet Pokémon out cold as it tumbled through the around and landed in the grass nearby.
"Nice job, Oliver! You've really nailed that Protect thingy." Sun said to his Starter as Olive swooped down to the ground, grinning.
"You're the one who came up with the idea, Sun. I should be thanking you...because the expression on the Professor's face is priceless." Oliver pointed out, gesturing with a wing towards the Professor who was still staring forward with a look of sheer horror on his face. Without moving, he wordlessly grabbed a Poké Ball and returned his Rufflet, clipping the Poké Ball to his belt and continuing to stare into space for another two minutes of awkward silence.
"I think you broke him, Oliver." Lillie said with a note of wonder in her tone. Oliver giggled in reply, preening his wings with a happy look on his face.
"I try. He never did like me, and neither did Master Hala. Surprising them like this always makes me happy." Oliver stated, earning a surprised look from Hau.
"Tutu...didn't like you? Hau asked, confused. Oliver gave Hau a strange look, but nodded.
"Yes, neither of them liked me very much. I may be odd, but just because I'm not perfect like all the other Rowlet doesn't mean being treated differently didn't sting." Oliver said quietly, a very noticeable note of hurt in his voice. The owl was surprised when he felt two arms wrap around him.
"Yeah, well it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You're my partner, and nothing will ever change that." Sun said to Oliver, who couldn't help a smile at the words. Sun released Oliver and stood up, realizing that Professor Kukui was shaking his head and had finally come to his senses. He stomped over to where they were at, his expression still furious as he pointed a shaking finger at Oliver.
"Alright you! How the blueberry fuck did you do that?" Kukui demanded,his voice filled with a mixture of surprise, awe, and absolute fury.
"Professor! Language!" Lillie chided the man, but Kukui actually ignored her and stepped forward.
"I will not calm down here! That little stunt disproves everything we know about the move Protect! It shouldn't ever be able to be utilized in an offensive manner, but Oliver did just that! What the shit? Did the author come up with that idea while drunk or something?" Kukui demanded angrily. Rotom Dex chose that moment to pop out of Sun's backpack.
"Zzzt! Professor, you know you're not allowed to break the fourth wall anymore. That's my job! And the author doesn't drink at all, actually. That nonsense is just what the little Cymbal Mankey's in his head come up with during his rare moments of lucidity." Rotom explained to Kukui, even though everyone else was totally lost. The others decided to ignore Kukui and Rotom Dex as they continued to bicker, with Oliver speaking up.
"He might not have enjoyed that, but I sure had a bunch of fun. We should do that more often, Sun!" Oliver said with a laugh, preening his feathers after a moment while Lillie and Colress laughed.
"Oliver, just keep doing awesome stuff like that and you can harass the Professor whenever he starts being dumb. I'm pretty sure my mother is doing the exact same thing to Kahuna Hala back on Melemele Island." Sun said with a grin, looking skyward.
Meanwhile on Melemele Island…
"Holy shit, this job is going to be the death the me." Hala muttered, sinking into his armchair. The man had just finished talking to several members of the Hau'oli City Counsel and goodness did they like to blather on. He was glad to be home.
The Kahuna reached over to the stand that was beside his chair and opened a small secret panel in the top and reached in, pulling out a small chocolate pudding cup.
"Hehehe...You're the only one who understands me, pudding." Hala said happily as he removed the top of the packaging and pulled out a spoon from his pocket and began to dig in. Just as Hala was finishing up, he heard fierce knocking on his door.
"Hmm? I thought I put a sign on the door saying no visitors until noon. How odd." Hala muttered, setting aside his cup and walking to the door. Well, he'd send them away politely before finishing off his pudding. Hala opened the door and then took a step back in horror, seeing the irate Laura Smiles standing in front of him, giving him a look of absolute fury.
"Hello, Hala. How are you?" Laura said quietly, her anger thick in her voice.
"Um...I'm doing fine. And you?" Hala asked sheepishly, worried about just what had happened to make Laura so angry.
"Me? Well, I was just packing for my trip over to Heahea City to see Sun, when I got a very interesting phone call from him." Laura said, trying to reign in her anger but failing miserably.
"I'm...umm, okay?" Hala said, unsure of where she was going with this.
"He told me a few very interesting things, some of which we'll talk about later. But the one I wanted to address to you was this. Sun received a few of those translator collars from Doctor Colress and put them on all of his Pokémon. Do you want to know what I found out from Oliver?" Laura asked Colress, her eye twitching slightly now.
"Oooohhhh shit." Hala thought, realizing this was going to turn very ugly.
"I can't imagine what that rascal would say. He was always a bit of a troublemaker. I couldn't get any Trainer to take the him for the longest time until Oliver chose Sun. I always wondered what he saw in your boy to make him attack Sun so. Even if I'm able to understand the gist of what they're talking about, that doesn't mean I truly understand them." Hala said thoughtfully, hoping to distract Laura.
It didn't work.
"Oliver told Sun that he learned how to swear. From you and Professor Kukui." Laura growled, parental anger coursing through her veins.
"...Laura, I have to make an urgent call. Wait right here for a moment." Hala said before closing the door in Laura's surprised face.
"Yeah, there's going to be hell to pay later, but I'm not getting kicked in the stomach today." Hala mused as he walked away from the door, grabbing his backpack off of the floor by his chair. He always kept it packed just in case he needed to be away from home for a few days. He'd sneak through the back door and catch a Ride Pokémon and get the hell out of the town and away from Laura.
Hala snuck out the back of the building and jogged to the other side of town, only for a massive bird to suddenly land on the ground in front of him with a loud cry, giving the man a fierce glare.
"Ah...Jace. Nice to see you again." Hala said to the Pidgeot, who cried out again, flaring its wings and releasing a powerful burst of wind that sent Hala staggering back a step.
"There you are!"
Hala felt his blood run cold as he glanced behind him and saw Laura running towards him, fire in her eyes. Hala yelped and quickly pulled a Poké Ball off of his belt and called out the Pokémon within, a Hawlucha that struck a stance when released.
"My friend, I need you to fly me far away from here as quickly as you can!" Hala said, grabbing onto the Pokémon's arms. The Hawlucha saw the massive Pidgeot in front of it and scoffed before turning around and seeing the furious mother stomping towards them. The Wrestling Pokémon let out a high-pitched scream of fear upon seeing Laura and leapt into the air, grabbing Hala's arms with his feet, and using Fly.
Laura let out a yell as she reached the spot Hala was just at, with the man soaring off into the distance. She leapt onto her Pidgeot and shot off after the man, eager to put him in his place.
"That thought horrifies me. Your mother is a force to be reckoned with when she's angry. I remember when she punched out the COO of Silph Co. at a Christmas party a few years back. Fun times." Colress remarked with a smile.
"How is it that you know my mother again?" Sun asked Colress.
"I've met her a few times while attending to business in Kanto, though this was after the whole Neo Team Plasma business. I was creating things that were able to be mass-produced and commercially sold, so eventually that led to me getting funding from your father back in Kanto. I met your mother several times while I was there, though I never did get to meet you." Colress explained, earning a laugh from Sun.
"I didn't like going to those parties. I was kind of really bad at talking to people before Alola. I've gotten a lot better though." Sun said with a grin, earning a punch on the shoulder from Hau.
"You're still an awkward dork. But that's why we put up with you! You're an awesome dork too!" Hau said happily as Professor Kukui walked over, glaring at the Dartrix next to Sun. Rotom Dex floated over to Sun and landed on his shoulder.
"Now that we've gotten that out of our system, I'm going to offer you both some warnings before me and Lillie head back to the lab." Kukui said to the two boys, who both wiped the smiles off of their face as they heard the seriousness in the Professor's voice.
"As you both found out, Cipher has made their way onto this island. They're here in Alola, and even if they may not have much of a presence on this island, that can change very quickly. Hau, you're the grandson of one of the main leaders of these islands. Sun, you're the son of one of the Cipher Admins. That means you're both high-value targets. Cipher isn't anything like Team Skull. They're powerful, and have no qualms about killing people and Pokémon to get what they want. The last thing I want is for anyone else to get hurt, so I want you to be careful." Kukui warned the children, with their Pokémon listening intently as well.
"Of course, we'll be on the lookout for anything and be preparing for deal with them should we come across them. I'll stress to you that if you encounter Cipher, run away. The operatives they have here are likely far stronger than any of the regular Trainers you've come across up to this point. If they can harm me, I shudder to think what they can do to you all." Colress said as he moved his coat aside, showing the shirt he was still wearing during the attack that was stained crimson with blood.
"You should have that looked at, Colress." Kukui noted, with the scientist nodding.
"I plan on going to the hospital as soon as I lock down the lab. Wouldn't want anyone knowing what I'm up to, now would I?" Colress said with a small chuckle. Kukui laughed as well, then he turned to Lillie.
"Ready to go? Professor Burnet has set your room up again and has reservations at your favorite restaurant tonight for dinner." Kukui said to his young assistant, making the girl smile widely.
"Really? I…" Lillie's smile faltered as she said softly, "You all shouldn't have gone through all the trouble. It takes weeks to get a reservation at the Simmering Palace."
Kukui put an hand on the girl's head and ruffled her hair, messing it up. "No sweat, Lillie. You shouldn't worry about people who care about you doing things for you! We both definitely missed having you around the lab, so we're taking you out to celebrate you being back with us!"
"Okay...if you're sure." Lillie said to the Professor, nodding to him. She then turned to Sun and Hau and smiled at them.
"So. I suppose this is goodbye for now?" Lillie said to her friends. Sun and Hau exchanged a look before they both ran forward and hugged Lillie, enveloping her in a massive embrace. Lillie laughed at her friend's affection, even as they fell to the ground due to being off-balance.
"Dog-pile on Lillie!" Hau yelled out. Lillie's laughter increased as all of their Pokémon suddenly hopped onto the pile of people, with everyone laughing at the silliness of everything going on and Rotom Dex taking a picture of the event. However, Colress had dropped his smile in all of the commotion, deep in thought.
"Moments like these are precious. Laughing, smiling, and enjoying life and the bonds we share. I may not be able to care like them, but I will not allow Cipher to harm any more of my allies. My...friends." Colress thought, a small smile flickering onto his face. "First we save Celebi. And then push Cipher out of Alola. Then onto Kanto, where we defeat them again. And then we return to Unova and destroy their main base of operations, along with Ghetsis and end this once and for all. I will show them my true potential, and once that has been achieved, none of them will stand a chance."
So Colress continued to watch the children as they said their farewells, knowing that it wouldn't be very long before they saw one another again, but noticed how sincere it was. It was so obvious that the children cared deeply about one another, from the hi-five that Sun and Lillie exchanged to the hug the girl gave the two boys right before the girl teleported off with Professor Kukui.
One day, he'd be able to care, just like those children. Until that day, he'd just have to continue down the road he walked and continue to fight for what he desired.
"Get back here you fat bastard!"
"I said I'm sorry, Laura!"
"I don't care about how sorry you are! My foot has an appointment with your face!"
Hala screamed as an Air Cutter rushed through the air where they had been just a moment before. His Hawlucha was tiring and Laura and Jace were gaining on them, fueled by their sheer fury at the Kahuna. They had reached Hau'oli City and were racing above the area, with many people watching the display with confusion.
"Jace, Aerial Ace!" Laura called to her Pidgeot.
"Oh crud. Dodge Hawlucha!" Hala yelled, knowing that this move was basically unavoidable. However, lucky for Hala, a massive storm of lightning suddenly surged in front of them, making Jace and Laura stop their attack and halt in their tracks as a strange yellow, black, and orange Pokémon had appeared in midair. Hala looked down at his Z-Ring as it glowed white.
"Is that…?" Laura trailed off, her surprise and awe overriding her parental anger. Hala was likewise stunned, and bowed his head at the new arrival.
"Tapu Koko...it is an honor." Hala said to the Guardian Deity, who looked back and forth between the two humans and their flying mounts before addressing them.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Tapu Koko intoned, a crackle of raw lightning surging around the wild Legendary.
"I'm running for my life. This woman wishes to inflict severe bodily harm upon me! Please, help me get away from her." Hala said to the Guardian Deity, who slowly looked at Laura.
"AND WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?" Tapu Koko asked.
"Because this man taught my child's Pokémon a bunch of swear words!" Laura yelled, giving the Kahuna a look of rage. Tapu Koko blinked at the response before putting a claw to its chin, thinking about what to do.
"I HAVE MADE A DECISION...I WISH YOU LUCK, KAHUNA." Tapu Koko said, soaring a short distance away and allowing Laura and clear line of sight to Hala, who's face paled, realizing that the protector of Melemele Island wasn't going to be protecting him from taking his lumps.
"Tapu Koko, please help me!" Hala pleaded with the deity. Tapu Koko gave the man a bored look before shrugging, a small ethereal chuckle escaping the Pokémon.
"NOT A CHANCE. I WANT NO PART OF THIS." Tapu Koko replied with some amusement, flying away from the humans by retreating into its mask form and shooting off towards another part of the island.
"Looks like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place." Laura growled at the Kahuna, who was watching the departing god with a look of misery on his face. Hala tapped the side of his Hawlucha and the two of them quickly sped downwards into the city below, with Laura letting out a yell of anger and urging Jace forward after them.
"So that's why eating pancakes before a marathon is a terrible idea." Axen explained to the group of Team Skull, all of whom were wearing disgusted looks on their faces.
"Dude...You're just…" Kevin trailed off, suppressing a gag.
"Amazing? Stunningly incredible? Sexy as hell?" Axen suggested.
"A complete dipshit, actually, but I know that's going to go through one ear and out the other." Kayla replied, scowling underneath her bandanna.
"Holy shit, can you all just shut up!?" Gladion growled, finally losing his patience. They had just taken a break from training and while it had been a productive time up to this point, Gladion couldn't take anymore. They just wouldn't shut up!
"Dude, it was just a story. You good?" Demi asked, concerned about the teen's anger. Gladion shied away from the girl and shot Team Skull a look.
"Just because I agree to come along with you all doesn't mean I'm going to be constantly listening to their stupidity." Gladion grunted, earning a sigh from Type: Null.
"You're exaggerating. His last story wasn't that bad." The monster remarked, earning a look from Gladion.
"You're supposed to be on my side." Gladion muttered, earning a chuckle from the beast.
"I am on your side. You need to socialize more with others of your kind. This is good for you." Type: Null responded, making Gladion scoff.
"I fail to see how this is good for me." Gladion replied, crossing his arms. "I can socialize just fine."
"You can easily be proven wrong."
"Do it then."
"Fine. Demi, hug Gladion." Type: Null instructed the girl walking alongside the teen. Gladion had time to open his mouth and turn towards the girl before Demi pounced on Gladion with a grin, hugging the teen tightly around the shoulders.
"Dude, you're even more awkward than Sun." Demi said happily as Gladion struggled in the girl's embrace, his face growing hot. He couldn't even remember the last time he had been hugged by someone, and he didn't think he had ever been hugged by a girl that wasn't his sister.
"I'm not seeing what this has to do with anything! Let me go!" Gladion barked, with Demi quickly breaking away from Gladion and looking a little annoyed at his outburst.
"You can't even accept a simple gesture like that. You've been alone for too long." Type: Null stated, earning a scoff from the boy.
"Just because we can understand each other doesn't mean you can walk all over me." Gladion growled, hastening his pace as a confused Demi and Type: Null watched the boy go ahead.
"I don't understand him. He's so stubborn." Demi sighed, shaking her head.
"Indeed. He has suffered far too much, and allowed that pain to fester. He requires a...more gentle approach, I believe." Type: Null remarked, shaking his head.
"I was trying to get him to hang out with us for a while. Maybe have him and Team Skull get along for a while. He's a good guy, Null. I want to try and be his friend. I don't even know if he knows how to deal with someone being nice to him." Demi said with a small sigh.
"I will speak to him further. But I appreciate your efforts, Demi. I'm glad you care for his well-being." Type: Null responded before it bounded down the path and then darted into the trees for some reason.
"Weird. They're both weird." Demi stated as Kayla laughed.
"You're trying to make friends with a total asshole. That's your problem, Dems." Kayla said to the new grunt of the group, who frowned.
"I just want to be friends. Why does he have to act like that? Even Null thinks its weird." Demi muttered as Kayla wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders.
"Because guys are dicks. Trust me, I travel around with these assholes." Kayla remarked, glancing over her shoulder and receiving three middle finger salutes from Kevin, Axen, and Tim. She grinned and blew them a kiss before turning back around to Demi.
"You're wasting your time. He's not worth the effort." Kayla remarked, but Demi shook her head.
"People could say the same of you all, but you're good people despite that. Gladion's good, but he doesn't want to be friends with anyone. He doesn't want to let anyone in. I want to change that." Demi said as she looked ahead. "If I can't be around my old friends anymore, then I want to make new ones! And I'll be a better friend to them than I was to Hau and Sun."
"Good attitude to have." Kevin remarked, catching up with them.
"I'd love to see your friends again. That Hau kid pisses me off. Especially after he made you losing your Starter seem like it was nothing." Axen grumbled, clenching his fists.
"Speak of the...Looks like you're gonna get your wish, Axen." Kevin said, suddenly pointing directly ahead of them. To Team Skull's surprise, they saw a familiar duo walking down the path. Sun and Hau slowed their advance and took in the squad of Team Skull Grunts before them, not recognizing Demi hanging back with a shocked expression.
"You clowns again?" Hau asked, cracking a smile as Axen and Kevin stepped forward, scowling under their face covers. Sun crossed his arms, smiling as well. Demi just remained still, stunned into silence, though the rest of Team Skull stepped forward to challenge them.
"Yo, you fools don't want to mess with us! This time we've got the whole gang here!" Axen yelled, throwing his arms apart.
"That doesn't really matter, since we've easily beaten you two like three times now." Sun remarked, grinning at them. He then noticed the Grunt hanging around at the back, eyeing Sun and Hau with wide eyes.
"Haven't seen her before. What's her name? Grunt AZ12?" Sun joked, earning a chuckle from Axen.
"Smartass. That's our newest recruit, Demi!" Axen said with a laugh, gesturing to the silent girl behind them. Sun and Hau took a moment to process that information before they suddenly realized they were looking at their old friend.
"Demi! You're okay!" Hau yelled out, a grin on his face. That grin faltered when he realized what she was wearing and who she was with. "Why are you hanging out with Team Skull? And dressed like them?"
"You joined them, didn't you?" Sun asked Demi quietly. Demi lowered her bandanna, showing them the broken expression on her face. Happiness at seeing her friends. Her pain at knowing how she had ruined so much for their relationship. And being torn between her newfound loyalty to Team Skull and her loyalty to Sun and Hau.
"I was all alone, after Feya died. They saved my life. They comforted me. And they offered to let me be a part of them. I had nowhere else to go, and they accepted me. I'm one of them, now. And we're going to change things, Sun and Hau. Please just...understand." Demi said quietly, her voice breaking slightly and her tone pleading.
"I don't agree, but I understand. Just don't sacrifice your morals for them, Demi. If you try and hurt any of my friends, I'm going to make sure you regret it. Understood?" Sun said to the girl, who nodded in reply. That was a fair arrangement.
"W-what!? Sun, are you serious? Screw that!" Hau yelled to his friend, looking ahead. "Demi, what happened back at Brooklet Hill was bad, yeah. But you don't have to join these creeps!"
"I already joined them. And these creeps are my friends too, Hau. I thought you said that you can never have enough friends?" Demi asked Hau, her frown deepening.
"There's a limit to that statement when you extend the friendship to criminals. People who steal from and hurt others. I bet you're friends with that Gladion jerk and his pet monster too, aren't you?" Hau remarked with a sigh, crossing his arms.
"Take that back! He's not a jerk and Null isn't a monster!" Demi shouted at Hau, who's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wow...okay. Didn't expect that." Hau muttered, shaking his head.
"Girl, chill. We've got this." Kayla said to Demi, who was so upset with Hau that she was trembling. "We'll teach that kid not to disrespect Team Skull, even if it comes down to pricks like Gladion."
"He's not a prick..." Demi muttered, shaking her head.
"Hau, they're wanting to battle. You want to tag-team this? Between Cassy and Oliver, we should be able to handle them no sweat." Sun asked his friend, who shook his head, his eyes blazing with a rare anger to them. As if Demi joining Team Skull was a personal slap to the face to the boy.
"No way, Sun. I've got this. I'll take you all on by myself!" Hau barked, stepping forward and setting down Kaha on the ground and returning the Eevee. Axen and Kayla stepped forward, glaring down the Kahuna's grandson.
"You sure?" Sun asked his friend.
"Dude, I don't need your help for this one. Just let me deal with this. I'm the one who messed up with Demi. I'll fix this." Hau said as he pulled out a Poké Ball, ready to throw down with Team Skull.
"Hau, you don't have to fight them! Come on, guys, let's just leave them alone." Demi pleaded with her fellow Team Skull Grunts, but they ignored the girl.
"Not a chance. We're not gonna take his crap lying down, yo. This one's for Demi, you entitled brat! Drowzee, wreck his shit!" Axen yelled, calling forth his Drowzee. Kayla called out her Spearow, which fluttered to her shoulder with a caw.
"Duke, let's roll!" Hau called out his Pikachu, a confident grin on his face.
"Spearow, use Aerial Ace!" Kayla yelled to her bird, who shot forward with a quick burst of speed and slammed into the Pikachu, knocking it backwards.
"Duke, use Electro Ball on Spearow!" Hau commanded, throwing out a hand.
"Use Confusion on Electro Ball and send it back at him!" Axen yelled out to his Drowzee as the Pikachu leapt into air and swung downwards with its tail, sending a surging ball of electricity at the Spearow as it soared through the air. The Electro Ball halted in its tracks with a jerk before launching back up at Duke, who cried out in pain as the attack detonated as it hit the Pikachu and made it crash onto the ground heavily.
"Duke!" Hau yelled out, his voice filled with worry as the Pikachu struggled to his feet, panting slightly from the attack and the fall.
"Serves you right. Just because you're the grandson of the Kahuna doesn't mean you're hot stuff, yo. Team Skull will just beat you down!" Axen barked, punching his fist outwards. "Poison Gas!"
"Jump into the air to avoid it and use Thundershock on Drowzee!" Hau called out to his Pikachu. Duke nodded and charged forward, leaping high into the air and letting loose a torrent of electricity down onto the Drowzee. The Hypnosis Pokémon stiffened as the attack rushed through it, and Axen swore as he saw a crackle of electricity linger around his Drowzee after the attack had ended.
"Damn, it's paralyzed. Looks like we're going to have to pick up the slack. Spearow, use Peck!" Kayla barked out as her bird dove downwards.
Hau grinned and said, "Use Electro Ball on Drowzee!"
Needless to say, the resulting attack knocked the Drowzee out cold, since it was unable to avoid the second electric attack. However, this allowed Duke to get hit directly in the back by Spearow's Peck, throwing it forward with a cry of pain.
"Fury Attack!" Kayla yelled as her Spearow closed in, eyes glinting in the sun. The bird mercilessly pecked and clawed at Duke, who was too disoriented to do anything about it. Before Hau could call out an attack, his Pikachu had collapsed onto the ground and fainted.
"Booyah! Talk about a win!" Kayla laughed, grinning underneath her bandanna with pride as she ran forward, scooping up her Spearow and hugging it tightly. "Even with a type-disadvantage my baby kicked your-"
Kayla stopped speaking as her Spearow suddenly stiffened in her arms and began glowing white and blue. The Team Skull Grunt quickly set her Spearow on the ground and watched in awe as the small bird glowed brightly, slowly growing in size before the light exploded outwards, revealing a large bird with a narrowed beak. The newly evolved Fearow cawed loudly, flapping its wings as Kayla watched her bird with a shocked expression.
"Spearow...No. Fearow! You finally evolved!" Kayla yelled out, happily embracing her Fearow. The bird chirped happily, wrapping its large wings around its Trainer. The two broke their embrace and Kayla turned her attention to Hau, who had returned his Pikachu.
"Alright then. Cassy, let's go!" Hau yelled, calling out his Starter. Cassy glared down the Fearow as it flapped into the air, glaring down at the little seal Pokémon.
"Fearow! Let's make it two-for-two! Peck!" Kayla yelled out, with her Fearow launching itself forward with its powerful new wings.
"Cassy, let's end this quick. Icy Wind!" Hau yelled to his Brionne, who smacked her tail into and ground and flipped gracefully through the air. The Brionne opened her mouth and let loose a blast of icy energy that the Fearow smashed right through, making the bird cry out in pain as it took the super-effective attack head-on.
"Fearow! Come on, fight through it! You've got this!" Kayla called to her Fearow, who was struggling to stay airborne.
"I'm glad your Fearow evolved. But I'm knocking it out now, yo!" Hau called to Kayla mockingly, earning a glare from the girl. "Cassy, use Bubblebeam!"
Cassy grinned and opened her mouth as she released a powerful stream of bubbles at the struggling Fearow, who yelped in pain as the barrage of bubbles popped painfully against its body.
"Damn it...Tim! Back me up, would you?" Kayla said to the taller Team Skull Grunt. The young man nodded and called out his Druddigon, which roared in fury before stomping forward. Tim yelled out some incoherent gibberish that no one understood, so Kayla instead took charge.
"Druddigon, just spam Dragon Rage!" Kayla yelled to the Dragon-type, who nodded slowly and opened its mouth, charging up the attack.
"Not a chance! Cassy, use Disarming Voice on the both of them!" Hau called out, grinning widely. The Brionne grinned as she released a few bubbles in midair to hop on before opening her mouth and releasing two blasts of energy waves that slammed into Fearow and Druddigon, knocking out the former and earning a howl of pain from the latter.
"Fearow…" Kayla mumbled, returning her fallen Pokémon. "You were really great. Don't...we'll get 'em next time."
The Team Skull Grunts watched as Cassy continued to dodge the blasts from Druddigon while attacking with Disarming Voice, which began whittling down the massive dragon's health. However, the Brionne couldn't dodge forever.
Eventually one of the blasts finally managed to catch the Brionne while she was in mid-flip, detonating and knocking her to the ground. The Druddigon rushed forward with a roar, slashing downwards with its claws. Cassy rolled on the ground to avoid the move and spat a glob of purple liquid right into the creature's face, making it snarl in pain as it was poisoned.
"Finish it off with Icy Wind!" Hau commanded his Starter, who nodded and opened her mouth before billowing an icy blast of wind into the dragon directly, overwhelming it and knocking it out. Cassy sighed with relief and grinned at Hau, who gave his Starter a thumbs up.
"Damn it…" Kayla hissed, clenching her fists. "We're in a bad way here-"
"Torch, let's go!"
Hau's eyes widened in horror as Demi stepped forward, her Quilava standing loyally beside her. The girl put her hands behind her head with a small hidden smirk and stared down her friend, who slowly shook his head.
"So...this is what it's come to? You're gonna beat me and take my Pokémon?" Hau asked Demi, who reeled back in surprise.
"W-what? No! Of course not!" Demi yelled back.
"Then why are you helping them? They're the bad guys. Thugs! Who turned their back on Alola. They make the lives of the Captains and the Kahunas hell just because they're sore losers. You're gonna help them just because of what happened to you?" Hau asked Demi, crossing his arms.
"Of course I am! We're going to change Alola, Hau! These islands have been stuck in their traditions for so long, it's made the atmosphere toxic! I thought you would understand, having grown up under the shadow of your grandpa!" Demi said to Hau, who shook his head, smiling now.
"Nope! That just inspired me to be a better Trainer and shine even brighter then he ever did! Just because you suffered a setback doesn't mean you should join a group of criminals. You know, the bad guys who've attacked us many times now and threatened to steal my Pokémon. And if you're with them...then I don't know what this makes us, Demi. I didn't think you'd stoop this low." Hau said to the girl, a note of hurt in his voice.
"Stoop this low…a setback? Feya getting killed by that awful spider was a setback!?" Demi whispered, clenching her fists in fury. "I had to do this because I have nothing left, Hau! My family turned their back on me and I couldn't face you all! Not after that! What the hell did you think I was going to do?!"
"Anything but this. Cassy, use Bubblebeam!" Hau yelled out, clearly done talking about this. Cassy unleashed a barrage of bubbles at a surprised Demi and her Quilava, who stared at the attack in horror. Torch let out a yell and released a massive burst of flames from his mouth, which smashed into the stream of bubbles and cancelled out the attack.
Torch looked back at his Trainer and let out a bark. Demi snapped out of her shock and scowled at Hau, stepping forward.
"Alright then, Hau! Torch, use Quick Attack!" Demi called to her Quilava, who nodded and shot forward, slamming into Cassy and knocking her back with a nasty crunch.
"She's been training Torch up. He's way stronger than before." Hau noted with a pang, though he wondered where her Litwick, Aou, was. Hau filed that question away for another time as Torch suddenly slammed into Cassy with a Flame Wheel, sending the exhausted and battered Brionne to the ground, where she struggled to get up.
"Is that it, Hau?" Demi said to the boy. Hau frowned, seeing how she was acting. He just didn't get it. Team Skull was nothing but a bunch of bullies. They hurt people and stole Pokémon. How could his friend have fallen so far as to have joined them?
Well, what he did know was one thing. Cassy couldn't take much more of this and Demi was a very good Trainer. He needed to wrap this battle up quickly.
"Alright...if this is how it's gonna be. Then I'll get through to you the hard way!" Hau yelled out, holding out his Z-Ring as it flashed white. Demi shivered as Hau and Cassy began to glow and went into a series of poses as Z-Power flowed through the two of them.
"Channel Bubblebeam...and use Hydro Vortex!" Hau bellowed as Cassy summoned forth a massive whirling vortex of water and traveled along the sides of it, grinning happily as she rushed towards Torch, who's eyes widened in horror.
"Torch, use Defense Curl!" Demi yelled desperately. The Quilava curled into a ball just before the massive torrent of water smashed into him, sending the Quilava across the path and into a nearby tree, where it crumpled to the with swirls in its eyes, showing it was knocked out.
"Torch!" Demi screamed as she sprinted over to her Quilava. Hau watched the girl with a pained expression, returning his exhausted Brionne. Sun walked over to his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You good, buddy?" Sun asked his friend, who nodded slowly. The boy inhaled deeply and then exhaled, nodding again.
"I'll be good. You idiots lost though." Hau said to Team Skull, crossing his arms. "Four-on-one and you still couldn't put me down. Now who's the loser?"
"Eh, we don't need shit from you, yo! We're the hardest bunch in Alola! Don't you forget it!" Kevin yelled at Hau, who shrugged.
"I can't forget you all. You won't stop picking fights you can't win. And why didn't you fight, huh? You scared of me beating you too?" Hau asked the Grunt, who flinched.
"I...can't anymore. That dumb hick crippled my Zubat!" Kevin yelled at Hau, who blinked in surprise.
"Hick...You mean Hapu? Wait, your Zubat got injured in that battle?" Sun asked, feeling a pang of guilt. He called the strange girl and the mighty horse Pokémon she commanded easily knocking out Kevin's Zubat with one attack, and that it had been in bad shape afterwards.
"I don't have Zubat anymore. I had to give him up so that he could get properly treated. They said he'd probably never battle again." Kevin said quietly, looking away from them. "So yeah, I can't battle. So laugh it up, hahaha, you win."
"Well...You kinda asked for it. Stop trying to mug people and maybe crap like this wouldn't happen to you." Hau remarked, crossing his arms. Kevin whirled around and grabbed Hau by the neck, glaring down at him.
"You shut your mouth, yo! My little buddy didn't deserve that shit!" Kevin growled at Hau, who tried to pry away the teen's hands, but to no avail.
"Hey!" Kevin looked over to Sun, who was glaring him down with two large birds and a angry canine backing him up.
"You're all out of usable Pokémon and I've got a fresh team ready to go. So unless you want to feel some real pain, drop him now!" Sun barked to the thug, who flinched at the boy's harsh tone and dropped Hau to the ground, stepping away. Sun walked over to Hau and helped his friend up, making sure he was okay.
"Sheesh. Sensitive." Hau muttered, brushing himself off.
"Not really. They're thugs, but they're people Hau." Sun admonished his friend, who shrugged.
"People who steal Pokémon and threaten others. They forfeited their right to my sympathy the first day I got jumped by them back in Hau'oli City." Hau said to the Grunts with a note of true disgust in his voice.
"Call me naive, but they're honestly not that bad." Sun admitted, earning a surprised look from all of them. "If you idiots stopped stealing and made an effort to change people's minds about you and the problems Alola has the right way, maybe they'd listen to you and sympathize with your cause." Sun said to Team Skull, who all remained silent.
"He's right you know."
Everyone turned around and saw a familiar monster emerge from the trees, eyeing the group with interest. Not a single person moved as Type: Null stepped in front of the two sides.
"You're Type: Null. Gladion's partner." Sun stated, confused as to why the beast was here.
"I am." Type: Null replied to Sun's comment, turning his gaze to Team Skull. "I have watched you all for a time with Gladion. I don't understand some things. Unlike Gladion, I'm not too proud to ask questions. So why do you insist on doing things like this...when they don't allow you to achieve your goals?"
"What?" Axen asked, confused.
"You all cause trouble. You hurt people. But you do so because the people of Alola turned their backs on you. Or so you say. You want change, yet you do nothing but cause grief. What's the point in anything you do?" Type: Null questioned the thugs, who stepped forward with angry looks on their faces.
"Back the hell off, freak! You and your prick of a Trainer need to learn your place!" Axen yelled to Type: Null, who growled softly.
"If you know what's good for you...You will not insult him any longer." Type: Null growled, a dangerous note of anger in its voice.
"Maybe we should lay off the guy, yo. Haven't we given him enough shit today?" Kevin said to the others, who scoffed. Type: Null ignored the Grunts, having said its piece, and walked over to Demi, who the others had noticed hadn't moved from her position.
"Demi...you good?" Axen asked uncertainly, the girl still kneeling on the ground and treating Torch's injuries. The girl didn't reply, though Torch had finally come to. Demi hugged the Quilava tightly before returning him, before rising to her feet with a shaky sigh.
"I'm good...Just kinda freaked out. I'll be good in a sec." Demi replied to Axen as she composed herself. Hau stepped forward, his expression one of worry as Demi calmed herself, having been rattled seeing the Z-Move hit her only Pokémon.
"H-hey, um, sorry about that, Demi. I knew Torch was strong and figured you'd be able to take down Cassy since she was so tired, so yeah, I kinda had to bust out a Z-Move. We're...cool, right?" Hau asked Demi, who gave Hau a hard look. Demi stared at him for a good while before slowly shaking her head.
"No." Demi said to Hau as the boy blinked twice.
"N-no?" Hau asked, confused.
"You don't get it. Hau, you've got the best attitude in the world. You build people up and light up the world with your smile. Which really sucks, because the way you view the world is absolutely disgusting to me after the crap I've been through. Do you really think after what's happened back then and today that everything's just going to be Pecha-keen and sunshine and rainbows?" Demi said to the boy, whose eyes widened.
"But...I don't…" Hau trailed off, recognizing her words as similar to those of Gladion's. Lillie, his mother, and even Hala had told the boy that his views on the world were not a practical one, even if he had the right attitude towards life.
Not everyone had the same privileges of a happy life like he had. People had struggles, and were fighting both battles outside and within. Until he had encountered Lillie, he had thought everyone was just as happy as him with their lives. And then he met Sun. And then he became friends with Demi, who told him all about her struggles with her family. Some pains ran quite deep, and without having meant to he made things so much worse for Demi.
"But don't worry Hau...Everything's going to be okay." Demi replied, her tone harsh enough to make Hau flinch in response as Demi clipped Torch's Great Ball to her belt. She flung down a wad of cash to the ground along with the rest of Team Skull.
"I am going to change things, Hau. And if you're going to stand in the way of my dream of making the hurt stop, then you're my enemy." Demi said to Hau, who looked away. Demi turned towards Sun, her expression lightening somewhat. "Sun...You've gone through some bad stuff because of those Cipher pricks. I've got your back. Same with everyone's favorite Princess."
The new Team Skull Grunt turned back to Hau and said, "Hau...ugh, I don't even want to see you anymore. I'm sorry, but right now you represent everything that still hurts right now." Demi sighed, shutting her eyes tightly. Sun and Hau both caught the tear running down her face though.
"Demi...I'm so sorry." Hau said softly before walking back down the road, where they had just come from. Sun looked at his friend and then back to Team Skull, and was surprised that Demi was standing in front of him.
"I hated doing that to him. You have to believe me Sun, I really did." Demi said quietly, lowering her face cover and looking pretty upset at what she had done. "But he doesn't understand! I'm all for keeping a positive attitude and having fun and being carefree, but there's a time when you've got to be serious and he really doesn't know when he needs to act like a Trainer and stop being a child."
"I understand what you're saying and I'll even agree with you to a point...But there's a better way, Demi. We're your friends. Friends look out for each other. And you just hurt Hau in the worst way. He cares about you. He really hated himself for a while after what happened with you. Me and Lana helped cheer him up a bit, but I know he still thinks about what happened to you every day." Sun said to the girl, who sighed and shook her head.
"Looks like I messed something else up. Shocking." Demi laughed bitterly, her smile one of complete hopelessness. "I really can't do anything right, can I?"
"Hey, you're not a failure, yo!"
Demi and Sun turned to see Team Skull walking towards them. Sun took a step back as Kayla clapped Demi on the shoulder and said, "You would've had that battle won if not for that cheap ass Z-Move! You did way better than we did on day one of being in Team Skull."
"Hey, Team Skull. Look after my friend, alright?" Sun said to Team Skull, who looked at the boy in surprise as he picked up the money that they had flung down on the ground and handed it back to the nearest one.
"That was money Hau earned, but I'm pretty sure he's gone for now. I don't want to hold onto it, so just keep it." Sun said to the group, receiving a nod from Tim and Kevin.
"We should uh...probably bail now." Axen remarked, gesturing to his healed Drowzee.
"I'll see you around Sun. And thanks for being a friend." Demi said to Sun, a small smile on her face before she pulled her face cover up. Team Skull vanished on the spot a few moments later, disappearing from the path and leaving Sun alone with his team.
"Should we check on your friend?" Brago asked Sun. The boy thought about for a moment before texting Hau, receiving a text back after a few moments.
"No, he needs some time to himself. He said he was going to think about some things." Sun said to Brago, who nodded.
"I may not like him, but he didn't deserve that. I think the Demi girl is just...lost right now. She doesn't know what to do or what to think." Oliver noted, earning a surprised look from Sun.
"I agree. She has no idea what to do with herself. Especially if she's with those idiots. Hau certainly didn't deserve that sort of treatment." Penny agreed, ruffling her feathers slightly.
"Well...I'll talk with her about it. I know she's alright and that she's in good hands with Team Skull...Man, that feels weird to say. But they sounded really supportive of her, which is good. She's still dealing with the falling out with her family and losing Feya, so she needs all the support she can get." Sun said to his team.
"I agree."
Sun turned around and saw that Type: Null was still there, sitting down on the ground now with its grey eyes watching Sun. The boy's eyes widened at seeing one of Colress' TACV's around the creature's neck. That explained why they could understand the monster now.
"So, how'd you get that collar?" Sun asked Type: Null as he took a few steps towards the creature. Oliver flew into the air and landed in front of Sun, ready to protect him if need be.
"I can't say. But I imagine it's from the same man who gave you yours." Type: Null replied before looking over its shoulder. "Gladion, you can come out now."
Sun smirked as a teen dressed in black stepped out of the trees, his expression guarded as he walked over to Type: Null. He stood beside his partner for a moment before he shrugged. "That was a bit of a crapshoot."
"A what?" Sun asked, confused.
"Still, you got rid of Team Skull for me, which means I can go home now. Plus Hau got beat, which is always fun to see." Gladion remarked as he looked away, making an obvious effort not to smirk at the thought.
"That's not funny! Hau's really hurt right now thanks to what those jerks said. And Demi...Man, that went so badly. This is all just a huge misunderstanding." Sun muttered, looking down. Gladion shook his head, glancing over at the boy.
"Look." Gladion sighed then, with Sun looking back up at the older Trainer. "I'll admit my views on a lot of things are biased. I've been through a lot. You have too. I'll level with you and say that your friend Hau seems to be a really good person. He treats his Pokémon well and he's a competent Trainer when he's being serious. But that doesn't mean that he's not capable of hurting people. And it doesn't make him immune to mistakes. Even if he didn't mean too, he hurt Demi back at Brooklet Hill. And he hurt her again by insulting her new friends, making the remarks he did about her and what she's been through, and then using a Z-Move on the only Pokémon she has left."
"That's true...But that doesn't mean treating him like dirt is right. Just because he's had a life free of serious hardship doesn't mean he hasn't had to suffer in life. He's gone through a lot of stuff too. He just doesn't let it get him down." Sun retorted, earning a surprised look from Gladion. "You shouldn't assume."
"...Maybe. I assumed you were just like him until I noticed how well you hide the pain." Gladion said quietly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah...If it wasn't for friends like Hau, I probably wouldn't have made it this far. He's been one of my biggest supporters. A true friend through and through and a great rival that pushes me to do better. He might not be serious about this adventure, but he wants to do better and prove that he's not just the grandson of the Kahuna. He's more than that." Sun said as he crossed his arms, looking back at where his friend had gone. Sun pulled out his phone as idea came to the boy's head. Sun scrolled down his phone contacts and sent off a quick text before stuffing it back into his pocket. "I might not be able to help him with this. But I'm hoping a friend of mine might be able to cheer him up."
"Hmph. Well, I'm heading back to my hotel. I'm assuming you're going to the Grass Trial?" Gladion asked Sun, who nodded. "Then I guess we'll be heading the same way then. Don't fall behind."
Sun blinked as Gladion moved down the path, with Type: Null padding alongside him. Sun exchanged a look with his Pokémon, with Penny gesturing for him to follow the other Trainer, and with that Sun walked after the fierce blond in black that had suddenly become a traveling companion.
The two boys continued down the path, each of them sizing up the other when they thought the other boy wasn't looking. Unlike with Hau, the two of them had a more competitive rivalry. They recognized the strength of the other and knew that they understood one another better than most their peers did. Sun figured Lillie was the only one who truly understood how deep his scars went though.
"So...what happened with Demi?" Sun asked Gladion, surprising the teen. His shock went away and was replaced by a more neutral expression.
"Right. She's your friend too. Well, according to her, after she had a fight with Hau she ran off down the road. She then got into a bad fight with her parents." Gladion began to explain. The teen went into detail how Demi's parents had made it clear that their prestige meant more to them than their daughter did, and so she cut off contact with her family and shortly afterwards was attacked by the bandit Night Slash.
Gladion had explained how Type: Null had sensed something was wrong and led him and Team Skull to the place where Demi was being attacked, and with a combined effort the group managed to take down the bandit. Demi would tag along with them for a few days, releasing her Pokémon in a fit of grief and anger, before realizing her mistake and recapturing Torch, her only remaining Pokémon. Afterwards she joined Team Skull and was formally inducted into the group just yesterday.
"Wow...She's been through a lot since Feya died." Sun muttered, looking down at the ground.
"Yeah. She has. I'll admit, I respect her a lot. Hopefully she'll achieve what she hopes to with Team Skull. Since the group she's a part of gets paired with me a bit, I'll be seeing a lot more of her. Troublesome, really." Gladion said as he crossed his arms.
"Maybe."
"I'm...surprised though." Gladion muttered after a moment, looking down at the ground. "I was really nasty to her back there. But she defended me and Null. I don't get it."
"Because she's a good person. Just like Hau, she wants everyone to get along and to be okay." Sun remarked to a surprised Gladion, who just stared at him. "Well, at least you're looking out for her. I appreciate that, Gladion." Sun said to the teen with a small smile. Gladion stared at Sun for a few moments more before he scowled and looked away.
"I'm not looking out for her. I'm just...Not heartless, alright? I don't want anyone to suffer unnecessarily, but I'm not going to lose sight of my goal. I will become stronger so I can save those precious to me. Nothing else matters." Gladion said firmly, his eyes sparking with determination. Sun couldn't help a sad smile as they continued down the path with the Alolan sun shining down overhead.
"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Hala thought as he sprinted through Hau'oli City, diving through alleyways and dodging citizens as quickly as he could. The Kahuna quickly hid behind a dumpster and sat there for a while, panting heavily.
"I need to work out more. And I need to ensure those stupid translator collars don't make it into the hands of any new Trainer who gets an Alolan Starter. That would be the end of me as I know it!" Hala thought as he slowed emerged from his cover. Laura had to have given up by now, right?
Nope!
Hala stepped out onto the street and to his horror, the woman was leaning against a light pole with a blank expression on her face. Hala sighed and slumped over.
"Alright, you win. Do what you will. I deserve it." Hala stated, drawing himself up and preparing for the worst. Laura walked up to the man and glared at him, eyes narrowed.
"I've already yelled at Kukui, and he's beyond my reach for now. So you're taking his punishment too." Laura Smiles said to the man, who nodded.
Laura then drew her foot back and kicked Hala as hard as she could right in the kahunas, dropping the man to his knees and earning a wince from every male on the block. Hala howled in pain as he clutched his crushed family jewels, hunching his shoulders and trying to maintain his composure despite the awful, awful pain that no man should ever experience. Laura bent down and grabbed the man by the ear, leaning forward.
"I'll admit, I had fun chasing you around. But it's dinnertime. So I'm going to go eat and finish packing so I can see my little boy in a few days. Meanwhile, you're going to think about your use of cursing around young people and Pokémon, because none of them need to hear that. If I ever catch wind of you or Kukui corrupting children's minds with that awful language again, I'm castrating you both with a rusty spoon and feeding what I remove to the local Ride Sharpedo." Laura whispered into Hala's ear before letting go of the man's ear and pushing him down to the ground.
"Have a wonderful day, Kahuna Hala!" Laura said sweetly as she walked down the sidewalk, leaving Hala lying there on the pavement and she departed on her Pidgeot. This allowed the old man to think about what he had done...how the first thing he was doing when he got home would be to invest in a swear jar.
Alrighty, that's another one done. Next chapter we've got some Hau development, Gladion and Sun chat and travel a bit, and then some really bad stuff happens and I can't say anymore because spoilers are evil. And we all know what that means.
Every villain is lemons.
Q&A
From: Champion of the Divine Sun
My question is rather simple: How severe would the three starters swear/curse respectively?
As answered here in the chapter, not that much. Honestly, I'm not too comfortable with having Pokémon cursing up a storm, since its jarring and distracting. However, I enjoy the running gag of two of the most respected men in the region getting yelled at for inappropriate language and being irresponsible just too much to not use. Sun and Hau will work on it with their Starters and snap them out of that habit.
From: Angelfir3
What I'm wondering though is why did Colress kill the grunt if he still had the information of where the location of the base in Ula Ula was?
Because at that point he knew he wasn't going to get anything out of him, and there's limits to what even a very powerful Psychic-type can do. Colress' Metagross could destroy memories at best, but couldn't tear into the Cipher Grunt's memories to pry the information from his mind. That's just beyond what it can do, even for a Metagross. Colress just got rid of the problem since he knew the Grunt's use was at an end.
I'll be explaining this in-depth later, but despite how dangerous they are in the story (because I think if Pokémon were real Psychic-types would hands down the most OP), they do have limits and its takes a lot of skill, training, and power to do things like stop attacks, throw people around, and especially go into people's minds.
However with a Legendary Psychic-type…
That's another story entirely.
From: Sai Og Sus
The whole Psychic Type being the most dangerous of all Types seemed to be hinting of Nebby's potential, am I right?
Hmm...Hold that thought. Nebby might not be a badass until late-game, but I've got some surprises in store for our favorite puffball. Though I suppose my answer for the previous question also ties into this. Psychic-types are tough as hell, and it's also a reference to Gen I when Psychic-types had basically no weaknesses and were broken as hell.
From: MoonlightButterfree
So Colress is attempting to atone for what he did? That should be an interesting arc to see. Also, wouldn't he technically get away on a self defence charge since the grunts were attacking him?
I'm gonna count this as one big question here. His situation is complicated. He wants to further his own research and find his answers, but he also wants to stop Cipher because he wants his own revenge on them for hurting him and his allies and to stop them from ruling the world. And yes, technically it is self-defense, but Colress also doesn't want word to get out that he can vaporize people and he doesn't want to freak people out and lose their trust.
From: BraviaryScout
And I see what you're doing there! Bribing Sun to keep it under wraps by having the translation collars. I read he only got 3 of them. Is he going to get 3 more for the rest of his eventual party?
Sun will have a TACV for every member of his team when he gets them. Might take a bit to snag another one from Colress, but he'll get them.
That's all for now, everyone! If you enjoyed the chapter, please show your support in the form of a review, PM, favorite and/or follow! It's definitely appreciated and allows this story to grow and improve! And if you have questions, please leave them in the section below! (Usual rules apply)
Stay safe and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
