Pokémon Radiant Sun
So, guess who got roped into competitive Smash Ultimate tournaments this weekend, and got this chapter out a day late as a result? This guy. No worries, I'll be busting my ass to get an update out this weekend on time. Plus chapter was just hard to write for some reason. Don't know why.
Speaking of Smash, however, I will say that I'm definitely trying to get back into a groove with it and do more competitive stuff with it. Especially with Joker (from Persona V) becoming a playable character in April. So much hype.
Anyway, last chapter got the exact reactions I wanted. For the most part. I'm glad most people stuck it out and overall the feedback has been wonderful. So thanks again for being patient and awesome while I sorted my stuff out.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Defender31415, Technetium2, a Guest reviewer, JDunks809, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, SonicIKE, BraviaryScout, RC-DA, and 2 new reviewers known as OragonKing and Wan323. Thanks for the fantastic support!
Also, I am aware Necrozma is NOT actually an Ultra Beast. However, the characters do not.
On that note…I could not for the life of me come up with a good chapter name for this one. Oh well.
Enjoy.
Chapter 80: Advice Worth Taking
The trek back to Professor Kukui's lab was silent, with Sun in deep thought. Everything that had happened today seemed like a huge blur to them. The talk with Professor Kukui and Burnet. Their walk to Ten Carat Hill. Their meeting with Kahili. And then the battle against Necrozma.
"You kids are lucky." Ollie remarked as they made their way out of the tunnel and entered Route 1 again, with the Professor's lab being visible now, just a few minutes away. "After all this excitement, you get to go home and relax a bit. I'll be heading into work."
"Wait, what? I thought you didn't have to go back to work until tomorrow!" Sun exclaimed, looking up at Ollie with some alarm. The man smiled ruefully, patting the boy's head.
"Sadly, duty calls. We just witnessed a major temporal and/or spatial phenomena, or at least whatever you call an Ultra Wormhole. An Ultra Beast just came out of that portal and attacked us, and we barely managed to knock it back into the vortex. The others need to know about this. I can't just wait on this. What if the portal opens again and this thing actually kills someone? Or worse, if the one that's supposedly buried underground wakes up? No...This needs to be investigated." Ollie explained, his tone becoming more serious. Sun looked worried, but nodded.
"Okay...Just be careful. Please?" Sun said in a rather small voice. Ollie replied with a simple thumbs up without looking back at Sun. Lillie felt a pang of worry for the boy, but this conversation had merely distracted her from her worry over Nebby.
The Cosmog had yet to awaken from its slumber, though the Pokémon's color had slowed returned to him over the course of their walk back to the lab. Lillie hoped that Professor Burnet would know a way to help Nebby, but Lillie couldn't help but fear the worst.
"Nebby...please be okay." Lillie thought to herself, feeling her eyes burn with tears. She brushed them away with her hands, taking a breath to calm herself. She had to be strong. The girl then felt a hand grip hers as she brought them down to her sides, and she glanced to her side to see Sun by her side. He offered her a kind smile, giving Lillie's hand a small squeeze. Lillie smiled weakly, mouthing a thank you to the boy before he let go of her hand.
"We need another break." Sun mused with a small smile, sticking his hands into his pockets, glad that he had changed back into his usual clothes. Lillie was about to remark on that when Penny swooped past him, looking absolutely giddy as she flapped her powerful new wings.
"I wouldn't say no to it, but I really want to have another good battle! I want to test my new form out!" Penny practically sang, shivering with happiness before she shot ahead. Finn cried out something and then promptly tripped, making Sun stop beside his newest Pokémon and pick him up. Sun walked forward, holding Finn in his arms now. The Poliwag wasn't exactly amused, but didn't fight it either. Meanwhile, Brago and Oliver both sulked in silence behind them, with the canine in particular hanging his head. Rotom sat on Sun's shoulder, looking amused at all of this.
"Zzzt! This is probably a good time to mention that Penny learned two new moves upon evolving. Rock Blast and Beak Blast." Rotom explained to the boy, with Penny flying circles around the group.
"Rock Blast? But...she's a Flying-type. Well, and a Normal-type too. How can she use rock attacks?" Sun asked Rotom Dex, who giggled ethereally.
"Pokémon learn all sorts of odd attacks all the time. You'd be surprised at the odd things Pokémon find themselves able to do, especially upon evolving. Trained Pokémon can learn even more, thanks to Technical Machines." Ollie remarked, smiling at Penny as she flew by. "Still...Alola really can make some wonderful birds."
"Yep! And I saw Kahili use Beak Blast before and...wait, was that the fire-like move that Penny used when she protected Oliver?" Sun asked Rotom.
"Zzt! You betcha! Beak Blast is a Flying-type move that requires the user to charge for a short time before releasing a fiery blast of energy. It's Toucannon's signature move! Should Penny take a direct physical attack from an opponent while charging up, they'd likely be burned as a result." Rotom explained, with Sun remembering how Necrozma had reacted after striking Penny and the pain that it had been in.
"Cool. That'll definitely help in the Tournament, and my Grand Trial...Um, you'll be there, right?" Sun asked Ollie, who replied with a wide grin.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll make sure to take off that night so I can get a front row view." Ollie promised, with Sun giving him a wide smile at those words. Lillie couldn't help a small giggle, earning the boy's attention.
"You look so excited. I couldn't help it." Lillie apologized, smiling at the boy. Sun blushed slightly, but didn't respond to that comment. Instead, the group arrived at the Pokémon Lab, where Professor Kukui opened the door with a wide smile. That smile took a hit when he noticed that the group looked a bit roughed up.
"Everything okay?" the Professor asked, with Ollie smirking at that.
"It's a long story. You might want to grab your wife for this, because it's definitely her area of expertise." Ollie said to the man, earning a nod in response. In a matter of minutes, they were all sitting on cushions and drinking tea yet again, with Professor Burnet looked troubled at what she had been told about Necrozma's attack.
"This is worrying. A creature of such strength...I can only be thankful that none of you were seriously hurt." Burnet said quietly, looking down at the floor. Sun noticed that Brago was sulking off to the side of room, with Winter trying to cheer him up by nuzzling him. The Alolan Vulpix's efforts were in vain, as Brago simply sighed and trudged over to Sun, leaving the icy fox with a hurt expression on her face.
Kukui nodded at the word's of his wife, his usually cheerful face showing a concerned frown. "Yeah. Poor Kahili. I asked her to come back to Alola to help me out with my secret project and to drum up interest for the Tournament. She got hurt because of me…" Kukui shook his head, smiling ruefully. "I know that isn't quite true, but I can't help but feel guilty about it."
"She seemed like a pretty strong lady. I'm sure she'll be fine." Ollie said, leaning against the wall. "That said, we do have some pressing issues. Mainly, making sure that we don't encounter such a powerful creature again. We got lucky because we had three skilled Trainers there, plus a Guardian Deity. Next time we may not be so lucky. I want to launch additional investigations into the Ultra Beasts. Ancient texts, recent info, and anything else we can dig up."
"We have a bit of information at our disposal, though admittedly we don't have much. The Ultra Wormholes themselves are more my area of expertise, and I've already shown most of my findings with Miss Anabel." Burnet said to Ollie, earning a nod.
"Noted. I'll ensure Maiden and Looker share anything they've got as well. Maybe we've got something you don't that could help sort out this mystery. Though I'll be totally honest, the International Police have a very bad habit of keeping information hidden from each other. Secrets are secrets, after all. I have quite a few myself that I'll be taking to the grave." Ollie replied with a small shrug, though he caught Sun's curious gaze. The Captain grinned and said, "And no, convincing Laura to bake me red-velvet cupcakes to bribe me into blabbing away top secret info isn't going to work. Trust me...She's tried."
"Drat. Oh well, I'll come up with something else. If anything, Hau and Lillie might help me figure out a better plan." Sun said with a shrug, glancing over at Lillie, who gave him a wide grin and a nod.
"Oh boy...You crazy kids." Kukui remarked, shaking his head with mirth.
Ollie's smile faded after a moment."Alright...then I'll need to touch base with them and find out what all we know. That said, Sun's Rotom Dex managed to get a good bit of footage of the battle itself, along with pictures. Plus, I found some strange shards at the base of the Ultra Wormhole. I was wondering if you all could make sense of it." Ollie said to Burnet, holding up a plastic bag of glittering shards. Kukui and Burnet examined them with interest.
"It's like glass...But they thrum some strange sort of power." Burnet remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"We can run some tests and see what they are. It may take some time, however." Kukui said to Ollie, who nodded in response. Kukui turned to Sun and said, "You don't mind leaving Rotom Dex here overnight, do you? I know you can find your way around Melemele Island by now, but…"
"Yeah, absolutely. I'll be fine." Sun said, grabbing Rotom Dex gently as the device buzzed.
"Woo! Sleepover! BzzZzzt!" Rotom declared as Kukui chuckled softly.
"Alright then. I'll head downstairs and start sifting through the data Rotom picked up. Ollie, if you'd join me." Kukui said as he ambled down the hall. Ollie turned to Sun for a moment.
"Get home and explain what happened to your mother. I'll swing by and get my stuff before heading out. Be safe, alright?" Ollie said, putting a hand on Sun's head with a smile before the boy nodded. Ollie removed his hand and went after Kukui, a resolute expression on his face. Sun turned to Lillie, smiling at his best friend.
"Looks like I've got to go home. Keep me posted on how Nebby's doing, okay?" Sun said to Lillie.
"Okay." Lillie responded, and with that Sun stepped forward and hugged the girl. Lillie shut her eyes as her face burned pink, but she enjoyed the hug despite her embarrassment of Professor Burnet giggling behind them. The two children separated with both of their faces rather flushed.
"We'll be heading back to Akala Island tomorrow afternoon so we can prepare ourselves for the Tournament this weekend. It'll be a three-day long experience, so make sure to plan accordingly." Burnet said to Sun, smiling down at the boy.
"Got it. See you both tomorrow!" Sun said to the two women, walking down the path with his Pokémon in tow. Lillie saw Sun petting Brago as they walked, and smiled fondly as she watched her crush depart. After staring at his departing figure for a time, and girl sighed softly.
"You really have it bad for him, don't you?" Burnet asked suddenly, with Lillie jumping slightly.
"Um…" Lillie looked uncomfortable as she blushed scarlet, and Professor Burnet smirked knowingly. The woman placed a hand on Lillie's shoulder, squatting down slightly so that she was eye-level with the girl.
"We'll see him tomorrow. And I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to spend with him while at Royal Avenue. For now we have work to do, and the first thing we'll have to do is wake Nebby up." Burnet said to Lillie, who nodded after a moment.
"Are we going to be running the tests here?" Lillie asked.
"Yes. I'm worried about teleporting elsewhere with Cosmog in the state that he's in. However, based on the last time we had Nebby in this condition, I believe we'll be able to revive him in short order." Burnet said as she led Lillie back into the building. Winter ambled over to them and nuzzled Lillie's leg, sending a icy chill up her leg but also serving the purpose of making the girl smile. Lillie picked up the icy fox and hugged her.
"You certainly do love fuzzy Pokémon, don't you?" Burnet giggled, with Lillie grinning at that.
"I blame Father for that." Lillie said, her smile becoming a bit more somber as she removed her signature hat. "Every one of his Pokémon was super fuzzy and furry. I loved hugging all of them when I was little, and my favorite Pokémon he had was his Stoutland."
Burnet put a hand on Lillie's head, patting the girl on the head. She smiled warmly at the child and said, "I'm sure Mohn is very proud of how far you've come. Just like I am, Lillie."
The girl felt her throat constrict at the words and tears again began to sting at her eyes. So she chose to give Burnet a hug, which the woman responded in kind. Burnet held the girl for several moments before breaking the embrace, smiling down at Lillie with pride before they continued further into the building, determined to unravel the mysteries of Necrozma and Cosmog…
Though they would never imagine where those mysteries would lead them.
As the moon rose high into the sky, shining its radiant light down on Alola, a Growlithe stirred in his sleep before his eyes snapped open. He glanced around the bed he was currently resting on. Brago sighed and took stock of his position on Sun's bed, surrounded by his team.
His gaze fell onto the boy that he had sworn to follow loyally no matter what. Next, his eyes flicked to the mischievous Dartrix who preferred being clean and groomed above all else. And then the newly evolved Toucannon, who strove so hard to prove her worth. And then the newest addition to their pack, the Poliwag with the heart of a performer and a soul of a fighter. What an interesting band of characters...however, that alerted Brago to his situation.
"Sleep will elude me this night, it seems." Brago murmured, getting up off of the bed that they had all piled onto. Sun shifted slightly, but didn't wake up as Brago hopped to the floor. The canine moved silently as he made his way towards a spot in the room where the moon was visible through the window. And for a time, the stared out that window and thought about things. About the doubt that had nestled into his heart.
"Bad dream?" came a whisper from the dark. Brago looked over at Oliver with a bored expression, the Dartrix carefully extracting himself from Sun's bed and flapping over to the Growlithe.
"Not quite, my friend...I'm unsure of what's wrong with me. But I'm having doubts about many things, and it's darkening my mood." Brago said to the owl, who cocked his head.
"Explain." Oliver stated bluntly.
"Earlier today, we fought that monster. It's strength was something I had never encountered before. It was what I had always thought fighting a Legendary would be like. I could feel the anger and pain emanating from it. It was overwhelming...And for a time, I was absolutely terrified. I was so scared to act, even for a brief time. And that has shaken my confidence, Oliver. I don't know what to think anymore, because I've never felt fear before. I've always marched forward, not allowing anything to slow me down. No matter how strong the opponent, no matter how fearsome the foe, I have never backed down...Until today. And I'm ashamed." Brago explained softly, hanging his head.
"I see...So you're doubting your resolve and your abilities. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I can relate to that." Oliver said, drawing the dog's attention.
"Really? But you always fight and follow orders no matter what." Brago said, with Oliver shaking his head in reply.
"Not always. Before I evolved, I was quite a pain to deal with. Even now, I act out of line. I'm working on it, but some bad habits prove hard to curb. But that's not the point." Oliver said with a shrug.
"Have you...ever felt so scared that it shook you?" Brago asked before realizing how that sounded. "I apologize. It's hard to express what I'm asking."
"Of course I've been that scared. But Sun's safety was more important to me. And despite that...I'm scared too. But not because of that monster." Oliver admitted, shutting his eyes. " I'm scared of failure. I let Sun down against the Kahuna because I wasn't strong enough to overcome my instincts. I was weak. And because of that weakness, that boy suffered. I have to be better, Brago, and I'm scared I won't be able to improve. That I'll never get better and overcome my shortcomings."
"Bettering oneself is easier said than done. Fear, however...Is another thing entirely." Brago said quietly, gritting his teeth.
"Why is that such a big thing with you? Everyone gets scared." Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not me. Not a Growlithe. Our kind are fearless. We are unshakable. We protect our Alpha without reservation. We obey without thought. Our loyalty is absolute." Brago explained softly, shutting his eyes and hanging his head.
"And for a few moments earlier today...I wasn't any of that. I was a terrified wretch cowering in the dirt against that...thing. You selflessly tried to protect our Alpha. Penny managed to evolve protecting you. Even Finn, despite how much weaker he is than us, fought as hard as he could until that beast knocked him out. And for a one, horrifying moment...I was a trembling little pup that couldn't move because he was so scared."
"I'm absolutely disgusted in myself. After what Alpha has done for me, I thought I would always be able to follow him. A Trainer with a brave heart and a kind soul. He has treated me very well, and I've grown stronger thanks to his guidance. And how do I repay him? With cowardice. That monster we fought terrified me, and I'm ashamed of myself, Oliver. I'm not supposed to be afraid of anything. I'm supposed to brave...And I wasn't." Brago finished, lowering himself down the to the floor.
"I see...Well, I'll admit I don't really know what to say to that. If I'm scared, I'm scared. But I'll get over it." Oliver remarked uneasily, seeing the state the canine was in. He was glad for the distraction, however. It helped him from dwelling on his own problems.
"But I do know that fear doesn't have to last forever. You've done so much in the short time I've know you. Even when I first met you, you were trying to fight against one of the darkest humans I've ever seen. You're a warrior where it counts, Brago. Don't dwell on your fear. Just think about how you'll do better next time." Oliver said to the canine, who rose up after a few moments and stared at him.
"Why are you doing this? Why comfort me?" Brago asked the Dartrix, who replied with a little beaky smile.
"You're not the only one having doubts. And even if I'm not feeling my best, it's my job to make sure everything's going okay for Sun. And that means making sure you're okay too. Besides, what else are friends for?" Oliver said as he put a wing around Brago. The Growlithe stared at the moon, deep in thought for several moments, thinking about what Oliver said. Finally, the canine offered the owl a weak smile before Oliver removed his wing.
"Thank you. I'm very conflicted right now, but I feel a little better after talking about it." Brago said to the Dartrix, who waved a wing dismissively.
"Get some rest. We'll be fighting quite hard in the next few days. We'll need to be at our best." Oliver said with a smile as Brago trudged back to the boy's bed, hopping upon it and curling up beside Sun, who awoke for a moment. He saw Brago and sleepily hugged the canine close to him before falling asleep again, leaving Oliver to his thoughts. About what he told Brago.
"It's too bad I can't follow my own advice." Oliver thought as he shut his eyes, though he didn't let sleep claim him. He had to maintain his nightly vigil, after all.
Aria looked down at the Zygarde Cube as it sucked in another Cell, grinning in triumph. She set down the device as she set it on the floor, examining it from all sides before looking up at Sina and Dexio as they scribbled away on tablets. It was rather early in the morning for the young heroes, but despite this, they decided to meet up so that they could discuss things.
"Anything?" Aria asked, picking up the device and setting it on the table.
"Yes. It seems as though you've collected eight percent of Zygarde's missing Cells. Sun has slightly over ten percent, last time we checked. So we'll be able to utilize the Zygarde Cube in some way from this point forward." Dexio explained, nodding after a moment.
"And it'll actually be able to have a form and everything?" Vivian asked, smiling slightly.
"Yes. It seems that we're able to call forth Zygarde in a limited capacity. From what Professor Sycamore has deduced, and based on our own research, Zygarde can only form in three states. One of them at ten percent cell capacity. Another state will be when it is at half, or fifty, percent of it's cell capacity. And then when it's finally complete, it will be at its Complete Forme. Zygarde, at that point, will have its full power." Dexio explained as he turned around in his chair, looking back at his allies. The young man was acutely aware of his partner leaning against him, her arm on his shoulder, but ignored it for now.
"This is good. Really, really good. All we have to do is track down all of the Cells and Cores and we'll have an actual chance of standing up against Ghetsis and his Kyurem." Aria said with a grin, grabbing the Zygarde Cube and looking down at it with reverence.
"On top of that, Colress says he's making serious headway with the Purification Chamber at the Aether Paradise. He says he'll probably have it finished and ready for testing within a month or so. Purifying Celebi will be easy after that." Sina chimed in, moving from Dexio and grinning at the other Trainers.
"Well, we knew that. Colress has been keeping us updated weekly about how he's doing there. He's also keeping an eye on the Aether Foundation and their activities. He's almost certain that there's another lab on the island, but he's unsure where. He's also wary of digging further, because Faba seems to be onto him." Noah responded, crossing his arms and sighing. "And truthfully, that's just one piece of the puzzle. We still need to sort out how to divide Kyurem again, as well as sort out how we're going to deal with Ghetsis and his flying doom fortress."
"'Doom fortress?'" Dexio echoed, smirking. Noah grinned while Vivian laughed, smiling widely.
"It's only the most cliche thing ever. Seriously, what is it with those guys? First they bury a castle under the Pokémon League. Then they get a floating pirate ship. And then they just make a floating castle. Who funds this crap?" Vivian asked, giggling with mirth.
"Probably Borlath. Though Cipher didn't ally with Neo Team Plasma until after they tried to take over Unova a second time." Aria remarked, sighing with a shrug. "Who knows? It doesn't even matter anyway. Hell, if we found a way to knock it out of the sky we could probably just skip a lot of the work."
"How the hell would you even knock a floating castle out of the sky? Let alone one with an almighty dragon...thing, on it?" Hugh asked, raising an eyebrow. None of the Trainers said anything, though the silence was broken by Olivia entering the room and putting a hand on her hip.
"So this is where you all were. Hmph." Olivia said, crossing her arms with a small smile. "I just figured I should let you know that security for the Tournament is well taken care of, since you showed some concern about it. On top of that, we'll be having a great deal of visiting Trainers and Gym Leaders, so should there be an incident it will be resolved quickly." Olivia said to the group.
"That's good. A Tournament will be fun. Plus there's that festival thing happening soon after, right?" Aria asked.
"The Festival of Celestial Lights...Sounds like a wonderful time." Noah said quietly, smiling as he leaned against Vivian. "We haven't had a date like that in a while."
"T-that's...true, I guess." Vivian sputtered as Noah wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Noah smirked slightly and kissed his girlfriend lightly on the cheek, making her blush bright pink.
"You really are terrible at handling affection." Aria teased, earning a scowl from Vivian.
"Says the girl who threw a fit and cried because Wes wouldn't go on a date with you, and then skipped town like a diva." Vivian shot back, with Aria wincing at the memory.
"Fair enough. But I was fifteen at the time and very inexperienced with love. Now I'm a bit more experienced, and much less bratty." Aria replies, making Olivia snort in amusement.
"You remind me of myself when I was a teenager. I was a menace." Olivia grinned, flashing her teeth as Sina and Dexio laughed. "It was tempered when I was chosen to become a Kahuna, but for many years I was a wild-child."
"Psh. I wasn't even wild." Aria pouted, crossing her arms.
Hugh shook his head in amusement and was about to make a snarky remark when Olivia suddenly screamed, clutching her head as she fell to her knees. Everyone stared at the Kahuna in worry and surprise, though before anyone could do anything her eyes shot open. The woman slowly got to her feet, an expression of absolute horror on her face as she tried to catch her breath.
"What's going on?" Vivian asked the Kahuna, tightening her grip on Noah's hand. The woman sighed shakily and looked down at her Z-Ring for a moment before scowling.
"Tapu Lele...Something has angered it. I have never felt it's anger so strongly before. It's almost sickening. A tidal wave of sheer malice and rage." Olivia whispered, clenching her fists. "Something terrible has happened. The Guardian Deity of Akala Island is furious about something. And I shudder to think what exactly has angered it so."
"Looks like old Scale Face missed out on that assassin lady it was torturing. I'm surprised that it took this long to get mad about it." came a casual reply from above. Everyone looked up to see a cloaked black-haired woman with red eyes watching them with amusement.
"Who are you?" Noah asked as Aria flexed her hand, a blade springing from the Snag Machine after a moment. The woman regarded them all with amusement, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"You...I've seen you lurking around the Ruins of Life. Tapu Lele warned me about you. Zinnia, was it?" Olivia said as the woman dropped down the ground and landed in a crouch, smirking at them. Just then, the Zygarde Cube on the table began to glow much brighter, drawing everyone's attention for a few moments before they returned their attention to the Draconid.
"Yep. That's my name! Don't wear it out!" Zinnia said cheerily, looking at each of the Trainers in turn. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but hearing about Legendary Dragons always piques my interest. Especially dragons that haven't ruined my life."
"Wait, who the hell are you?" High asked the woman, who grinned wider.
"My name is Sir Poppycock McBaddington III!" The woman declared before her expression fell. "It's Zinnia, dipshit. Pay attention next time."
"Why are you here?" Noah asked, earning a shrug from the Lorekeeper.
"Truthfully? Boredom. Trying to hunt down the Anomaly is annoying at times. Even if it is a horrifying abomination of nature. So when I saw the open window, I decided why not peak in? Wasn't disappointed! Even though most of you are really boring, what you're doing isn't. Especially since it concerns saving the world and dealing with a nigh-unstoppable dragon not seen for untold ages." Zinnia explained, flashing them a wide smile.
"How...do you know about all of that?" Vivian asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Yeah. Plus, you talk like you're an expert on dragons or something." Noah remarked, with Zinnia giggling.
"If you've got something to tell us about Kyurem, tell us." Hugh said as he crossed his arms.
"Oh, I know all about the nonsense you kids are trying to get sorted out. They don't call me the Lorekeeper for nothing. I could tell you all about the Eternity Locket and Perfect Kyurem. But the question you should really be asking is...Why on earth would I tell you all about that?"Zinnia asked before she turned on her heel and strolled out of the building, leaving all of them dumbfounded.
"I like her." Vivian stated with a grin, earning looks from everyone. "What? She's got spunk."
"Wait, what the hell just happened?" Aria asked, blinking several times.
"That lady just broke into the building, insulted just about everyone here, insinuated that she knew how to stop Kyurem back in Unova, and walked back out again." Sina summarized as everyone stared at the door Zinnia had walked out of.
"Get back here!" Hugh barked as he charged out of the lab. Aria wasn't too far behind, with Vivian and Noah following at a slower pace, though they stopped at the door when Aria burst back into the room and grabbed the Zygarde Cube and bolted back out.
"Sorry, you two, but can we wait until Sun gets back here before we attempt to call forth Zygarde? It might just be better to wait for him, at this point." Vivian asked the two Kalosians. Sina and Dexio nodded, grinning at them.
"By all means, give chase! That woman was quite interesting. If you find any information, please keep us in the loop." Dexio said to the couple, with Noah giving the young man a thumbs up before walking out. Olivia sighed and shook her head, looking at Sina and Dexio after a moment.
"You all can chase down that woman if you must. She'll likely have answers for you. I will attempt to converse with our Guardian Deity. I only worry that it's anger will be insatiable with words alone. If our Guardian Deity has chosen to end someone's life and that person escapes from Tapu Lele's grasp, then it will be truly furious indeed. And making an enemy of a creature as cruel as Tapu Lele is a good way to ensure you meet a painful end." Olivia said quietly before she nodded to the two remaining Trainers before she walked out of the room, leaving Sina and Dexio alone.
"I'm so glad we came here. Everyone's so much more interesting in Alola than they are back home!" Sina chirped as she sat down beside Dexio, who grabbed her hand after a moment. Sina blushed at the contact, though she leaned her head against the young man's shoulder. Her comrade in arms and her best friend.
"It's funny...We've been getting so overworked these past few weeks that we haven't had much time to ourselves, huh?" Dexio mused, wrapping an arm around Sina's waist.
"Oui. But we have done a lot of good, you and I. Those Trainers have so much potential. As do our younger friends as well. Little Lillie and Sun." Sina remarked, grinning with excitement. "Following the potential of wonderful Trainers. It fills me with a sense of nostalgia, no?"
"Sina, the crisis in Kalos wasn't that long ago." Dexio chuckled, with Sina giggling in response. After a time, the two shared a comfortable silence before Sina nuzzled Dexio's neck.
"I'm happy, Dexio. That we can do this now...You know, have all of our feelings out in the open like this." Sina murmured, smiling with happiness.
"I'm happy that you're happy, chéri. And I'm even more happy that you're happy here with me. And that our bond is stronger than ever." Dexio said cheekily, making Sina beam and kiss him on the lips.
"Come. Let's pack everything up! Olivia told me about this lovely little diner nearby that serves traditional Alolan food! I demand a breakfast date!" Sina declared, hopping out of her new boyfriend's arms and pointing to the ceiling. Dexio laughed and hopped to his feet, striking a pose alongside his partner as they suddenly put on their masks.
"TO BREAKFAST!"
Gladion woke up to the feeling of something licking his face. His eyes slowly opened, and he heard an excited yip before a fox appeared in his field of view.
"Ugh...Ow, my everything." Gladion hissed as he slowly sat up, wincing as every single one of his injuries flared up at once. Zorua yipped again, happily nuzzling Gladion's bare chest while Golbat fluttered onto the bed, wrapping Gladion in a hug with his wings. Type: Null sighed from the corner with relief.
"Hey you guys...Were you waiting for long?" Gladion asked quietly, hugging the kit in his arms as Golbat fluttered to the ground. Zorua yipped adorably in response, licking the boy's face before squirming in the boy's arms. Gladion smiled down at each of his Pokémon before saying, "Thank you."
"We were wondering how long you would be out...I was worried." Type: Null said quietly, eyeing Gladion's injuries with worry. Gladion's expression softened as he looked at his Partner, though he smiled faintly at the beast.
"It'll take more than that to put me down. Next time, we'll teach those clowns a lesson." Gladion replied, with each of his Pokémon watching him as he painfully got out of bed. He was only wearing his pants, allowing him to see the collection of bruises and scrapes that the Bone Brothers had given him. And then a thought occurred to him.
"How did I get here?" Gladion asked, looking around and seeing that he was in his hotel room. He then realized that all of his injuries had been treated to some extent, and that there were bandages wrapped around his ribs.
"That woman came by. The friend from before." Type: Null answered, lowering its head onto the cushion it slept on. Gladion blinked twice before frowning, though he slipped on a long-sleeved shirt before replying.
"That doesn't answer-" Gladion began to say before the hotel door opened and a woman with magenta-colored hair and wearing a white dress entered, carrying what looked like several rolls of bandages. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing Gladion awake before she rushed forward.
"Master Gladion, I'm glad to see you awake." Miss Wicke said with relief visible on her face. Gladion relaxed slightly and sighed, allowing some of the always present tension within him to fade as the woman closed the door behind her. Wicke set the medical supplies on the boy's bed before taking a moment to look at him with a warm smile.
"Miss Wicke. I'm guessing you're the one who treated my injuries." Gladion said quietly to the woman, who nodded.
"I had been planning on coming by to check in on you when I had a moment. I was able to finally slip away from the Paradise thanks to some commotion Faba's come up with. Something about a monster from another dimension that isn't an Ultra Beast." Miss Wicke explained to the teen, his expression becoming one of confusion.
"Something that isn't an Ultra Beast? Do you know anything else about it?" Gladion asked.
Miss Wicke shook her head. "No, sadly. I left shortly after your mother called an emergency meeting in the labs. I was given the day off and came straight here. I came inside using the spare key you gave me and found you lying on your bed, covered in half-treated bruises and scrapes and just...what happened to you?"
"The Bone Brothers are what happened." Gladion remarked, scowling at the memory. "They wouldn't stop bugging me about battling them. I'm good, and getting better, but I'm no match for them. They're the best Trainers in Team Skull and have over a decade of experience on me. But they kept goading me and eventually pissed me off so much that I had to fight. They beat me."
"And then…?" Miss Wicke asked, feeling a small sense of horror.
"What do you think happened?" Gladion said darkly, gritting his teeth. "They just wouldn't stop hurting my Pokémon, even though they were beaten. I stepped in, and they started beating me down. Even when some of the other Team Skull members stepped in they wouldn't stop. I don't get what their problem is. Not even Team Skull deserves to get treated like that by some of their own."
"Mmm...From what I understand, the Bone Brothers are the first true members of Team Skull. The original founding members that Guzma recruited. I'd imagine that over the years, as their strength and influence grew, that they came to be a bit full of themselves." Miss Wicke mused, putting a finger to her chin in thought. She looked down at the boy ahead of her again before saying, "That doesn't excuse this, however. I can't imagine how this makes you feel, Master Gladion."
"It pisses me off." Gladion growled, surprising Miss Wicke. "I couldn't protect my Pokémon. I couldn't protect Demi, either. I have to get stronger. I have to. It's the only way."
"You're pushing yourself too hard." Wicke said quietly, walking over to Gladion. The boy scoffed, but stiffened when Miss Wicke put a comforting hand on the boy's head. Wicke smiled kindly and bent down to hug Gladion, who seemed to crumple inward at the display of affection. After a moment, he slowly returned the embrace.
"You and your sister are so much stronger than you know. And I wholeheartedly believe that you will find a way to save Madam Lusamine from herself before it's too late." Wicke said sincerely before she broke the hug, much to Gladion's dismay. Wicke was almost taken aback by how thrown off the teen seemed at such a simple gesture, but then she realized that she was probably the only positive human contact the boy had received since he had run away from home two and a half years ago.
Gladion had always been the kind of child who shut himself off from others to protect himself. Of course, he was a very sweet child at heart and was a loving older brother to his sister, Lillie. But he was a reserved person despite this. Wicke had learned, much to her dismay, that Gladion had remained almost completely alone during his isolation from his family, save for Type: Null. He had not made a single friend or ally during his time away from home save for his team.
"Thank you…" Gladion said quietly, looking away. "I sometimes wonder if I'm really going to be able to pull this off. It's just me against all of the Aether Paradise. Mother controls all of them now. I bet the moment I stepped foot on that island, every single one of them would turn hostile and attack me."
Wicke sighed and shook her head. "I apologize for that, young master. I was only able to catch on at the last moment. I only managed to stop an aide and Faba from becoming enthralled like the others."
"It's a shame too. That said, you can't really make Faba any less brainless." Gladion muttering, earning a smirk from Wicke.
"Now, now, be nice...It's not nice to make fun of people too much. As much of an absolute piece of work he is, that man is making some positive impact on the world. I'm glad that his work on the Purification Chamber is keeping him distracted from his work on the Ultra Space. It gives us more time to figure something out-" Wicke began to say before someone began knocking on the door.
"Yo, Gladion! Open up!" came a familiar voice from outside. Gladion looked to Miss Wicke with some alarm.
"They can't know you're here. Hide!" Gladion whispered to Wicke, who quickly dashed into the bathroom and locked the door. Gladion was privately glad that he had cleaned his room a few days ago, or that would have been a bit awkward.
With that done, Gladion walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Bone Unit 71 standing in front of him. Kayla and Kevin looked a bit worse for wear, but were thankfully okay. Given that they had taken a bit of damage from the Bone Brothers, he realized that they were probably feeling rather beat up like he was.
"If you all have something for me to do, you'll have to do without me today. I'm not going anywhere for at least a few days." Gladion said quietly, leaning against the door-frame.
"Understandable. Uh...How are you?" Kayla asked quietly, sounding genuinely worried. Gladion almost gave a sarcastic response, but realized that the girl actually meant that question sincerely.
"I only woke up a little while ago. I can barely move...How about you guys?" Gladion asked, with Kevin shrugging in response.
"Sore. But it's nothing we're not used too. Team Skull takes some licks, but keeps gettin' back up, dig?" Kevin replied, crossing his arms. Gladion shook his head in mock distress, though he was privately glad that the thugs were alright. After all, they had been hurt trying to stick up for him and Demi. He appreciated the support, even if he didn't need it.
"Was it you guys who dropped me off here?" Gladion asked, with Axen nodding.
"Yep. Guzma ordered us to bring you back here, yo. And Kayla had fun taking your clothes off-" Kevin explained before the girl in question decked him, blushing furiously under her bandanna.
"That was done under duress and you know it, asswipe!" Kayla barked as Kevin slowly got to his feet, rubbing his bruise jaw.
"Ow...meanie." Kevin muttered darkly, with Axen and Tim snickering behind them.
"So yeah, Guzma made sure you got some basic care. We're not exactly doctors, so we did what we did. Consider it thanks for trying to help Demi, even though you were in no condition to actually fight anymore." Kayla said to Gladion, still blushing bright pink.
"H-how is Demi?" Gladion asked, his voice shaking slightly as he remembered what exactly happened to her. The girl fainting from the rain, looking as if her very soul were leaving her body. Gladion was scared for her, as much as he didn't want to admit it.
Axen grinned, and Gladion knew he made a mistake in asking about Demi. "Oh? Why so interested, Glady? You making sure Dems is okay? How adorable."
"Can you not be an insufferable dick for like, two seconds?" Kayla testily asked Axen, who cackled with glee. Gladion facepalmed, sighing tiredly before he looked directly at Axen.
"Axen, I've come to realize that you remind me of a clouds." Gladion said to the teen, who blinked twice.
"Uh...Why?"
"Because when you go away, the day gets brighter." Gladion said calmly, making Kevin chuckle while the teen in question narrowed his eyes. Kayla shook her head, though she was wearing a hidden smile despite herself.
"Screw you." Axen muttered, trying not to let Gladion get the satisfaction of burning him pretty good. "Anyways, we've got some news. Orders from Guzma himself."
Axen stopped speaking, and for several long moments a silence filled the air. Gladion scowled after a short time and said, "And?"
"You have to promise not to be mad." Axen stated, with the boy staring at him.
"Team Skull in general makes me...You know what? Whatever. I'm not going to get mad. So what are these orders?" Gladion asked the group, with Tim chuckling softly behind them.
"You're sure you're not going fly off the handle and get pissy?" Kayla asked the black-clad teen, who scowled at them.
"I'm getting annoyed now. But I'm not going to get mad, alright? Just tell me Guzma's orders." Gladion said to the group, who collectively shrugged.
"Cool. Meet your new roommate." Axen said, stepping aside and revealing a rather downcast Demi standing rather awkwardly apart from the others and holding her Quilava in her arms, not meeting Gladion's eyes. The teen stared at each of them in turn before his mind registered Axen's words.
"I'm sorry...MY WHAT!?"
You'd be surprised how long I've held onto some of these Team Skull jokes. And with this chapter, the Tournament Mini-Arc has begun!
Q & A
From: Defender31415
That was amazing. Tapu Lele giving Amber her emotions back was quite the fitting punishment. I do have one question though. Who was Hazel's original trainer?
Hazel's original Trainer was a renowned neurologist from Unova, who will be expanded on to some small extent later. He's honestly not all that important, but I do plan on giving him a name and some background.
From: Technetium2
With that out of the way, I do have a couple questions. First off, I know we've seen some of him already, but when he comes back, do you plan on keeping Red as the serious yet snarky silent protagonist, probably-strongest-trainer-in-the-world that I'm sure most people imagine him as, or is he more stoic?
Second, are you planning on having more psychotic Pokemon around, or was Hazel kinda the extent?
Third, and this one's more of a request, could you please, when you get to Borlath's backstory, just have not this much told at once? I like not knowing, honestly, and this chapter was a little much at times.
Lastly, I know you're going to do stuff with Team Rocket, so are you planning on adding any of the other evil teams? Seeing Flare and Galactic again would be neat.
Alright, well, sorry for the long review, but I had to get all that stuff out. Keep going, and keep improving, man!
Not gonna lie, as much as I love the praise this story gets, genuine feedback that helps the story improve is just as important to me...I've mentioned that before, I think. Eh. So thanks for the constructive criticism!
1. Red's personality is genuinely stoic and he won't say a single word, but he'll also have a sense of humor. That's about as far as it goes. The exchange between him and Blue a while back still makes me smile, and I'd like to have a few more moments between the two and some others. I'll be doing my best to keep him in character though, since he's such an iconic and beloved character.
2. Hazel is definitely the craziest Pokemon we'll see in the story, no worries. This entire chapter will definitely be the darkest and most gruesome thing to offer in RS, and that's only because of the importance of the characters to me personally.
3. No worries. Amber is the only character getting this treatment, and I've got plenty of story left to slowly explore backstory, especially with Borlath. I only did this with Amber because, again, I went a bit overboard and it was a long time coming for this chapter. Plus, I made everyone wait a month and a half and didn't want to skimp out on the content. This chapter was intended to be like this, and there was a reason I was debating splitting it in half.
4. Maybe. Team Galactic is completely gone by now, thanks to Wes' efforts in Sinnoh several years prior to the story. Team Magma and Aqua may be touched on later, and I have no plans for Team Flare. Not because I don't have anything for them. It's just that I absolutely despise Team Flare. I'll mull it over though, if the interest is there.
From: JDunks809
Wow... I've pitied antagonists before, but Amber is the icing on the cake. Right, questions...
1: How's Hau gonna react when he sees Amber with Demi's Litwick?
2: If Amber was killing Rockets to protect Sun (Nice, Amber!), why was she trying to kill him on Melemele Island?
3: ...can I have Tapu Lele?
1. Truthfully, he might not even recognize the Litwick, seeing as it's been a few months and it being with Amber is literally the last place he'd expect it to be.
2. She was doing it to protect Laura and Ashton, but she did protect Sun indirectly by fighting off Team Rocket.
And that's simply because she didn't recognize him. Borlath has mentioned that he tried his damnedest to keep his personal life and his criminal life separate. That includes everything with Amber, who became Borlath's secret weapon. At least for a while. I'll be explaining this more in depth shortly.
I will say though...Laura might not know that Amanda and Amber are the one and the same.
3. Sure. Become the Champion in Sun/Moon or US/UM and then go to the Ruins of Hope. It'll be waiting right there for you. Just make sure to save before you battle it.
From: Sai Og Sus
You have done what I thought is impossible. Making me to like Amber Fontaine.
Seriously, not many people can write a good backstory for their OC. And in one single chapter too! Like, how did you do it, man!?
So, is Amanda going to surface again someday? I just like the idea of a bipolar character.
Now I can finally appreciate Amber's badassery. Good job, man.
Well, off towards the 2000 reviews!
I actually answered a question like this recently. It boils down to experience. As great as this story has been, I've also learned a lot through my previous stories and my many failures. So over time, I've learned how to make characters people care about, in one way or another, and how to spin a story. Also, the backstory with Amber is one that I've slowly crafted over the course of ten years. That's why last chapter was so long. And that's just the backstory. Her character arc is far from over.
And absolutely. Remember, Tapu Koko has cursed her for the remainder of her life. Her emotions will return and fade away randomly, which might make for some interesting scenes down the road.
From: OragonKing
It seems that Deoxys's tweaking his mind has failed. Sun's hart must have overpowered it and he remembers Nova's death and Damian's and his Father's betrayal. He didn't tell his Mother because he doesn't want them to divorce, right?
Basically. Despite what happened, Sun still loves his father. He also suffered some series mental scars from the event and his mind tried to repress the memory as a coping mechanism.
From: BraviaryScout
I know you said this would likely be your last story before you hang up the cleats? But would you consider a Sword and Shield novelization after it gets released?
Now onto the story.
This provides that MASSIVE backstory onto Amber Fontaine, which clearly shows she wasn't always that heartless assassin...more like the complete opposite, which is definitely stunning given how Hazel was introduced. Now I understand why she fears her so much.
Something like that would've broken anyone for sure and I'd argue that Amber is among the more mentally strong of your cast for having to cope with that. It all boils down to where she happens to come across Ashton and he ends up rescuing her with the help of Avis. Talk about loyalty...
Then we find out that Amber protected them from Team Rocket while Laura gave birth to Sun. Who would've guessed he may not be here today if it weren't for her. This kind of runs inconsistent with the part where she first meets them on Melemele Island and tries to kill all three. Sun's name is mentioned multiple times in that chapter and yet she doesn't put two and two together? I'm sure Borlath has told her to keep on the lookout for his missing son.
I dunno, maybe it was just so much going on, that there wasn't a lot of time to think. Maybe she would've reacted differently.
I'm lazy and didn't feel like posting the whole review. So the two questions.
1. A Sword and Shield Novelization...Hmm. Considering RS will take a few years to finish, and we'll likely be in another Gen by then, probably not, since the interest will be dying down by then. I still genuinely don't know if I'll continue writing past this story even now to be totally honest.
I'll likely be 28 or 29 years old by the time I'm finished with this story. I'll have no idea where I'll be at in my military career by then. If I'm going to do a story, I am going to commit to it, and I want it to be a story I can dedicate myself wholly to until it's finished. But I also want it to be a story that succeeds.
RS is a story that benefits from a few things. Timing, uniqueness, a consistent and frequent update schedule (barring any unforeseen crap coming up), as well as a dedicated group of readers and more than a few fantastic reviewers who constantly give me feedback to improve the story. I also had a story I wanted to tell with RS, which is another reason why I write. I only do stories for things I want to expand on or if I have a story that I want to tell. I did RS because, while Sun/Moon were fantastic games, I felt there was more there to explore, and the ending of the game left me unsatisfied.
So, we will see. If I ever did do another story, I'd consider doing a DELTARUNE Novelization once Toby Fox finishes the series, or maybe an Skyrim fic. That said, I do have plans to incorporate ideas from the latter story into an actual novel someday, so probably not the latter.
God, I really do ramble on, don't I?
2. This'll be explained later. It's definitely not because Amber's stupid or anything, trust me.
That's all for now. I'm off to work on the next chapter so I can meet my damn deadlines for once. If you're feeling awesome, please drop a review in the section below and tell me your thoughts. And if you haven't already, favorite and/or follow the story! Join in the madness!
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
