Pokémon Radiant Sun


Pokémon Radiant Sun was reached over 200,000 views.

Holy sweet mother of god, that's an achievement. For comparison, my next most popular story still hasn't cracked 100,000 views, and it was a story started in 2012.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I mean, yeah, this story has been around for a hot minute, but that's still a lot of views! And we're not even halfway done!

Whelp. Guess this means I've gotta keep stepping up my game. Let's see if we can hit 500,000 before this story is done with!

Shoutout to Oragonking, noobl2, Wan323, JayTheAltaria, Ways, and SonicIKE, as well as three new reviewers known as What Lies Beyond, AshXMay ROCKS, and Rabakku. Thanks for the support and feedback!

Here's the big battle we've all been waiting for. I had a lot of fun with this one, as you'll soon be able to tell. And from the bottom of my heart...

Thank you for reading. This chapter represents a massive milestone in this story, and I'm glad you all could come along with me for the ride.

Enjoy.


Chapter 94: Kahuna Battle! Rock and Roll!


Laura Smiles hadn't had this much fun in years.

"Why do I spoil you so?" Ollie asked dryly as he handed Laura a stuffed Rockruff that he had just won her from a ring toss game. The two adults were surprised that there were a few carnival-like games at this Festival, but they decided to take that in their stride. Laura grinned widely, wrapping her arm around Ollie's as the two continued down the path. Laura's Meowth padded alongside them, looking quite happy that his Trainer was happy.

"Because I'm that fantastic." Laura replied smugly. Ollie sighed, though he couldn't hide the smile that spread across his face.

"Can't disagree with you there." Ollie remarked, making Laura laugh out loud. "Still, I find myself amazed. Even after such a horrible event taking place in Royal Avenue, the people of Alola find the strength to celebrate their history and the god that watches over them."

"Their connection to their culture and the Pokémon they live alongside is always so amazing to see for me. I'm learning new things about this place every day." Laura said happily, with Ollie nodding in agreement.

"I've only been here for a few weeks and I can see what you mean. I can tell this place has been good to you and Sun." Ollie said with a smile, though he noticed Laura's expression fall as she thought about that statement.

"After everything we've been through...I wanted nothing more than to see my little boy smile again. He was so depressed when he came here, even though he puts on a brave face. But he's made so many wonderful friends on his Island Challenge. Seeing him grow up so much so fast is just...it brings tears to my eyes. I'm so proud of my little boy." Laura said as she rubbed as her eyes.

"It's incredible what children can do when they're allowed to shine. Sun's always had the heart and drive to be a great Pokémon Trainer. If Ashton hadn't coddled him so much and been so zealously overprotective, Sun could have easily battled the Kanto Elite Four by now." Ollie said with a touch of annoyance.

"After what Ashton went through during his own Island Challenge, I understand why he was so terrified of Sun being a Trainer. He was very convincing with her arguments that Sun chose a different path, one with less conflict and one that ensured he be happy and successful. And after seeing how much Aupuni Industries grew before Sun was born, Ashton knew that any children we had would have to take over the reins when he was gone. That's probably his line of logic...I regret letting him convince me to agree with him." Laura explained as the two of them continued to walk.

"But what about Sun's happiness?" Ollie asked.

"Ashton tried to sculpt Sun's mind around business and education, while neglecting as much of the Pokémon world as he could. He didn't want to risk Sun getting attached to the Trainer lifestyle, so he tried to keep Sun away from it. Sun seemed happy enough to learn the ropes, but despite Ash's efforts he couldn't get rid of Sun's interest in Pokémon." Laura went on, making Ollie smirk.

"Looks like he failed. Sun's even going on the same journey he hated so much." Ollie said with some amusement, which didn't make Laura smile.

"I just hope Sun doesn't have to deal with the same problems my ex-husband did on his Island Challenge. Me and Ashton were married for over a decade, and even I don't know all of the awful things Ashton went through before moving to Kanto." Laura sighed, looking worried. The two adults lapsed into a silence for a few moments before Ollie broke it.

"Are you going to introduce Sun to his grandparents?" Ollie asked, with Laura not responding right away.

"I think I'm going to leave that decision to Sun. I believe we've talked about it before, but I'm having second thoughts on it. Those parents of Ashton's really did cause most of the problems he ended up having down the line. if Sun really knew how badly his father struggled to keep himself together, he probably wouldn't hate him so much. I want to hate Ashton for everything he's done to me and Sun, but I'm just disappointed at him above everything else. I can't bring myself to hate him, only just be sad that someone with such a good heart allowed himself to be consumed by the pain in his heart." Laura said quietly as Ollie gave Laura a small squeeze.

"Hate's a powerful word, I think. Even if I don't agree with Ashton's parenting style, you and him did end up raising a brave, intelligent and kind-hearted boy. And from what I could tell, Sun had a very happy childhood where he was loved and well-taken care of. You both did a good job with him. Especially you since you're raising him alone." Ollie said warmly, with Laura smiling at him in response. The two adults started when the noticed an oddly dressed man walking briskly towards them.

He was tall and rather skinny with dark tanned skin, wearing a neat blue suit that seemed to glow in the strange lights of the Festival. His short black spiky hair was neatly combed back and his green eyes were slightly narrowed in annoyance. He also wore a black bird-like mask on his face as he strode forward. Meowth hissed at the man, who spared the feline a glance before looking up at Ollie.

"Agent Quill, a word of if you would?" The man spoke, his voice curt and rather cold.

Ollie sighed, but nodded. "Fine. I'm off for the night though, sir, so if you could make it quick I would appreciate it."

"Ollie, are you going to introduce me?" Laura asked, glancing back and forth between the two men.

"This is Councilman Maui Palena. He's a member of the Alolan Regional Council and the Head Councilman on Akala Island's Grand Council." Ollie said, gesturing towards the man in question. "I've been coordinating him and both councils for a little while since I got stationed here."

"Palena...that name sounds familiar." Laura muttered, looking up in thought. Palena's mouth twitched slightly in response, with the man crossing his arms.

"My daughter Demi used to be friends with your son." Palena said frostily in reply, shaking his head. "It's just as well that she decided to spurn our traditions and join up with that group of idiots. I don't doubt that your little brat had something to do with that."

"Excuse me? Sun had nothing to do with Demi joining Team Skull!" Laura protested, earning a glare from the man.

"Yes, I'm sure the son of a monstrous criminal with a deep-seated hatred of Alola surely didn't help turn my Demi away from our family's history and legacy so that she could run around with a bunch of gangsters led by the lowest bit of trash in Alola." Palena replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"I thought you said you needed something, sir." Ollie said before Laura could angrily interject, with the man nodding in response.

"There has been reports of members of Team Skull being injured by the Tapu Village, as well as sightings of men in white armor. I want to know why you haven't heard of these reports sooner and why I'm doing your job for you." Palena demanded, his voice a growl. Ollie shrugged carelessly, a small smile on his face.

"Maybe because while you were in your office doing paperwork, I was doing damage control in your region and risking my life keeping Alola safe. The International Police presence is limited to three people right now. If you're demanding better results, you could approve our recruitment efforts instead of turning them down again." Ollie replied politely, yet the bite of annoyance in his voice was unmistakable.

Palena scoffed in response. "Excuses. I want results, Agent Quill. Don't forget that it was the Council that allowed the International Police a presence here in the first place."

"After you realized your pathetic police force couldn't do the job for you, and now you're demanding to know why we haven't cleaned up your mess." Ollie replied in a tone that sounded almost bored. Palena actually smiled at that, glancing back at Laura.

"Funny. I figured it was Miss Smiles here that was supposed to clean up her husband's messes. But I see now I was mistaken." Palena replied, earning a growl of annoyance from Laura.

"What is your problem with me and Sun? Or do you usually just try and piss off people you literally just met?" Laura demanded, with Palena stepping forward as he glared her down.

"I am of the opinion that continuing to allow visitors from other regions into our home and allowing them to defile our culture is a mistake. Our traditions go back hundreds of years, to when the great lion of the sun blessed Alola with his light. The past is a sacred thing to be respected, something those from Alola do not understand. In short, you people don't belong here." Palena remarked, reaching up to adjust his mask. "And I don't trust you or your little brat one bit. Not after seeing what your husband has done. You may live here now, but don't think you're truly welcome in Alola. Not so long as I breathe."

"Are you done? We were kind of on a date." Ollie asked before pointing at Palena's face. "And what's with the mask?"

"We all have masks that we wear. Our personas that we hide within. I'd wager that you have your own, Agent Quill." Palena sneered, tracing a hand down the mask he was wearing. "Though truthfully, I'm quite fond of them. I even started my own collection. I decided to wear this one tonight simply to show it off."

"And I've stopped caring." Laura declared, grabbing Ollie by the arm. "Are you done ruining my night?"

Ollie glanced back and forth between an annoyed Laura and the increasingly irritated Palena, who simply leaned forward with a burning gaze in his eyes.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you and your son, Miss Smiles. Don't think I'll let that kid have a pass because he stopped a tragedy, or because you're a victim of circumstance. To me, he's just a stranger who happens to be on the good side of our Kahunas. And you're an ignorant woman who failed to see what a monster her husband truly was. Nothing more." Palena said coldly before turning away, adjusting his mask as he made his way down the path.

"What a jerk…" Laura muttered, earning a nod from Ollie.

"He's one of the most irritating members of the Alolan Regional Council, with him being the Head Councilman on Akala Island's Grand Council. A traditionalist to the extreme. And he's been in a really foul mood since his daughter attacked Captain Lana and ran off with Team Skull." Ollie explained, crossing his arms as the departing form of Palena made his way through the crowd.

"Sun, Hau, and Lillie were good friends with Demi before her Pokémon was killed by that Totem Pokémon." Laura said to the man, who nodded. "It's incredible how he managed to find a way to blame his problems on everyone other than himself."

"It's probably best if Sun and Palena don't meet. Even if he's a tool, he's got a lot of political power. He could make life hard for Sun if he wanted to." Ollie warned Laura, who sighed as she rubbed her temples.

"Let's just get back to exploring the Festival. I want to forget about the never-ending cavalcade of jerks in my life for one night." Laura groaned as Meowth crawled up her leg and onto her shoulder, nodding sagely.

"I'm not a jerk." Ollie pointed, with Laura grinning sheepishly.

"No, but you are a friend." Laura laughed, pressing up against Ollie's side as the two of them continued to walk.

"It's a shame that some of these people only seem to care about heritage and traditions. In a way, it'll be nice to see what Trainers like Sun do in the coming years for Alola." Ollie remarked idly, wrapping an arm around Laura's shoulders.

"I can't wait for you to see him battle in his Grand Trial. He's really excited to have you watch him battle Olivia." Laura said to Ollie, who grinned widely.

"We've been training a lot together, and I'm really interested to see how he fares against someone as renowned as a Kahuna. It'll be interesting to say the least. Actually, the whole history of Alola is fascinating to begin with." Ollie remarked, with Laura nodding in agreement.

"Strange monsters from other worlds invading the region, only to be driven away by the odd protectors of the islands. Gangsters that no one takes seriously crawling around. Legendaries vanishing into obscurity." Laura rattled off, listing some of the information she had heard from Professor Kukui and Burnet during the time she had been here. Alola definitely had an interesting past, which led to an interesting present. She wondered what the future held in store for them.

"History is always an interesting thing. Apparently there was a massive wave of crime and chaos in Alola about twenty years ago that a lot of people don't talk about here. Some psychos called the Ruby Raiders." Ollie remarked, shaking his head. "As fantastic a place this is for vacation, it's definitely got its secrets and danger. It's all been fun to research though."

"You always were a history buff. And it doesn't bother me much. What's life without a little danger?" Laura said with a small smirk, making Ollie facepalm. Laura chuckled softly, leaning over to kiss the man on the cheek. Ollie flushed, but simply grinned in response as he continued to walk his best friend through the Festival, simply trying to make up for lost time.

And Laura simply continued to smile.


"Alright you guys, I'm going to give you two hours to do whatever you want before we meet up at the main stage." Sun said to his team as they sat down in a small park. "Make sure to be on your best behavior, alright?"

"I promise nothing." Oliver said immediately, though after a glare from Penny the owl sighed. "Fine...but I won't like it."

"You know what? Penny and Oliver, you both stick together. Finn and Brago, you both stay together. Aside from that, do whatever and have fun. Just be at the stage in two hours. Okay?" Sun instructed his team, who all nodded.

"Come on, pup." Brago grunted as he padded away, with Finn hopping up onto the canine's back. Brago glanced at him with some annoyance and said, "This better not become a habit."

"Even after evolving, he hasn't changed all that much. I wonder what my evolution will bring." Oliver mused, placing a wing tip against his chin in thought.

"I hope it doesn't end up inflating your ego." Sun laughed, making Oliver glare at him.

"Hardly. I'm already immensely dashing and ruthlessly talented. I expect evolution to make me an even more wonderful specimen." Oliver replied, taking that moment to preen.

"Let's just go somewhere. The less these two have to listen to you ramble the better." Penny remarked, flaring her wings before taking off into the sky.

"You two behave yourselves. And by that I mean don't do anything that results in an Egg." Sun said to Oliver, who looked distinctly annoyed by this.

"You all are so quick to assume that two Pokémon of opposite genders cannot be just friends! I am wounded and insulted by this slander!" Oliver proclaimed as Lillie giggled at the bird.

"Just go play with your pretty bird friend, Oliver. You're not convincing anyone." Lillie said to the owl, who puffed out his chest.

"Very well! I SHALL go play with my pretty bird friend- I mean, uh, my friend." Oliver sputtered, realizing what Lillie had done. After a moment of embarrassment, Oliver took off into the air, quickly joining Penny as she circled overhead.

"You didn't hear any of that, did you?" Oliver asked as the two soared away from the two humans.

"Pretty bird friend, hmm?" Penny asked smugly, lightly bumping into Oliver.

"I wonder if a fall from this height would kill me."

Penny rolled her eyes at that, though she was surprised when Oliver shot ahead of her with a, "Follow me!"

Penny flapped her wings hard for a few moments, quickly catching up with Oliver's pace despite his brief head start. It was easy for her to match the Dartrix's speed and strength now. Oliver had been the clear strongest a little over a month ago. Now she and Brago could face him head-on and likely win. Evolution had been a massive boon for her, despite some small problems with her overly large beak.

She wondered what Oliver would look like after he achieved his final form.

After a brief time, the two birds landed on the highest building in the city, far away from the thick crowds slowly walking below them. Penny landed next to Oliver and sighed deeply, feeling a bit of anxiety that she hadn't known she was feeling before roll off of her.

"Why are we up here?" Penny asked Oliver, who chuckled softly.

"I figured you would appreciate the view, away from the crowds." Oliver said with a smile, making Penny smile gratefully in response. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much, thank you. You're always looking out for me, aren't you?" Penny asked fondly, with Oliver shrugging as best as he could.

"I try to keep an eye on everyone. Why wouldn't I look out for my closest friend?" Oliver said in a way that seemed as if he was deflecting her question. Penny allowed him to keep his denial, but instead continued speaking as another darker thought occured to the Toucannon.

"And you're running yourself ragged with it. You can't stay awake all the time, Oliver. You can't protect everyone." Penny remarked, frowning in concern. Oliver shrugged, making her eye twitch with annoyance.

"I'm strong enough to bear the burden, my friend. I've seen you all get put in harm's way by those who wish you dead time and time again. Especially with Sun, who is defenseless without us. I owe that boy everything. I will not let him down again." Oliver promised, his eyes burning with a flicker of determination that surprised Penny.

"He really means that much to you, doesn't he?" Penny asked Oliver, who didn't respond. While Penny definitely loved her Trainer and cared about him, it seemed like Oliver had a different sort of relationship with him. It was as if they shared a stronger sort of bond.

"He chose me when no one else would. He accepted me and cares for me, even though I have so many flaws. We're Partners." Oliver explained, his words thick with emotion. To his surprise Penny placed a wing on his back.

"Then let's protect him together, Oliver. You're not alone in this. Remember Brago's words. We're not just a pack or a team. We're a family. And family looks out for one another, right?" Penny asked Oliver, her voice gentle.

Oliver looked away, but Penny saw him smiling. "Of course, Penny. I...thank you. For everything."

"It's been my pleasure, Oliver. You know I'd do anything for you."

Penny never removed her wing from Oliver, who didn't try and shake off his teammate. The two birds simply sat there in silence, enjoying the company of each other as the night went on.


"And now it's just us." Sun said with a grin to Lillie, who flushed bright pink.

"Not really. If it was just us, I'd be cuddling with you while playing more video games." Lillie said with a shy smile, making Sun blush himself.

"Y-yeah, that was pretty fun huh?" Sun asked, thinking about the other night. Lillie nodded happily as Sun reached out and grabbed her hand, and with that the duo continued on their trek through the Festival.

They discussed the fallout from Zygarde's refusal to help, and how Sina and Dexio were now back at their lab talking with Professor Sycamore (via video call, of course). Aria and her friends were currently enjoying the Festival again, all the while brainstorming on what to do next. They were adamant that Sun not worry about this and enjoy his date with Lillie. And so Sun did.

The two children eventually happened upon an interesting stall selling trinkets and small pieces of jewelry. Sun was intrigued right away, stepping towards the stall and examining the wares.

"Oh wow...Gemstones and all sorts of stuff. Hey, Mom would like this one." Sun said, pointing to a strange star-like brooch with a ruby in the middle. Nebby chose that moment to fly out his bag, surprising Lillie.

"You know you're supposed to stay in the bag, Nebby." Lillie sighed as the Cosmog landed on her head, wriggling its arms. "Oh...fine!"

"Pew pew pew!"

"I see several I'd like to get. They're all really pretty." Lillie said thoughtfully, thinking about a time she and her mother had once browsed a jewelry store back in Kalos.

She barely recalled the memory, but she remembered her father sneakily coming back to the store and buying her mother a beautiful ring after asking Lillie which ones her mother had liked the best. They had all laughed at the event after the fact, even though Lillie didn't really understand what was happening back then. Lillie smiled sadly at the memory before lightly shaking her head, bringing herself back to the present.

"It'd be nice to get something to remember tonight by, wouldn't it?" Lillie asked Sun, with the boy nodding in agreement. That being the case, Lillie stepped forward and began browsing with a small light of excitement in her eyes. Sun moved closer to her, but to his surprise she gently pushed him away.

"I want to surprise you. Stand back for a little bit, okay?" Lillie asked Sun, who shrugged and took a few steps away from the Princess.

"You're totally whipped, buddy."

"Shut up Rotom. I'm not whipped."

"You literally let her sit on your chest earlier! Bzzt!"

"And? Was I supposed to not think that was kinda cute? Or get mad that my beautiful friend had her butt on my chest?" Sun asked, genuinely confused.

"My little Sun is growing up so fast!" Rotom suddenly cried out, flying into Sun and hugging him tightly as Sun blushed slightly in embarrassment as several people looked over at him. Things weren't helped when Lillie walked over, holding something glistening in her hands.

"I got you something." Lillie said quietly, surprising Sun. He didn't she would get something for him instead. "I...I want you to have this as thanks for making this night so great. I'm so happy. I feel like I don't have to hide or run away, thanks to you. I can just be Lillie...And so I wanted to give you this. Is that okay?" Lillie asked, unsure if this was even appropriate. They were just two friends on a date. Would giving each other gifts like this be out of line?

"Of course it's okay, Lillie. You didn't have to get me something, though. I just wanted you to have a good time. That's all." Sun said to the girl, who smiled shyly at him before opening her palms and revealing her gift.

It was a rather simple pendant. The gem on the front was a dark blue crescent moon made of a sapphire, with what looked like an obsidian inlay, complete with a delicate black chair. Sun smiled at the `rather beautiful gift, though he was a little confused by the motif.

"It's a moon!" Lillie said simply, looking very pleased with herself. Sun took the pendant, his grin widening before he slowly put on it, the pendent resting just above his heart.

"It's great Lillie! Thank you!" Sun said to the girl, who beamed at him. "Though I do have to ask, why a moon? My name is Sun, so I...Sorry, I'm kind of confused."

"Well, since your name is Sun, I figured I'd get you something different. Getting you a sun pendant would have looked odd on you." Lillie explained, looking very amused now at Sun's confused look. "And...um…" Lillie blushed a bright pink color that Sun was able to notice even with her mask. "And you're kind of like the moon to me, despite the opposite being your name."

"Huh? I'm like the moon?" Sun asked.

"Because despite the darkness in my life, you're always there to light my way. Keeping me safe with your light and comfort. You're the first person I've ever felt truly comfortable with since coming to Alola. You've become the light in the darkness of my night, Sun. And I know you think of me the same way." Lillie said to Sun, who nodded in agreement. The two of them had a very powerful friendship, one where they supported each other at their worst and built one another up to be better. Much like how Sun protected and supported Lillie, Lillie comforted and supported Sun. It was a give and take relationship, but one that allowed the two children to grow thanks to the other's support.

"That makes sense. But...since you decided to go that way..." Sun said aloud, walking over to the stall and looking over the items there. Lillie tilted her head slightly before a small smile appeared on her face, with Nebby floating in front of her.

"Pew?" Nebby asked, only to get scooped up in a hug by Lillie as Sun paid the vendor for something and accepted something Lillie couldn't see right away. Sun walked over to Lillie with a wide grin before opening his palms.

Sun, much like Lillie, had chosen a pendant for his date as a gift. However the jewel on the pendant was different ,a sort of orange amber-like color shaped into a sun-like sigil. It sparkled beautifully in the lantern light above them, and Sun dangled it in front of Lillie with a wide smile.

"Zzzt! You two are so cheesy. So you're the moon and she'zz the sun? That makes no sense!" Rotom declared as Sun wrapped the white chain around Lillie's neck. Nebby took that moment to let out a cry, floating around with an impatient look on his face.

"I think we should move on." Lillie remarked, grabbing Nebby in her arms. "Someone's up past his bedtime."

"Pew pew pew!" Nebby protested indignantly.

"You wanna check out the main stage?" Sun asked Lillie, who nodded. The two children began to weave their way through the crowd, though they ran into Acerola after a few minutes of walking. The cheery girl bounded up to them, wearing her usual catty smile.

"Hey you two! Having fun?" Acerola asked as she latched onto Lillie's arm with a playful laugh.

"Yes! How about you, Acerola?" Lillie asked the other girl. Acerola laughed as she let go of Lillie's arm and pranced forward, twirling around in her odd costume.

"Today's been so much fun! Best part is that I got to hear some cool new stories!" Acerola called out happily, spinning around with excitement.

"Stories?" Sun asked.

"Yeah, from that Zinnia lady! Come on, she's still telling them. Follow me!' Acerola said as she reached back and grabbed both children by the arm, leading them forward through the crowd with surprising ease. Acerola stopped by the edge of the main stage, coincidentally not far from Hugh and Aria as they watched the Lorekeeper with interest. Sun noticed that the lanterns hanging above them were much brighter than the rest, with Zinnia holding a green stone that seemed to flicker irregularly with light.

"Those who leave us never truly fade from the memories of our hearts. And while the legend of the Draconids will eventually fade from the minds and hearts of those who live today, I will forever hold their memories close to my own heart." Zinnia said quietly, her voice laced with sorrow as she spoke to the crowd. Sun frowned, annoyed that he had missed her story.

"I ask that you do the same with your own legends. Because as a wise man once said...All myths...All legends have some basis in fact. And in this wonderful world we live in, you never know what surprises lie in wait for you." Zinnia said with a sad little smile before she held out an orb in her hands above her head.

The orb shuddered in her hands before a flash of red light erupted from it, causing small orbs of light to fly from the object in the Lorekeeper's hands and into the lanterns floating above that made them return to their normal brightness. Soon enough the lanterns were functioning normally again. Sun stared at the floating lights overhead for a few moments before looking back at Zinnia-

Only to see an empty stage. Zinnia had vanished, much to the crowd's astonishment.

"That woman...We really need to sit her down and have a chat with her. She knows way too much about things that would really help us." Aria growled in annoyance, glancing around the crowd in an effort to find the Lorekeeper.

"Didn't you say she randomly showed up a few weeks back or something?" Sun asked the Snagger, who nodded.

"Yep. And she basically admitted she knows how to solve a lot of our problems with the knowledge she has. The thing is that she's really elusive. I get the feeling that she's probably not going to help us as things stand. We need to get her interest." Aria muttered, turning towards the children. "I'll admit, this whole thing started off fun, but I'm really burnt out tonight."

"Yeah, that Zygarde thing turned out to be a total bust, huh?" Sun remarked, sighing softly.

"We'll keep gathering its Cells and Cores. I guess in the meantime we can keep searching for whoever this person Zygarde is looking for...ugh, I need ice cream. Hugh, come on." Aria said to her boyfriend as she began walking away.

"We'll make sure to get back in time for yourGrand Trial." Hugh assured Sun before he ran off after his girlfriend.

"Zygarde...I remember that name. I think I read it in a book once." Acerola mused, placing a finger on her chin.

"It didn't want to help us. It said I was too young and inexperienced to control it and Aria had too much power." Sun said to Acerola, who nodded sagely.

"Legendaries aren't just really strong Pokémon. They're just as smart, if not smarter, then we are. Zygarde is a really old Legendary from what I remember. It's been around for thousands, if not millions of years. I don't blame it one bit for being cautious." Acerola remarked as she spun around with a catty grin. "I think it'll all work out. So don't worry about it!"

"YOU STUPID BITCH!"

The incredibly loud shout came from a familiar voice from behind them, startling Lillie and making her hide behind Sun. The boy in question whirled around to face the person shouting at them, and was genuinely dumbfounded by what he saw.

There, standing clad only in a pair of bright white boxers, was Captain Ilima. And he was wearing one of the most angry expressions Sun had ever seen in his life. People were laughing and pointing at the young man as he stormed through the crowd, looking absolutely livid.

Lillie stared at the young man for a few moments, blushing as she averted her eyes, though she noticed that Acerola was giggling.

"Ilima, why is...do...I can't even." Sun remarked as his brain struggled to understand why Ilima was in his underwear out in public, sighing as Lillie patted him on the shoulder.

"Bzzt! Great costume Ilima!" Rotom proclaimed, which seemed to make the Normal-type Captain even more irate as he stomped over to Acerola, who laughed even harder. Sun glanced at the Ghost-type Captain, taking in the strange outfit she was wearing, and then glanced over at the half-naked Ilima, and suddenly things started making sense.

"You stole his costume, didn't you?" Sun asked Acerola, who beamed and nodded.

"Yep! Right as he was changing too. It was surprisingly easy. I then hid his clothes for a short time. I'm honestly amazed he waited for six hours in that changing room." Acerola quipped as Ilima continued to stomp towards Acerola, glaring at her with an expression of genuine fury. Sun and Lillie both stepped away from the girl, not wanting to risk the usually calm and polite Captain's anger.

"It seemed pretty funny at the time. It's still funny now." Acerola remarked, as Ilima drew closer. "You do know I put your clothes back right where they were originally after about an hour, right?"

"Wait, you what?" Ilima asked, suddenly stopping in place.

"Oh yeah, once you freaked out about it I put your clothes back right where I found them. It isn't my fault you didn't notice them again as you stormed out here, or didn't bother to check." Acerola replied cheerily, making Ilima scowl in annoyance as he suddenly lunged at the Captain.

The Ghost-type specialist chose that moment to suddenly vanish into her shadow, meaning Ilima was soon a crumpled heap on the ground. After a few moments of lying there, dazed (and with Rotom snapping a quick pic of him),the Normal-type specialist got to his feet with a grumble of annoyance. He was then suddenly pelted by a swath of red clothing and knocked on his butt. Sun and Lillie spotted Acerola poking her head out a shadow alongside a grinning Sableye, looking very amused.

"There you go! Merry Christmas!" Acerola chirped before she sank back into the darkness, leaving a disoriented Ilima to quickly get dressed. The young man charged off in another direction as soon as he was decent, leaving a bewildered Sun and Lillie behind.

"Should we try and keep them from strangling each other?" Sun asked Lillie, who nodded. Sadly it wasn't to be, because a familiar voice spoke up just then. "Ah, there you are Sun."

Sun and Lillie turned around, hearing the sound of Olivia's voice, though when they turned around and saw the Kahuna they were struck dumb by the sight of her in her outfit for the evening.

Whereas most of the people attending the Festival went for dressing nicely or wearing an odd outfit, Olivia simply went for looking as over the top as possible. The Kahuna was clad in a jet-black suit of battle armor decorated with glistening jewels that shimmered with fire within. Her gauntlets and braces were adorned with obsidian spikes and blades that gleamed in the ethereal light above, with the Kahuna wearing an imposing helmet atop her head with a single feather that Sun suspected belonged to an Arceops. Something about the outfit just screamed "war chief" to Sun for some reason before he realized that's exactly what Olivia was, in a way. She was the strongest Trainer on Akala Island and was a leader amongst the people.

"W-wow...Your outfit is really impressive, Miss Olivia." Lillie said quietly, slightly scared of the Kahuna's intimidating gear. Olivia chuckled, removing the helmet for a moment and running a hand through her hair with a smile.

"Thank you, Miss Lillie. I spent a lot of time on it. I only wear it once a year, but I always do enjoy wearing it. Now, onto other matters." Olivia turned to Sun and simply said, "It's time for our battle, Sun."

Sun took a few moments to process the battle gear Olivia was wearing before he snapped out of his trace, grinning at the Kahuna. "I hope you're ready then. Because I've been training a lot with my team to take you down."

Rotom Dex took that moment to pop up, beeping happily. "I even made all of the videozz I took into a training montage! I plan on showing it at Lillie and Sun'z wedding because-" Rotom was quickly silenced by Lillie, who snatched the device out of the air and stuffed him into her purse.

Which still contained Nebby.

"Oh god, it'zz so dark!"

"Pew pew?"

"Oh, hi Nebby. It smellz way better here than it doezz that other bag."

"Pew pew pew?"

"I don't know how I'm able to smell, kid. Ask the writing staff."

"...Pew."

"Yezz, I know it consistz entirely of a lonely dork on a military base somewhere, you don't have to remind me! Zzzt!"

Sun cut Rotom off by simply following a now-laughing Olivia, trailed by a blushing Lillie as Rotom and Nebby had a very interesting back and forth. Soon enough they had reached the entrance to the stage, where Sun reunited with his team and returned them.

Sun took that moment to properly evaluate what he assumed would be there battlefield. It was not unlike the stage that Iki Town had, though it was considerably larger. The boy made note of that as Olivia made her way up the steps to address the crowd, who let out a cheer as the Kahuna took the stage.

"Friends...Today is a momentous day. Today we celebrate another year of life. A life under the Alolan sun. Under the protection of our Guardian Deity Tapu Lele, who for the first time in over two hundred years has joined in the celebration." Olivia said, gesturing to Tapu Lele as the Guardian Deity hovered nearby. A massive round of applause was given at that, and it took a few minutes before Olivia continued.

"Despite the efforts of those with evil in their hearts, we continue to thrive. We continue to fight. And tonight's celebrations embody the will of Alola. And so, without further ado, we will conclude this day of celebration with a Grand Trial. Sunshine Smiles, please join me onstage." Olivia asked, gesturing to the boy in the crowd.

"You've got this!" Lillie said excitedly from beside Sun, doing an adorable little fist pump before holding out her fist. Sun beamed at his best friend, tapping her fist with his own before joining Olivia on the main stage. A referee emerged from the crowd holding two flags, soon taking a position between the two Trainers off to the side as the crowd cheered in excitement.

"Sun...You've completed the Trials of the three Captains of Akala Island. The time has come for you to face this Kahuna, once again. We'll see whether or not you can rise from the ashes of defeat." Olivia said powerfully, her voice echoing across the city as it fell silent. The referee took that as her cue.

"The Grand Trial battle between Olivia Ailani and Sunshine Smiles will now begin! This will be a four-on-four battle, with only the challenger being allowed to use substitutions. Trainers, please step forward for the coin toss to see who will call out their Pokémon first!" The referee said, stepping forward as Sun and Olivia did the same.

"Heads." Olivia called, with Sun nodding as the young woman pulled out a golden coin that showed the head of an Exeggutor on the front of the coin and a strange tail on the back of the coin. The young woman flipped the coin into the air and caught it, slamming down on the back of her palm. She removed her hand to reveal the grinning Exeggutor head.

"Looks like you win this round." Sun remarked as the referee took his place once again. "But things won't happen like they did last time."

"I'd be very disappointed if they did. Now let's see whether or not the Hero of Royal Avenue can stand against this Kahuna on the field of battle." Olivia said, her tone becoming more serious despite the grin on her face. She seemed more formal than before, and Sun realized it was because of the setting they were in.

While they usually saw the playful and casual side of Olivia, this was yet another facet to her character. The powerful woman who protected Akala Island with the backing of the God of Life. The armor she wore reflected that aspect of her personality perfectly.

"So...the Festival's theme of showing off another part of your character comes into play." Sun thought as the referee glanced to the both of them. "Trainers, are you ready?'

"Always." Olivia replied confidently, doing a fist pump as her armor rustled slightly.

"You bet." Sun said, nodding once.

"Trainers, please call forth your first Pokémon!"

"Oliver, let's go!" Sun called out as he tossed forward his Poké Ball, with the Dartrix erupting forth from the sphere. Oliver flared his wings for a moment before landing on the ground, preening his feathers but keeping a watchful eye on Olivia, who was smirking. The crowd erupted into claps and cheers as Oliver took the stage. The owl seemed surprised for a moment before bowing theatrically.

"What a ham." Laura chuckled as Hau and Kukui face-palmed.

"Alright then. Boldore, prepare for battle!" Olivia barked, calling forth the Ore Pokémon once again. Olivia stomped a foot on the ground and proclaimed, "By my right as Kahuna, I accept your challenge! Tapu Lele...Guardian of Akala Island and God of Life...Please accept this battle a display of our gratitude for everything you have done for us!"

Tapu Lele hummed softly, the noise echoing through the minds of everyone watching the battle. Sun saw many in the crowd shudder at the mental contact, and even Sun had to repress a shiver as the wildness of Tapu Lele's mind brushed his.

"I accept. Show me the strength of your heart, Sun. And Olivia, display before me, and all those you protect, the power I have entrusted in you." Tapu Lele whispered in their minds, though some could sense the excitement in its voice.

"Let the battle begin!" the referee bellowed, throwing her flags upward.

"Boldore, use Rock Blast!" Olivia commanded, her booming voice piercing the night as her Pokémon let out a roar, firing a barrage of white bullet-like pellets at the owl as he soared towards Boldore.

"Dodge it by rolling! Follow up with Razor Leaf!" Sun called out as the Dartrix flapped his wings hard, dodging the projectiles with a roll through the air and sending back some of his own, making Boldore cry out in pain as the super-effective attack cut into it.

"Iron Defense!" Olivia said calmly, with Boldore glowing white and increasing its defensive power. Sun frowned at that. He had to take out Boldore before it beefed up its defenses too much.

"Oliver, use Leaf Drive!" Sun called out, with Olivia quirking an eyebrow. To her surprise, Oliver used Leafage and dove into it with a glowing beak, creating a whirlwind-like drill of leaves around him as it shot towards Boldore and struck him, making the rock monster tumble backwards with a groan at the combination move.

"Hmm. Mud Slap!" Olivia commanded the Ore Pokémon as Sun felt a small wave of horror roll through him. Boldore groaned before its gems glowed faintly, spewing globules of mud towards Oliver.

"Dodge them!" Sun screamed at Oliver, who flew as high as he could above the stage with a startled screech, well away from the mud. The Dartrix sighed with relief as he fluttered through the air from high above, though he also became very annoyed.

"How dare that stupid chunk of rock try to ruin my wonderful feathers again...I'm not going to run from this!" Oliver hooted angrily, flying back down to the stage before releasing a Razor Leaf, which caught both Olivia and Boldore off-guard and allowed the owl to score a free hit.

"Use Power Gem!" Oliver commanded, stomping down her feet with a clunk before punching forward, her Boldore letting out a massive groan before firing off beams of energy at Oliver, who screeched as the attack struck him and knocked him out of the air.

"Catch yourself and use Razor Leaf!" Sun called to the bird, who wildly flapped his wings and landed roughly on the ground, wincing in pain before releasing another volley of leaves at the Ore Pokémon, making shudder from the attack despite its greater defense.

"Rock Slide!" Olivia barked as Oliver took flight again. Boldore slammed down its front two legs and opened three portals above them, dropping down stones from above. Oliver quickly dove out of the way of one and used Protect to block another, but was smashed into from behind by a third and a fourth smacked him over the head.

"Oliver, get out of there!" Sun called to the bird as Olivia grinned widely.

"I think it's a bit late for that, Sun. Stone Edge!" Olivia bellowed, fist pumping as Boldore let out a roar to match its Trainer. Boldore stamped down one of its legs and spiked Oliver into the air with the massive stone pillar of energy that erupted from the stage, making the bird screech in pain as he was launched high into the air before falling back down to earth.

"Rock Blast! Don't let up!" Olivia shouted, with Oliver barely catching himself from hitting the ground by flaring his wings at the last second.

"Protect!" Sun screamed as the attack soared towards Oliver, who barely had time to throw up the shield as the attack smashed against the shield, ending four waves later. As the shield vanished, Oliver's body began to radiate a green aura, meaning his Overgrow Ability had been activated. The owl was noticeably shaking in pain, though he looked more than ready to continue the battle.

"Not surprising that Oliver's already on his last legs. Rock-type moves still hurt Oliver a lot despite his typing, and Olivia's team is strong. I've got to end this quickly. So...I think it's time for our newest trick!" Sun thought as a smile came to his face, making Olivia take note.

"Stay on guard, Boldore. He's about to try something." The Kahuna said to her Pokémon, who groaned and braced itself. Oliver meanwhile landed on the ground, panting from the pain he was in.

"Let's go for our newest combo attack! Use Leafage...and then use Razor Leaf!" Sun called out with a wide grin. Oliver smiled nastily as he flapped his wings hard to summon a leaf-filled gust of air that soared towards Boldore, but not before Oliver switched gears and began to release a barrage of spinning leaves into the Leafage. Now instead of just regular leaves spinning around the mini-whirlwind, there were massive spinning leaves rotating around it with considerably more force than before.

"Bzzt! We call that one Razor Leafage!" Rotom proclaimed proudly as the attack whirled towards a stunned Olivia and Boldore.

"What in the world...Iron Defense! Brace yourself!" Olivia shouted desperately as the raging whirlwind drew closer. Boldore's eyes widened in horror before they shut tight, with the Pokémon glowing a harsh white color just as the Razor Leafage slammed into it. Boldore groaned in pain as the the combo-attack battered it mercilessly, with Oliver panting heavily as Boldore screamed and thrashed in place. Finally the attack dissipated, leaving a heavily damaged Boldore standing still with massive gouges all over its body. After a few moments the creature twitched slightly before collapsing onto the ground.

"Boldore is unable to battle! The winner is Dartrix!" the referee declared, throwing a flag up towards Sun and his Partner.

"Hah...hah...got 'em…" Oliver panted, laughing weakly before he tumbled forward, only just barely catching himself before he fell.

"Oliver's really tired after that battle…" Sun thought, trying to decide whether or not to keep the Dartrix out. Sun was snapped out of his thoughts when the two Trainers saw a pink scale suddenly float forward and land on Boldore. The Ore Pokémon was immersed in a bright pink and blue glow of sorts, with all of the damage that had been dealt to it healed within a few moments. Olivia and Sun looked to Tapu Lele as it floated a little higher into the air.

"Boldore, that was an excellent fight. Step off to the side and watch as your comrades continue the battle." Tapu Lele instructed the creature, who hastened to obey the god. Olivia watched all of this with some amusement before turning back to Sun, watching the boy as He stroked the head of Oliver.

"I told you that you had nothing to worry about. You worked hard for that win, Oliver. I'm really proud." Sun said to the owl, who continued to preen. Olivia could see how happy the Dartrix was to hear the praise, however, and smiled herself.

"That was pretty impressive, Sun. I've been focusing on training Boldore up since our last encounter so that I can evolve him into a Gigalith, but you managed to overcome him. Can you keep up that pace?" Olivia asked coyly, drawing her second Ultra Ball.

"Absolutely. Isn't that right Oliver?" Sun asked his Partner, who laughed darkly.

"I can do this all day!" Oliver cried out, flaring his wings.

"Alright then. Nosepass, let's go!" Olivia shouted, calling forth the Compass Pokémon. Oliver hissed and shot into the air, with Sun ready to give the command.

"Razor Leaf! Keep your distance!" Sun shouted, with Oliver releasing a massive wave of spinning leaves at the Nosepass. Olivia grinned in response, punching forward.

"Block with Stone Edge, then go for Stealth Rock!" Olivia barked as Nosepass threw up its arms, summoning massive blue pillars of stone that managed to block the super-charged leaves that Oliver had hurled its way. Oliver flew above the rocks and was dismayed to see Nosepass firing off a series of pointed stones all across the battlefield.

"Bzzt! Sun, make sure you watch out for that move! If you call in a new Pokémon or switch out, you're gonna be hurting them in the procezz." Rotom reminded Sun, who nodded.

"That's how Brago got knocked out last time. I'm gonna have to make sure everyone sticks it out this go around." Sun thought before he pointed forward. "Use Leaf Drive! Hit it hard and fast!"

Oliver nodded and released a whirlwind of leafs at the Compass Pokémon, diving into it with a cry before barreling towards Olivia's Pokémon.

"Use Spark as it connects!" Olivia commanded her Nosepass, who held out both arms as it began to charge electricity. Oliver became a tornado-like drill of leaves and slammed into the Nosepass, though that didn't stop him from getting hit directly by Spark. The attack made the owl flutter backwards with a pained hoot.

"Power Gem!" Olivia cried out.

"Dodge and use Razor Leaf!" Sun responded, with Oliver diving forward with a spin that allowed him to expertly dodge the lasers and sending a wave of spinning leaves towards Nosepass, imbued with a green glow of power thanks to Overgrow. Nosepass cried out in pain as the super-effective attack sliced against its rock-hard body, with Olivia frowning at that.

"Power Gem again! It's tiring, and it can't dodge forever!" Olivia shouted as Nosepass nodded, firing off even more lasers towards Oliver as he continued to dodge them in the air.

"Oliver, Protect to stop them!" Sun countered as Nosepass summoned fired off three beams of energy towards the Dartrix. Oliver flapped his wings and created a shimmering barrier that-

Flickered and failed, leaving him wide open for the Rock-type attack that blasted him out of the air. The owl hit the ground hard with a thud, twitching for a few moments before he started to try to get to his feet.

"I'm not...done y-yet…" Oliver whispered, straining as hard as he could to stand back up.

"Rock Slide!" Olivia commanded, snapping her fingers as several portals opened above the large stage, dropping a pile of stones on top of the downed owl and kicking up a massive pile of dust. As soon as it cleared, an unconscious Dartrix lay at the bottom of the pile of stones.

"Dartrix is unable to battle! The winner is Nosepass!" the referee called out, throwing a flag in Olivia's direction. Sun smiled sadly as a pink scale landed on Oliver's head, healing him. The stones pinning him to the ground gently floated into the air, set aside with ease by the amused Tapu Lele. The owl looked towards Sun, who smiled at the owl with pride. Oliver smiled back and silently joined Boldore on the sidelines.

"Now we're all tied up. Who's next, Sun?" Olivia asked as the boy grinned.

"Most of my team still has that disadvantage. So...Brago, let's go!" Sun called out, with the Poké Ball erupting as he threw it forward. Brago hit on the ground on all fours and growled, hitting Nosepass with Intimidate. Several loud cheers in the crowd went up, and Sun wondered if it was because they remembered how Sun had used Brago to beat Shadow Articuno. Sun glanced to his side and saw that Professor Kukui called out Winter, his Alolan Ninetales. The icy fox let out a cry upon seeing its mate ready to battle, and Sun noticed Brago smiling a little now as he spotted her.

Suddenly, Stealth Rock activated, floating into the air and slamming into Brago. The canine snarled in pain as the rocks floated away, but the damage was done.

"Begin!"

"Brago, use Flame Burst!" Sun called out, throwing out a hand as Brago nodded and breathed a massive tongue of flames that formed into a large ball into the air. The fireball exploded after a few moments, causing several streaks of fire to streak towards Nosepass. The Compass Pokémon groaned as the powerful flames slammed into it, despite not being very strong against Rock Pokémon.

"That Arcanine's gotten much stronger since it evolved...I have to act quickly." Olivia muttered before doing a fist pump. "Use Discharge!"

Nosepass let out a groan before releasing a massive wave of lightning that disrupted the flames and shocked the massive canine, forcing him back a step as he howled in pain. Sun grit his teeth and threw a hand forward, shouting, "Flame Wheel!"

Brago snarled as he threw his head forward, his burning gaze making the Nosepass flinch as it continued to shock him, though that didn't stop him from leaping into the air and becoming a flaming wheel of destruction that was soon whirling towards Nosepass. Olivia noticed that Discharge had been disrupted by Flame Wheel, so she called off the attack and thought of another.

"Thunder Wave, full-power!" Olivia shouted as Brago neared the Compass Pokémon. Nosepass raised its arms and released a light blue wave of electricity right as Brago smashed into it, sending the Compass Pokémon crashing to the ground as Brago groaned and sank to his belly.

"Brago!" Sun called out in worry. He turned to Rotom Dex and said, "Nosepass can learn Thunder Wave?"

"And a whole host of other nasty attackzz! Remember Discharge from earlier?" Rotom reminded Sun, who nodded before returning his attention to the battle, where Brago was struggling to stand.

"Nosepass, use Power Gem!" Olivia commanded the Compass Pokémon, who summoned forth two orbs of light on the tips of its hands and held them out, firing off two beams of energy at Brago who roared in pain as they struck him.

"Brago, try to move! Hit it with Flame Charge!" Sun called out, with Brago opening a single eye but not moving any further.

"Paralysis is my favorite tactic with the Nosepass-line. It really is underrated in my opinion. My lovely Probopass is quite skilled with it as well, so it only makes sense that it's child shows talent with it." Olivia remarked with a proud smile before saying, "Keep up the pressure! Power Gem!"

"Brago, come on! Fight through it! Try Reversal!" Sun shouted, throwing out his hand as Brago let out a sudden roar and bounded towards Nosepass, his entire body becoming wreathed in bright red light before it slammed into Nosepass, sending him flying across the stage and into a crumpled head at Olivia's feet, completely knocked out. Brago snorted before flinching, still paralyzed from the Thunder Wave.

"Nosepass is unable to battle. The winner is Arcanine!" the referee declared, with Sun grinning in triumph as Tapu Lele healed Nosepass and the Compass Pokémon waddled off to the side.

"Now it's time for a new Pokémon you haven't met yet. Carbink, let's go!" Olivia called out, throwing forth an Ultra Ball to reveal a strange floating stone Pokémon that Sun had never seen before. Rotom Dex scanned and the Pokémon and floated ahead of Sun, flipping to the appropriate entry.

"Carbink. The Jewel Pokémon. Born from the high temperatures and pressures deep underground, it defends itself by firing beams from the jewel part of its body. Although this Pokémon is not especially rare, its glittering, jewel-draped body draws attention from people." Rotom explained as Sun and Brago stared down the strange floating Pokémon.

"Alright then...Brago, use Flame Burst!" Sun called out as the canine winced in pain before releasing the fire attack. Olivia was ready, however.

"Use Protect! Follow up with Ancient Power!" Olivia commanded her Carbink, who let out a soft cry before calling forth a shimmering green shield that Sun knew very well. The flames harmlessly smashed into it, dissipating after a few moments before a series of glowing rocks formed out of thin air and soared towards Brago. The canine tried to dodge it, but the attack struck him directly and sent him crashing to the ground. Sun opened his mouth to tell Brago to get up, but he noticed that Carbink was now glowing.

"Doesn't using Ancient Power sometimes make the Pokémon using it stronger?" Sun asked Rotom Dex.

"Yezz, it does! You might wanna switch out, because I don't think Brago is gonna be a good match for this thing." Rotom said to Sun, who shook his head. Though he did reach into his backpack and pull out a Cheri Berry.

"Brago, catch!" Sun called to the canine as he tossed the Berry towards the Arcanine, who spotted it and opened his mouth wide.

"Stone Edge!" Olivia commanded, throwing out a hand as Brago caught the berry in his mouth and swallowed it whole. The effect was immediate, with the paralysis fading away and allowing Brago to leap away from the stone pillars as they erupted from the ground.

"Alright...Let's tear them apart!" Brago shouted, crouching low to the ground in preparation for the next order from his Alpha. Sun didn't disappoint.

"Use Flame Charge!" Sun shouted, throwing a hand forward as Brago charged ahead, calling forth flames and using it to increase his already immense speed. Olivia was ready though.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Olivia barked, grinning as Carbink hummed and began to glow a brilliant white color that quickly became a beautiful shimmering rainbow-like sphere of energy. As Brago approached the Carbink, it suddenly charged towards the canine and collided with him. Brago snarled in pain as Carbink groaned, with the two creating an explosion as the two opposing energies fought for dominance. Brago and Carbink were thrown backwards, with Carbink shuddering in pain as Brago shook his head violently, as if trying to clear it.

"That's right! It's a Fairy and a Rock-type! Alright then. We'll just have to overwhelm it. There's not much else we can do. Use Flame Charge again!" Sun called out, with Brago speedily charging forward and slamming into Carbink, thanks to its boost in speed from using the move.

"Toxic!" Olivia commanded, with Carbink making a cooing sound before releasing a blast of purple liquid from its body. Brago's eyes widened in surprise, but Sun was quick to react.

"Dodge and hit it with Fire Fang! Throw it into the air!" Sun called to the canine who kicked backwards off of the ground, doing a backflip into the air to the surprise of the crowd and dodging Toxic, before landing on the ground and speeding towards a surprised Carbink as the crowd around them erupted into applause at the maneuver. The canine snatched the Jewel Pokémon in his powerful jaws and spewed flames into its body, making it scream in pain before being hurled skyward.

"Flame Burst!" Sun called out, with Brago releasing a tongue of flames that coalesced into a fireball that exploded, sending streaks of flame towards Carbink.

"Use Protect and then Stone Edge!" Olivia commanded as Carbink called forth a barrier to protect it from the fire attack, which exploded against the shield. As it faded, Carbink summoned forth glowing blue pillars from the ground that Brago dashed around the stage to avoid, though try as he might, one ended up exploding out from underneath him and sent him flying into the air with a howl of pain.

"Use Ancient Power!" Olivia barked as glowing stones formed around Carbink, flying forward and smashing into Brago. The canine plummeted towards the ground, smashing into it with a crunch.

"Had enough?" Olivia asked with a wide grin as Carbink slowly floated back down. Sun frowned as Brago slowly rose once again, panting now. As strong as his new form was, he was still taking a lot of damage. As much as Sun wanted to swap him out for Finn, who would have been a much better Pokémon for this sort of battle, Stealth Rock made that a hard move to call.

"Come on, Brago! We're not done yet!" Sun called to the canine, who nodded before crouching low, something that Sun had come to realize was the Pokémon's fighting pose even as a Growlithe. "Let's try out the combination we've been working on! Use Flame Burst dead ahead, and then charge into it!"

"Carbink, Protect!" Olivia called out.

"Ember first! And then follow through with the combo attack with a Flame Charge!" Sun said quickly, grinning wider now. Brago spat out a small blast of flames that smacked into Protect shield, making it flicker away after a few moments. Brago then used Flame Burst, creating a massive fireball ahead of him. However, instead of using it to attack from afar, Brago used Flame Charge to slam into the fireball, sending it right at Carbink.

"What!? Use Protect again!" Olivia shouted as the Flame Burst rushed towards Carbink, who summoned yet another glowing green barrier. However, much like with Oliver earlier, the shield flickered and failed. The Jewel Pokémon let out a scream right before the massive fireball smashed into Carbink. It then exploded into a massive wave of fire that made the crowd yell out in surprise. Olivia grunted as a wave of heat rushed past her, but that was nothing compared to the screaming of Carbink as the flames blasted it from every angle.

"Protect doesn't work very well if you use it again and again. I had to use Ember to force you to use it twice in a row." Sun explained to the Kahuna as Brago added insult to injury by hitting it with Flame Charge after the fact, grinning widely as he bounded away from the Jewel Pokémon. "Hit Carbink with Revenge!"

Brago charged forward once again, wearing a triumphant grin that matched his Alpha's as Carbink tried to clear the haze from its vision. Brago was soon cloaked in a red glow before Arcanine slammed into Carbink, sending the Pokémon hurtling backwards and crashing onto the ground much like Nosepass, where it fainted.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed. Managing to create a unique attack out of a limited movepool not once but twice in a single battle is a clear sign that your victory over Dawson was not a fluke. And using your knowledge of Protect to put my Carbink in a vulnerable position? Nothing short of brilliant." Olivia praised the boy, grinning widely as Carbink was healed by Tapu Lele and sent off to the side with the others. "But I don't think your Arcanine will be able to stand for much longer. You might want to switch him out."

"I'm fine. I can...still keep going for a while longer yet." Brago gasped, with Sun grinning at his trusty canine. He knew the Brago would be fainting very soon, but he couldn't help but be proud of how far the dog had come.

"I trust my Pokémon to know their limits. Besides, that's how you got us last time. I'm not forgetting about Stealth Rock!" Sun said as Olivia chuckled softly, drawing her final Ultra Ball.

"Fair enough. Lycanroc, let's end this battle!" Olivia shouted as she called out her Midnight Form Lycanroc, with the wolf howling into the night before striking a battle pose. Sun felt the atmosphere change slightly as if things became more serious.

"You've got this Brago!" Oliver hooted from the side, making Sun chuckle softly as Brago snorted.

"My family is counting on my strength. I won't let them down." Brago growled at Olivia, who nodded as if she didn't expect to hear anything different.

"Mmhmm. Let's show this child our strength, Lycanroc. No holding back! Let them feel the strength of a Kahuna!" Olivia bellowed as the audience roared in approval. The Kahuna took a step forward throwing a hand out as she shouted, "Use Rock Climb!"

Lycanroc howled as its front and hind claws glowed white before it hit all fours, using its attack to propel itself forward towards Brago with a swiftness that surprised Sun, despite having seen the attack before. Lycanroc was clearly going to be battling as hard as it could now, unlike last time.

"Brago, use your speed to dodge it! Then use Reversal!" Sun called out as Brago leapt back to dodge the dual swipes from Lycanroc, charging forward as a red glow surrounded the canine and slammed into the Wolf Pokémon. Lycanroc howled in pain as it skidded across the stage, though when it faced forward he grinned at Brago. The massive canine grinned back, recognizing the strength of his opponent.

"Lycanroc, use Rock Polish! Follow up with Howl!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc snarled softly, shutting its eyes and allowing a white glow to surround it.

"Flame Charge!" Sun called out as Brago charged forward once again as Lycanroc howled into the night, increasing its attack power. Olivia's grin matched her Lycanroc's, with the woman placing a hand on her hip as Brago smashed into the rock wolf and made it stumble back.

"Counter." Olivia said simply as Lycanroc's right arm glowed a harsh orange color. Sun's eyes widened in horror as Lycanroc drew its arm back.

"Brago, dodge-!" Sun tried to say, but Lycanroc smashed his forearm against Brago's head with a powerful strike, sending him crashing down to the ground senseless and finally ending the Arcanine's time in the battle.

"Arcanine is unable to battle. The winner is Lycanroc!" the referee shouted, raising a flag towards the Wolf Pokémon, who nodded in satisfaction. Tapu Lele sent a scale towards Brago, who shakily rose to his feet as his injuries were healed and strength returned to him.

"That was great Brago. The others can take it from here." Sun said to the dog, who nodded with a small smile and went to join Oliver on the side, who quietly began chatting with him about the battle. Sun focused his attention back on the fight, considering who to bring out.

"We only wore Lycanroc down a little bit. But I've still got Finn and Penny." Sun breathed, shivering slightly at the power of Olivia's Lycanroc. Unlike last time, it definitely seemed more serious about the battle they were having. Sun snatched up a ball from his belt and tossed it.

"Finn, let's go!" Sun called out, with the Poliwag landing on the ground with a slight wobble and an eager smile. Stealth Rock activated and slammed into the Poliwag, making him cry out in pain before it moved away from the Tadpole Pokémon, who looked a bit annoyed after the fact.

"Finn, use Rain Dance!" Sun called out, with Finn's eyes flashing before he summoned a misty sphere of energy and shot it skyward. Storm clouds began to form, much to the annoyance of the crowds as rain began to fall all around them.

Tapu Lele hummed for a few moments before its eyes flashed pink. A barrier of sorts formed around the stage, keeping the clouds and rain from getting onto the crowd and keeping it solely on the stage.

"That's a relief. God knows I don't want to walk around in a wet dress." Jen muttered as Lana nodded in agreement, brushing some water out of her hair. The purple-eyed girl caught Mallow staring at her, so Jen tilted her head in confusion before the green-haired girl blushed bright pink and averted her gaze. Hau and Lana exchanged smirks.

"Lycanroc, use Rock Climb!" Olivia shouted, punching forward as the wolf shuddered in the rainfall. Olivia herself didn't seem that bothered by it thanks to the armor that she wore, whereas Sun only shivered slightly as the rain drenched him. The wolf howled before it shot forward, it's glowing claws gleaming as the rain continued to fall.

"Dodge and use Scald!" Sun ordered the Poliwag, who stood his ground against the approaching wolf. To Olivia's surprise, Finn leapt into the air and fired at the ground, adjusting his aim slightly so he was propelled backward into the air and the attack struck Lycanroc all at the same time.

"Rock Throw!" Olivia shouted, throwing out a hand as Lycanroc summoned several large rocks and hurled them at Finn. The Poliwag continued to use Scald to propel himself through the air, dodging the rocks in a manner that genuinely bewildered Olivia.

"Always the show-off." Sun said with a laugh as Finn landed on the ground again, grinning at Lycanroc and Olivia smugly.

"Tch, that thing is agile. But it can't dodge forever. Lycanroc, use Rock Climb!" Olivia barked, punching forward as Lycanroc howled in fury before slamming its fists down on the ground and then propelling himself forward with glowing claws.

"Finn, Scald!" Sun called out, with the Poliwag opening his mouth and releasing a pressurized blast of boiling hot water. The attack struck Lycanroc directly in the face, making it snarl in pain and make it falter just enough for Finn to leap to the side to dodge the slash from Rock Climb, with the Poliwag smirking at the wolf.

"Stone Edge!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc let out a growl, slamming its fists down onto the ground and forcing Finn to jump back as massive spires of glowing blue rock shot out of the ground.

"Get in close and hit it with Hypnosis!" Sun called out, with Finn nodding and running forward with a wide grin on his face.

"Rock Throw! Don't let him get near you!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc held out its arms, creating rocks of pure energy with a roar before hurling them towards Finn. The Poliwag's eyes widened in horror and he fell to the ground, inadvertently dodging the attack.

"Use Scald and blast yourself into the air!" Sun shouted, with Finn pressing his face into the stage and using the attack on the floor. The Poliwag shot into the air thanks to the maneuver, flipping several times before landing lightly on its feet, much to the delight of the crowd.

"Water Gun!" Sun called out, with Finn spouting a blast of water to hit Lycanroc directly in the face before it threw another volley of rocks, one of which smashed into Finn and sent him crashing to the ground with a cry of pain. The Poliwag weakly stirred on the ground, but seemed to have trouble getting up.

"Finn!" Sun called out as Olivia smirked, thinking that the next move would earn her victory over this much-less experienced Pokémon. She knew that Sun had only recently gotten the Poliwag.

"Crunch!" Olivia barked as Lycanroc rushed forward, snarling as it opened its jaws towards the downed Poliwag as it shuddered in pain with its eyes closed tight-

"Now! Hypnosis!" Sun shouted as Finn's eyes opened wide, glowing bright red as Lycanroc drew near.

"He was faking it so he could draw Lycanroc in!" Olivia realized as the Wolf Pokémon staggered forward, clutching his head as a intense drowsiness set in. Finn rolled to his feet and hopped back as Sun grinned widely, throwing out his hand as his Z-Ring flashed.

"Let's show you everything we've got! Finn, get ready!" Sun yelled as his Z-Ring began to glow, with Sun striking the movement and an aura of orange Z-Power flowing into the boy. The power flowed from him into Finn, who's smile became even wider as the Poliwag began to laugh as the energy exploded outward, giving Finn the power to use his strongest attack.

"Finn, channel Scald...and use Hydro Vortex!" Sun bellowed, as Finn leapt into the air, flipping several times before Finn spun like a top, a massive torrent of water flowing around him before he became a huge spinning vortex of water that loomed over Lycanroc as it fell onto the ground, punching itself in the face to try and stay awake.

"Lycanroc, brace yourself!" Olivia shouted as Finn descended towards Lycanroc, smashing into the Wolf Pokémon and sending a torrent of water flowing everywhere. Olivia grunted as the water splashed over her while Sun simply grinned, shivering as the energy left him and Finn landed on the ground, wincing in pain. Lycanroc was thrown backwards onto the ground, twitching in pain after the Z-Move had subsided.

However, to their surprise, the Wolf Pokémon got to all fours before slowly pushing himself off of the ground. Panting heavily, but he still more than ready to keep fighting. Worse yet was that Lycanroc showed now signs of drowsiness despite getting hit with Hypnosis earlier.

"It's still standing…That thing is unreal." Sun breathed, panting slightly from the strain of using the Z-Move. Finn was likewise winded, tiring quickly after having used a Z-move and taking a hit from the powerful Pokémon. It was obvious that while he had gotten much stronger, he still wasn't nearly as powerful as the rest of Sun's team.

"Rock Throw!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc snarled, bounding forward and hurling a barrage of stones at Finn, who began to dodge them with leaps and running around.

"Finn, use Bubble to get yourself airbourne!" Sun called, but Olivia smirked.

"I'm not going to let that happen! Lycanroc, let's give the crowd a show!" Olivia shouted as her Z-Ring began to glow, with the roar of the crowd becoming deafening as they realized what was about to happen next. Olivia and Lycanroc began to strike a series of movements in sync with each other, and as the Z-Power flowed from Trainer to Pokémon Sun felt a shudder of power in the air.

"Lycanroc Channel Stone Edge...and use Continental Crush!" Olivia roared as Lycanroc leapt high into the air, with energy quickly piling onto the Wolf Pokémon and forming into rock. Finn and Sun watched with horror as Lycanroc quickly became a massive rock above them, and one that was quickly falling towards them.

"Finn, get out of there!" Sun shouted fruitlessly, as Finn was awestruck by the massive stone that eventually crashed on top of him and exploded. Lycanroc leapt out of the explosion, striking a pose in front of Olivia who giggled at her Pokémon's silly antics. Meanwhile the dust was clearing, revealing an unconscious Finn.

"Poliwag is unable to battle. The winner is Lycanroc!" the referee called, throwing a flag towards the grinning wolf and the Kahuna that commanded him. Tapu Lele nodded and sent a scale to Finn, healing him.

"That's disappointing. I was really hoping to win." Finn sighed, glancing at Sun. "Sorry about that."

"Hey, don't worry about it, Finn. You did your best out there and that's what counts. Penny can finish him off." Sun said as he drew his final Poké Ball. Finn nodded and waddled over to where the remaining Pokémon were at, with Oliver patting the Poliwag on the back to console him.

"Penny, it's up to you!" Sun shouted, calling out his faithful Toucannon as she appeared in a flash of light. The Cannon Pokémon nodded as she calmly stared ahead, though she did glance over at her teammates.

"Get him, Penny!" Oliver called out, making Penny smile for a moment before she nodded a second time.

"Ready?" Sun asked the Toucannon. Sun noticed then that Rain Dance had ended, with the rain finally having stopped.

"Always. I won't let their hard work go to waste. I've beaten this foe once before. I won't let it get the better of me!" Penny said before she took to the air, flapping her wings and flying above Lycanroc. The crowd began to erupt in cheers as the two Pokémon stared each other down, with the people realizing that this fantastic showdown was coming to a close.

Stealth Rock activated then, closing in on Penny and smashing into her. The Toucannon screeched in pain before the stones moved away, revealing a slightly battered bird who was staring ahead of Lycanroc with anger in her eyes.

"Stone Edge!" Olivia shouted, with Lycanroc howling before punching the ground with both fists. Penny swooped past the massive spires of glowing rock as they exploded out of the ground.

"Brick Break! Follow up with Echoed Voice!" Sun barked as Penny shot towards Lycanroc, smashing into its chest and sending the Wolf Pokémon staggering backwards with a pained snarl. Penny released a blast of sound that knocked the Lycanroc to the ground as it clutched its ears, whining softly.

"Rock Throw!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc got to its feet, snarling as it threw several stones towards Penny.

"Dodge and use Echoed Voice again!" Sun called out as Penny rose into the air, flying above the swift stones that Lycanroc was throwing her way. The Cannon Pokémon released a larger blast of sound towards Lycanroc, who surprised Sun by leaping high into the air above it, bearing down on Penny with a savage snarl.

"Use Crunch!" Olivia shouted with a wide grin, though Sun was quick to counter.

"Charge up, Penny!" Sun called as Penny's eyes narrowed, with the Toucannon aiming its beak upward as it began to glow bright red.

"Lycanroc, stop-!" Olivia tried to say, though this warning was too late. Lycanroc chomped down on the burning beak, making it howl in pain as it released Penny's beak and clutched its mouth.

"Beak Blast!" Sun shouted as Penny released a massive explosion of heat that sent Lycanroc crashing to the ground. The Wolf Pokémon rolled to its feet, snarling softly at Penny as she winced in pain. Crunch may have only done a little damage to her, Lycanroc hit hard enough to the point where it still hurt her a lot.

"A fantastic counter. You really have learned how to make the most out of your Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses." Olivia praised Sun, laughing softly as Sun smiled at her. "And you're so much calmer than you were last time. You've managed to keep up with me every step of the way so far. I commend you for that, Sun. I'm having a splendid time battling you, and I can tell these people are as well." Olivia said with a proud little smile on her face, crossing her arms. The crowd cheered at that, supporting the Kahuna's statement. Sun laughed nervously, a faint blush on his face now.

"Thanks. But I really can't take all the credit. My friends helped me through that rough time and my Pokémon have had my back ever since this journey started. I wouldn't be anything if it wasn't for them." Sun explained, with Olivia chuckling softly.

"So modest. But we really should be wrapping things up. Lycanroc, let's show them that defeating us will take more than a strong will." Olivia said to the wolf, who despite the burns on its mouth managed a twisted smile. Penny let out a defiant screech that the translator didn't pick up.

"You've got this, Penny!" Finn called from the sidelines, bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Show them no mercy!" Brago boomed from beside him, grinning at the bird as she stared down the powerful Lycanroc.

"Just win already!" Oliver cried out, with this reply actually making Sun and Penny laugh out loud. The Toucannon flared her wings and leaned forward, preparing herself for the final stretch of the fight.

"Brick Break, Penny! Let's go!" Sun shouted as Penny shot toward Lycanroc, her beak glowing white as it swung its beak downwards. The attack connected with the head of Lycanroc, who grinned evilly at the bird.

"Reversal!" Olivia bellowed as Lycanroc's body exploded outwards with force as a harsh glow surrounded it. Penny flew backwards, trying to create distance, but Lycanroc leapt into the air to meet her and punched the bird in the stomach to send her tumbling through the air. Penny crashed onto the ground with a cry, twitching in pain.

"Even while burned, it can dish out that kind of damage. I've got to end this quick. Penny, use Growl!" Sun called as Penny got to her feet, wincing in pain. The Toucannon let out a menacing growl as Lycanroc bounded forward, succeeding in making the wolf flinch after a few moments of making awful noises.

"Rock Throw! Clip that birdie's wings!" Olivia shouted, grinning widely as Lycanroc leapt into the air, hurling stones towards the bird as she stared upwards and held her ground.

"Counter with Rock Blast!" Sun barked, throwing his hand out as Penny opened her beak, releasing a series of bullet-like rocks towards the stones hurtling towards her. The attacks collided in midair, though to everyone's surprise Penny's repeated attack managed to pierce through all the stones, with the fifth wave of attacks from Rock Blast managing to hit Lycanroc directly and knocking the Wolf Pokémon out of the air, where it landed awkwardly on the ground.

"Rock Slide!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc smarled and threw out its hands, creating a series of portals above the battlefield. Penny shot forward, trying to escape the downpour of rocks as they fell from above. To Sun's dismay, though Cannon Pokémon was smacked by two rocks, sending her crashing onto the stage.

"Stone Edge!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc howled in fury, wincing for a moment as its burn seared with pain before attacking. Penny's eyes widened in horror and she forced herself upright as Sun instructed her to fly high above the battlefield, with the bird managing to dodge the massive pillars of stone that now jutted from the stage by soaring high into the air.

"Roost! Try to recover!" Sun said to the bird, who nodded as she landed on one of massive spires of rock and shut her eyes, glowing a faint white color as she began to recover her strength.

Olivia chuckled at the tactic, having seen Sun do that before during his battle with Dawosn. "Rock Climb, Lycanroc! Finish off that bird while she recovers!"

The Midnight Form Lycanroc nodded and dashed forward as its claws elongated and glowed white, allowing it to easily scale that massive pillar of stone and dash towards Penny as she rested. The wolf smashed into the bird with a savage roar, sending her tumbling off of the pillar with a cry-

And a smile.

Olivia's eyes widened in surprise.

"Supersonic!" Sun shouted with a grin as Penny opened her beak, releasing a red wave of sound from point-blank range that washed over Lycanroc as it stood atop the pillar of stone high in the air, unable to dodge or escape in any way. Lycanroc howled as its world became distorted, worsening as his burn further sapped his strength.

"He baited me again...He lured Lycanroc up there so it would have nowhere to go and he could confuse it." Olivia realized with an awed tone in her voice, stunned by the surprise tactic. Lycanroc wobbled precariously on the pillar, barely able to see Penny as she struggled to stay airborne thanks to Rock Climb hitting her out of Roost.

"Use Brick Break, Penny!" Sun shouted with a wide smile, but Olivia wasn't done yet.

"Use Counter!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc swiveled its head towards Penny as she shot towards him. The bird smashed into the Wolf Pokémon, making him whine in pain as he drew back his fist-

And punched himself in the face in his confusion.

"What!? No!" Olivia shouted as Lycanroc fell backwards off of the pillar of stone with a howl as Penny flew away, a smirk on her face.

Lycanroc tumbled through the air and landed on the ground with a harsh crunch, leaving a massive indentation in the stage. Olivia's eyes were wide in shock as she stared at the unmoving form of her prized Pokémon lying on the ground with swirls in its eyes. Penny landed on the ground unsteadily beside Sun, her body riddled with scraps and dings as a result of the damage she had taken. Sun watched the downed Lycanroc with bated breath. After a few moments of watching Lycanroc's still form, the referee called it.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle...The winner of the Grand Trial is Sunshine Smiles!" the referee declared, throwing a flag into the air towards Sun as the boy broke out into a massive grin, running forward to hug Penny as the crowd exploded into cheers.

"Your strategy really came through, Penny! We did it!" Sun laughed as the rest of his team rushed forward, piling on top of the two of them. Olivia watched the boy for a few moments before clapping along with the crowd, a little smile on her face as the boy was smothered by his team. Oliver had his wings wrapped around a flustered Penny, hugging her with a joyful smile while Finn bumped heads with Sun, who was being licked by Brago in excitement. The happiness of Sun's team seemed to transfer to the crowd, who were going nuts over such an incredible Grand Trial.

"He did it! He did it! He did it!" Hau cheered, hopping up and down as he hugged Lana, shaking the laughing girl in the process. Mallow and Acerola (now wearing a simple purple sundress) clapped heartily alongside Kiawe (and a much calmer Ilima). Hala nodded towards the boy, smiling at Sun as Colress clapped for Sun with a pleased smile on his face.

"Kid doesn't stop impressing, now does he?" Hugh remarked with a wide grin as he and Aria clapped on, the roar of the crowd almost deafening at this point. To their surprise, the much-happier Vivian replied.

"Nope! Reminds me of a certain heroine who got her ass handed to her by Elesa and eventually managed to beat her." Vivian remarked with a giggle. Aria glared at the violinist as Noah and Hugh hid their smiles. Aria's rage was abated when she remembered what had just happened, spotting Lillie as the girl clapped furiously for her best friend, a massive smile on her face as Nebby floated happily beside her. Aria spotted Burnet and Kukui both giving Sun a thumbs up as Laura and Ollie watched on with matching smiles of pride on their faces as they too clapped on.

"How lovely." Olivia said with a smile as she walked towards the boy. Sun untangled himself from the pile of Pokémon and walked towards the Kahuna, meeting her in the middle of the stage as the crowd became quiet.

"Diamonds only sparkle after coal is pushed to its absolute limit." Olivia said to Sun, her small smile becoming a delighted grin. "You guys are the best!"

Sun laughed at that, and when Olivia extended her hand out Sun saw that she was holding a brown Z-Crystal. "Here. The Rock-type Z-Crystal...The Rockium Z is yours!"

Sun grinned and held the Z-Crystal up high, shuddering as it let out a pulse of power and erupted into rainbow-colored flames for a few moments before settling down. The crowd's cheers began anew, and Sun looked to the excited mass with a wide smile.

"The Rock-type Z-Power...you have to move like this to draw it out! Watch carefully, because the hip movement is crucial." Olivia said as she began to show Sun how to use the Z-Move. After being shown how, with Sun amazed at how limber Olivia could be even wearing that heavy armor, Sun tried it.

"It's all in the thighs." Olivia joked as Sun mimicked the movement, fooling a bit silly. This wasn't helped when Mallow let out a whistle above the shouts of the crowd, making some people laugh.

"Use it well." Olivia said to Sun, her smile never having left her face. The Kahuna then started as two pink scales fluttered forward and landed on Penny and Lycanroc, healing them completely.

"That battle was an excellent display of your strength. It pleased me, as well as the crowd assembled here before us all." Tapu Lele intoned, floating forward. Tapu Lele turned to Olivia, a scale fluttering forward and landing on her forehead. The Kahuna glowed white and let out a soft sigh, feeling her energy return to her.

"You have once again shown that I was right to choose you." Tapu Lele said simply before turning to Sun, sending a fluttering scale towards the boy. As the scale landed on his chest, he let out a gasp as the healing energies of the Tapu rushed through him. His chest seared in pain for a moment, and then it was all gone. Every bit of pain and exhaustion in him from both this battle and the attack on Royal Avenue was gone. His ribs were completely healed.

"Thank you." Sun said to the Guardian Deity, who simply nodded.

"You stood against the might of my Kahuna and proved your strength. Thank you for a wonderful battle." Tapu Lele said to Sun, who grinned at the god.

"Anytime! I'd love to battle against you someday." Sun said to the Guardian Deity, surprising Olivia and Tapu Lele both. The God of Life's surprise lasted for a moment before it laughed within Sun's mind.

"I'll keep that in mind." Tapu Lele remarked, floating high into the air. After a few moments the Guardian Deity cast its gaze out over the crowd before vanishing in a flurry of scales as the crowd gasped in awe. The scales exploded outward in an incredible display of beautiful light, and when the light faded the Guardian Deity was gone. The crowd stared up into the sky for several moments before Olivia snapped them out of their surprise with her commanding voice.

"And with that, we end the Festival of Celestial Lights. Thank you all for coming to celebrate and give thanks to Tapu Lele for all that it does for us. As always, the bond between human and Pokémon is like iron here in Alola. And we hope that by inviting our friends from around the world into our culture by having take part in the festivities tonight, perhaps you learned something from the experience." Olivia said to the crowd with a warm smile. "Thank you once again, and have a wonderful night!"

Olivia raised her hands and clapped them loudly, and with a strange shudder the lights began to dim until the city was cloaked in darkness. A few moments later the street lights flickered on and the city was bathed in its usual light. Olivia took that moment to slip away and join them, smiling.

"I wouldn't mind another battle like that sometime, Sun. Lycanroc was barely holding back during that little showdown. I can't believe you managed to outsmart me at the end there." Olivia remarked, shaking her head. "You kids still find a way to surprise me."

"It was Penny's idea. She got surprised using Roost during the battle with Dawson and figured out a way to turn that into an advantage." Sun explained, grinning with pride at his bird's clever thinking. "I'm amazed at how strong your team was, Olivia. Even though I mostly knew what to expect, we still had a hard time putting them down."

"The Rock-type. It's hard. Sturdy. Rugged and physically strong. So nothing like me at all! I guess opposites really do attract!" Olivia remarked, with Sun nodding in response.

"They're definitely impressive." Sun agreed before suddenly getting piledrived into a hug by Laura and Lillie.

"You were so great, sweetie!" Laura gushed proudly as Sun groaned at being crushed, though after a few moments he became aware of Lillie pressing her face against his.

"That was so exciting! I didn't know you had come up with more techniques for your team! You have to tell me about them!" Lillie said excitedly as she separated from Sun, who was blushing brightly.

"I um...Yeah, sure! I can do that." Sun said after a moment, regaining his composure. Just then a fluffy spaceball flew into Sun's arms, happily cooing at the boy.

"Well, aren't you pleased?" Lillie said to Nebby, who cooed happily as it wriggled in her crush's arms. Sun chuckled, deciding to simply pat the Pokémon on the head, making him sigh happily.

Sun, Hau, and Lillie bid Mallow and Lana goodnight, with Lana plucking up the courage to kiss Hau on the cheek. Hau pulled away in surprise, blushing from the sudden move, but not nearly as bad as Lana who looked like she had just ingested raw magma. Mallow thankfully dragged Lana away, leaving the trio with the adults as they made their to their hotels or the Pokémon Center.

"I'm surprised to see you enjoyed that battle so much yourself, Princess. It wasn't so long ago that you said you hated Pokémon battles." Hau remarked as they made their way down the path.

"I hate to see Pokémon get hurt. But seeing how happy they are to battle along with you two, and seeing how dedicated they are too it...Well, it's made me rethink my opinion on it. Watching Sun battle has helped me learn a lot." Lillie remarked lightly, bumping against the boy in question as he subtly grabbed her hand.

"So now what?" Hau asked, turning around to face all of them. He felt a slight pang when he noticed Sun and Lillie holding hands, but ignored it. It was at that point that the Unova crew split away from their party to go to the Pokémon Center, with the group bidding them goodnight.

"I guess we rest up for tonight and head out for Aether sometime in the next few days. Mister Faba gave us until the end of the week to get there." Sun reminded Hau, who nodded. Sun turned to Lillie and said, "Did you want to come with us, Lillie? I think you'd really like something like this."

Lillie was glad her mask partly covered how her face paled at the question, though she did shake her head in response. "I'm grateful for the offer, but I think Professor Kukui needs my help with his research for the next few weeks. After his battle against Amber, he's been much busier than usual."

"Oh…" Sun seemed a bit disappointed, but understood her situation.

"Professor Kukui does need to run some errands over in Malie City next week! I'm sure we could meet up then!" Lillie said quickly, with Hau and Sun smiling at that.

"It'll be loads of fun. I can't wait to get back on the road!" Hau cheered as they neared the exit of the city.

"Having you home was nice while it lasted, but I know you're eager to get back to your Island Challenge now that you've beat Olivia." Laura said warmly, with Ollie laughing at that.

"So how was your date?" Sun asked the two adults. Ollie replied with swiftly kissing Laura on the cheek, making her blush a brilliant shade of red in response. Lillie and Hau both laughed at that while Sun just beamed at them.

"I approve." Sun said simply, with Ollie and Laura exchanging a smile before they grabbed each other's hand, content in no longer having to hide their affection for one another that had rekindled after all this time.

Speaking of…

"Sun?"

The boy turned around to see Lillie staring at him with a small smile on her face, taking off her mask at least. They had just seen off Hala and Hau, who left on the first Charizard that had come. They were now well outside of the city. Ollie would be returning to his apartment but would make sure Sun and Laura got home safely, and Lillie would be returning to the Dimensional Research Lab with Kukui and Burnet via Teleport.

"Yeah?" Sun said in reply, stepping towards Lillie. The girl threw herself at Sun, hugging him tightly as Sun returned the warm embrace. The boy felt a powerful emotion within him as he stood there, holding his closest friend in his arms and shutting his eyes. A warmth burned in his heart, a sort of affection went beyond simple friendship. He wanted to hold her forever in his arms. As the girl sighed happily, content in the arms of her hero, she laughed softly a moment later.

"Thank you...thank you so much for giving me this wonderful night. I'm so happy. You're the absolute best." Lillie said quietly, breaking away from Sun as the boy grinned at her.

"Ehh...Second best." Sun said to the girl, who looked confused for a moment before she realized what he was getting at and giggled.

"Okay, let's agree to disagree for now. But I really did have a good time. Thank you for taking me out and making this the best date ever." Lillie said to Sun, who rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Hehe! it was nothing. I had a lot of fun just spending time with you." Sun admitted, with Lillie nodding slightly. Nebby cooed softly from inside of her purse, with the Cosmog floating up and nuzzling Sun before floating into Lillie's arms.

"Lillie, we need to get going." Kukui called to her before shaking Ollie's hand and then calling out his Magnezone. Lillie nodded and turned back to Sun, blushing bright pink.

"Goodnight Princess. I'll see you soon." Sun said with a warm smile, stepping forward and hugging Lillie once more. Lillie returned the embrace, though she surprised Sun by kissing him on the cheek. Sun let go of Lillie in surprise, allowing the girl to take a few steps back with a bashful smile on her face.

"Goodnight Sun." Lillie said to Sun as she rejoined the two Professors. Kukui and Burnet both wrapped an arm around the girl, with each of them wearing a wide smile on their face before Magenzone teleported on the spot. This left a bewildered Sun standing there, holding his cheek.

"Come on, loverboy. Let's go" Ollie said with a laugh, clapping a blushing Sun on the shoulder as their Charizard landed on the ground. Sun shook himself out of his stupor, smiling at Ollie before nodding. He then caught sight of Laura in a terse discussion with Rotom Dex.

"I want fifty of those on the kitchen table in the morning or I'm turning you into an Easy Bake Oven." Laura demanded as Rotom floated away with a giggle. To Sun's horror, a picture of Lillie kissing him was displayed on his screen.

"You little-!" Sun yelled out, running forward as Rotom Dex floated out of sight. Ollie just laughed while the Charizard sighed, shaking its head.

Meanwhile…

A floating Tapu Lele watched the trio with a faint smile on its face from high in the air. Before long it vanished in a flurry of scales before reappearing on top of the lighthouse a few miles away, a spot that allowed it an excellent view of the ocean. A view that helped the God of Life reflect on everything that had happened tonight.

"I was wrong." Tapu Lele thought, with a tinge of sadness. "All of these wasted years in my own little world of selfishness, when all that time these people still loved me. They still celebrated me for being something that I wasn't. They called me kind, loving, and a Guardian. I was none of those things. I have been cruel, dismissive, and negligent of my position these past few centuries."

"Life is fleeting, but beautiful all the same. I allowed myself to become cold to the lives of those I was supposed to protect as I watched them fade and die over the endless years. But now, having seen these people fight for their lives and then celebrate like this, I have reclaimed that wonderful state of mind I had before. I must not lose sight of that again." Tapu Lele mused, looking over the city.

"I must do better. We have remained stagnant for too long. Tapu Koko was correct. We have held ourselves distant of the world we protect too long. The time has come to stand alongside those we protect in order to safeguard our world. Especially if what I have seen comes to pass…" Tapu Lele realized, shutting its eyes

A meeting of heroes, giving hope to each other.

A demon of the past, returning for vengeance.

A father's dark return, as a city burned around them.

A rending of dimensions, letting monsters from another world into their own.

A daughter standing against her mother, and becoming something more.

And finally...a lion of the sun, roaring loudly as a boy stared it down with determination in his eyes. Together they would write a better future for this world.

The Guardian Deity of Akala reflected for longer still. The actions of the people it had sworn to protect weighed heavily on its mind. The people Tapu Lele had saved during the Royal Avenue Tournament. The Gladion boy saving it from death at the hands of Amber. Zinnia's continued friendship and insight. Being shown nothing but love and respect during the Festival itself. And then there was the Grand Trial…

"That boy reminds me so much of his father. It's almost frightening." Tapu Lele thought, thinking back on another child with tremendous promise. Another who the Tapu had kept an eye on, seeing their strength and their power over destiny. However...Sun seemed to be quite different to his father.

Tapu Lele had used its powers to pick and poke at the mind of the boy during the contest, and she found that the boy had a very innocent soul. Sun was someone who had power, but wanted to use it only to protect others. A kindness that ran deep within his very soul.

"You chose well, Tapu Koko. Much better than Tapu Bulu did. This child seems like the sort of Champion our islands need." Tapu Lele thought, chuckling softly to itself before shutting its eyes. The God of Life was beginning to feel fatigued, and knew it was time for it to return to its isolation. Though perhaps not as long as usual. Tapu Lele had enjoyed the Festival and all it had to offer, especially with the Grand Trial held in its honor.

It reminded Tapu Lele, as always, of the days long past.


"BEGONE, INTRUDER!" Tapu Lele bellowed as it released several arcs of streaking pink energy towards its opponent, who swiftly dodged the attack. Its opponent was a powerfully built lion that shimmered with light, its white armor-like skin resisting Tapu Lele's attacks. It was something that had come from a rift in the sky, and the beast had already defeated Tapu Koko in combat. Now it had come to Akala Island, and Tapu Lele would not suffer the same fate.

"You're quite strong. But we do not welcome your kind here. Depart from this world and return to your own, or I will strike you down. You have dwelled here, unwanted, for far too long." Tapu Lele hissed as a whirl of pink scales circled it. The lion growled softly, crouching low as if to pounce despite the lion walking on air.

"I have come in peace, strange one. But if you wish to battle than so be it!" the beast roared, its powerful voice booming across the sky as the humans watching the two beings do battle below in their village watched in awe.

Tapu Lele let loose its scales that hurtled towards the beast, who's body began to glow with a harsh heat surrounding its body before it rushed forward, smashing through the attack and colliding with Tapu Lele.

The God of Life was thrown backwards, the intense heat of the strange lion searing its armor and body. Regardless the Guardian Deity recovered within moments and struck out with a pink lance of energy, making the beast ahead of it roar in agony as it was thrown backwards through the sky.

The massive lion surprised Tapu Lele by rolling through the air and shooting up high into the sky, letting out a fearsome roar to the heavens as its body shined like a star...And then the light exploded outwards, making Tapu Lele flinch and avert its eyes.

"We have come peacefully. We seek refuge from the Blinding One and the evil that has infested our home. Know that what comes next is your own doing, not mine." The strange lion boomed as Tapu Lele faced forward again, only to falter as it gazed upon a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Tapu Lele remained still, mesmerized at the lights that hung around it in the sky. Twinkling little stars of raw energy that shimmered in the night, like miniature suns. The lights seemed to brighten with each passing moment, and soon what had once been a pitch-black night had became a bright sunny day, despite the moon that hung overhead in the sky.

The God of Life turned its gaze back towards Solgaleo, the strange creature staring down the Guardian Deity with a fearless glare in its eyes as the otherworldly light glowed all around them. The light that surrounded him was the brightest light of all.

Tapu Lele would always remember that sight. Of the majestic lion that stood against them, and of the wonderful celestial light from another world that it brought to Alola, even in the dead of night. This place would eventually become somewhere that Solgaleo would one day call its home. And Solgaleo would become something that the Tapu would eventually learn to call…

A friend.


As the first rays of dawn began to peak out over the horizon, Tapu Lele vanished in a swirl of glittering pink scales with a faint sense of hope burning with its heart. Tapu Lele left behind Konikoni City and the lanterns that hung in the sky above them, much like the light of Solgaleo did during their battle hundreds of years ago. This Festival was a reminder of that fateful night.

"Maybe this time...We can make things right." Tapu Lele whispered to itself as the sun began to peak out across the horizon, bathing Alola in its warm glow once more.


And there we have it! Sun wins another Grand Trial, even against Olivia's improved team!

With another win under his belt, Sun will now be making his way to Ula'ula Island! But not before taking Faba up on his offer and taking a side trip to the Aether Paradise! Will other fun things happen in the meantime? Stay tuned!

Stay tuned!

Q & A

From: What Lies Beyond

Wasn't expecting a 'Furret Walks' reference, but okay. Then again, with the various pop-culture stuff that's already cropped up, I really shouldn't be surprised...

What happened to that Egg Lyra had a few chapters back? She handed to Lillie and then it just kind of vanished. I mean, I'm assuming she took it back and still has it (if it hasn't hatched already), but I will admit to being confused when she walked off without it, and then realizing there was no further mention of Lillie having the Egg.

Yeah, Lyra carried the Egg away. I guess I never did specifically say that she picked up the Egg and took it back because there was other stuff going on. Sorry about the confusion.

From: Oragonking

Anyway, what Zygarde said wasn't completely true. There are some children who can control the power of a Legendary wisely. It happened a few times in the past, and it will not end today. (Didn't some famous Trainers already caught some during their final battle?)

Yes, there are famous Trainers who have captured Legendaries and the like during epic confrontations. And Zygarde is aware of this, and doesn't want to be roped into the affairs of a bunch of humans. At least not without someone it can depend on standing alongside it.

The reason it didn't want to go with Sun is because he's too young and inexperienced. Say what you will about the Protagonists in the other games, but they don't catch those Legendaries until they're nearing the end of their journey and were much stronger than they were originally. Sun isn't even halfway through his Island Challenge.

As for Aria, Zygarde senses how much power she already has. It doesn't want to deal with a human who already controls two Legendary Pokemon.

From: Wan323

I assume zygarde is waiting for zinnia? She seems to fit his description

Possibly! We won't have to wait long to find out!

From: Rabakku

I really want to read this, I realllly do. It would be like a week long commitment though, and I need to know it's worth it. Are there any things that redeem this from its overzealous word length?

I mean...Hopefully you get to the point in this story where you can determine the answer yourself. I've always found merit in having a longer story, having grown up reading Harry Potter and the Inheritance Cycle and all that. This is what happens when I am able to devote all of my time and attention into one story. I guess time will tell whether or not you decided this story was worth the time.

That's all for now, folks! I hope you enjoyed the big showdown between Sun and Olivia, and with that finally over we will soon begin the next leg of his journey! What sort of surprises lie in store for our heroes? Lots of them!

Please show your support with a review telling me what you thought, because your feedback helps the story be better. Favorites and/or Follows are super appreciated, as are questions. Also, feel free to join the RS Discord chat! PM me for a link and join the conversation!

Take care and stay awesome.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!