Pokémon Radiant Sun

Howdy folks. Welcome to another update!

Not much to report on, aside from me trying to get ahead on things and getting hyped for Poni Island, which I know many of you have been waiting for. It's just around the corner, but we've got some loose ends to wrap up before we get there.

Shoutout to the legends who reviewed since the last update, which includes SolanaLeonhart, Oragonking, BraviaryScout, Dklett, and a new reviewer known as finhirblank! Thank you for the support and the feedback everyone!

Enjoy.

Chapter 162: Bonds

Aether Paradise

The next several days had seen an increase of activity at the Aether Paradise. News crews swarmed the facility, asking for interviews and information about the state of the Paradise in the aftermath of the Ultra Beast incident.

Gladion Jardin took to the media attention well, explaining that there was an incident involving an experiment that resulted in Ultra Beast activity and that Aether Paradise was willing to do whatever it took to repair the damage the experiment did to the rejoin The faux-Cipher attacks were blamed as remnants of the main group that had attacked in a desperate bid for power and control, which left Alola and the world reeling. But not as much as the confirmed death of Ashton Aupuni in his jail cell by the International Police that same week, much to the delight of most of the world and some remorse from Alolans who had sympathized with the man's plight. The Pokémon League were very interested in that last point, to the point where multiple Champions visited the region themselves to get a debriefing about the situation.

The International Police were able to sweep most of the Aether Foundation's misdeeds under the rug since Wicke was now running day-to-day operations as Branch Chief, but those who had actually committed violent crimes were turned over to the police and sentenced appropriately. The Aether Paradise offered to pay reparations to the victims of the faux-Cipher attacks as well, which helped ease down public outcry.

Much to the surprise of the Aether Foundation, Ashton Aupuni contributed heavily to the restoration efforts himself through a large influx of money coming from the former Master of Cipher himself. Ashton had apparently also managed to use all of the funds he had stolen from Neo Team Plasma and Team Rocket before betraying them to foot the bill for those reparations and repairs. When asked how he still had access to these systems (and any money at all) Ashton simply smirked before changing the subject. Ashton would later admit that the International Police were aware of this and approved of Ashton attempting to smooth things over, but were watching him and his hacking activities like a hawk.

Meanwhile, Hau had departed the Paradise and left to go train with Kahuna Hala while waiting for Acerola to resume presiding over her Ghost Trial so he could complete it. He would still text Sun and Lillie daily, and had apparently even given Gladion his cell phone number. Sun had only found this out because Hau had sent Gladion a meme so ridiculous that even he couldn't resist laughing at it. Gladion also refused to show Sun or Lillie what it was, but according to Demi, it was pretty good.

Speaking of Demi, she continued to stay at the Paradise alongside Bone Unit 71 to help Gladion keep the calm and keep him sane while he took command of the Paradise alongside Miss Wicke. Indeed, Gladion and his new girlfriend were often seen walking around the Paradise together, and Sun even caught them holding hands a few times when they thought no one was paying attention.

Lillie continued to try and expand her boundaries. She participated in a mock battle against her brother with Sun's team, using Brago to battle against Type: Null in a losing effort, but put up enough of a fight to where Gladion was grinning with pride at his little sister by the end of it. She also spent long hours going through the Jardin Library, looking into rare texts about any clues as to how to reach the Ultra Space and where the Sun Flute may be located.

Five days after Lusamine had fled to the Ultra Space, Wicke contacted Sun and had him report to the Medical Wing of the Aether Paradise where the more intensive rehabilitation took place. That was where Wicke gave him an update regarding his three Pokémon. The Branch Chief had all three Pokémon out of their Poké Balls when Sun had arrived, with Oliver and Tetra both greeting their Trainer happily.

Alastor however…had no reaction whatsoever. He was curled up into a ball, having retreated into his own body except for the cannon that stuck out.

"As far as I can tell, physically he's fine." Wicke explained to Sun as the boy looked across the room at the large rock sitting on the reinforced medical examination table, ignoring everything that was occurring nearby. "But as you and the doctors have said, he's been through a very nasty experience and refuses to respond to anything."

"When do you think he'll come out?" Sun asked.

Wicke shook her head. "There's no telling. Could be ten minutes from now, it could be several months."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Tetra asked worriedly, looking at Alastor with concern. Even Oliver seemed worried, his eyes narrowed intently as he heaved a sigh.

"No, Tetra. He's had his spirit crushed by that wretched clan of his, on top of recovering from a terrible injury. It's…tough coming back from something like this once you've lost your way. I would know." Oliver explained ruefully, looking to his Trainer and smiling. "But we can support him. And that should help him through this."

Sun walked over to Alastor, putting a hand against the Golem's side and whispering, "I'm so sorry…I'll find some way to make things right."

With that the boy returned his Alolan Golem and clipped the Ultra Ball to his belt before turning towards Wicke. The Branch Chief nodded and said, "Don't push him. He's suffered a terrible shock and simply needs time to come to terms with things. In the meantime let him out of his ball even if he doesn't do anything. Simply being around those who care about you can make the difference, as your Decidueye so wisely said."

"Heh. She called me wise." Oliver hooted proudly, puffing out his chest while Tetra looked at Oliver for several moments in confusion.

"Brago said that Penny was the smart one. Was she wrong?" Tetra asked innocently, causing Oliver to consider that before nodding.

"Penny is the smart one. She's also the prettiest one, but don't tell her I said that or she'll get embarrassed."

"Got it!"

"For the record, you're the coolest one, Tetra." Lillie chimed in, with Tetra smiling at the girl happily as the dragon clapped her hands. Oliver even nodded in agreement, which managed to make Wicke and Lillie giggle. The Jardin girl looked back towards Sun, grabbing his hand comfortingly. "Alastor will be just fine. He's got all of you looking out for him, after all. He'll come back and be even more of a grouch than ever!"

Sun managed a smile at that. "Thanks everyone. Now, how about Tetra and Oliver?"

Wicke looked back to Sun with a small smile before gesturing to the two Pokémon. "Both have made a full recovery. Tetra's arms did require intensive surgery, but thanks to treatment here at the Paradise we were able to speed things along to only require a few days of rehab. I would recommend against having them participate in anything too intense for another three or four days to be safe, but they're completely cleared for battle." Wicke said as Sun nodded in agreement before looking back at his two Pokémon.

"You hear that? You both have to take it easy for a few more days, but then we're gonna get back to training." Sun said to them, making Tetra grin with excitement as Oliver nodded beside her.

"If that's what you wish. Now, can we eat?" Oliver asked Sun, who blinked at the sudden question. "We skipped breakfast for this, you know."

Wicke flushed with embarrassment as Lillie burst into giggles behind her. "My apologies. I'm still adjusting to my additional duties as Branch Chief. Let's get some lunch whipped up back at the President's Mansion and see how things are going with Gladion and the others."

And so the group made their way back to the mansion in question, with Sun and Lillie leading the way as Tetra and Oliver walked behind them, testing out how their bodies felt after suffering the worst of the showdown with Lusamine's team a few days prior. To their surprise, they spotted Gladion walking towards them alongside Type: Null. He met them halfway along the path, raising a hand in greeting.

"Hey Glady! How's everything going?" Lillie asked her older brother, who nodded at his sister before looking at Sun.

"Looks like your Pokémon made a full recovery, huh Sun? Glad to see it." Gladion said with a nod to Oliver and Tetra, with the large owl nodding back to Gladion. "How's your Golem? Last I heard he was doing pretty bad."

"Yeah…Alastor's gonna take a lot longer to get better. But he should pull through." Sun said to the other teen, earning a thoughtful hum in response.

"I'm sure things'll work out for the best. I was actually about to fetch you all to let you know that lunch would be ready soon. Maybe ten minutes?" Gladion said with a shrug. "Figured you should know."

"Awesome. My team's pretty hungry, so that's perfect. Thanks for the heads up." Sun thanked the other teen, but the conversation was suddenly derailed by everyone's favorite dragon.

"Excuse me!" Tetra suddenly piped up, causing everyone to look at her. The Gabite looked up at Gladion and said, "Umm…C-can I talk to your Riolu? I think I know him from somewhere."

"My Riolu?" Gladion repeated, looking confused at the sudden question. The teen looked at Sun, who was likewise confused and had no idea why Tetra would want to speak to his Pokémon.

However, Gladion did oblige Tetra, pulling out the Poké Ball for his Pokémon and sending out his Riolu. As the Emanation Pokémon appeared in a flash of light, he gave his Trainer a warm smile before noticing the nearby Gabite staring intently at him. The Riolu stared back at Tetra, and for several long moments there was a profound silence in the air.

Suddenly the Riolu let out a cry of surprise, actually staggering back in shock for a moment. However a moment later the widest smile spread across his face, and Tetra's face soon matched his.

"I was right…It's you!" Tetra cried out happily before suddenly rushing forward and scooping up the Riolu in a massive hug. The Riolu laughed as Tetra spun him around, with the dragon giggling with glee before setting down the Riolu and looking towards the shocked Trainers.

"Tetra, do you know him?" Oliver asked as Tetra looked up at the older Pokémon, a bright smile of happiness on her face.

"He's my friend! We used to be on the same team together! I talked about him before!" Tetra explained to them, much to the shock of everyone present. The Riolu nodded beside Tetra, looking just as overjoyed as the young Gabite, practically bobbing up and down on his feet.

"You…were on the same team?" Lillie asked slowly as she began to think about what that meant. "That means you both had the same Trainer. Which means that…"

"Whenever my Trainer made me feel bad, he was always there to make me feel better!" Tetra explained to all of them, not noticing the horrified expressions on the humans' faces as they realized who exactly Tetra's former Trainer had been.

"So the same piece of shit who nearly killed you was her Trainer as well…" Gladion murmured, shaking his head. "What a small world that you two would be reunited like this."

"I recognized him when we were fighting the mean lady." Tetra confessed, smiling at them all. "I saw how scared he was, and that made me remember him. And it made me remember that I was fighting to stop the mean lady from hurting anyone else. And that…"

The Gabite paused, thinking about it. Sun put a hand on her head and rubbed it before chiming in. "That motivated you enough to push through the pain and take down Lusamine's strongest Pokémon."

"It reminded me that I needed to be strong. Strong enough to protect the ones I care about. And I won." Tetra finished, grinning at her Trainer as he looked down at his dragon with pride.

"That you did. I'm happy for you both. Friendships like that are precious." Oliver said to the two younger Pokémon, who both nodded at the owl's words.

"And that was right before Riolu decided to join the fight against the Nihilego…You were motivated by Tetra and you wanted to help too." Gladion realized as the Riolu nodded, smiling up at him. Gladion smirked at his Pokémon and said, "And it's a good thing too. We wouldn't have won without your help."

"You both ended up proving your original Trainer wrong." Sun said to Tetra and Riolu, causing the Pokémon to look at Sun with surprise. "You both overcame so many odds to get here. Even after all that he put you through, you both became strong and helped save the entire region!"

"The most important thing is that you're away from that jerk and that you both ended up getting a Trainer that cares a lot about you." Lillie said to the two Pokémon, who both nodded and exchanged smiles.

"No kidding." Gladion remarked, a smile coming to his face. He put a hand on Riolu's head, petting him for a moment. "I'm happy for you, little guy. And after how well you fought against the Ultra Beast, we'll have to see about getting you trained up with the others. That way the next time we battle Sun, you and Tetra can have a friendly battle together. How's that sound?"

"Can we!? That sounds like fun!" Tetra cheered, her eyes wide with excitement. Riolu cried out in agreement, nodding his head before looking up at his Trainer and beaming up at him with joy…and then the Riolu began to glow.

The group watched on in awe as the Riolu shined with the pure light of evolution. Shining blue energy engulfed the small Pokémon who slowly began to grow taller before their eyes. Within moments the light faded away, revealing a Pokémon that Sun recognized right away with some awe. A Lucario.

The newly-evolved Pokémon regarded them all warily for several moments, looking down at its new form with surprise before smiling and nodding at Gladion, who seemed completely stunned. Thankfully Rotom Dex was able to make the save with a timely Pokédex entry.

"Lucario. The Aura Pokémon and the final evolved form of Riolu. Not only does it perceive auras, but it has also gained the power to control them. It employs them in battle. They can detect the species of a living being— and its emotions—from over half a mile away. They hunt their prey in packs." Rotom Dex explained to them all as the newly-evolved Pokémon regarded them all with a smile.

"Wow! You evolved! That's so great!" Tetra gushed happily, rushing forward to hug her friend. Lucario laughed and hugged Tetra back as Sun and Gladion watched on with smiles of their own. That was when a new but familiar voice spoke up, catching their attention

"Riolu evolves by growing close to its Trainer…It's known as a Friendship Evolution."

Sun and Gladion turned around to see Ashton Aupuni walking towards them with Damien and Colress in tow. The former criminal mastermind smiled at them all and gestured towards the two hugging Pokémon. "It can only come about if a Pokémon can truly trust its Trainer and cares deeply for them. However, the friendship that Lucario and Sun's Gabite share may also have provided the final nudge to cause the evolution to take place."

"They were both owned by the same Trainer who abused them both, Dad. They supported each other…until Tetra was left to die by her Trainer in the Haina Desert." Sun explained to his father, who's smile faded.

"And Aria snagged Riolu away from him after he tried torturing him for losing a fight while badly injured and entrusted him to me." Gladion growled, only to sigh and shake his head. He glanced back at Tetra and Lucario, who had finally separated. "It doesn't matter now. They're together again. And between me and Sun, they'll be happy forever. I promise that."

Ashton nodded, satisfied with that response. Before anyone else could speak, Colress decided to join them on the path and greeted them with a smile as he approached from the mansion. "Hello everyone. I see today's already providing some welcome surprises."

The past few days had allowed the scientist to recover both physically and mentally from what he had gone through, though the scars of his ordeal remained. A black gemstone necklace was now draped around Colress' neck, the remnants of Dusk the Absol after she sacrificed her life to save his.

"The League reps have finished their investigation and have left the Paradise to return to the mainland." Colress reported to the group, crossing his arms. "We should have some reprieve, so if Gladion wants to see Sun and Lillie off to Poni Island, now would be an excellent time to do so."

"Awesome. I can grab my things and we can head out." Sun said with a smile, looking at Lillie who was likewise pleased.

"All alone with Miss Lillie on a semi-deserted island…The implications are scandalous." Wicke chuckled upon seeing the sour expression on Gladion's face.

Sun and Lillie flushed in response, with Lillie saying, "We have a job to do, Wicke! Besides, it's none of your business what we get up to!"

"And here I was about to offer you some boy advice." Wicke said with some mock-distress in her voice, causing Ashton and Colress to chuckle as Gladion continued to fume.

"Don't encourage them to make stupid decisions." Gladion growled with annoyance, causing Ashton to chuckle despite himself.

"I don't think I have to worry about giving Sun any fatherly advice. I think Lillie's going to be sending out wedding invitations shortly if things keep progressing in the way that they are." Wicke joked with Sun, who wasn't impressed by the teasing. Lillie was blushing profusely, but unapologetically grabbed Sun's arm and stuck her tongue out at them.

"I'm not really concerned about that at all," Sun remarked, shrugging his shoulders. "If anything I can follow Hugh's example from the other day on how to impress a girl after what he pulled."

The Previous Day…

Akala Island General Hospital

"I swear if they keep me here any longer I'm gonna have to be committed to a psych ward next." Aria grumbled with annoyance, crossing her arms and huffing loudly. Lillie giggled at the older woman as Hugh and the nurse in the room rolled their eyes.

"You have one more night and depending on the results of the tests, you'll be free to go." The nurse chided the Trainer, who continued to pout.

"At least you have Hugh here to keep you company." Sun pointed out, with Hugh giving them a double thumbs up. Aria snorted in amusement, but she wore a fond smile that showed the children that the Snagger sincerely appreciated the company of her boyfriend.

"So what's next for you two?" Lillie asked the couple as they both considered that question carefully.

"Honestly, that's a good question. I suspect we'll be heading to Kanto to help with cleanup over there. Some of the Cipher remnants haven't quite taken down, even though Ashton's repeatedly tried to get them stamped out by telling the International Police everything he knows." Aria answered, considering the question. "It'll depend on things calming down over here and seeing what the group wants to do."

"I go wherever Aria goes." Hugh shrugged carelessly, smiling at Aria. "Kanto seems like a good move. I like going to new places anyway, so I wouldn't have any complaints."

"There's a few places I want to go to when I'm older and have more experience. Kalos, Unova, and Paldea are at the top of my list!" Sun said with an excited expression, with Lillie looking at him in surprise. "How about you, Lillie?"

"I don't know. Wherever I do go, I'd like to just be able to be with my friends." Lillie admitted quietly, none-to-subtly grabbing Sun's hand as the boy flushed in response. Aria and Hugh exchanged smirks, but Hugh was suddenly distracted by his phone letting out a ringtone.

As Hugh grabbed his phone and opened it, Aria leaned forward with a teasing grin. "You two are two adorable, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do. Sun's not adorable though. He's handsome. There's a difference!" Lillie responded with a pout as Sun blushed even harder at being praised by Lillie. Thankfully all attention was diverted from them when Hugh let out a loud whoop of excitement, startling everyone.

"What happened?" Aria asked, concerned at the outburst. Hugh responded by turning over his phone and showing Aria, Sun and Lillie a picture he had apparently just been sent.

"Nate finally proposed to Yancy! Look!" Hugh yelled out with a massive smile, showing them a picture of a couple in front of what looked like a large Ferris wheel. The somewhat familiar young man was wearing a dark blue suit with messy brown hair and was kneeling down and offering a diamond ring to a beautiful woman with bright pink hair wearing a dazzling white dress who was wearing a teary smile.

Aria had to hold back a squeal of laughter, but she was extremely happy nevertheless. "It's about time! And Nate proposed in front of the Nimbasa City Ferris Wheel too! That's where they first met! Awwww!"

"Wait, isn't Nate the guy who helped you beat Neo Team Plasma?" Sun asked Hugh, who nodded in response.

"He also beat Champion Alder before relinquishing the title back to Iris so he could be a movie star." Hugh explained happily, leaning back in his chair as he looked down at the photo. "Nate's always treated Yancy like a princess since the day that they met in-person. They'll be happy together."

"I'm surprised that Nimbasa City looks that good already. After all, my Dad did freeze it solid only a year ago…before unfreezing it." Sun added a second later, with Hugh and Aria nodding in agreement.

"Rebuilding efforts have gone really smoothly since the ice melted and Cipher disbanded. The help from the other regions have helped a lot too. Apparently one of the first things rebuilt was the Ferris Wheel, since it's a cultural landmark of the city itself." Hugh explained to Sun and Lillie. "Nate's actually been debating whether or not he wants to challenge for the Championship before Iris gets her hands on it again…or just let Aria win it. I'm kinda surprised he chose now to propose to Yancy rather than wait until the Unova League is operational again."

"You're going to try and become the Unova Champion!?" Sun asked Aria in amazement, causing her to smirk in response.

"I've got a full team now and the only real competition I've got is Nate and Alder, if the latter gets serious. I've beaten Iris twice in battles before and after all of this, and I think doing it a third time if I have to isn't going to be too bad. Politics be damned, we're gonna have a Champ that'll actually do something in charge of things!" Aria remarked, sighing as she closed her eyes with a smile. "I hope the Nate and Yancy's actual wedding isn't for a while. I want to be there!"

"I bet this is only going to make their next movie together even better!" Hugh said excitedly, looking down at the phone and quickly tapping a response to the text.

"You're not jealous at all that Nate's dating an international model and movie star?" the nurse asked curiously, piping up and revealing that she had been eavesdropping the whole time. Sun and Lillie frowned with disapproval, as did Aria, but Hugh just seemed perplexed at the sudden question.

"Why would I be jealous? Nate and Yancy are my friends and they deserve each other. Besides, I don't care about money or fame or any of that crap." Hugh remarked with a confused expression. "Plus I'm dating Aria. If anything, I'm the lucky one between me and Nate."

The resulting silence that response generated in the room was enough to where one could hear a pin drop. Sun and Lillie both stared at Hugh with wide eyes, as was the nurse who openly gaped at the response.

"Whoa…that was smooth!" Lillie whispered to Sun, who nodded. And if the fierce blush that Aria had on her face was any indicator (as well as the tears in her eyes) she was extremely happy to hear something so sweet from her boyfriend.

"Sun. Lillie. I think visiting hours are, uh, done here. I think I want to spend some personal time with Hugh." Aria said to the two younger individuals in the room, smiling at them. "Thanks for visiting."

"We'll call and check in on you soon. Enjoy your alone time!" Lillie said with a smile as she dragged a somewhat stunned Sun out of the room while a confused Hugh watched on, with the nurse scurrying out of the room behind them. Hugh had about five seconds to process what had happened before the door shut and was locked…and then Aria pounced on her boyfriend with a fierce and passionate kiss.

Present Day

Sun shook his head with a small smile as Wicke chuckled at the story. "That's really sweet."

Ashton looked away, his expression wistful as he thought of the storybook marriage he had with Laura before he ruined everything with his schemes. He then shook away the encroaching despair and smirked.

"I'm glad that they're doing well. On that note, I'm going to go check in on Deoxys. See if there've been any updates." Ashton said before looking towards his child, his smile warm. "I love you, son. Be safe out there. Reach out if you need anything, okay? Keep Lillie close. Poni can be dangerous even the best of times."

Sun nodded in response before his father stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug. After a moment Sun returned it, and soon the two of them separated. Ashton grinned at the two of them and said, "Give 'em hell, you two. Nothing can stop the two of you when you're together, so go talk some sense into Lusa and save the day."

Ashton then turned to Lillie and said, "Keep an eye on him, okay? He's got a knack for getting into trouble."

"Only if you promise to do the same." Lillie countered, with Ashton shrugging his shoulders.

"I rarely go looking for trouble. Trouble finds me and I retaliate accordingly. But who's keeping track?" Ashton remarked, grinning sheepishly at them before walking off without another word. The group watched the man depart before returning their attention to those present.

"By the way, I meant to ask before my Dad sidetracked things. Miss Wicke, have you ever considered getting married?" Sun asked the woman, who laughed at the sudden question from the boy. Once she got herself under control, she gave Sun a smile and replied.

"I don't know, Sun. I've dated in the past and I know that I catch the eye of many men here in Alola. I'm not oblivious to that fact." Wicke admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "I've yet to meet someone that I was attracted to enough to see about anything more. I'm very busy these days, so it'd have to be someone who understands the demands of working here at Aether Paradise and respects that. Does that answer the question?"

"I guess so. To be honest, I kinda wondered if Dawson had a thing for you when he was around. I remember you and him being together a few times when he was undercover here at Aether." Sun remarked, causing Wicke to smile somberly.

"He was annoying at times, but his heart was in the right place. It's a tragedy that he got killed for trying to make things right between Lusamine and Borlath." Wicke said with a cold bitterness to her words that surprised those present. "He died saving my life…and I'll never get to repay him for that. All I can do is help guide the Paradise and improve the lives of those I can while repairing the damage his killer unleashed upon the region."

"Speaking of which…" Gladion chimed in, thankfully steering the conversation away from more uncomfortable topics. "If the League is gone then I should be able to take you to Poni Island. Are you two ready to head out?" Gladion asked Sun and Lillie, earning nods from them both.

"I've got all my Pokémon now, so once I grab my gear I'll be all set. Let's get this show on the road." Sun said to the former Team Skull Enforcer.

"All right." Gladion muttered, turning around as Lillie did another fist-pump, grinning at Sun.

"Let's go, Sun! No holding back!" Lillie said excitedly to the boy, who returned her smile with one of his own before the two of them took off running back to the mansion to grab their gear. Gladion watched them depart before walking off down the path with Wicke and Colress following behind the teen. It was time for Sun's journey to continue, and any thoughts of getting lunch at the mansion were left behind.

Poni Island waited them, along with the secrets it held.

NEXT TIME: Sun and Lillie arrive on Poni Island and begin their investigation!

We're finally here! Final island time!

And no questions this time, so I'll wrap things up with a question of my own!

How are you all feeling about the shorter chapter format? I'm hoping quicker updates with short, but sweet, chapters is better than my usual longer updates with longer chapters. Please give me your thoughts!

Feel free to leave a review in the section below to let me know what you thought, and to Favorite and/or Follow the story to stay updated. I also have a Discord you can access by reaching out to me via PM.

Take care and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!