Pokémon Radiant Sun


So this was originally supposed to be one big chapter, but the ending for it ended up dragging on so I split it. Thankfully this doesn't mess things up at all, which is neat. I'm also posting this early, because why not?

I'll admit I'm a bit nervous as to how some of the stuff I've got planned in the next few chapters will be received, but I'm hoping that people will enjoy the twists to come and enjoy something different that will set this story apart from the other novelization stories out there.

Also, to answer a question, Pokémon do indeed have levels in this fic. They won't be necessarily stated in the story, at least as of now, but they do exist and are a thing. No chances of a level 5 Snivy wrecking a high-level Pikachu. If you're interested in knowing the levels/moves/abilities/status of Sun's team, check my Fanfiction . Net profile page for this.

Shoutout to the fantastic folks who reviewed since the last update, which includes Sai Og Sus, Dunka99, danlagunas14 (Happy Belated Birthday!), as well as a new reviewer known as My Wunderwaffle iz missin (check Der Reise, Richtofen may have stashed it there somewhere). Thanks so much for the feedback and support. And the birthday wishes as well, that was quite nice too.

Enjoy.


Chapter 10: Setting Out


Sun awoke with a small yawn, snuggling deeper into his blankets and shutting his eyes, attempting to once again find sleep. This was foiled by his starter hooting loudly in his face. The Kanto-native forgot that both of his birds had slept with him after he had his nightmare last night. He shuddered at the hazy memory for a moment before returning to other matters. Like going back to sleep and trying to forget about it. The men in the white armor and then beast that had attacked him…the howl still echoed in his mind, making him shiver.

Sun felt a small pang in his chest at the very thought of the dream. He had only seen the city he had been in once in his life, and that was on a new report in what seemed like an eternity ago. Back when everything was much simpler…

The Kanto-native curled up in his sheets, feeling whatever excitement or joy in him concerning his upcoming journey wither away as the emotions he was feeling before he became a trainer hit him full force. It was like a dull ache in his chest, suppressing emotions and taking away his joy. He couldn't put a name to it, but it tore at him like nothing else. He hated this feeling, but he didn't know what to do about it.

"Coo?"

Sun opened his eyes, sighing quietly as he looked up at Oliver, who was looking down at him worriedly. "Aren't you supposed to be nocturnal?" Sun grumbled, shying away from the bird as it cocked its head at him. Penny simply watched the proceedings with amusement as Oliver pecked and prodded Sun until the boy fell out of his bed, with the Pikipek and Rowlet flying into the air to avoid being squashed.

"Uuughh…Why me?" Sun sighed, sitting up and rubbing his head, slowly getting up and stretching. A few minutes later the child was fully dressed and half-asleep, but filed out of his room with two birds held in his arms.

"Good morning, sweetie! I baked some cinnamon rolls this morning. They're in the microwave and should still be warm." Mom said to Sun from the couch, with Meowth curled up against her leg. She seemed to be watching a documentary about the Pokémon Rangers, which Sun personally didn't know too much about. They weren't really a thing back in Kanto, as far as he knew anyway, though he did know they were big in places like Johto and Sinnoh.

Laura then took note of how tired her child looked and asked, "What's wrong, dear? You look terrible. Did you sleep OK?"

"Nightmare. I dreamed about those people again. I...I heard Damian howl at me…He became a monster, just like the others. It was horrible Mom," Sun closed his eyes, trying to force the howl out of his head from before he opened them again.

"It was just a dream, though, honey. Dreams can't hurt you. Neither can Damian, even though I'm sure he'd never do that anyway. Even if his trainer…" Mom trailed off, shaking her head before saying, "Just don't worry about it. We're away from all of that now. You've got an adventure to go on and breakfast to eat. Now get to it, my little sunshine!"

Sun smiled thinly at the awful pun and made a move to go eat, but he heard knocking at the door and went to go answer it. Sun opened the door and was somewhat surprised to see Lillie on the other side, smiling faintly at him.

"Good morning, Sun. Are you ready to head out?" Lillie paused, her small smile faltering slightly at seeing how tired Sun looked. "I wasn't too early, was I?"

"Good morning, Lillie. And its fine, you came at a good time. I'm just really slow to wake up in the morning…So…how's it going?" Sun asked the girl, yawning slightly.

"Quite well, thank you. How about you?" Lillie asked softly, her smile returning.

"Still waking up…" Sun stifled his yawn for a moment before continuing. "But otherwise well, I guess. I caught myself a new Pokémon yesterday and I'm all set to explore the island." Sun replied, giving Lillie a small smile as both of his birds flew past Sun and onto his shoulders. Oliver hooted a greeting to Lillie while Penny simply remained quiet, instead looking at the girl in curiosity.

"This is Penny, my newest Pokémon. She and Oliver hit it off really well, so I battled and caught her. Now she's part of the team." Sun explained as Lillie reached forward and pet the small bird, receiving a happy tweet in response after a moment.

"Another Flying-type? Well, it certainly is an adorable little Pikipek. Make sure to take good care of her, OK?" Lillie said to Sun as the boy stepped forward. Sun grabbed Penny and held her in his arms while Oliver flew onto Sun's head.

"Absolutely. So where are we off to first?" Sun asked, stroking Penny as the bird chirped happily.

"I believe we should head to the Pokémon Center. It'll be good for you to get used to the Alolan version of them, since they're so different from the Kanto versions. After we do that, it's just a short walk to the Trainers School. We should still be there before noon, I believe." Lillie said as she looked up into the sky, tilting her hat slightly.

"Well, let's get moving then." Sun replied. The door opened behind Sun and the boy turned around to see his mother smiling down at him.

"No goodbye?" Mom asked, grinning down at her boy.

"Heh, sorry Mom. Never done this before, so-" Sun was cut off by being enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. Sun remained still for a moment before returning the embrace, hugging his Mom tightly.

"I'm going to miss you, but I know this is going to be so good for you. I want you to make lots of friends and meet all kinds of Pokémon. I want you to grow up a little over your journey and experience all sorts of new things. Alola is a hotspot of unique places and sights, so I want you to keep an open mind and not be afraid of learning about some new things, OK?" Mom said to Sun, who just replied with a nod.

"I know you've been a bit down with what happened back in Kanto." Mom also added, making Sun's cheer subside. "There is nothing that can be done about it. We came here to get away from all of that. So please…Just enjoy yourself. Have fun. Make all kinds of wonderful memories, and I'll be happy. And remember…You're always able to come right back home whenever you want, dear."

"I love you, Mom." Sun muttered, willing back his tears. What else could he say? All sorts of feelings were welling up in him at the goodbye, even though he was sure he'd be seeing her again soon. After everything that had happened, it was so weird leaving out on his own.

"I love you too, dear. Never forget that." Laura replied, tightening her embrace. Sun nodded wordlessly as he hugged his mother, trying to convey everything he was feeling with a simple hug.

Lillie watched silently, an expression on her face that seemed almost wistful, but the expression vanished as soon as the mother and son separated.

"You two both be safe out there, OK? Be sure to tell Kukui I said hi, OK?" Mom said to the two children as Sun stepped away. Mom turned to Lillie and said, "Keep an eye on my boy, won't you Lillie? He usually stays out of trouble, but he's my child after all."

"Of course, Miss Laura. You can count on me." Lillie replied with a nod.

"And remember..." Laura's smile turned into a smirk as she said, "If you two are holding hands the next time I see you, I'll have some strong words for you both. Do you understand?" Lillie and Sun both blushed at the mother's implications again, with Lillie shaking her head furiously at that.

"Y-yes ma'am. I mean...No? I...Um, w-we should get going." Lillie stammered, lowering her hat and trying to cover her face in embarrassment.

"You two best be off then. I've got unpacking to, possibly, do today and you both have adventuring to do. Get to it!" Mom said to both of the children, grinning at them before she returned to the house and shut the door.

And with that, Lillie and Sun officially set off on their journey.


"How are you feeling?" Lillie asked Sun after a few minutes. Their blushes had both faded by this time and they weren't feeling quite so awkward around each other anymore.

"I feel…OK. Kinda tired, but otherwise I'm excited. Nervous…there's a lot of stuff happening at once." Sun said awkwardly as Lillie giggled at him.

"No, that's absolutely understandable. You're leaving your new home to explore uncharted territory for you. There's bound to be some conflicting emotions there. I do have to ask though, why are you keeping your Pokémon out?" Lillie asked Sun.

"I don't really know. I like having them out like this though. Maybe it's just better for bonding. Either way, unless we're in a really highly crowded area or someone tells me to return them, I think I'm just going to keep doing this." Sun explained as they made their way down the dirt path, carrying Penny in his arms and having Oliver on his head.

"I see…I'd really like to do that with Nebby, but it's just too dangerous." Lillie said rather sadly, patting her bag for a moment as the two of them stepped onto a paved road that led further down the way, stepping on the sidewalk a moment later. The two children passed a few family-owned businesses and a few market chains that Sun had never heard of as they walked. Lillie was more than happy to explain what the places were and if any of them were worth spending money on (most of them were). Few vehicles were on the road, so the duo had a fairly quiet and enjoyable stroll by the waterfront as they made their way to the Trainer's School. Sun and Lillie chatted with one another until they reached a large building with a red roof that seemed vaguely familiar to Sun. Lillie walked ahead of him and gestured to the building before them.

"This, as you may already have guessed, is a Pokémon Center." Lillie stated as she shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other. She walked through the opening doors of the building with Sun following close behind, listening to the girl's explanation.

"Pokémon Centers serve many functions, here in Alola. Not only does this building contain a Pokémon Center, complete with everything that entails, but it also has a Poké Mart and a café for trainers to unwind at. Here, trainers can rent rooms for free and eat freshly prepared meals if they wish. They're equipped with all sorts of things to help Pokémon Trainers along their way." Lillie explained as she gestured to several video phones set to the side of the main room along with a few other machines. Sun took in the sights around him with awe, amazed at how different everything was.

"If you hand your Pokémon over to Nurse Joy over at the counter, she'll do a free checkup on your Pokémon and restore them to perfect health. They're also happy to help trainers with advice and the like if you need it as well. They're quite nice, so I'd recommend talking to them if you need any assistance and I'm not around." Lillie continued as Nurse Joy waved at the two of them. Sun dropped off Oliver and Penny to Nurse Joy, who did a very quick check up and found no problems, giving both birds I clean bill of health after being healed. Lillie kept up a running commentary as Sun set Oliver on his head and picked up Penny.

"There's also the PC and Transfer Systems here as well. Trainers can withdraw and deposit Pokémon into the PC at their own leisure. The Poké Mart is self-explanatory, of course. You can buy all sorts of items, food, and basic supplies here. I'd recommend stocking up for your trials when you get a chance. And…" Lillie trailed off, looking towards the other side of the café.

"Did you happen to eat breakfast this morning, Sun?" Lillie asked the boy beside her.

"No, actually. You arrived a bit earlier than I expected." Sun admitted with a sheepish laugh.

"Oh! Um, sorry about that." Lillie apologized, a worried frown on her face now.

"Don't worry about it. Though I do have to wonder why you would ask me that though." Sun mentioned to the blonde, who pointed to the café. It was a small little area with several seats available with a large man standing at the counter, looking down at his phone intently.

"The café's at the Pokémon Centers sell all sorts of pick-me-ups and drinks. I was going to suggest we pick up something for the walk over to the school." Lillie remarked, smiling slightly. Sun opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Oliver flying over to the counter of the café and hooting to the man behind the counter.

"Well, this isn't the strangest customer I've ever had." The man at the counter chuckled, reaching out and petting Oliver on the head as he put away his phone. The man pulled out a green Poké Bean from beneath the counter and fed it to the bird, making him chirp happily in response. Penny let out a chirp as well, clearly wanting a Poké Bean as well. Sun had Lillie dig into his backpack and pull one out for the other bird, which pacified her.

"Haha! Looks like we've got another greenhorn on our hands. Well, kid, welcome my little café. You'll find one of these in every single Pokémon Center in the Alola region. And each one of them offer the same quality and fantastic price that can't be beat. Please feel free to use our café area to relax and enjoy some peace and quiet." The man said rather enthusiastically, grinning at the two children.

"I have to say, the idea of a café in a Pokémon Center is really weird…But neat. Back in Kanto, the Pokémon Center and the Poké Mart were two totally different buildings, and a lot more basic." Sun said to an amused Lillie.

"Kanto? You're quite a ways from there, aren't you? Well, I hope you enjoy our sunny little paradise, young man. Now, what will you two be having this morning?" the man asked

"One Moomoo Milk, please." Lillie said quietly to the man, who smiled at her.

"Of course, Miss Lillie. And for you, young man?" The man asked Sun as the boy looked up at the selection displayed on the menu above for a few moments before replying. "Strawberry Muffin with a Moomoo Milk."

The man nodded and quickly began fixing up the order. Lillie pulled out a small purse out of her bag and paid for the two of them, shooting down Sun's offer to pay by telling him that this is all part of her duty in taking care of him until he got used to things here. When the two children got their food, however, the man decided to give them both a Lumiose Galette as well, a delicious smelling pastry.

"Thank you very much, sir." Lillie said to the man, who waved at them both dismissively with a grin on his face.

"Don't thank me. It's just nice seeing today's youth out and about and loving Pokémon. I'd offer you some Poké Beans, but I'm nearly out. Maybe next time." The man said with a shrug and a smile. With that, the two children sat down at a nearby table and enjoyed their snacks. Lillie let Nebby out of the bag and shared her snack with it, much to the Cosmog's delight.

"According to a book a read once, each Pokémon Center in Alola offers a different selection of drinks and other menu items…I wonder how they decide which place serves what?" Lillie muttered that last part to herself, making Sun chuckle as he bit into his muffin. It was delicious and still warm, making it even better.

"On top of that, they also sell Poké Beans and even offer special treats to trainers and Pokémon every now and then, just like what happened with us. I say it's just a good idea to swing by the café whenever you go to a Pokémon Center so that you won't miss out." Lillie explained further as she took a sip of her milk. The duo polished off their snacks, with Sun feeding Penny and Oliver a few Poké Beans each, and disposed of their bottles and trash appropriately before leaving the facility behind. It was about another thirty minutes of walking to reach the Trainer's School. Lillie began speaking once the two of them were nearing their destination.

"As you can see, the Trainers School is a…a…What in the world!?" Lillie yelped, taking a step back as Sun stared ahead in horror.

A massive bull Pokémon stood in the road ahead of them, snorting angrily and pawing at the ground. Two men were running towards the Tauros, so Sun and Lillie ducked into the school courtyard to get out of line of sight from the large and powerful Pokémon.

"Well…Looks like we won't be going that way for a little while, thanks to that Tauros there. But that's no problem. We're here at the Trainers' School anyway." Lillie said as she gestured forward. Sun took in the large building with a bit of awe…before he looked behind him.

"Are we really just leave that Tauros out there? Shouldn't we help those guys? I mean, won't someone get hurt?" Sun asked Lillie, who just gave him a look.

"Do you really want to deal with that thing, Sun?"

"…You raise a really good point, there."

"I know I do. We'll just leave that for someone else more equipped to deal with. Until then, please follow me." Lillie walked ahead then, with Sun following close behind. A small buzz in Sun's backpack surprised him, but Rotom leapt out of the pack and floated next to Sun.

"Bzzt! So is the Trainer's School a place for trainers to learn or for trainers to teach?" Rotom asked Lillie.

"Both, actually. Pokémon Trainers are constantly learning and adapting, alongside their Pokémon. In that regard, though, trainers are always able to pass on wisdom and knowledge to those less experienced." Lillie explained to Rotom as they neared the front entrance of the school. Professor Kukui was waiting for them there, chatting with what Sun assumed was a teacher there.

"Heya, you two!" Kukui said cheerfully, waving to the two children. "I was wondering what was taking so long, but then I realized I was an hour early. So I've just been doing some field work with the Pokémon on the campus."

"That's pretty interesting. Did you find out anything important?" Sun asked Kukui.

"Yup! I'll need to do a bit of testing later on today, but we're going off-topic here. Sun, I'd like to welcome you to the Trainer's School! The place that helps young and aspiring trainers learn how to…well, become Pokémon Trainers!" Kukui began, his voice bursting with excitement.

"So is this the child you told me about, Professor?" the woman next to the man spoke up, looking Sun up and down with an appraising eye.

"Yeah. Put him through the wringer, Teach!" Kukui declared, though this got the Professor a slap in the back of the head from the woman.

"That's Miss Emily Daniels to you, Kukui!" the woman replied hotly as the Professor rubbed the back of his head with a wince. Lillie and Sun watched the display with horror etched on their faces until Miss Daniels looked at them and laughed nervously.

"Sorry about that. Just a joke between the two of us, don't worry." Miss Daniels said with a nervous laugh as Kukui recovered.

"Anyways…" The Professor held up four fingers and proclaimed, "Four trainers! Track down four trainers here at the school and beat them. The experience from those battles should help give you a better feel for what it feels like to be a trainer, yeah?"

"The trainers who are taking part in this lesson will be all around the campus, meaning both inside and outside of the school. Each of them will be wearing a bright blue badge on their chest, so you know when you've found them. All areas where the trainers are located are easily accessible and do not require you to go into classrooms, though if you wish to do that you are, of course, welcome too." Miss Daniels said to Sun, smiling now. "Let the lesson begin!"

Miss Daniels turned around and made her way back to the main building. Kukui stuck his tongue out at the woman behind her back before turning back to the two children in front of him, both of whom were laughing at the display.

"Forget that entire thing, OK?" Kukui said quietly to the two of them. Kukui then said, "She may not look it, but she's tough, and certainly knows how to train her students well. Heck, one of her students is even a Trial Captain!"

"Really? That's interesting. I wonder if I'll see them around here." Sun wondered aloud before he looked down at Penny.

"Looks like we're going to get some training in for you. Let's get to it." Sun said to his two birds.

"If your Pokémon need any healing, come by here and let me know, OK?" Lillie said to Sun, who nodded in reply. With that, the Kanto-native set of across the courtyard to find these four trainers that he was supposed to battle. He ventured right and actually came across someone texting on their phone while leaning against a wall. She had a bright blue badge on her shirt.

"Wait…Hey, Rotom?" Sun asked aloud. After a moment the Pokédex flew out of his bag and floated in front of him.

"Yes?"

"What's the best way to power up a weaker Pokémon? Do you have access to any tips in that Pokédex? I…don't really want to go back and ask for advice. It would look a bit…dumb." Sun said lamely, making Rotom chuckle.

"You're trying to make Penny stronger, right?" Rotom asked Sun, to which the boy nodded. "Well…Bzzt! I'd say just switch out the Pokémon when you need to. I think that splits the amount of experience each one gets. That way, you can power up Penny without getting her too hurt!"

"So just call Penny out to fight a Pokémon, and then switch out to Oliver and let him do the fight? That's a thing?" Sun asked the Pokédex.

"That's the idea, zzzt!"

"Sounds good to me. Thanks Rotom!" Sun said to the Pokédex. Rotom buzzed happily before flying back into Sun's backpack, somehow zipping it back up in the process. Sun walked over to the girl and got her attention.

"Oh, hey! I've been here waiting for you because the teacher told me to. You're Sun, right?" Sun nodded and the girl continued. "If you beat me, I'll give you a quick but important lesson about being a Pokémon trainer."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go." Sun and the girl, who introduced herself as Hiromi, went to the nearby battlefield and stood on opposite sides of it.

"Go, Pikipek!" Hiromi shouted, tossing her Poké Ball forward and releasing her bird.

"Penny, let's go!" Sun pointed forward, and Penny flew forward obediently.

"Pikipek, use Peck!" Hiromi shouted. Her bird flew into the air and shot towards Penny.

"Penny, come back. Oliver, take her place!" Sun said to his two birds. Both of them switched spots, much to the surprise of the Pikipek charging at them. Oliver hooted in pain as the Pikipek collided with him instead of Penny, causing serious damage, but the owl was ready to deal even more back at it.

"Tackle! Let's go!"

"Use Growl!"

Oliver darted forward and collided with the Pikipek, sending it barreling through the air with a cry. The bird pulled out of the fall and soared back up to Oliver, growling at him. Both trainers repeated their commands, with Oliver's attack lowering at the cost of his opponent weakening a bit more.

"Oliver, use Tackle!" Sun yelled out as the bird dropped to the ground, his head swiveling around as the Pikipek landed on the ground opposite him, shuddering in pain.

"Peck Pikipek!" Hiromi shouted as Oliver flew towards his opponent. The smaller bird shot towards Oliver and both birds collided, dealing damage to both of them.

"Tackle again!" Sun called again as Hiromi's Pikipek flew onto the ground, shaking its head as if to clear it. Oliver flew high into the air and plummeted downwards, tackling the Pikipek into the ground and knocking it out.

"Well…Looks like you won! Congrats." Hiromi said as she returned her bird, grinning at Sun. Hiromi gave Sun a quick rundown on how to properly use stat-change items in battle before handing her badge to Sun, explaining that he needed to show Miss Daniels all four badges to show that he had beaten them. Sun bid the girl farewell and began making his way back to the main path to the school. Rotom flew out into Sun's hands from his backpack and grinned at him.

"Lookee there, buddy! Looks like Penny just learned Growl. If you keep this up, she'll be able to hold her own and be a real force to reckon with, bzzt!" Rotom said to Sun as the boy looked at his Pikipek.

Sun walked over to where he saw Lillie chatting with Professor Kukui where he had left them. After being asked, Lillie quickly healed up Oliver as Sun flashed his blue badge to Kukui.

"Nice work, cousin. Now you've got three more to go." Kukui said to Sun, giving him a thumbs up.

"There! All better. Just make sure you don't push your Pokémon too hard, OK? Um…that is, I mean…if you don't mind, Sun." Lillie said with a nervous laugh, realizing how she sounded.

"I won't, don't worry. See you in a bit." Sun said to the girl with his usual smile. He made his way past a few basketball goals and found himself staring into a fenced off area with long thick grass stretching out towards a large wall in the distance. A small boy with a blue badge on his hat was relaxing in the grass by the gate, which Sun went over to and opened.

"Hehe, so you're our special guest, huh?" the boy asked, grinning at Sun. "You look tough! Don't worry though, I'll teach you all about the tactics I've learned here at school…by beating you with them!"

"Then let's go then!" Sun said to the boy, grinning back at him as he took a few steps back. The boy got to his feet and introduced himself as Joey and let out a Metapod, which Sun looked at in confusion.

"For some reason, I was expecting a Rattata from Joey...Penny could probably beat that Metapod on her own…" Sun thought in his mind, debating it for a moment.

"Oliver, sit this one out, alright? Penny, go get it!" Sun said to his newest Pokémon. Penny nodded and fluttered forward, landing on the ground and preparing herself to fight.

"Penny! Use Peck!" Sun ordered his bird. Penny darted forward, her beak glowing bright white, before she jabbed her beak into the hard shell of the Metapod opposite her.

"Use Harden!" Joey shouted out. Metapod shut its eyes as its entire body glowed brightly, it's outer body becoming tougher and more resilient to damage.

"Peck again!" Sun commanded as Penny flew overhead.

"Tackle, Metapod!" Joey yelled as Penny shot downwards. Penny jabbed her beak into the Bug-type once again, but was surprised when he suddenly leapt forward and knocked her out of the air with a surprisingly powerful Tackle.

"Keept it up! Peck again!" Sun shouted to Penny. The Pikipek nodded and launched herself into the air again, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"You too, Metapod! Tackle!" Joey shouted. The two Pokémon continued to batter away at one another, but because of her type-advantage, Penny managed to finally put away the other Pokémon.

"Yes! Awesome job, Penny!" Sun cheered as he jogged forward, scooping up Penny and hugging her tightly. Oliver hooted happily as well, showing his own delight at his teammate's victory.

"Nice job! That was a really good battle!" Joey laughed as he returned his Metapod. "Thanks buddy. You did great." The boy muttered to his Pokémon before pocketing the ball.

"So, here's a lesson from one trainer to another." Joey began. "Status effects are awesome things you can inflict on your opponent's to make battling them easier. Poison will lower a Pokémon's health, while paralysis can help slow them down and make it harder for them to attack. Keep in mind that even if you can inflict these status effects on your opponents, they can hit you with them too!"

"Thanks for the advice. I knew a bit about status effects before, but not that much. I should really read up on them sometime." Sun mused before he noticed the other boy was holding out a hand to him. Sun smiled and shook the boy's hand, holding Penny with his other, and thanked Joey for his help. After accepting the boy's badge, Sun opened the gate and made his way into the school proper, healing Penny before he ventured into the building.

"Wow. This place is really…" Sun trailed off, shivering at the AC hitting him full blast. After being in the scorching Alolan heat all morning, the cool hitting him sent shivers down his spine. After a few moments of standing still, the boy began exploring the building.

Sun decided against going into the classrooms, since it'd be awkward and he didn't want a bunch of students asking him questions and crowding him. He finally came across an older student who was juggling three Poké Balls in her hands, grinning at him.

"Hey there. I heard about you from Hiromi. Not going to lie, beating any of the students Miss Daniels picked to test you is impressive for a newbie. Because of that, I'm going to give you a little something special to help you out along the way." The girl said to Sun, clipping her three Poké Balls to her belt. The girl herself had blonde hair tied into a ponytail and wore a periwinkle sundress and regarded him with amusement.

"OK…and what would that be?" Sun asked the girl.

"Follow me." The girl walked down the hallway that Sun had come down from, heading into one of the classrooms. Sun followed the girl and found himself in one that he was interrupting a class in session.

"Excuse me, Mr. Stevens. I found a trainer willing to help with a demonstration on Held Items." The girl said to the man at the front of the class, an older gentlemen with graying hair.

"Cindy, you can't just walk in here and interrupt. That said, I do appreciate you finding a candidate, since none one in this class has their own Pokémon officially." Stevens said with a small smile. "So, young man, what is your name?"

"Um…S-sun, sir." The Kanto-native said nervously, feeling very nervous. He was focusing on the teacher and not the dozen or so children watching him and his Pokémon with interest. Cindy remained nearby, smiling thinly.

"Ahh, Professor Kukui's guest. Well, I appreciate you assisting, my boy. Just stand here and give me a moment to begin the lesson." Mr. Stevens cleared his throat and then reached into his pocket, pulling out what looked like a small claw of sorts.

"Continuing from what I was saying before these two arrived…the Quick Claw is a special Held Item that is rather uncommon around these parts. Normally, the Pokémon with the greater speed in a battle is the one that hits their target first. However, with the Quick Claw equipped, this is general rule of battle is put into question. The Quick Claw is an item that allows a Pokémon to occasionally be able to hit their opponent before they have a chance to retaliate. Remember, this is occasionally. Held Items are not things that should be abused or relied on, even if they can give a trainer the edge in a battle."

"Now, I will show you the proper way to equip a held item. Sun, please join me at the front." Mr. Stevens said to the boy in the back, who slowly nodded and made his way to the front of the class, feeling his nerves grow with each step.

"Now, there are many ways a trainer can equip an item onto their Pokémon. In the Alola region, trainers will generally incorporate Held Items into clothing or equipment for their Pokémon to wear. These can be made by the trainer, but can also be bought in all sorts of shapes and sizes, for trainer convenience. We have several today for the sake of showing off. Sun, could you please have your Rowlet and Pikipek sit on my desk?" Mr. Stevens asked Sun, who did as the teacher asked. The teacher pulled out two collars, showing them off to the class and explaining their properties.

"This are Attachment Collars. They're what trainers generally use when they wish for a Pokémon to be able to utilize a Held Item. I know a few old students of mine use them for their Z-Crystals after having completed a few of the Island Trials." Stevens explained as he slipped a black collar on Oliver and an orange one on Penny. The teacher showed the proper way to secure a Held Item to the collar. Sun was surprised at the level of care and detail the man put into his lesson, and for a few moments regretted that he was home-schooled by his mother. Not that she was a bad teacher, it was just not going to compare to being at the Trainer's School.

Mr. Stevens wrapped up the lesson a few minutes later and thanked Sun for his time. Sun was allowed to keep the Quick Claw as a gift for his assistance, though he had to return the collars. Sun made a note to get some whenever he had the chance. Sun exited the room and sagged with relief as he shut the door behind him. Penny and Oliver looked at him in confusion.

"Alright, you too. Let's keep looking for these trainers." Sun muttered as he began his ascent up the stairway, trying to regain his bearings after having deal with stage fright once more.


Holy crap, folks. Ten chapters in and look at the support this story has gotten. Nearly 50 reviews and nearing 4,000 views in just over a month! That is...insane. Simply insane.

I just want to say thanks to everyone who's read, favorited, followed and reviewed this fic up to this point. Every little bit of support motivates me to work harder on this thing and make this something truly special, something representative of the fantastic game we were given in Fall 2016.

For now, I'll leave you all with a question and a poll on my profile. This is going to be a thing I do every 10 chapters, mainly just for the sake of wanting to know people's opinions about certain aspects of Sun and Moon and for Pokémon in general. We'll see how it goes, so here's my question.

Who do you all ship Lillie with?

Since she's become a beloved character in the franchise, mainly due to her being likable and adorable as hell and having a genuinely fantastic character arc, it's only natural she gets shipped with anything that breathes. Who she gets shipped with has also been brought up in several reviews, so here's why I've been coy on the issue until now. I wanted to get people's feedback on the matter before I decide for certain which direction I wish to go with it in this story.

So I've set up a poll on my profile to see what you all think. If you feel like sharing your thoughts or ship her with someone else not mentioned in the poll, then feel free to let me know about it in the review section below. I'll let you all know my own answer to this question in the next update along with an answer as to whether or not she'll be shipped with Sun, which has been mentioned and asked about several times now.

You all take care, and keep being awesome.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!