Pokémon Radiant Sun


Happy Easter everyone!

Alrighty, we're back on track with regular updates, at least for the foreseeable future. Again, I can't thank you all enough for the support about me getting into the Air Force (still have yet to get a MOS and a shipment date, but hoping for that soon.) It means a lot to me and I seriously appreciate the well-wishes.

As for the status of this story once I get to Basic Training, I will hopefully have a few chapters pre-done by that point and have a friend of mine post chapters for me bi-weekly until I am able to get to a computer again and write. Be prepared for some kind of delay though (some have already stated that they expect this in the review section and I appreciate the patience and understanding), and I apologize in advance for that. However, once I'm able to post again, I should be able to resume the schedule as normal, more or less. I'll keep you all updated once I get more info. If I'm lucky, we'll be able to get to the Kahuna battle before I leave for Basic, but that's a bit of a stretch. I'll definitely shoot for that, though.

Again, this story is going to be 200 chapters as of now, with most of that planned out. If it seems like things are on a bit of a slow burn, it's because they are to an extent, but hopefully that'll make the long-awaited showdowns all the more awesome. Plus it means this story goes on for longer, which is fine with me because I'm having a blast while writing for the first time in years.

Shoutout to the fantastic dudes/dudettes who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, Cottonmouth25, Raikou927, Ways, NullSilver2005, Autumn Affinity (AKA Wings of an Eternal Blaze), ShadowDragon9000, My Wunderwaffle iz missin, a Guest reviewer, Sai Og Sus, and a new reviewer known as The Enigmatic Mysterious Man. Thank you all so, so much for the support and feedback.

Enjoy.


Chapter 19: A Fine and Private Place


On the eighth of travelling, the group encountered a familiar figure blocking their way. Well, lounging in the shade of a nearby tree while eating a chocolate pudding cup, but it was still a surprise nevertheless.

"Tutu!? What are you doing here?" Hau asked, completely confused as to why Kahuna Hala was sitting underneath a nearby tree in the middle of nowhere. Sun meanwhile was wondering when lunch was going to be, because pudding sounded really good just about then.

"Hello, you three. And to answer your question, I'm taking a break with my good friend Tauros over there." Hala pointed to his left where a massive bull was grazing quietly nearby, a few Pikipeks sitting atop the Pokémon and chirping to each other. Penny and Oliver flew away from Sun to greet the birds while Sun, Hau, and Hugh sat down with the Kahuna.

"If all goes well, I'm hoping that my friend over there will consent to becoming a Ride Pokémon. He's certainly becoming more used to Pokémon Trainers, which is an important step in the process. Best of all, he's healthy and strong with a decent temperament. A fine Poké Ride Pokémon in the making indeed." Hala said as he looked over at the Tauros.

"Poké Ride?" Sun asked, confused.

"Poké Rides are a system here in Alola that allows people to call upon the power and skills of nearby Pokémon who are trained to assist them. Usually, this is used by Trainers who wish to navigate a particular environment, though Poké Rides are also used by tourists and those who live on the island as well, as a simple means of commute. It's a way to display the bond that humans and Pokémon share and have shared for centuries, especially in Alola, where the bond runs a bit deeper." Hala explained to the Kanto-native.

"Interesting. So I could just call on a Pokémon and start riding it?" Sun asked Hala. Hau chimed in to answer Sun's question.

"Not exactly. For one, the Poké Ride Pokémon aren't just roaming about the place. Sure, there's a few out in the wilds that are there just so they can help Trainers who need them away from the cities, but for the most part they're in specific spots or locations. Another thing is that there's only so many of them, and they're used pretty heavily. I know for a fact the Charizard Glide is really hard for people to use nowadays, just because it's used so often by everyone in Alola."

"That's a shame." Sun said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah." Hugh agreed, nodding. "You also have to have a Ride Pager to use the Poké Ride system. They're only given out to Pokémon Trainers who've beaten at least one of the Island Kahunas, or super important non-trainers or other people."

"Interesting. So you're hoping Tauros will be a Ride Pokémon and help out around the island?" Sun asked Hala as the old man stuffed another spoonful of pudding into his mouth.

"Yes. It's not to the first Ride Pokémon I've trained and it certainly won't be the last. Ilima scouts out good candidates and I train them up in my spare time, and eventually we'll have a Pokémon that will come and assist others when called. Now…speaking of training, how are you two boys getting along?" Hala asked Sun and Hau.

"Getting stronger every day." Sun remarked, giving the Kahuna a cheery grin.

"Absolutely. Duke evolved just last week, and we're making progress towards the Normal Trial…You know in regular conversation, that sounds weird. Normal Trial. You know, as opposed to all the other Trials that are really really weird." Hau mused while everyone just stared at the boy with bemused expressions. Hala snapped out of it quickest, grinning at his grandson.

"Good! Though I'm surprised your little Pichu evolved so quickly. Just goes to show that despite your reservations, you're excelling just like I thought you would, my child!" Hala boomed, with Hau blushing slightly at the praise of the Kahuna. Hala slowly got to his feet, stretching as his Tauros lumbered over to him. Penny and Oliver were riding atop the beast, looking amused if Sun didn't know any better.

"And now…We get back to work. Sun, would you like to pet Tauros again before we leave?" Hala asked the Kanto-native.

"Sure, why not?" Sun replied, grinning at the bull Pokémon. Sun slowly walked over to the Tauros, who was watching him carefully, and stood in front of it for a few moments before reaching forward. Sun patted the Tauros gently on the head, making the Pokémon slowly close its eyes and grunt softly.

"Moo…"

"Like that, huh?" Sun said with a small laugh, petting Tauros, much to the Pokémon's delight.

"Like I said before, it all comes down to how much care you treat your Pokémon with. I can see from those two birds you have that you care dearly for the two of them. Hau also shares a close bond with his Pokémon, as evidenced by Duke evolving so quickly into his life. And Hugh, I was able to see what kind of Pokémon Trainer you were during our little battle back in Iki Town." Hala said to each of them in turn, his smile widening.

Hugh laughed at that. "That was the best battle I've had in ages. Definitely a lot more challenging than some of the Gyms back in Unova, that's for sure."

"What were those like?" Sun asked, curious.

"Some of them were easy, some were hard. That's usually how it works, depending on the team you set up. I've kind of tried to keep a balanced team of sorts, so I can take on anything, so it was a case by case scenario with the Gyms. I know Drayden and Elesa were particularly rough for me and my team." Hugh said with a little smile, as if lost in the memories.

"Ah, I remember Drayden. He came to these islands a few years ago, on holiday with Miss Iris. Though she was a little girl back then and not a Champion. He and I sparred quite a bit and I learned that despite Dragon-types being his forte, he knew how to fight quite well." Hala said with a chuckle.

"Doesn't he wrestle with his dragons, though?" Hugh asked Hala, receiving a nod in response.

"Yes. But I do the same with my own Pokémon, so that makes sense. Anyways, what I'm curious about is why you're traveling with these two, Hugh?" Hala said to the older Trainer.

"Yeah, I'm more or less just accompanying these two and giving them some pointers on how to survive out in the wilds. Hau has some experience with you, but Sun has none and it's always nice to pass on some lessons that I learned back when I was a newbie. Plus it kills time while I'm waiting for Noah to bounce back from his current round of Hell." Hugh explained, making Hala frown.

"That boy would do well to realize that he shouldn't push himself like that. It'll only reduce his time left on this planet." Hala said slowly, making Hau and Sun exchange a confused look.

"I've had that discussion with him a dozen times. He's a Pokémon Trainer, and leukemia or not, he's determined to keep on travelling and training until he's dead and gone. As much as I want him to take it easy, I know he's stubborn and driven enough to become an Island Challenge Champion through sheer will." Hugh said with a small smile on his face.

"I see…Well, I will not judge the lad for his decision. I only wish him the best of luck." Hala said with a nod, though he added, "I would have thought that the girl with him would keep that in check, though."

"Vivian's a high-class pain in the neck, but even she can't keep on top of how stubborn Noah is. That guy has put himself in the hospital at least three times in the past year and a half because he refuses to take things easy." Hugh said with a shake of the head.

"Perhaps time will change that. Nevertheless, I wish you all good luck on your travels. Hugh, I hope you find your friends someday. And Sun and Hau…" Hala smiled down at them, a small laughing escaping him. "I look forward to seeing your fighting spirit when we meet again in Iki Town."

Sun started as Oliver landed on his hat and Penny landed on his shoulder, but he grinned up at Hala along with Hau.

"Absolutely, sir. We'll give you a battle to remember, right?" Sun said to his birds, who chirped and hooted an affirmative.

"You betcha, Tutu!" Hau said to his grandfather, making the Kahuna nod.

"You all take care. Be safe and always stay vigilant. But most importantly of all, have fun." Hala said as he made his way back down the road, with his Tauros friend in tow. Amusingly, all the Pikipeks were still sitting on the back of the beast and hadn't bothered to move, which made Sun giggle a bit.

"I guess we can stop here for lunch, since we're here." Hugh said, lying back on the ground with a sigh. Sun watched the older boy for a moment before exchanging a look with Hau, but both boy's attention was grabbed by Hugh.

"Hey Hau…What's it like being the grandson of the Kahuna?" the older Pokémon Trainer asked, opening a single eye.

"Oh, well…I mean, being the grandson of a Kahuna is lots of fun. I've always looked up to Tutu, ever since I was a little boy. I've gotten to see so many awesome fights and battles. It's scary when my grandpa is going at full strength, and I've learned a lot from him that I don't think I would've otherwise." Hau admitted with a small shudder. "For the most part though, it's fun."

"When he's going at full strength?" Sun repeated. "Does he usually fight while holding back?"

Hugh decided to jump in and answer that. "Hala most likely has weaker Pokémon that he uses when dealing with less experienced Trainers, so to an extent he's holding back. He'll still use all of his knowledge and experience when using his weaker Pokémon, however, so he'll still be a challenge even if he's not using his best Pokémon. Usually Gym Leaders or Pokémon Trainers who have to do a great deal of battling and even judging will have Pokémon of all kinds of strength on them. Like, I know a guy back in Unova who had a Normal-type Gym and used super weak Pokémon when I first fought him, but he also had a ton of super strong Pokémon on hand to battle stronger Trainers and when he helped me and my friend Nate against Neo Team Plasma. That's probably the kind of thing Hala does for rookies."

"Wait, Hugh, didn't you battle Hala already?" Sun asked the older Trainer.

Hugh nodded. "Yep. That man is no pushover. He made us earn that stamp on my passport. Noah had a bit of an easier time, with that Gyrados of his. That said, I don't think he was going all out on me either. He said this was the team he was training up for something special."

"Something special?" Hau asked, curious.

"Yeah. He didn't explain when I asked. Do you know anything about that, Hau?" Hugh asked the younger Trainer, who shook his head.

"Interesting…Well, it's probably none of my business." Hugh said with a shrug. With that, the trio began making lunch.

Two days later, the trio found themselves standing in front of a signpost.

"Looks like we've got two options." Hugh mused, eyeing the sign that informed them at Route 2 continued on the left, or a small path that went to the right and back the way they came, which led to the Hau'oli Cemetery.

"I say we keep going forward." Sun said, crossing his arms. "I kind of don't want to keep Ilima waiting, or have my Trial take longer because we got sidetracked."

"Sun, he has to wait for you anyway. That's his job. And we're not in a rush or anything, remember? I kinda want to go left, myself." Hau said to Sun, who sighed and nodded.

"Same, actually. I never got to see Hau'oli Cemetery on my first lap around the island." Hugh added after a moment, and with that the trio's next stop was decided.


Hau'oli Cemetery


It took the remainder of the day to travel up the path, but they eventually made it to the Hau'oli Cemetery in the late afternoon, after navigating some rather steep ledges. As the trio stepped through the gate to the area, Sun stopped in his tracks.

"It's…Actually kind of nice here. Is that weird?" Sun asked, sounding somewhat bewildered as he looked around.

"Not really. Hau'Oli Cemetery is taken care of pretty well. Tutu says there's a lot of important people buried here, even though a good amount of people get cremated and have their ashes dumped into the ocean." Hau explained as he led the way into the main area of the cemetery. It was quite a large place with simple adornments on the stone and marble for decoration. The lawn was very carefully maintained and there were a few bushes sculpted into Pokémon like Pikachu and Charizard.

"Really? I…Well, that makes sense, actually." Sun admitted, looking around with interest as the trio began walking around, making sure to keep their voices down out of respect for the dead and the few others that were also with them in the cemetery.

"Hey Hau, you want to hear a story about ghosts?" Hugh asked the boy suddenly, a smirk on his face.

"Not really. Ghost stories freak me out."

"See, that's the spirit!"

After a few seconds Sun burst out laughing while Hau face-palmed. Hugh looked pleased with himself, which is all that mattered to him. After Sun forced back the giggles and ignored the scandalized looks of a few nearby elderly people, he looked back up at Hugh and Hau.

"C-come on. Let's have a look around." Sun huffed as he began walking ahead of them. He began inspecting the grave markers and tombs neatly aligned within the area, but was surprised to see large swaths of tall grass arranged off to the left and right side of the main area, quite a distance away from where he was at.

"I wonder if that's for the wild Pokémon to hang out in." Sun thought as he began walking towards it. After a moment, he released Penny, deciding that he could get a little training in with her. After a minute, he stumbled upon a glittering CD of sorts that he nearly stepped on.

"Is this a TM?" Sun asked. Rotom popped out of Sun's backpack and the boy held out the object for the Pokédex to inspect.

"Yes indeedy, my friend! That looks like TM Number 100. Confide! Not a popular one, but I'm sure you'll find a use for it…Or it'll sit in your bag for the rest of your adventure. Either or! Still pretty neat though!" Rotom buzzed happily as Sun put away the CD in a random area of his backpack, deciding to get a TM Case when he got back to civilization. He continued his trek through the grass with Penny watching around them carefully, preparing herself for a fight. Sure enough, two Gastly appeared in front of Sun just as he made his way into the center of the tall grass, laughing cruelly as they advanced towards him.

"Penny, use Peck!" Sun ordered, pointing towards the left ghost. Penny chirped and launched herself into the air before darting towards the ghost in question, her beak glowing white before it pierced the specter and sent it reeling back. The Gastly tried using Lick on Penny, but its tongue phased through the bird like it wasn't there. With another Peck, the Gastly went down.

"Nice job, Penny!" Sun cheered as he bird soared through the air, flying back around him and landing on his arm, making him wince. He really needed to get arm-pads or something so that his birds could do that without causing him pain. Sun held out Penny as the other Gastly narrowed its eyes and charged forward.

"Peck again!" Sun called out. Penny took flight once again, but this time the Gastly was ready for her. With a cry, the Pokémon widened its eyes as they began glowing. Thankfully, Sun recognized the move and knew it was Hypnosis.

"Penny, shut your eyes and keep going forward with Peck!" Sun called out. Penny chirped an affirmative, shutting her eyes and increasing her speed towards the Gastly. The Pokémon let out a cry of dismay before Penny slammed into it, knocking the ghost to the ground. It tried licking Penny as she soared away, but the bird was unfazed by the attack again and hit the Gastly with another Peck, downing it.

"That was fantastic, Penny. Great job!" Sun said as he walked over to his bird, hovering overhead. To Sun's surprise, Rotom popped out of Sun's backpack with a small beep.

"Well, lookee there! Looks like Penny just learned Rock Smash!" Rotom chirped as Penny swooped down, fluttering nearby.

"…Isn't that a Fighting-type move?"

"Yep! Not a super strong one, but itzz excellent for type-coverage on a bird like her. Plus having a whole bunch of different attacks makes her good against a whole bunch of enemiezz, bzzzt!" Rotom replied as Penny landed on Sun's hat.

"Well, looks like you're catching up quick, aren't you?" Sun asked Penny, grinning widely as she landed on his hat.

"Pi Pikipek!"came the bird's happy reply. Sun grabbed the bird from his hat and released Oliver, who took Penny's place on his head while he held Penny in his arms.

"Hey Sun." Sun turned around and found Hugh watching from nearby, his Cutiefly on his shoulder buzzing happily. "Let us know when you're gonna wander around, alright?"

"Sorry Hugh." Sun said sheepishly. "Wanted to get in a bit of training. Penny learned a new attack though, which is pretty awesome."

"Oh, cool. What attack?"

"Rock Smash."

"…That's a Fighting-type move. How'd a bird that young and inexperienced learn a move like that?"

"No idea. Rotom?"

"Why do you ask me all the weird questionzz? I'm just a Pokédex…OK, probably the wrong thing to say, but my point still standzz!"

Hugh shook his head, but jerked his thumb behind him. "There's a few Trainers over there itching for a fight. You want in?"

"Sure. Oliver can get in a little more training, since Penny can just keep battling ghosts with almost no problems." Sun said as he followed Hugh back into the Cemetery proper, where Hau shaking hands with a man in a colorful shirt.

"That was a pretty good battle, sir." Hau grinned at the man.

"Indeed! Getting all worked up like that over a good bout does seem to have improved my mood. Thank you for that, my lad." The man walked away then, heading out towards the exit of the graveyard. Hau turned around and giggled at Hugh and Sun, who were just shaking their heads.

"Did you beat all of the Trainers while I was gone, Hau?" Sun asked jokingly.

"Nah, there's one left over there!" Hau said, pointing to a girl standing behind Sun a few feet away.

"How'd I not notice you?" Sun asked the girl, who shrugged.

"Because the writer didn't think of it until the last second." The girl replied, smirking as she put a hand on her hip.

"Yeah, probably…Wait, what?"

"So, you wanna battle?" the girl asked, cutting Sun off with a smirk and a tilt of her hat. "Fine by me. My name's Ikue, by the way."

"Sun. Pleased to meet you." Sun said to the girl, smiling at her and quickly forgetting her comment from a moment before. The two stepped away from each other so that they had plenty of room to battle, and before long Sun sent forth Oliver, who swooped to the ground and prepared himself for a fight.

"Pikachu, let's go!" Ikue said with a grin, releasing a yellow mouse with a chip in its tail lightning-shaped tail.

"Oliver, let's start this off with Tackle!" Sun ordered his bird. Oliver nodded and soared towards the Pikachu, hooting loudly.

"Alright, let's use the moves it was good at…Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Ikue shouted as her Pikachu fell to all fours. With a nod, the Pikachu bounded forward, leaping above Oliver and dodging his Tackle and unleashing a bolt of electricity that slammed into Oliver.

"Oliver! Shake it off and use Peck!" Sun called out. Oliver flared his wings and shot into the air, breaking free from the attack and darting towards the Pikachu, who's eyes widened in surprise before Oliver crashed into it in midair, making the Pikachu tumble through the air in pain before crashing onto the ground harshly.

"Pikachu! Are you alright?" Ikue asked her partner. The Pikachu slowly rose to its feet, gritting its teeth but nodding slowly in response to the question.

"Oliver, hit that Pikachu with Leafage from above!" Sun called to the owl. Oliver nodded and began spinning in midair, willing a series of swirling leaves into existence. Ikue pointed at Oliver with a wide grin.

"Now, while it's focusing on the attack. Full-power Thundershock!" Ikue yelled to her Pokémon. The Pikachu began sparking wildly before releasing a surge of electricity that rushed towards Oliver, who also released his Leafage. The two attacks collided in midair, and for a moment the two attacks halted one another in their tracks, but eventually Oliver's Leafage pushed through the Thunder Shock and swirled downwards, consuming the Pikachu on the ground. Ikue let out a yell of dismay as her Pikachu was flung back towards her, covered in dings and scraps and very clearly knocked out.

"Looks like I won." Sun remarked as Oliver soared down and landed on his head. Penny chirped something to Oliver, who replied back with a hoot.

"Y-yeah. That Rowlet of yours is strong." Ikue paid Sun for his victory and bid him a goodnight, and after reviving and healing her Pikachu, departed from the area while whistling an unfamiliar tune.

Rotom then popped out of Sun's backpack once again and buzzed in midair.

"Yes Rotom?" Sun asked, grinning at the Pokédex.

"Guess who just learned Razor Leaf?" Rotom asked, appearing quite happy.

"Is it you?" Sun asked cheekily.

"I wish. I'm kinda stuck in this body for a while. Maybe someday I'll find a nice lawnmower no one would miss and have some fun..."

"One of these days, you're gonna have to explain some more stuff about Rotom. Your species sounds so cool." Sun said to the device.

"Why thank you sir! But seriously though, Oliver just learned Razor Leaf. Two new attacks in one day. I hear if you get one more, you get a free sundae!" Sun's expression deadpanned at the terrible joke, but Rotom's cheery smile never-wavered. Sun shook his head and looked at Oliver, who was preening contentedly. It took the owl a moment to notice Sun smiling up at him, and turned to face him. Penny also looked up at her Trainer, who looked down at her. Sun chuckled then, beginning his walk out of the area.

"You both are awesome."

Oliver pecked Sun in the head in reply.


"Hey Sun, when you're done chasing Oliver around, get over here!" Hugh said to Sun as the boy chased down a laughing Rowlet, who was now chirping down at him from a statue in the graveyard. Sun sighed and just walked over to the teen, with Oliver following a moment later.

"You are just the worst sometimes…" Sun muttered to the bird, who simply hooted at him. Sun then turned to Hugh. "So, what's up?"

"I was wondering if we were done here. I've explored every inch of this place and got to take a few pictures for my sister back home. Did you want to head back now?" Hugh asked Sun.

"Is that smart?" Hau asked the two of them from his sitting position on a nearby bench. "It's getting really late…Maybe we should just set up camp inside Hau'oli Cemetery tonight. Is it really worth it to try and get back onto the route with so little sunlight?" Hau asked Sun and Hugh, who were both watching the setting sun now.

"You want to make camp inside of a Cemetery?" Sun asked Hau incredulously.

"I don't see why it's not." Hugh said as he looked around the graveyard. "Level terrain. Well-kept grounds. It's a clear night, so the little amount of cover here isn't an issue. The only problem I see is that there's a few Ghost-type Pokémon lingering around that I know will try and bother us, but if we sleep with our Pokémon out like we've been doing they should stay away."

"Why would they stay away with our Pokémon out?" Sun asked Hugh.

"…Sun, I was a serious contender for the Unova Championship back when the place wasn't a war zone. Any one of my Pokémon, save for Kiki, would be more than enough to keep away the ghosts that haunt this place. With all of them sleeping out of their Poké Balls at once? We'd probably be more comfortable here than we would be back out on the route." Hugh explained as the Trainer began walking away from the largest tombstone.

"If you say so…I mean, I'm not really creeped out by this place, but it still feels weird."

"That's what she…Never mind." Hugh stopped himself before he could finish the phrase, chuckling a little to himself to the bemusement of Sun and Hau.

"That's what who said?" Hau asked.

"I'll tell you when you're older."

"Or you could tell me now."

"Hau, I'm not ruining your childhood wonder and innocence. Unlike some people, I have some self-control when it comes to what I say around children." Hugh remarked as he finally found a clearing that he deemed good enough for them to make camp.

"Wait hold on a moment." Hau and Hugh looked over at Sun, who was staring at Hugh. "You named your Cutiefly…Kiki?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Just…weird. Samson, Rell, Sage, Faolin, and Kiki."

"Says the kid who named his Pokémon Penny and Oliver."

"Touché…But another thing. Do you think whoever oversees the Cemetery is alright with us making a fire here?" Sun asked Hugh.

"Probably. I didn't see anything saying not to do so on the entrance sign thing, and we're far enough away from the tombstones and the graveyard proper to be able to do this anyway. So long as we remain quiet and respect that this is where the dead sleep, we'll be fine." Hugh said as he released Sage the Simisage and Samson the Samurott.

After about thirty minutes, the trio had a small campfire going and hurriedly ate their dinner consisting of ramen noodles and a few vegetables Hau had brought along in an item capsule. As the trio rested, their bellies full and the three of them slowly getting more tired, they became aware of a soft sound nearby. Hugh pointed into the trees and saw a few Gastly and a Haunter floating above them, looking interested at the trio.

"Hey you all. We're just hanging out here for the night. We'll be gone in the morning, alright?" Hugh called to the ghosts.

"Feel free to share the fire. Plenty of it to go around." Hau offered, grinning them.

"Is that…wise?" Sun asked tactfully, earning a few looks from the ghosts above.

"Probably not. But I'm not all that worried, and they look curious more than anything." Hau said as he pointed to the Haunter floating down and begin chatting with Rell the Flygon. The Gastly dispersed after a few minutes of hovering around, and soon enough the Haunter departed as well.

As the group decided to take that moment to get some shuteye, and began preparing for bed, Hugh received a phone call.

"Unknown number…" Hugh muttered, staring at his phone before shrugging and answering it.

"Hello?" The older trainer answered. After a moment his eyes widened and sputtered, "Elesa!? I thought you died in the Nimbasa attack! You…That makes sense. Nate said he was getting together any Gym Leaders he could. Doesn't surprise me that he managed to find you in that mess…So what's up?"

Hugh walked out of the campsite and back into the graveyard. Samson snorted and got up, following his Trainer into the graveyard.

"Wasn't Elesa the Gym Leader of Nimbasa City?" Sun asked Hau quietly. The other boy nodded slowly, watching Hugh depart from the campsite. Both boys may not have been very much aware of what happened around the world, being so young, but Elesa was famous worldwide and the world was sure that she had perished in the brutal massacre of the city that she had presided over as Gym Leader.

"What I'm wondering is why she's calling Hugh…" Sun asked quietly, leaning against his tree. Penny and Oliver looked up at him, and Sun began stroking both birds in attempt to calm the small bit of worry he felt creeping into him.

Hau was less worried, and simply shrugged and continued preparing for bed. Sun bid the boy goodnight and began setting up his own sleeping bag, though he was intent on staying awake until Hugh returned. As Sun laid down on his pillow, with Penny and Oliver settling in on top of him, he saw Hugh finally enter the area again after half an hour had passed, with the boy wearing a small smile on his face.

"Good news?" Sun asked quietly, catching Hugh's attention. The teen nodded, his smile widening, and walked over to the other boy.

"Looks like things are moving again back home. My best friend Nate managed to help a few of the Gym Leaders and now they're organizing an attack against Neo Team Plasma. Wish I could be there, but Nate says he wants me preparing away from the mess just in case things go south for them. He said he'll keep me in the loop and let me know if anything happens…So yeah, I'm feeling hopeful for the first time in a while. We thought Elesa had died when Nimbasa got frozen, so it's good to hear from her and know she's alright." Sun felt relief wash over him as Hugh laughed quietly, shaking his head.

"Things might look really bad, Sun. But you better believe that as long as they're still kicking, my friends back home are going to keep those idiots from Neo Team Plasma and Cipher on their toes. And I'll get stronger while I'm here too, so when I get back to Unova, I'll be able to make them fear my name…Maybe I'll make Borlath pay as well. I'd love to see that man again and show him what rage is all about." Hugh's smile turned into something much darker, with a emphasis on the name that Sun vaguely recognized.

"Borlath?" Sun asked, curious.

"Borlath was the man who screwed us all and ensured Unova's destruction. He's your best friend one minute, and your worst enemy the next. That's all you need to know…Between him and Amber, I'm not sure which one I hate more." Hugh shook his head for a moment before smiling. "Enough of that, though. I finally got some good news for once and I'm not going to ruin it by thinking of those two evil jerks. I'm heading to bed. I recommend you do the same, since we'll be up at first light."

"Goodnight then, Hugh."

"Same to you, man. Goodnight."

The boy from Celadon shut his eyes and snuggled into his sleeping bag, smiling slightly. So things were looking up in the Unova region, huh? The Gym Leaders and Hugh's friends were preparing an attack on the allies of Cipher. He wondered how that would go. If they would be successful…if they would survive the might of Neo Team Plasma.

Sun decided to hope for the best, and fell asleep feeling assured and comforted by the knowledge that things were looking up. A Gym Leader thought dead was alive and the forces working against Cipher and those who were with them were now plotting a way to strike back at them.

All Sun had to do was wait and see just what happened next, and hope that in the end, good would triumph over evil.