Pokémon Radiant Sun


Howdy folks.

Here's another update. I'll keep this AN shorter than usual because I figure sometimes it's better to let the work speak for itself. On that note, however, I have officially added Gladion to the character tags for this story, meaning that yes, we'll be seeing much more of him in the future.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes BouncingFish, Consumer of Fantasy, Madame Rodoshe, Angelfir3, GeekyGamer314, Sai Og Sus, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Ignaci0, Gokan123, DarkestShade73, Ways, a new guest reviewer known as TheHero'sSpirit, and Rare Joe Star, as well as a new reviewer known as TrialCaptainJulian. Thanks for the feedback and support!

Gonna have to give a special shoutout to the Guest Reviewer known as TheHero'sSpirit, who called out the references I made in Chapter 39 to Inheritance, Book 4 of the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. The chapter's title and the scene between Lillie and Aria was a nod to one of my favorite book series of all time, and I'm glad that someone not only caught the reference but enjoyed it, because I loved that chapter title and the scene it represented. Most of the time when something seems familiar or seems like a reference to something, it usually is some form of reference. So please, comment on them, because it's always cool to see when readers have read or played or watched the same things I have.

So last chapter was one I was looking forward to very much, for obvious reasons. This new chapter is one I have been looking forward to even more, and reaches a wonderful turning point in the story.

Because as much as readers and reviewers speculate...Not a single one of you saw this chapter coming, nor the implications of it. I'm pretty proud of what I've set up.

So on that note...

Enjoy.


Chapter 42: And Now I Scream


Sun felt his blood run cold, seeing the clearly dead bird Pokémon clutched in Demi's grasp. It was just something that made him feel an inherent wrongness in the world. As someone who had a great love of Flying-types, seeing one dead just…rattled him. But here it was, a Shiny Fletchinder with a broken neck that no longer shined and shimmered, and her grieving Trainer sobbing before him. Hau knelt down and hugged Demi tightly, trying to comfort her as best as he could. Sun looked up at Lana, whose face was an open canvas of emotion. Sun could see the fear, mixed with regret, on her face. It was obvious that the Captain hadn't meant for this to happen. Still, Sun had to know.

"What happened?" Sun asked the blue-haired girl, who took a shaky breath. After composing herself, she spoke.

"The Trial was going fine until about halfway through the Totem Battle. The Totem Pokémon started going crazy after one of the Pokémon helping it was knocked out. It just…went berserk. Demi's Fletchinder was hit with Waterfall and it sent her into the rocks and…she just landed at a bad angle. I could hear her neck s-snapping from across the lake…she fell into the water after that. And then the Totem Pokémon attacked Demi...it was horrible." Lana whispered, missing the grief-filled glare Demi sent towards the Captain.

"Why didn't you stop the Trial?" Sun asked the Captain.

"I tried! My Lapras was too scared to approach, no matter how much I tried to get her to help. I eventually managed to get close with my own Araquanid, but then the Totem Pokémon just started attacking everything in sight. Me and Demi barely managed to get her Pokémon's body and escape from the site in one piece. I ended up having to knock out the Totem Pokémon myself." Lana explained shakily, obviously still rattled by the incident. Sun took in how the Captain was standing and saw that she was avoiding putting pressure on her left leg. Sun saw how a chunk of her pant leg was messing with the area around it stained crimson, as if Lana had been caught on a rock herself. She must have been hurt trying to help Demi against the Totem Pokémon.

"What'll happen now?" Sun asked.

"The Kahuna, Olivia, will come by and ask me some questions. Evaluate me and see if I'm still competent enough to be a Captain. We'll have to run some tests and talk with the Totem Pokémon via translators to see what's wrong. It may be a day or two at least before we can allow Trial-goers to do the Trial." Lana explained with a small sigh.

"Right…Well, first thing's first, we help Demi. Are you going to-" Sun began to say, but Demi gently set her Fletchinder on the ground and pulled out the bird's Poké Ball, returning the fallen Fletchinder. She clipped the ball to her belt and slowly turned to face Lana, her face stained with tears and her eyes bloodshot.

"You still think it's okay to have the Trial opened up…even after what that thing did to Feya?" Demi asked, her voice deathly soft. Lana didn't reply verbally, only giving a hesitant nod.

A whirl of motion went through the air and a sharp crack reverberated through the clearing as Demi slapped the Captain as hard as she could in the face. Sun and Hau both gasped as Lana fell to the ground, her hand clutching her face as Demi towered over her, trembling with righteous fury and with outright hurt blazing across her face.

"You…You're a disgrace…You were supposed to keep us safe. But you didn't! If it wasn't for Torch and Aou, I would've been dead! And you're going to risk more people and Pokémon getting hurt?" Demi hissed at Lana, who backed away out of sheer fear. Sun watched on in absolute shock, seeing the normally cheerful and friendly girl so angry and…destroyed with grief. Was this what losing a Pokémon did to someone? Sun winced internally, the memories coming back and confirming that-

"No…It. Did. Not. Happen…Focus on Demi." Sun thought, closing his eyes and pressing the memory back, ignoring the weight of the Pokémon Egg in his backpack.

Demi took a step forward, but found that Hau was suddenly standing in front of her. His expression was somber, but he wore a small smile regardless, a gentle thing that only succeeded in making the distraught girl even angrier.

"How can you smile at a time like this, Hau!?" Demi whispered at Hau, not understanding how anyone could smile right now.

"Hey…Enough of that. Let's take a second, and calm down. You're not in your right state of mind. It's going to be okay." Hau said quietly, putting a hand on both of Demi's shoulders. The girl felt a small pang in her at the boy's touch, but her grief and anger overrode that feeling, making her want to rebel. Lash out. Find some outlet for the torrent of pain rushing through her, now that her beloved bird was gone…gone…

Gone.

"'It's going to be okay?' No…No it isn't! You can't smile your problems away, Hau! It's not going to bring her back!" Demi yelled at Hau, but Hau was firm.

"Yes, it will be okay. Let's just sit down and-" Hau began to say, but Hau was cut off mid-sentence. Hau doubled-over as a fist suddenly connected to his gut, dropping him to his knees as he gasped for air, trembling in pain.

"Shut up! Don't act like you understand what I'm going through! Like…Like my heart is breaking into a million pieces!" Demi managed to say as anger and hurt cracked her voice, even as Lana cried out in surprise. Sun moved forward to check on Hau, with Demi taking a step back and shaking the fist that had just punched Hau. Demi's breath came in ragged, desperate gasps as more tears dripped down her face, with horror creeping into her face as she realized what she had just done. The dark-skinned girl took two steps back, the dismay on her face growing before she whirled around and quickly walked away, shaking violently as the tears poured. A flood of misery let loose from the gates. Her closest friend was gone, and she had just hurt Hau, who was only trying to help.

"D-Demi! Come back!" Hau called out to his friend. Demi froze in her tracks, unable to stop herself from looking back at her friends. She saw the worried look on Sun's face. The horror-filled look of guilt on Lana's face…

And the pained and pleading look on Hau's face.

Demi choked back another sob as she turned around, running down the road. She couldn't bear to face them, not after that. She needed to be alone.

Sun made a move to follow her, but Hau grabbed him by the leg to stop him.

"No…She'll be alright. She just...needs time…She's a tough one. Grief does crazy things to good people…" Hau said with a painful grin. Sun helped his friend to his feet as Lana sighed deeply, rubbing her temples.

"Are you okay, Hau?" Lana asked quietly.

"Not really…I'll be okay when Demi comes back." Hau replied quietly, his smile slipping and the boy sighing angrily. "Why did she lash out like that? I was just trying to calm her down."

"Because when you're in that much pain…I think it's hard to imagine anyone smiling. Demi just lost her starter. Imagine losing Cassy, Hau. How much would that effect you? And then imagine someone making a joke or telling you that it's going to be okay when, to them, it clearly isn't. I know I was mad when Celadon City was attacked and Vivian was making snide remarks about it." Sun explained to Hau in a quiet voice, the boy's face slowly gaining a horrified look as he realized just what he had said to Demi.

"Ma'am!"

The group looked to their left and saw one of the Trial Guides approaching, looking winded. He pointed towards where Demi had ran off and said, "Ma'am, I saw what happened. Should I send word out to Officer Jenny and get a warrant out for that girl's arrest? She's not moving too fast, it'd be easy to track her down."

"No! She didn't mean to do that, she was just-" Hau began to say, but the Trial Guide gave him a glare.

"She just assaulted a Trial Captain, which is a punishable offense in this region, kid. Captain Lana, I leave the decision up to you." The Trial Guide said formally, extending a hand to help the girl to her feet. Lana ignored it, her expression darkening at the man's words.

"I'm not pressing charges…It's all my fault. I should've been a better Captain and took matters into my hands before the situation got out of control. I had a feeling something was wrong with the Totem Pokémon and I was too late to step in. Send the word out to be on the lookout for Demi, but not because she's in trouble. She's hurt and probably needs to be looked at by a doctor." Lana said in a more formal voice, a note of authority in it. The Trial Guide seemed surprised, but he nodded and jogged off. As soon as he did, Lana slumped down on the ground and broke down into tears.

"What have I done…I don't d-deserve to be a C-captain after this…I let Demi get hurt…I'm a terrible person…" Lana sobbed, burying her face in her hands. Sun and Hau exchanged a glance before they helped the girl to her feet and took her inside of the Pokémon Center. Demi was beyond their help at the moment…But Lana they could take care of.


Demi leaned against a tree on Route 5, panting and rubbing her eyes furiously. She had finally managed to calm herself down, shoving down the grief and anger and pain and achieved a sense of calm. The girl considered her options, and decided to just head home. She may not have gotten along with most of her family, but her home still a place she could lick her wounds and recover. She would explain what happened and rest a bit. Bury Feya and regroup…Did she even want to be a Trainer anymore after this? She didn't know anymore. She didn't want to deal with this pain...this agony again.

Demi shook her head and called her home phone. It didn't take long for someone to pick up.

"Hey sis. What's up?" Demi's young brother greeted her, his voice chipper as always. He was just a year away from embarking on his own Island Challenge, and was proud of the heritage that they had, unlike Demi, who hated the weight of it on her shoulders.

"Hey Danny." Demi whispered into the phone.

"Everything okay? You don't sound too good." Danny replied, worried at how shaken Demi sounded.

"Yeah…It's been a horrible day. I'm coming home." Demi mumbled, sighing tiredly as she shut her eyes.

Danny's excitement was now mixed with a bit of surprise. "What? Why? I thought you were with that Hau guy and about to beat the Trial. I bet you got to hang out with that water Captain too, heh. So how'd you win, huh? How'd you wreck that Totem Pokémon-"

"Danny, I lost." Demi said the words heavily. "I lost. And…and I got hurt during the Trial and I slapped Lana. I was so angry and upset that…Danny, Feya was ki-"

"YOU ATTACKED A CAPTAIN!? Demi, you…" Demi blinked at the anger and shock her in little brother's voice, mixed in with horror. "I can't believe you. I know you hate how much pressure Dad and Mom put on you about the Island Challenge, but to go that far? Just because you lost!?"

"Danny, you don't understand. Feya-" Demi was cut off as a new voice yelled back at her. Demi's mother's words were cold and sharp, cutting through the girl like a knife.

"Demi, you attacked Captain Lana!? Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in? Your father and I are going to look like idiots when word gets out that you attacked Captain Lana! He might even lose his job on the Heahea City Council over this!" she shouted at her daughter, fury in her voice, even as Demi shook with heartache and anger.

"Is that really all you care about?" Demi asked, her voice soft with hurt as her mother paused for breath.

"Of course not! But you have to take into account that we have a reputation to keep up! You can't just go around doing whatever you want, like you've been doing! We have a-" Demi's mother began to say, but Demi felt her emotions snap for the second time that day.

"I guess since our stupid family pride and reputation is all you care about, then don't expect me to come home! I'll go bury my dead Fletchinder that the stupid Totem Pokémon just killed and stay out of your life!" Demi shouted into the phone, receiving silence from the other end. She knew that her family's anger at her was likely gone now that they knew exactly why Demi had lost her temper and slapped a Captain, but Demi didn't care anymore. They had never asked and just assumed the worst. Just like always…Why did Demi even bother trying so hard for them?

"Demi…oh my god…Feya…" her mother's voice now shaking in horror as the true scope of the situation crashed upon her. "I…I'm so sorry, dear-" Demi's mother began to say, regret in her voice, but Demi hung up the phone. She let out a deep sigh before hurling it into the dirt. Demi walked over to the device, even as her mother tried to call her back. Demi stomped down on the phone, cutting it off permanently. She stomped down on it again. And again. And again.

And then the tears returned in full force.

"I hate this…I didn't even want to do this stupid challenge. Why can't we just have Gyms like other places? No…Everything rides on people going on the damn Trials…I hate it so much!" Demi hissed through her tears. She walked down that road, sinking deeper into her own grief. Her best friend. Her starter. Her little Feya was gone…


Lillie watched Nebby as he flew around the room, playing with Winter and Sophie inside of the lab. Aria and Hugh were helping look over Shadow Celebi while Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet studied the Pokémon. The girl watched the Pokémon scamper around the room, a smile on her face as Nebby booped Winter, Kukui's Alolan Vulpix, on the nose and floated out of reach. Lillie was startled when a loud ringtone suddenly rang out, catching the Pokémon's attention. Lillie quickly dug out her phone and realized with a start that Sun was calling her. Lillie smiled, feeling a flicker of warmth within her at the thought of her crush, and decided to take this call.

"S-sorry, everyone. I need to take this." Lillie said as she stood up, walking to the doorway of the room. She opened the phone and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Lillie. You have a minute?" Sun's voice sounded strained, and Lillie immediately became worried.

"Is everything okay?" Lillie asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Not really…There's been a…Dang it. There's just…Lillie, you may want to sit down for this." Sun said wearily. Lillie sat down and listened with horror as Sun told her how Demi had failed at the Water Trial because of the Totem Pokémon going berserk, killing Feya. She heard about Lana's failure to stop the beast in time and how Demi had lashed out, slapping Lana and punching Hau before storming off in a fit of tears. Lillie felt her heart sink with worry for her cheery friend. Grief was a powerful and painful thing, and Lillie didn't blame Demi at all for how she reacted in such a difficult time. Losing a Pokémon, from what Professor Kukui had told her, was one of the worst things that could happen to a Pokémon Trainer. That it was Demi's first Pokémon, her starter, made it so much worse.

"I don't know what to do, Lillie." Sun admitted from the other end of the phone.

"There's…nothing you can do, Sun. I'll ask the Professor if he can help track her down, but at this point, maybe she needs some time to herself. After a loss like that, being around people might just make her worse…as we saw with Lana and Hau." Lillie said quietly, looking over at the Pokémon she had been watching and seeing Nebby curled up with Winter and Sophie on the ground on the carpet, all of them asleep. Lillie managed a smile at the sight, but couldn't help but worry for her friend who was all alone in her grief and misery.


Demi had stopped paying attention to where she was going hours ago. She was aware she had lost a fair bit of blood, and judging from the scared looks some of the passing Trainers had given her, she must have looked quite a sight…But she just didn't care. She didn't even care when she bumped into a group of Team Skull members on the road, nearly knocking down one with fierce green eyes as she ran away from her problems and her misery.

She had run out of tears long ago, and just felt crushing grief. She wanted to be alone, but she also wished she had someone to talk to. Demi felt a pang of regret set in, remembering how she had treated Hau, just for trying to be a good guy. She didn't deserve to be friends with someone as good as he was. He deserved an apology...As did Lana…the Captain had tried to help her, after all, despite being unable to save Feya. She didn't deserve the slap to the face that she had received.

"I deserve this pain…how do people get back from a loss like this? I know I'm not the first person to lose a Pokémon…But this is torture." Demi thought as she brushed her tangled black mane out of her face, a shaky breath escaping from her as she continued to drag her exhausted body down the road. Demi started as a voice spoke up from nearby.

"Man, you look like shit, little girl."

Demi's head snapped up and she saw a man watching her with an amused smirk up ahead. This struck her as odd, considering how late it was now. He was leaning against the tree, oddly nonchalant. The man was tall and but slim, with short brown hair and a rather plain face, his brown eyes twinkling in amusement at her. A Z-Ring glittered at his wrist, hanging loosely.

"Well, I feel like it. What's it to you?" Demi grumbled, stomping past the man. The man laughed softly as Demi passed by, unable to see the long blade that the man moved from behind his back, now gleaming the descending sunlight.

"It's everything to me…especially someone in my line of work."

Demi felt her blood run cold at the remark and quickened her pace. She then felt her entire body freeze as a blue aura suddenly engulfed her, making her already sore limbs ache with pain. Her body slowly rotated as she floated into the air, facing the man and eyeing his machete with wide eyes.

"And when such an easy mark just strolls on by…I can't help but take advantage." the man said with a small chuckle as a strange white and black Pokémon Demi didn't recognize stepped out from behind a tree, its eyes glowing like beacons. The man shouldered his machete and reached into his pocket, pulling out a thin red mask that he carefully slipped over his face.

"The name's Night Slash, little lady. I'm the man who'll be robbing you this evening. So, let's take a little detour, so we can see just what you have." The man with the blade said lightly, turning to the Psychic-type next to him. Demi thrashed in her invisible bonds. "This is Minnie, my Gothitelle. Minnie, care to do the honors?"

The Gothitelle nodded and threw Demi through the trees, sending her crashing into the largest one in a clearing some distance away. The forceful attack sent her falling to the ground with a strangled gasp of pain. Demi felt a surge of anger blast through her as Night Slash entered the clearing, laughing softly as Demi forced herself to her feet, only to gasp as she felt pain shoot through her ankle.

"Oh? Did you get hurt? You should really be more careful." Night Slash said carelessly as Demi grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt.

"Feya, let's…" Demi stopped speaking, feeling her entire body go cold as she looked down at the Poké Ball. She would never be able to send out her starter again. Feya was gone…taken by the Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill.

Demi was snapped out of her musing as she was hit with Psychic again, pressing her tightly against the tree as a machete blade touched against her cheek, a tear of blood dripping free from her skin before the blade was removed. Demi let out a loud scream, surprising Night Slash and making him flinch in surprise. The man clamped a hand over the girl's mouth after about five seconds, scowling under his mask.

"Keep quiet! I might even let you live if you shut up. So, let's see what Pokémon you've got. Minnie, you wanna do the honors of keeping her silent for a while?" Night Slash said quietly. His Gothitelle took several slow steps forward before she tensed up behind the robber, as if sensing something was amiss...


"So yeah, Captain Kiawe won't ever suspect that. It'll even mess up those stupid moves of his. Sounds good, eh?" Axen said to the Team Skull Grunts, who chuckled at the suggestion.

"I like it. Though to be honest, I'd rather throw down with some dance moves of my own." Kevin replied, a smirk underneath his bandanna.

"Kevin, watching you dance is like seeing a brain-dead Hitmontop dance. Kind of funny, but sad at the same time." Kayla replied with a casual shrug, receiving laughs from the others in their little group, save for Gladion, who was a bit ahead of them, feeling a headache coming on. It had been a long day, and judging from the setting sun, it was about time to head back to his hotel room.

Truthfully, he was still in thought about what had happened earlier today. He had conquered the Trial of Brooklet Hill himself that morning, throwing off Team Skull's plans to steal the Totem Pokémon. He had then battled Hau and Sun, and since then he couldn't stop thinking about what he needed to do next…Which was what?

"-right, Gladion?"

"What?" Gladion asked, snapping out of his tired daze. To his annoyance, his Team Skull comrades had caught up to him, and Kayla sighed dramatically before putting an elbow on his shoulder.

"We said, that maybe these Captains need a personal visit from Team Skull to rattle them. A little breaking and entering, maybe scare them a little. What do you think?" Kayla asked Gladion, who scowled and pulled away from Kayla.

"I don't give a damn about the Captains, and I'm not going to stoop to breaking and entering. Especially to people who haven't done a thing to me." Gladion growled at Kayla, who put her hands on her hips.

"You know, the boss could make you. You'd have to listen to him." Kayla said to Gladion, who just crossed his arms.

"If Guzma really cared about what I did, he'd let me know, not you. And-" Gladion stopped talking as Type: Null, who had been walking beside him, suddenly veered off to the left, a faint snort escaping the strange creature. Gladion raised an eyebrow at the odd behavior, but recognized that his partner was uneasy about something. Even if Gladion didn't fully understand Type: Null, he was learning more and more every day. He had let his partner out just a short while ago so that it could battle wild Pokémon.

"Yo Gladion, what's with your pet freak?" Axen asked the teen, who's expression hardened in fury at the insult. Instead of acknowledging him, Gladion followed his partner into the trees and heard a commotion from up ahead.

And then a scream.

Gladion quickened his pace, even as Type: Null did the same. Team Skull exchanged a few glances before slowly following behind their Enforcer, thinking that yet again he was wasting their time. Gladion stopped at the edge of a tree-line, a clearing right beside him and Type: Null, and felt a stab of cold horror at the sight before him.

A man was holding his hand over the mouth of an exhausted teenage girl, a massive blade in his hand that he was obviously using to threaten her with. To Gladion, it looked as if the girl was pinned to a tree with Psychic, judging from the blue aura around the girl and the strange Pokémon slowly approaching her. Was this a robbery? A kidnapping? Either way, the girl was in trouble. Gladion grit his teeth, knowing that Null had led him to a bad situation. Had the beast expected Gladion to help somehow? How did it even know this was happening? What should he do?

"Whoa…sucks to be her."

Gladion turned around and saw his companions watching the scene ahead with bemusement. Kayla cocked her head, a small smile hidden under her bandanna. "Maybe we can jump that guy after he's done with her."

"Yeah, that's rough. But hey, it happens." Axen said with as shrug, even as he watched the girl ahead of them shake with horror and pain.

"Shouldn't we maybe, you know, help?" Kevin asked awkwardly. Tim, Axen, and Kayla all shot the Team Skull Grunt a look of exasperation.

"Help stop something we do all the time? Are you stupid? That thing pinning that girl to the tree looks way stronger than anything we've got. Besides, we're Team Skull. The bad guys? We don't have to do anything." Kayla replied as she put her hands her hips.

Gladion looked back at the girl pinned to the tree, a blade ready to be driven into her, and saw something familiar in her eyes. Hopelessness. Fear. Horror. And pain…fresh, raw and clear. Gladion took a breath, calming his nerves, before he sighed. The teen looked down at Type: Null, who was looking up at him. Its grey eyes gleamed from within its helmet, staring into Gladion's own green eyes.

"I promised you...when we ran away that we would get stronger together. In order to protect people. I guess this is our first real test. Together. Right?" Gladion murmured to his partner. The Pokémon beside him nodded slowly in response before turning its head towards the clearing and crouching slightly, preparing to leap forward. The teen put a hand on Type: Null's neck, patting it with the smallest of smiles before that smile vanished, replaced with a cold scowl of someone prepared to do what he must. Gladion stepped forward, pointing at the Pokémon approaching the girl ahead of them. Team Skull watched silently, content to let Gladion handle this on his own.

"Null, intercept!" Gladion barked as Type: Null suddenly lunged forward, a roar escaping the Pokémon as it dashed towards Minnie. The beast slammed into the Gothitelle as it turned around, surprised, and went to the ground with the Psychic-type. The monster clawed at the Astral Body Pokémon, who screamed as blood splashed across the grass.

Demi gasped as she fell to the ground, seeing the teen that had saved her with gazing at him in open wonder. Night Slash looked at Minnie with horror before whirling towards Demi with fury, lunging at her with his blade. Demi screamed as the machete plunged towards her, even as Gladion sprinted towards a distracted Night Slash. The teen tackled the slender man to the ground before he could silence Demi, the robber's blade falling to the ground. Gladion snarled as he drew his hand back, delivering a nasty punch to the robber's face, cracking the man's mask. Gladion hopped to his feet, looking over at a stunned Demi with his expression softening slightly.

"Are you okay?" Gladion tersely asked Demi, who opened her mouth to reply, but the Gothitelle known as Minnie screamed as a burst of energy exploded from her. The blast knocked the monster that had saved Demi across the clearing. Night Slash stumbled to his feet, giving Demi a furious look before turning to Gladion and snatching his blade off of the ground.

"I knew I should have knocked her out first. Girl's screaming must have carried for a good little distance…I'm getting sloppy. Well, alrighty then, kid. Let's go. I'll take your Pokémon and your money, or I'll gut you. How's that sound?" Night Slash spat as he strode forward, machete in hand as his Gothitelle walked alongside him, holding its bleeding chest with a wince. Night Slash grinned as Gladion reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade, his scowl deepening as he flicked the blade open.

"Ooh, so threatening. I've got the bigger blade, kid, and a way tougher Pokémon. I'm not scared of you." Night Slash laughed, stepping towards the fierce teen.

"Null, use Tackle!" Gladion barked, throwing out a hand as the monster beside him groaned and lunged forward.

"Robbery and serious bodily harm it is! Minnie, put it down with Psychic." Night Slash said carelessly. The Gothitelle hummed as she held out a hand, releasing the attack and hitting Type: Null with the attack directly, sending the beast hurtling into a tree and destroying the entire thing, making the tree topple over as Type: Null fell to the ground, unconscious. Gladion held back a yell of worry for his fallen partner, instead releasing his Zubat.

"Supersonic, Zubat!" Gladion yelled out. Night Slash's eyes widened as the piercing noise filled the clearing, confusing the Gothitelle and making the bandit clamp his hands over his ears in pain. He then felt a weight slam into him, knocking him to the ground, and brought up a hand to stop a blade being brought down into his chest. Gladion growled furiously, putting more pressure behind the knife, but Night Slash simply shoved him away, throwing the knife into the grass where it stuck, handle sticking out. The robber clenched his bleeding hand for a moment with a hiss before turning to Gladion.

"Zubat, use Wing Attack!" Gladion yelled out, taking a step back as Night Slash advanced towards him. The man swung down his blade at the teen as Gladion jumped out of the way, but the blond was unable to avoid a kick to the chest that sent him to the ground. Gladion's Zubat, instead of attacking the Gothitelle, lunged at the man hurting his Trainer. Night Slash swung his machete at the Zubat, who dodged the swipe and hit the man with a Wing Attack, knocking him to the ground with a howl of pain.

Demi watched all of this in horrified fascination. She had thought she was at the end of her journey, here. She had left behind everyone who cared about her in a fit of grief, and was about to be robbed and subjected to whatever Night Slash felt like doing to her…Only for this random Trainer to show up with a strange Pokémon and save her life.

The girl was snapped out of her musings when Gladion shouted out in worry, his Zubat hit by a ball of darkness that was shot by the Gothitelle he had confused just a little while ago. The Astral Body Pokémon was still dazed, but was quickly gaining awareness in her eyes. Gladion's Zubat crumpled as it hit the ground, with Gladion sighing angrily.

"Damn it! Why is it never enough?! I can't protect anyone at this rate…I'm still too weak!" Gladion despaired with a hiss as Night Slash let out a small laugh. Gladion gasped as he felt a cold chill creep into him, forcing him into the grass and onto his back. Minnie the Gothitelle let out an annoyed sound, her eyes burning with energy as she applied Psychic to Gladion. The teen fought back a scream as pain shot through him, the Gothitelle cruelly applying deadly pressure to his body.

"There'll always be someone bigger and badder than you." Night Slash replied as he twirled the blade in the air. He walked up to Gladion, putting a foot on the teen's chest and holding his blade above Gladion's heart. Night Slash then froze as a voice called out.

"Spearow, use Peck!"

Night Slash looked up in time to see a brown blur speeding towards him. The robber yelped and threw himself into the grass. The Gothitelle released its hold on Gladion and fired a Shadow Ball at the bird, who rolled through the air to avoid the attack.

"What in the…" Gladion muttered, but he looked behind himself to see four Team Skull Grunts standing at the edge of the clearing, with Kayla standing at the front with a hidden smirk.

"Just in the nick of time…Again? How annoying." Night Slash growled, staggering to his feet and eyeing the group with angry narrowed eyes.

"Boys. Let's show Gladion what it means to really throw down like Team Skull." The female Team Skull Grunt said playfully, her Spearow landing on her shoulder. Kevin and Axen stepped forward, drawing their Poké Balls as Tim lurked behind them, staying back.

"We may not like Gladion, but I ain't letting some freak slice him up like a Magikarp. Drowzee, let's knock this fool down!" Axen yelled out as he released his partner.

"Speak for yourself, yo. Gladion's not all bad. Zubat, let's go!" Kevin added, pumping out his fist as he released his bat Pokémon.

"You idiots…Run! This guy is too strong!" Gladion barked at them. Kayla scoffed, crossing her arms.

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I listen to you. Team Skull does whatever we feel like doing. And we feel like showing this fool how real hard crims throw down. Spearow, use Aerial Ace!" Kayla shouted as her bird took to the air. The Spearow let out a caw of fury as it sped forward, too fast to see, before colliding with the Gothitelle's mangled chest. The Pokémon winced in pain, but did nothing else.

"I said RUN!" Gladion yelled at the female Team Skull Grunt. Kayla growled in annoyance, not expecting that her attack would do so little damage.

"You two gonna stand there all day like lumps or are ya gonna help me?" Kayla growled to Axen and Kevin.

"Drowzee, use Poison Gas!" Axen called out as his Drowzee stepped protectively in front of his Trainer, the Gothitelle looming ahead of them as her eyes burned with energy.

"Zubat, Supersonic!" Kevin shouted as the bat fluttered overhead. Both Pokémon released their attacks, only to be blasted away with a burst of Psychic.

"Wow…Talk about pathetic. Then again, I should expect that from Team Skull. Tell me, how does your leader sleep at night knowing that he's in charge of a pack of worthless rejects? Hell, I've almost got a bigger bounty on my head than that jackass in just the past few weeks!" Night Slash asked the group with a cackle of mirth, earning looks of fury from all of the Team Skull Grunts.

"Don't you dare speak about the boss that way! Zubat, Wing Attack!" Kevin shouted, fury pounding through his voice as his Zubat shot by. The bat Pokémon was blasted out of the air by a Shadow Ball, knocking it to the ground close to where Gladion's Zubat lay. Gladion rose to his feet, reaching into his bag and pulling out two Revives. He pressed them both against the two fallen Zubat, allowing them both to recover their senses. Both bat Pokémon fluttered into the air, with Kevin giving Gladion a thumbs up.

"Keep him busy! I'm going to help Null!" Gladion called to the others as he dashed across the clearing.

"Gotcha, Edgelord! Poison Gas, Drowzee!" Axen called out as his Pokémon opened his mouth, releasing more of the toxic gas into the air and towards Minnie the Gothitelle. However, before she could respond with a counterattack, a brown blur slammed into the back of the Psychic-type's head, sending her stumbling forward into the purple gas and making her inhale a great deal of it.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Night Slash snarled, his grip tightening on his blade. "Minnie, suck it up! Use Dark Pulse!"

"Supersonic!" Kevin barked as the Astral Body Pokémon charged up her attack. Not only did Kevin's Zubat unleash an Supersonic attack, but Gladion's Zubat did as well, creating a powerful crescendo of sound that washed over the Gothitelle, making her drop to one knee as her eyes spun in her head. The Pokémon then twitched in pain as the poison began to effect her from the inside out.

"Null, use Tackle!" Night Slash whirled around in time to see the monster from before slam into Minnie, knocking her to the ground as the beast roared in fury, with Gladion striding back into the clearing with his expression of absolute ferocity.

"That does it…Minnie, Hyper Beam!" Night Slash snarled at the Gothitelle, who swung out with her arms at Type: Null and made the beast back off in order to avoid a lash of psychic energy. The Gothitelle rose to her feet, panting now, but held out her hands as a black flickering orb of energy began forming.

"Oh hell…" Axen hissed as Kevin took a step back in fear. The Gothitelle let out a scream and unleashed the deadly beam of energy, swiping it across the clearing in a furious arc of destruction that annihilated the area around them.

Demi screamed even as she saw everyone moving in what seemed like slow motion. Type: Null throwing itself in front of Gladion to protect its Trainer from the blast, even as Kevin snatched his Zubat in his arms and ducked. Drowzee threw Axen backwards so he was out of harm's way. Kayla and her Spearow flung themselves to the ground, barely avoiding the blast of deadly energy, even as explosions rang out all around them, with Night Slash laughing softly to himself.

"Damn…Screw being subtle! This is the best time I've had in a while. Six marks for the price of one." Night Slash said as he walked over to Minnie, handing her a pink berry that Demi recognized as a Persim Berry. The Astral Body Pokémon ate the berry, recovering from its confusion.

"Shit shit shit…Not good…" Kayla whispered, panic griping her as she saw Kevin and Axen struggling to their feet. Gladion stumbled upright, looking down at Type: Null with a horrified look of concern, frantically digging out a Revive and pressing it against the unconscious beast.

"Tim, help us out!" Kayla shouted to the tallest of their group, who had been watching them struggle the entire time without stepping in to assist. Tim crossed his arms, shrugging, before he pulled out a single Poké Ball.

"If I must…Druddigon, back them up." Tim said quietly, releasing a massive dragon that roared in fury upon being called out. Night Slash grinned savagely, swinging his blade as his Gothitelle crossed her arms.

"Use Dragon Rage." Tim said quietly, cracking his knuckles as the dragon beside him charged up a ball of energy, firing it at the Gothitelle who screeched in pain as the attack burned her skin. Night Slash glanced to the side and saw that the others were quickly recovering, with Gladion tossing Axen a Revive to heal his Drowzee while Kayla helped Kevin to his feet, the Zubat in the Grunt's arms hissing furiously at Night Slash. The Team Skull Grunt's Pokémon all rushed at the Astral Body Pokémon, forcing her back as she struggled to move, needing to recharge after Hyper Beam and wincing in pain from the Dragon Rage it had been hit with.

"Tch…Smart. Dragon Rage ignores defense completely…It doesn't matter if Minnie is way stronger than that Druddigon." Night Slash growled as Minnie tried to fend off the four Pokémon attacking it now. This was further made worse by Gladion's Zubat and Type: Null rejoining the fight.

"Alrighty then…You all die! Your Pokémon will be a lovely little payday for us." Night Slash panted, pointing his machete down at the group of Team Skull thugs. All of the Pokémon rushed at the Gothitelle, who danced and dodged the plethora of attacks rushing at her, going on the defensive as she recovered her energy. This served as a distraction from Night Slash, who approached the Team Skull Grunts with a wide smile, sprinting at them with his blade ready to slice them apart. Kayla gasped as Night Slash approached her, drawing back his blade as he drew closer, ready to-

"No!" Night Slash gasped as a pair of arms wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air supply. Kayla's eyes widened in surprise as Gladion clung to the man's neck, eyes blazing.

"Move, damn it!" Gladion barked as Night Slash fell to the ground, slamming Gladion into the grass and making the teen yell out in pain. Night Slash rolled to his feet and raised his blade to impale Gladion, only for another figure to throw themselves at the robber, who snarled in pain as fists slammed into his back and sides.

"Save your damn hero complex for later, Gladion! We're going to show this bastard what happens when you disrespect Team Skull!" Kayla snarled at the teen on the ground.

"Minnie, help me out here!" Night Slash shouted as he fell to his knees, with the Team Skull Grunt known as Tim putting the man in a powerful choke-hold. The Gothitelle screamed in fury, releasing a wave of Psychic energy that slammed into Drowzee, both Zubat's, and Spearow, downing them all at once. The Team Skull Grunt was plucked from the robber's back with Psychic and thrown into the air, where he floated high above them, glaring down at the Gothitelle that stood panting from the effort of withstanding all of the attacks she had over the course of the battle.

"Tim!" Kayla shouted out to the quiet gangster as he floated above them, the teen's Druddigon watching him from the ground with worry. The teen suddenly began screaming, clutching his head as his entire body exploded with psychic energy. Night Slash rose to his feet, panting and clutching his throat, eyeing the Team Skull members with hate in his eyes.

"One wrong move and I'll break his neck." Night Slash hissed to them all, his voice cold with anger.

"Come on, come on! Someone do something!" Kayla yelled to the others, who eyed their fallen Pokémon with panic. There wasn't much they could do.

Night Slash's grin became manic, his fist clenched as the Gothitelle focused her power on the Team Skull Grunt in the air, with Tim's screams increasing in pitch and volume, sending shivers down each of their spines. Gladion pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth as he yanked his knife free from the ground nearby. The teen took a breath to calm himself before he flipped the blade in his grip and hurled it at the robber, who was too slow to dodge the knife that slammed into his back. Night Slash howled in pain, falling to the ground as crimson spurted from his back and his Gothitelle whirled around in surprise, her eyes narrowing.

Tim fell from the sky, released for Psychic's deadly embrace, and would have hit the ground had his Druddigon not caught him in its arms. The furious dragon shot another Dragon Rage at Minnie the Gothitelle, making her screech in pain as the explosion seared her. The Gothitelle snarled in fury and made the dragon back off with a Shadow Ball before it turned around to protect her Trainer from Gladion.

The teen in black felt the cold rush of Psychic hitting him once again. As the Gothitelle raised a hand into the air, a violent burst of fire slammed into the side of the Gothitelle, sending her stumbling backwards with a cry of pain. Gladion was released and dropped to the ground lightly, shaking as his limbs recovered from the sudden force on them. Gladion and the rest of Team Skull looked off to the side, surprise etched on all of their faces as they saw who had saved Gladion.

Demi stood tall, her legs shaking and bracing herself heavily against a tree, but her eyes burned with the will to fight. A very tired but determined Quilava stood at her feet, eyeing the Gothitelle ahead with anger while a nervous Litwick hovered overhead. Gladion felt a surge of respect for the girl as she called out, "Torch, use Flame Wheel! Aou, use Fire Spin!"

"No!" Night Slash called out as his Gothitella winced in pain, the poison from earlier seeping deeper into her body and making her shiver in pain. This moment of distraction allowed a Blaze-powered Flame Wheel to smash into the chest of the Gothitelle and send her toppling over. The flames spewed from the Litwick encircled the Gothitelle, scorching her even as she tried to stand back up. The angry Pokémon released a Shadow Ball from its hand at Demi, but Torch the Quilava threw himself in front of the attack and went flying into Auo as it exploded against him, knocking the two of them out cold as they crashed into the grass next to Demi. The girl let out a yell of worry and began tending to her Pokémon, a frantic look on her face.

"Nonononono! Not again…please not again!" Demi whispered, trying to rouse her battered and exhausted Pokémon and make sure they were okay. Gladion watched the display with a pang before he turned to Night Slash and his Gothitelle, his fists clenching in fury.

"Null, use Tackle!" Gladion barked, throwing out a hand as Type: Null bounded past him, roaring as it collided with the powerful Psychic-type, knocking it to the ground one final time. The Gothitelle slammed into the grass, finally passing out from the combined efforts of the Demi, Gladion and Team Skull.

"You…you rotten little…" Night Slash began to say, trying to get to his feet and grabbing another Poké Ball from his belt, but a swift kick to the face from Gladion cut him off. Gladion's lips curled into a furious snarl and he stomped onto the side of the man's head, making him howl in pain. Gladion silenced him with a third kick to the face, knocking him unconscious. Gladion glared down at the man, panting heavily, before spitting in the man's face for good measure.

"Awww yeah! That's how Team Skull does it, boys and gals!" Axen boomed, throwing his hands outwards.

"Yeah. We're done here." Kayla said with a small laugh, throwing her arms around Kevin and Axen, the two young men laughing at their triumph. Gladion could easily see why. Team Skull didn't exactly have a good winning streak. Beating such a high-level opponent felt…good.

"Maybe I am getting stronger…We both are." Gladion thought as he put a hand on Type: Null's neck, rubbing it. Despite the stressful day, he felt a bit lighter now. The monster beside Gladion hummed in response, seemingly enjoying the victory itself. Or maybe it liked getting its neck rubbed. Gladion wasn't sure. Regardless, the group quickly revived and healed their Pokémon, in high spirits now that the battle was done.

"So now what?" Axen asked the group as each of their Pokémon were recalled, save Type: Null and Druddigon.

"I say we get some grub. I hear there's a neat little diner past the Pokémon Center…which is, well, two hours past Lush Jungle." Kayla said to the males in her group, with each of them nodding in reply.

"Yeah, this part of the island annoys me. Let's bounce." Axen replied with a laugh. Before they could reply, a voice spoke up.

"W-wait!"

Gladion and the rest of Team Skull turned around and saw Demi looking at them with an unsure expression on her face, sitting on the ground with her leg stuck out. Her Quilava and Litwick were still unconscious beside her, and the girl wore the expression of someone who just looked…lost.

"Please…d-don't leave me alone. I just…I can't do this on my own right now." Demi whispered, her entire body trembling as she just crumpled inward. It looked as if the fire that she had managed to gather to help them in the fight earlier was gone, extinguished as she watched them from the ground.

Gladion looked at the girl with a feeling of pity welling up in him. The girl looked like someone who was at the end of their rope. Exhausted. Heartbroken. Desperate. It reminded him of the first day he had ran away from home.

The green-eyed teen looked away, torn between what to do. On the one hand, this girl was obviously in bad shape and needed some help. He may have had his priorities, but he wasn't heartless. After a moment's thought, he realized he wanted to help her.

On the other hand, the rest of Team Skull wouldn't allow her to come with them, even if it was to get this girl to safety. Gladion sighed as he took a few steps towards the injured girl, his mind made up. Demi looked up at Gladion as he approached, the teen stopping right in front of her and looking down at her. Gladion then extended a hand towards her, his expression unreadable. Demi stared at Gladion for a moment before grasping his hand, with the teen pulling Demi to her feet with ease. Gladion held the girl upright and beckoned Type: Null over to them. Demi returned her own Pokémon, regarding the strange beast before her with open wonder.

"If you don't want to be by yourself, then you can come with us. Null can carry you. Null, you're okay with that, right?" Gladion asked his partner. The beast nodded slowly, and to Gladion's surprise Demi reached out and patted the Pokémon on the head.

"Thanks…Null? Weird nickname, but I've heard weirder. I really appreciate it." Demi said to the Pokémon with a ghost of a smile on her face. Gladion stared at the girl in absolute shock, but was even more surprised when Type: Null hummed in response as Demi carefully got onto the monster's back.

"That's the first time anyone besides me has ever been brave enough to touch Null...And it reacted so positively. Who is this girl?" Gladion thought with wonder, seeing his partner calmly watching him despite having a stranger on its back.

"So, this is happening then?" Gladion turned around to face Team Skull. He gritted his teeth, but nodded in response. Axen and Kevin walked forward, eyeing the girl with suspicion.

"Ain't you the one who wrecked Bone Unit 67 last week?" Axen asked Demi.

"Umm…Maybe? I fought some of you guys, but it was only because you all attacked me and my friend. I would've been fine with ignoring you all." Demi said to the teen with a tired expression.

"Hey, just checking. So, we're helping this chick out now, Gladion? I'm game, I guess." Kevin said with a shrug. Gladion looked at the Grunt in surprise, but Axen just laughed.

"We're tough as bones and hard as…bones, but we're not evil, yo. Team Skull, unlike the prick we just dropped, has class. We get the lady to a Pokémon Center and get her fixed up. No sweat off my bones. Shit, she helped us finish him off. May as well help out a little." Axen said to a bemused Demi and Gladion.

"And we can turn in this slimy dude for the reward money and pocket his loot for ourselves. He said he had a bounty on him, which means he's worth something." Kayla remarked, earning nods with Axen and Kevin.

"You're fine with that, right?" Gladion asked Demi. The exhausted teen nodded in response, considering she didn't care what happened to Night Slash as long as she never saw him again.

The female member of Team Skull laughed, drawing their attention to her. "Look at that. All of us are finally getting along. Looks like all it takes for Edgelord to fall into line is a pretty girl, huh Gladion?" Kayla said teasingly to the teen, earning a middle finger in response from Gladion. Kayla shook her head and turned to Tim, who was still laying on the ground, staring into space, with his Druddigon next to him.

"You good, Tim?" Kayla asked the silent Team Skull member. Tim shook his head, whispering something before he clutched his head.

"...thgir t'nsi gnihtemoS...wonk t'nod I…" Tim replied a little louder, the words coming out as gibberish to them. Kayla slowly helped the teen to his feet, his Druddigon helping lift his Trainer as well.

"Yeah, Tim might need some help too. I didn't get any of that." Kayla said to the others, with Tim simply nodding in response.

"Maybe that Psychic attack scrambled his brain or something." Kevin suggested, earning a look from all of them. "Hey, it's a thought!"

"Yeah. A stupid one. Now get to lifting the robber douche. Tim and I will help." Kayla said to Kevin, who sighed and did what he was told. Demi watched the display with a small broken smile, faintly amused at the criminal's antics. Tim's Druddigon grabbed Night Slash and carried the robber over its shoulders, not caring that the man's head would be repeatedly hitting its hard scales as they walked. That meant less work for Team Skull, so they were totally alright with this.

"You all are so crazy…But you're the best thing that's happened to me today so…thanks. Thank you so much…" Demi said to the group, earning surprised looks from all of them.

"If we're the best thing that's happened to you today, you must have really had a crap day. What makes you think we deserve a thank you for this? You're literally in the hands of criminals right now. You know, Team Skull and all that?" Kayla noted dryly as they made their way out of the clearing.

"You helped me…You had no reason to, but you all saved my life…even if you're Team Skull, you all still helped me. And as long as we're going away from that stupid Water Trial and it's evil Totem Pokémon, I don't care what happens." Demi murmured, making each of the Team Skull Grunts exchange looks. Gladion knew exactly what they were thinking, as a shared expression of understanding dawned on each of their faces.

"Technically, we were helping Gladion. He's the one who found you and decided to save you. We helped him because, well, we're not going to let someone we work with get killed in front of us. Eh, that counts I guess." Axen replied with a chuckle. "So, Trial huh? Let me guess. The Trial at Brooklet Hill screwed you over?" Axen asked Demi, who nodded an affirmative. "Heh, same as Derek and Grunt 27B. Can't remember his name, but the other guy really hated himself after that adventure."

"Yep. One got disowned by his family after he failed the Trial four times in a row, the other gave up on training altogether after his Popplio got killed. That Water Trial's got a not-good history. Stupid spider thing freaks me out." Kayla replied deprecatingly, looking at Demi with a hidden smile now. "Looks like we've got something in common then...Alright, Gladion. We'll play it your way. We help her out for realsies. Make sure she's all nice and taken care of. Not like we have anything better to do...So, what's your name?"

"Demi…Demi Palena." Demi said to the group as they began their trek down the road. Kevin and Axen were taking turns going through Night Slash's loot and supplies as they walked. Demi looked over at the teen known as Gladion, who was staying close to Type: Null and determinedly looking forward, not meeting the eyes of any of them. The female Team Skull Grunt known as Kayla decided to introduce everyone, her voice rather upbeat now as she cast a smug look at Gladion.

"I'm Kayla. This is Axen, Tim, and Kevin. And that grumpy dude on your left is Gladion." Kayla said to Demi, who gave the teen in black another look of gratitude before she slowly nodded, closing her eyes and sighing with exhaustion as she slumped her shoulders. Demi was surprised when the surly Trainer that commanded Type: Null spoke to her.

"If you need to rest, then rest. Null won't let you fall. I'll wake you up when we get to the Pokémon Center." Gladion said quietly, keeping his eyes forward with his hands shoved in his pockets. Demi smiled slightly at that and leaned against the strange Pokémon, sighing as she rested her eyes.

With that, Team Skull departed the area and headed north towards the Lush Jungle with Demi and Night Slash in tow, leaving the battered girl wondering just what would happen to her next...