Pokémon Radiant Sun
One year...
So much has happened since then.
Within the one year span since this story's beginning, I've realized one of my life's goals and joined the United States Air Force. I've become a much stronger person, both mentally and physically. And despite that, I'm still able to enjoy writing and being a total nerd.
I've been able to work on one of the best and fulfilling stories I've ever done, and with that I've been able to use characters and ideas that I honestly thought I'd never be able to showcase in any capacity. This is a story I know I'll be able to look back on in a few years and feel pride in. A story that I don't have to force myself to get through, a story that inspires me more and more with each chapter, to write more about some of the best characters in the entire Pokémon series.
Here we are, at the one-year anniversary of Pokémon Radiant Sun. In that time this story has acquired an obscene number of views, reviews, favorites and follows...rivaling even my most popular story in just a single year. It's ridiculous! This story is going to take at least another 3 years to finish up properly, and who knows where it could go in that time!
I'm just...Looking back, I wouldn't have ever dreamed of the amazing support this story gets. Whether it be from the wonderful souls that review each and every chapter, or those who silently read on and support the story just by being a part of the journey, you all help make this story what it is. Every view, every favorite, every follow, and especially every review gives this story more steam, and damn it this train is going to barrel into 2018 like nothing else.
So thank you. To those who supported me since the beginning. To those who wished me well before I left for Basic Training. To those who stuck with the story and welcomed me back with open arms after so much time away. And for those just joining us, ready for the latest chapter in a story they found just last week.
From the bottom of my heart...Thank you so much.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, GeekyGamer314, Sai Og Sus, Angelfir3, Cottonmouth25, a new guest reviewer known as Cowboysfan187, Lord-Azrael3, TheHero'sSpirit, BraviaryScout, Gokan123, a Guest reviewer, and a new reviewer known as TheOneWhoSaysMeep. Thank you all for the support!
So, on that note...Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you.
Here's to many more years of action, fluff, excitement, and more fun under the Alolan sun!
Enjoy.
Chapter 44: Water Trial! Making a Splash!
Professor Kukui wasn't a fan of hospitals, much like Hau. Too clean, too calm, and just…they creeped him out a little.
Still, as the Regional Professor of Alola, he had a job to do.
Lillie trailed behind him, alert for those who would be a danger to her. They had met with Doctor Colress, who had been called to assist in an emergency surgery at the hospital. Kukui was astounded that, even though he wasn't a certified doctor, that Colress could work such miracles with medicine. The power of science was indeed incredible, and Kukui wished that the man had dedicated himself to the betterment of humans and Pokémon sooner. The future seemed bright now that Colress was on the side of good.
Colress had assured them that he would return to the Pokémon Lab and assist in the efforts to study Shadow Celebi and Nebby, and after dropping off some files to the man, the duo of the Professor and his assistant departed.
"So, where to next Lillie?" Kukui asked cheerfully, the girl beside him humming in response.
"Lunch? We did skip breakfast, after all." Lillie commented as Nebby squirmed within her bag, letting out a cry. Lillie gasped and clutched the bag, calming Nebby after a few moments.
"True, true. We can swing by that swanky new pizza shop and grab some chow for everyone at the lab." Kukui said with a laugh.
"Pizza sounds good." Lillie replied, though she paused and added, "Just don't forget to have one of them to be cheese. I don't eat meat."
"Of course. Burnet is picky too, so it's no problem!" Kukui laughed, putting his hands behind his hand with a cheerful grin. Lillie was very strongly reminded of Hau, which sent a pang of worry through her. She worried about her friend and worried about how he would be taking the recent incident with Demi. She hoped Sun would find a way to help them both. Lillie was snapped out of her musing at the sound of yelling and scuffling in the hallway ahead.
Professor Kukui slowed down, holding out an arm to stop Lillie's movement. Which was just as well, since a large man was suddenly thrown into their hallway by two burly security guards, who glared the man down. Lillie gasped in surprise, taking in the large scarred man clad in leather and metal, his body shaking with effort. He was bald with two bloodshot hazel eyes that seared with anguish and anger. Lillie recognized the man after a moment, recalling their last encounter.
"You best watch your step, little girl. There's lots of dangerous people on this island. You know that, right?"
Lillie watched Jack, the man she had literally run into just last week, as he was grabbed by security and writhed in their grasp as they tried to shove him further down the hall. They were clearly having some trouble, as the man was fighting their efforts with everything he had, rushing forward and throwing the guards back with a savage snarl.
"You promised me you would save her! Your bastards promised me!" Jack screamed as he thrashed against the resistance of the security forces that lunged at him, forcing him back down the hallway. The massive man bellowed incoherently with agonized fury, tears streaming down his face as he writhed in the grip of the men in black.
His furious gaze landed on Professor Kukui and Lillie, the latter of whom had taken a step back in fear. Jack seemed to recognize the two of them, his fury lessening for the smallest of moments, before he suddenly slammed his fist into the face of the nearest man, shattering the guard's nose.
"You're not going to take me out of here! Clara! I'll save you! Get out of my way!" Jack howled as he threw the other man into a wall. The security team began releasing their Pokémon, using them to effectively subdue the wild man and drag him down the hallway, where his grief-filled screams slowly faded.
"Professor, I met that man before I left with Sun and Aria." Lillie said quietly, putting her hands over her heart.
"Really now? That's surprising. You probably don't know who he is, do you?" Kukui asked Lillie in a soft voice.
"No. But…What happened to him?" Lillie asked Professor Kukui. The man sighed deeply, placing a hand on Lillie's shoulder.
"It's not my place to say. But right now, I'd say he's the unhappiest man on earth. After all…What do you do when you've lost everything? I can't even answer that myself." Kukui trailed off, his voice becoming rather somber.
"What do you mean, Professor?"
"I am so blessed, Lillie. Blessed for being with Professor Burnet, my soulmate. Blessed for my job. My health. My Pokémon. My friends. Even you incredible children…I am so lucky and blessed. Never take life for granted, Lillie. Take the time to appreciate the things you love, because one day, you may not have them anymore." Kukui said sagely, reflecting on his life and how good he had it. He was surprised when Lillie suddenly hugged him fiercely. The Professor chuckled and returned the embrace, knowing that this was the little girl's way of showing how thankful she was for him.
"Nice to meet you…again, Captain Lana. I'm Sun, but you already knew that." Sun said with a smirk to Lana, who nodded slowly, her own mouth threatening to quirk into a smile.
"Yes…Well, you look like an able-bodied Trainer. Could I ask for your help with something?" Lana asked politely, making Sun cross his arms.
"Sure?" Sun said uncertainly, confused as to what was going on. Was he helping Lana with the Trial or was this unrelated?
"Then follow me. This way, please." Lana said before she turned around departed across the bridge, vanishing from sight as she went down a nearby path.
"Let's follow Lana and see what'zz ahead! I hope it'zz something good!" Rotom Dex said as it popped out of Sun's backpack. The device landed on Sun's shoulder, making him give it a small smile.
"Let's do this." Sun said, turning back forward and stepping across the wooden plank bridge to join the Captain. He spotted a man with a fishing pole struggling to reel in something and Sun walked over to the man, curious. As he approached, the man suddenly whirled around, grinning madly at him.
"I'll teach you some tricks that guarantee hooking some Pokémon!" the man proclaimed as Sun stepped back, startled.
"Yikezz! Stranger danger! Just say no, Sun!" Rotom yelped as he hid behind Sun as the man readied a Poké Ball to battle the Kanto-native.
"But I'm in the middle of a Trial! I don't want to waste time battling you!" Sun yelped as the man suddenly threw out a Poké Ball and released a Barboach. Sun sighed and released Penny, already prepared to apologize to Lana for holding the Trial up.
Olivia just watched on with an amused smirk.
Sun beat the Fisherman and continued forward, stepping through some tall grass and not encountering any wild Pokémon. He made his way out of the grass and walked along the path, which opened up to another body of water, where Lana was waiting for him. Lana sighed with relief upon seeing him.
"Thank goodness…What happened?" Lana asked Sun, confused as to why it had taken him so long to get to this spot.
"Stupid Fisherman stopped me for a battle…" Sun grumbled as Lana nodded slowly in understanding.
"Ah. Yes, I usually avoid him. Well, look out across the water." The Captain instructed Sun, who did as the girl asked. "See? Do you see that there?"
Sun peered out over the water and saw what the girl was talking about. Quite a distance across the lake was a section of the lake that was being disrupted by something thrashing under the water. Lana seemed pleased by this, a small smile on her face.
"Look at that vigorous splashing! I wouldn't be surprised to find a fearsome Pokémon is the one causing it all…" Lana mused, her eyes glinting mischievously. Sun could see a little bit of confidence in her blue eyes and smiled inwardly, glad that the girl had stopped dwelling on her previous failure for the moment.
"See, brave trial-goer, I would like to ask you to investigate that splashing there to find out what exactly is causing it." Lana said to Sun, who raised an eyebrow at this.
"I'm not that good of a swimmer, Lana." Sun admitted, which surprised the Captain. The girl recovered quickly, offering Sun a small smile.
"I won't ask you to swim out there, of course. I have a lovely gift for you instead." Lana said as she reached out her hand. "If I could borrow your Ride Pager for a brief moment…"
Sun handed the device over to Lana and after she fiddled with it for a moment, Sun was handed back his device with a new Ride Pokémon option known as the Lapras Ride.
"Okay, that's pretty awesome. I've always wanted to ride a Lapras!" Sun gushed with a wide grin on his face. Lana grinned back at Sun, glad that he appreciated what she had done. Both Trainers were surprised when a loud cry rang out from nearby, with a massive blue head emerging from the water next to the shore. The Pokémon emerged completely after a moment, revealing the massive shell on its back that had a large red chair attached to it.
"Hehe…If you climb atop Lapras there, you will be able to travel over bodies of water." Lana explained as Sun stepped forward, reaching out a hand to pet the Transport Pokémon. The Lapras reached her head out and cooed happily as Sun patted the gentle Pokémon on the head.
"Zzzt! Rotom Dex here to help out!" Rotom cried out, floating off of Sun's shoulder.
"Lapras. The Transport Pokémon. These Pokémon were once near extinction due to poaching. Following protective regulations, there is now an overabundance of them. Its high intelligence enables it to comprehend human speech. When it's in a good mood, it sings in its beautiful voice." Rotom explained as the Pokémon cooed softly, eyeing the two Trainers before her with interest.
"Hi there. Would you like to help me with my Trial?" Sun asked the Pokémon as Lana approached the Water/Ice-type from the side, stroking the creature's head and receiving a happy cry.
"We're friends." Lana explained with a small laugh. "Anyway, that's correct, Sun. Lapras will be assisting you in your Trial, today. Lapras are strong and hardy swimmers, capable of enduring even the roughest of waters. You'll even be able to reach those splashes and see what is going on there."
"Well, it better be worth it. Good thing the weather is perfect for a day on the water." Sun remarked, looking up at the cloudless sky with the sun bearing down on them. He still wasn't used to the heat, but it was still a nice day out (as were most days in Alola). It was one of the many things he appreciated about his new home.
"It is a lovely day. Now, you should get going. I simply can't suppress the curiosity welling up within me…" Lana remarked, a teasing smile on her face. She knew exactly what Sun would be facing, and couldn't help the playful side of her coming out. "That's why I would appreciate it if you would investigate those splashes in the water."
"Sure…" Sun looked around for a moment before sighing deeply. The boy set his backpack on the ground and unzipped it with an annoyed expression.
"What's wrong?" Lana asked, her smile slipping a bit. Lana's smile vanished completely as Sun suddenly took off his shirt and set it on the ground. A fierce blush appeared on the Captain's face as she stared at the boy's exposed chest.
"This place is completely open, meaning there's nowhere decent to change into my Ride Gear. I hate doing this in public. I feel like a weirdo." Sun grumbled as Olivia chuckled from the side.
"It's completely legal out in the wilds, of course. Trainers tend to lose their modesty and shyness over the course of their adventures. You'll likely become more okay with it in time." Olivia giggled as Sun shrugged on a life preserver that came with the item capsule set that he had just for the Ride Pager Ilima had given him back on Melemele Island.
"I don't care of its legal, it's embarrassing. And would the two of you turn around, please? You're making this more awkward." Sun said pointedly to the two young women. Olivia chuckled as she shut her eyes and turned away while Lana turned around completely, almost trembling at the thought of a boy undressing right next to her.
"I sense a disturbance." Lillie whispered, her voice filled with horror.
The girl had suddenly stood up, dropping the book she had been reading to the ground. Professor Kukui looked up from his newspaper with a tired smirk, raising an eyebrow at Lillie's odd behavior. With a small shrug, he returned to reading.
Nebby watched his caretaker from the cushion he had been napping on after their lunch. Lillie stared at the wall, a tremor running through her before the girl crossed her arms.
"I'm going to hug him so hard when I see him again." Lillie said in a deathly quiet voice. Kukui chuckled, knowing exactly who his assistant was talking about. Nebby floated up to the girl, but was grabbed and set back down on the couch with a small pat on the head.
"Pew?"
"Not now Nebby…I need to break something."
"Pew, pew!"
"Professor, do you still have that metal bat?"
"In the kitchen, Lillie. Just keep the damages minimal. My insurance says that they won't pay for anything that isn't provably damaged by Pokémon anymore."
"I promise nothing."
"Aw, did you like seeing the adorable Trainer getting undressed, Lana? Maybe you should chance a peek?" Lana stiffened in horror as Olivia stepped up beside her, wearing a massive grin as Lana flushed dark red, still watching the water so that Sun could change in relative privacy.
"N-nope! I have no comment to make about this situation whatsoever, Miss Olivia!" Lana yelped, hoping that her blushing wasn't obvious. She knew that it was though.
"Please, Lana. You're a young woman. It's okay to admire boys at your age…Hmm. You've never had a boyfriend yourself, have you?" Olivia asked the girl, who sighed deeply.
"N-no ma'am." Lana muttered, feeling a bit down on herself at that fact. Olivia thought about that for a second. An adorable and polite girl like Lana, who was a Captain no less, should have been fending prospective boyfriends off with a stick.
Olivia then remarked, "…Unless you're into girls, of course."
"N-no ma'am…I just get…shy…" Lana mumbled, feeling even more embarrassed about her situation. She was fine when she was comfortable, but when she when it came to boys and romance she was utterly clueless as to what to do.
"Hmm. Might need to talk to Mallow about this. She'd probably know of a few guys you can get to know and…well." Olivia giggled as Lana's blush intensified and the girl began stammering incoherently, ready to pass out from the sheer embarrassment of the conversation she was having with the Kahuna of Akala Island. Lana also knew that Mallow should not be involved in her love life at all because she'd only make things way worse.
"All done." Sun said, satisfied as he looked down at his gear. He wore yellow and black swim trunks, as well as a green life jacket and a green and red helmet. Olivia and Lana turned around, with Olivia giving Sun an appreciative thumbs up. Lana just took a moment to calm herself down, her face still pink as she admired Sun in his outfit.
"So…what izz causing those splashes?" Rotom Dex wondered aloud as Sun stepped onto Lapras' back and tried to get the conversation that he had just heard out of his head. The poor Captain he was helping was even shyer than Lillie was, which was saying something. He wished Demi were around. She would've been more than happy to help Lana with her confidence problems.
Sun wobbled for a moment on the water Pokémon's back but found his balance after a few moments. He sat down and grabbed the two small grey grips that were attached to the seat, keeping him in place and allowing him to steer Lapras when they began moving.
"You're cool with hanging out here for a bit, then? This is the Water Trial, you know." Sun asked the device, who buzzed happily.
"Absolutely! Can't leave my buddy hanging out to dry, now could I? Just…uh…Don't drop me in the water. I'm not waterproof, zzt!" Rotom explained before it landed in Sun's lap. Sun shook his head in bemusement before he began to steer Lapras towards the water that was being disrupted ahead of them. Sun was surprised at how smoothly Lapras rode across the water, the trio simply gliding across the water with no effort. Sun wondered how the Lapras that were in the Ride Pokémon programs were selected and trained. The boy then noticed they were nearing they destination, and prepared himself for whatever was to come next.
As Lapras slowed down to the writhing water, Sun gasped as the water exploded outward. Several small shapes darted out from the splashing source and raced downstream, heading further down the water. Sun started as a strange fish Pokémon leapt from the raging white water, crying out at him.
"Penny, come on out!" Sun called as he released his Trumbeak, who landed on Lapras' head.
"No worriezz, Sun! I've got this handled!" Rotom said as it quickly looked over the white, grey and blue fish as it floated above the water.
"Wishiwashi. The Small Fry Pokémon. Solo Form. It's awfully weak and notably tasty, so everyone is always out to get it. As it happens, anyone trying to bully it receives a painful lesson. When it's in trouble, its eyes moisten and begin to shine. The shining light attracts its comrades, and they stand together against their enemies." Rotom explained as Sun stared down the small fish, which glared at him.
"Solo Form? That sounds…ominous. Penny, let's knock it out quick. Use Pluck!" Sun called to his faithful bird, who shot into the air and dove at the fish Pokémon. Wishiwashi screeched in horror as Penny slammed into it, knocking it senseless through the air and back into the water. Sun waited for a few moments before he saw the Pokémon that had been knocked out flee downstream. Penny watched the retreating fish sadly. It would have made for a lovely snack…
"Oh my…" Lana said, her surprised voice barely audible from the shore. "So it was Wishiwashi kicking up all that water? Even a little Wishiwashi can make such big waves…"
Lana stopped speaking as the sound of splashing filled the area. All of them turned towards the small lake a short distance away, where the sound of splashing could be heard.
"What is that?" Lana wondered as Sun stepped up on his chair to peer at the other lake. "I can hear wild splashing from over there…It sounds even larger than what we just saw. Is it a Pokémon? Is it a person?"
"I doubt that, Lana." Sun replied with a grin as he urged Lapras forward. The boy hopped off the Pokémon, thanking her for her help, before turning around and eyeing the other body of water with interest. He then spotted a small bug Pokémon he had never seen before walking across the rocky shore. The Pokémon spotted him and waved happily before continuing to scuttle along.
Sun smiled at the little bug Pokémon walking on the shore and decided to fire up Rotom Dex's camera mode, the Poké Finder. Sun carefully took a picture of the Pokémon and uploading it to the account that he had set up last month.
"I really should use this more." Sun remarked as he scanned the comments that were pouring on the picture he had uploaded online. He was given the option to link the picture to his Festival Plaza account, but since Sun had no idea what that was, he skipped it.
After admiring the sights of the lake for a moment Sun hopped back aboard Lapras and continued down a side path, waving farewell to Lapras, who dove back into the water. Sun arrived at the water's edge of another massive lake before stopping at the water's edge next to Lana.
"Heeeey Sun! Look up!" Rotom suddenly called out. The boy looked up, as did Lana, and was surprised to see that the sky was now grey. The faint rumble of thunder echoed in the distance.
"The sky was perfect just a few minutes ago…" Sun murmured, eyeing the storm clouds with wonder. Lana smiled as she looked away, a soft hum coming from the Captain. The blue-haired girl then spotted a familiar splashing up ahead and pointed it out to Sun.
"Look! There it is…Now, look over there. Do you see that?" Lana asked Sun, who nodded as he eyed the splashing just ahead of them. "Whatever is kicking up those lovely splashes must be rather big…"
Lana looked upwards, a smile on her face. "A strapping young Swimmer, perhaps? Or an amazing Pokémon specimen?
"I know which one you would prefer, Captain Lana." Sun said to the girl jokingly, making her squeak with embarrassment and flush bright pink. Sun heard a coughing sound behind him and knew that he had just made Olivia laugh.
"That is…ahem! Beside the point. Please go check it out."
"Aye aye, Captain." Sun said with a small salute, making the girl laugh despite herself. Sun called for another Lapras, but was happy to find out the Lapras from before had just followed them downstream herself. Sun hopped aboard the Transport Pokémon and raced towards the splashing, ready to confront whatever Pokémon was there. Like before, the splashing intensified before a series of shadows raced away from under the water, vanishing downstream. A single Wishiwashi darted out of the water, glaring Sun down.
"Penny, here's round two! Pluck!" Sun called forth his Trumbeak, who raced forward and slammed into the Wishiwashi, knocking it back and sending falling onto the surface of the water. This fish didn't go down as easy as its brethren, as it glared at Penny and shot a Water Gun at her. The Trumbeak easily dodged it with a flap of her wings, but this allowed the Wishiwashi to call forth another one to help fight Penny.
"Two-on-one, huh? Alright. Penny, knock out the first one with Brick Break!" Sun commanded the bird, who charged forward with a glowing orange beak and slammed into the first Wishiwashi, knocking it out. Penny let out a loud cry as the other Wishiwashi shrank back, obviously worried now that it was on its own.
"Zzzt! Hey Sun, looks like Penny just learned Roost!" Rotom said to Sun, who grinned as Penny chirped at him. While this was happening, the Wishiwashi summoned an Aqua Ring to heal itself slightly, but Sun was more concerned with Penny's new move than he was with what the small fish was doing.
"That restores a Pokémon's health, doesn't it?" Sun mused as he looked at Penny, who seemed rather battered from their battle with the insane Fisherman from earlier. "Penny, use Roost."
Penny landed on Lapras's head and closed her eyes. The bird began to glow white, her injuries vanishing before their very eyes. After a few moments, Penny rose and flared her wings, looking pristine once again.
"Alright. Now use Pluck!" Sun commanded as the bird took off, diving towards Wishiwashi. The Pokémon attempted to use Brine, shooting a torrent of water at Penny, but the Trumbeak dodged to the side at a command from Sun and slammed into the fish Pokémon. Wishiwashi was sent reeling back, no pun intended, and screeched as it hit the water. With a Brick Break to follow-up, Penny defeated the other fish.
"Nice work, Penny." Sun said to his bird as she swooped by him, landing beside him on Lapras's back. Sun then started as a series of droplets began to pelt him from above. Sun, Penny, and Rotom all looked up and saw that the sky had darkened and was now beginning to rain on them all. Within moments a light drizzle had turned into a powerful downpour.
"Zzzzt! This is where I exit stage left!" Rotom declared as it ducked into Sun's backpack, zipping it up. Sun returned Penny, grinning at the rain hitting him. While it was normally annoying, it wasn't this time because he was already geared up to get wet, so he welcomed the rain.
"And it means that falling into the water won't be that bad, even if I'm a bad swimmer." Sun thought to himself.
"Oh my." Sun turned around and saw Lana standing at the water's edge on the opposite shore, smiling at him. Despite the rain, she didn't seem bothered by it. Sun decided not to comment that he could see clearly through the girl's white shirt now. She probably already knew and had taken some kind of precaution anyway. "So it was another Wishiwashi that was kicking up all that water? Hmm. How unfortunate. It wasn't a strapping young Swimmer after all…"
"I choose to believe that you're saying that because I don't identify as any class of Trainer, and that you were specifically looking for a Swimmer." Sun said as he landed on the shore. Lana was cut off from replying back the sound of furious splashing nearby.
"Oh my word!" Lana yelped, genuinely surprised as she looked towards an even larger section of water further downstream. "Now what is that? Even more furious splashing? It sounds as big as a Wailord. It might just be another Pokémon, but…"
Lana flushed, closing her eyes and muttering, "Maybe, just maybe, we'll be lucky enough to find a spry young Swimmer floundering in the water in need of saving! Let's go investigate it, Sun!"
"Are you sure you don't want Sun to investigate you, instead?" Olivia asked, smirking as she slipped on a poncho and grinned at them both. Lana blushed furiously but didn't reply while Sun just chuckled.
"Lana, you should seriously consider getting a boyfriend if you voice aloud your innermost desires to people you barely know." Sun advised the girl, who sighed deeply.
"I-I know that, Sun! Don't judge me for my fantasies, okay!?"
"Considering I just realized I have a crush on my best friend, I can't judge you for anything." Sun admitted with a shrug. Lana blushed even more, gaping at Sun.
"So you and Hau…oh my goodness!" Lana stammered, making Sun give her a horrified look.
"No! Not me and Hau! It's…ahem, me and…Lillie." Sun mumbled, his own face becoming rather red. Olivia burst out into laughter as Lana blinked before coughing, trying to find a way to recover from the rather embarrassing assumption she had made.
"Huh…And just like that, my smoldering anger is gone." Lillie stated as she lowered her bat, eyeing the destroyed room with a wince. "It's going to take a while to clean this…oh well."
"Which means that you and Hau are both single." Olivia remarked pointedly as Sun crossed his arms.
"I am, but I'm currently too busy and awkward for anything like that. I kind of want to sort things out with Lillie and see where we both stand. And as far as Hau goes, I imagine he's game for whatever, but considering Demi and him were on the verge of dating and then suddenly aren't talking at the moment…that one's more complicated." Sun explained to the two women. Olivia nodded understandingly while Lana didn't reply, instead looking skyward.
"I don't know what I want. It's so hard to be myself around others…I like having fun. Teasing people. Being excited and joking around. My own shyness is hard to get around. But I'm trying…Maybe someday I'll find someone who loves me despite my problems." Lana said softly, sighing once again. The girl jumped as a hand clamped down on both of her shoulders. Lana looked behind her and saw Sun and Olivia standing behind her, supportive smiles on their faces. The Captain smiled back at them and nodded slightly, and with that the two Trainers released the Captain, who walked forward with Sun once more.
"Brooklet Hill…Within it lies the Legendary Pokémon said to be the embodiment of the sea itself…The mighty Kyogre." Lana whispered as she and Sun walked the drenched path together.
"Really?" Sun asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh dear…" Lana sighed with mock distress, a small smile on her face. "You won't be tricked easily, Sun."
"I try not to be. I'd imagine Hau would be a much better sport about this, though." Sun said to the girl, who hummed thoughtfully.
"That said, we are near the sea. If that splashing sound is coming from the sea…then I wonder what is causing it." Lana said aloud, putting a hand to her chin. "And now it is raining as well. The rain will boost the power of any Water-type moves by half again…Could those splashes be caused by some Pokémon whose moves are now growing ever stronger in the falling rain?"
"How would I know? I just got here, Captain."
"…Sun, would it be okay if we became friends?"
"I'd be happy to, Lana." Sun said with a chuckle as Lana gave him a sincere smile, and two Trainers silently walked down the path with Olivia still shadowing them. The Kahuna was smiling at the young Captain and the bright Trainer beside her. The duo walked past two colorful poles as they neared the shore of a massive body of water beside the sea, with Olivia keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Not that she wasn't confident in Lana, but she didn't want anyone else getting hurt. Especially not on her watch.
"Sun…You've come all this way with me…" Lana smiled as she turned around, her smile becoming a grin. As if on cue, Rotom began playing a rock version of what sounded like the Kahuna's battle theme, but Sun decided he liked the song nevertheless. Sun crossed his arms, expecting the twist.
"That's right. Didn't you notice? You passed through the Captain's gate by my side. Which means you will undergo my Trial!" Lana proclaimed, with Sun giving the Captain a grin of his own in response.
"To clear my Trial, you must defeat the great Totem Pokémon known as the lord of the ocean!" Lana declared before pointing out towards the massive expanse of water enclosed almost entirely by stone on all sides, save for a point to the west where water flowed into the ocean.
A single point in the center of the water, surrounded by a several stones, seemed to have something thrashing beneath the water just like Sun had seen twice before now. Sun felt a shiver roll through him as he looked at it…he knew that was where his true opponent was lying in wait for him.
"That spray of water you can see there! That is where you will probably find the Totem. And perhaps…" Lana trailed off, looking away from Sun as she said quietly, "Those Wishiwashi you battled against will also want their revenge…"
Lana turned back to Sun, regarding her new friend with a smile. "Defeat whatever comes at you and prove your strength to me! And remember that you cannot catch any Pokémon here unless you complete my Trial. So let the Trial begin!"
Sun nodded and released all three of his Pokémon. Brago twitched as the rain quickly drenched him, and Sun turned to his Fire-type.
"Sorry Brago, but you'll have to sit out on this one. After what happened with Feya, I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I know we trained a lot to get you stronger, but this isn't a battle I can afford to take chances on. Okay?" Sun said to the canine, who sighed at the words of his Trainer but nodded. Nearby, Lapras emerged from the water again and greeted them with a cry. Sun smiled at the Transport Pokémon before turning to his two birds.
"Penny, I'm using you first. You're going to help me figure out just what this Totem Pokémon can do. I'm hoping I can finish this with just you, but if not, Oliver will definitely be able to do this, since he has the type-advantage. I'm counting on you both, okay?" Sun said to Oliver and Penny, earning nods from the two of them.
"Then let's do this." Sun said breathlessly, excitement pounding through him.
"Do not let your guard down. The Totem Pokémon is not to be trifled with. This may be its first true Totem Battle, but it will not be easy." Lana warned Sun as he returned his team. The boy nodded before he ran forward and leapt onto the back of Lapras once again and sped towards the writhing water, prepared to take down the new Totem Pokémon and claim his next Z-Crystal.
Overhead the thunder rolled…
