Pokémon Radiant Sun
What a way to end the year.
This one was a fun one to do. Way more action-packed than the last Totem Battle, mainly because this is definitely one of my favorites.
Though, I would like to make some notes on some things.
The Trial and Totem Battle chapters. In this story, I have a lot of chapters to cover. And since both the Trials and the Totem Battles themselves are incredibly important in their own rights, they each get separate chapters. It's just going to be a thing. However, also keep in mind, they're not very long.
Seriously, take a moment and consider how long it takes to beat each of the trials in the game. It shouldn't take more than five minutes for any of them. Those chapters are going to be a bit short compared to the other chapters I do, because there's not a whole lot to cover aside from the Trial itself. So if last chapter seemed unusually short, it's because Trial and Totem chapters just aren't going to be jam-packed. Sorry. Imagine how the Dragon and Electric Trials are going to be. That's going to take some creativity right there, to get around how short those Trials are.
Besides, these chapters are supposed to be only 3,000-5,000 words for a weekly update. That is how I designed this story to be, with a weekly upload schedule. So far, I've been doing a 6,000-13,000 word update every week. Last week's update was 6,244 words, for the record.
Throw me a bone here, is all I'm saying. There's a reason I had to take a break over the holidays, and even then I did some writing despite myself.
Anyways, I'm heading back to my base tomorrow. Hoorah. Meaning that after this, I'll be taking a two week hiatus to get caught back up on chapters because I've had basically no time at all while at home to write.
I'll be back on track on January 14th, with Chapter 46 of Pokémon Radiant Sun, "Until the Last Ember Fades".
Yes, it's a Silver Resistance reference. And yes, it's an awesome story.
Also, apparently Lillie's love interest senses tingling was the highlight of last chapter. Don't read a whole lot into it, though. Sometimes stories don't have to make sense, per say. This is a video game world after all. I am glad you all enjoyed that scene though, as I had fun writing it.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Madame Rodoshe, LordAzrael1, Cottonmouth25, Angelfir3, BouncingFish, The Hero'sSpirit, Sai Og Sus,TheOneWhoSaysMeep,BraviaryScout, GeekyGamer314, Rare Joe Star, a new guest reviewer known as Annimo,Gokan123, DarkestShade73, as well as four new reviewers known as SonicIKE (Have you reviewed before? Because your name looks familiar), hafizsyaraf5, and TheMillenniumWriter. Thanks for the support and feedback, as always.
Have a very Happy New Year, and…
Enjoy.
Chapter 45: Totem Battle! As the Storm Rages On!
Demi buried Feya underneath a tree by the coast on Route 8 that morning.
The Fire-type specialist mourned alone. Team Skull having been understanding enough to give the girl space to grieve. They went off to train against some of the local Pokémon a mile or so away, but would return for her in a few hours. This would allow Demi time to say her final goodbyes.
Gladion elected to stay behind and keep an eye on things, to Demi's surprise. The teen sat against a tree with Type: Null a respectable distance away, while Demi just stared at upturned dirt was the only indicator that a fallen bird was now buried there. A somber-looking Quilava and a stoic Litwick remained close to the girl, her only true company in her vigil.
The fierce teen in black shuddered as he beheld someone who openly showed how much the loss of their Pokémon effected them. Demi's entire body heaved with raw agony on her face as she wept for her fallen friend, half-rambling half crying as she spoke aloud to Feya as if she could still hear her. Gladion couldn't make most of it out, but what he did make out made him feel absolutely horrible for the other Trainer.
"Is this what losing a Pokémon does to you…I'll protect you with everything I have, Null. All of my Pokémon. I can't let what happened to her, to Demi, happen to anyone else. Another reason to get stronger." Gladion thought as he rubbed the back of his partner. Type: Null hummed in response, twisting its neck slightly to look at Gladion. The beast's intelligent eyes gleamed from within the helmet, considering him for a moment before turning forward again. The two watched Demi in silence, with Gladion's thoughts tiredly wandering. Without realizing it was happening, his eyes slowly drooped and he fell asleep.
Demi began to pray for her fallen Pokémon after a time. While the girl had never been particularly religious, she knew that her starter would have appreciated the gesture, and so she prayed. It brought her some manner of comfort as she talked aloud to the sky and those who watched over them. Demi prayed for the Great Father, Arceus, to watch over the spirit of her best friend and help her on the journey to the next life.
She kneeled there for about an hour, just speaking aloud, half in prayer and half talking to Feya, thanking her for everything she did for Demi. Being her best friend, her most avid supporter, and listening to her hopes and fears and worries and dreams. Her starter was patient and loving and everything Demi could have hoped for in a starter…
But now she was gone. And Demi would have to continue on her journey, whatever it was now, without her.
By the time Demi had finished, her body was stiff and her eyes stung but could no longer release any more tears. Demi rose to her feet, her body swaying for a moment before she inhaled and exhaled, calming her breathing.
"Goodbye. I'll…I'll always love you, Feya. Moe i ka maluhia." Demi whispered before she turned around and walked away, her heart heavy. Demi walked through the trees, looking up into the beautiful Alolan sky and thinking that Feya would have loved to fly on a day like this. She had always appreciated the ocean, despite her typing. Demi looked down at the ground with a sigh, internally telling herself to try and focus on something else for now. The girl looked up and was surprised at the sight she saw just through the trees ahead.
Gladion was quietly sleeping against the tree, his exhaustion finally winning out. Demi couldn't help a miserable smile at the sight of the intense teen finally relaxing a little, even if it was when he was out cold. The girl walked over to the Trainer and Type: Null and sat down beside them, with Demi petting Type: Null on the back. The simple act helped the girl calm her emotions, thankfully bringing her back to the reality around her. That was right. Feya wouldn't have wanted her to be sad on her account. Keep going. That was what she had to do. Demi felt rather than heard Type: Null hum as it was stroked, allowing its pleasure to be known much like it had with Gladion earlier. Demi was surprised when Gladion didn't stir at the not-quiet noise the beast was making.
"Heavy sleeper, huh?" Demi softly asked Null. The beast nodded in response. Demi observed the teen in black for a time, unable to help the fact that he sort of reminded her of someone. She couldn't place her finger on who though. Another thought popped into her head, making her smile a little more despite herself.
"He's…actually kind of handsome." Demi thought as she crossed her legs and watched Gladion alongside Type: Null. It was odd how he was supposed to be keeping an eye on her, but the tables had turned. Demi just sat and observed the teen for a time, taking in the small details of the intense teen's appearance. The tears in his clothing, caused by what looked like some kind of animal. His fair bangs covering his other eye, his expression one of tranquility. As if he was finally able to escape his sorrows while adrift in slumber.
"I hope you find peace, Gladion." Demi thought to herself, her smile fading away. Demi shook her head fiercely, jarring herself out of her thoughts. What was she doing? Getting distracted by cute boys was not going to help her current predicament.
"So the question remains…What to do now? Do I even want to be a Trainer anymore? I couldn't give a damn about the Island Challenge after what it did to me. But there's nothing else for me here. I'm too young for anything else besides being a Trainer…it's the only thing I'm good at. Or am I…I don't know anymore. I don't even deserve the Pokémon I have right now…they'd be better off with someone else." Demi thought before she sighed and closed her eyes, feeling the sadness and despair set in. Maybe Gladion had the right idea. A nap sounded wonderful right now. It'd be nice not to think about anything for a while.
Demi shuffled her position until she was sitting on the other side of the tree Gladion was sleeping on. The girl spread out her dress and pulled her hat down low, closing her eyes and relaxing. Torch curled up beside her while Aou just stared out into space, watching them before turning away. Type: Null groaned softly beside Gladion as Demi yawned.
"Wake us up if anything happens, okay?" Demi said sleepily to the beast, but she was asleep before she could hear the monster's reply. Demi and Gladion slept underneath the trees the shaded them from the Alolan Sun, with Type: Null on guard. The beast maintained an unceasing vigilance as the two children slumbered, with the monster prepared to attack at any given moment. Despite being created as a weapon…
It was more than happy to protect the dreams of the two kind-hearted teenagers beside it. At least for a little while.
Sun approached the spot where the splashing was occurring, and was surprised to find that the splashing stopped as soon as he approached. Sun spotted a figure dart below the water before vanishing into the inky depths.
The Kanto-native winced as the storm intensified, with the rain coming down as a torrential downpour. Lightning crackled overhead as thunder boomed around the boy, who suddenly felt very vulnerable in the middle of the water. Sun could feel Lapras trembling beneath him, the Transport Pokémon letting out a small whine of fear. Sun reached out and patted the Pokémon on the head, smiling weakly at his companion on the water.
"Hey, don't worry girl. We'll be fine. Let's just track down this Totem Pokémon, okay?" Sun said to Lapras, who suddenly stiffened in horror as she looked down. Sun did as well and barely managed to stop himself from screaming. What didn't help was Rotom playing incredibly eerie music.
A massive shadow was swirling beneath them, with dozens of small shadows darting into the larger one and making it grow larger and larger, forming into some sort of massive thing. Suddenly, the massive shadow twisted and writhed underwater before shooting towards the surface and breaking free, rising high into the air. Sun's eyes widened in horror at the massive beast that jumped from the depths below, a multitude of fish and water forming into one massive, shifting and undulating beast that was heading right towards him.
Sun screamed as the Totem Pokémon smashed into the water right beside Lapras, making the Transport Pokémon yell out in horror and throw Sun clear off of it and into the water. The boy tumbled into the rough waves, his breath leaving him as the blinding dark water engulfed him. The rough waters immediately slammed into him from all sides, leaving Sun floundering under the water and unable to tell which way was up. Sun panicked and tried to fight his way out of the water, but he found he didn't need too. The boy was almost immediately tossed back onto Lapras by something below the water.
The Trainer shook his head as he grabbed onto Lapras again, and looked over at the Totem Pokémon as it rose from the depths a short distance away, floating above the water as it eyed its first challenger.
"Gyoooooh!" the beast bellowed, swinging its tail at the water and sending up a massive deluge from the sea. The Totem Pokémon then shuddered as a familiar fiery orange aura burst into existence around the beast, who let out another roar. Rotom began playing a familiar intense music from within Sun's backpack, but that didn't distract Sun from the matter at hand.
"What is that thing!?" Sun screamed as Lapras rocked back and forth, eyeing the massive monster with fear and wariness. Sun felt as scared as Lapras looked, as he hadn't seen something that fearsome in anything he read or seen before. Not even the strange monster that he had encountered the other day, Type: Null, could compare to the horrifying goliath of a Pokémon before him. Rotom's voice snapped Sun out of his horror, explain just what Sun was seeing.
"Zzzt! Wishiwashi. The Small Fry Pokémon. School Form. Weak Wishiwashi school together to concentrate their power. Their united force makes them the demon of the sea, feared near and far. At their appearance, even Gyarados will flee. When they team up to use Water Gun, its power exceeds that of Hydro Pump." Rotom explained to Sun, who eyed the monster ahead with open awe.
"They all joined together. Those weak fish became that…That's…not good." Sun said nervously as the beast before him let out a powerful roar that shook the air around them, making Sun flinch and Lapras whimper in fear.
"It'zz strength iz multiplied by more than threefold! And with that Z-Power boost itzz got, its defense just skyrocketed!" Rotom cried out from within Sun's backpack. Sun could feel the warmth of the fish's Z-Power burning like an inferno even from how far away he was from it.
And then another question struck Sun.
"You can tell what's going on out here from inside that backpack?" Sun asked Rotom, visibly trying to calm himself down as the behemoth ahead of him undulated and shuddered, preparing itself to strike. Sun hoped that the massive collection of fish didn't hold it against him too much that he beat down two of their friends. Sun thought he could see three Wishiwashi in the collective that were giving him very nasty looks.
"Yes, now hurry up and beat that thing so we can get somewhere dry!" Rotom Dex said to Sun, who smiled despite himself as he drew out a Poké Ball.
"This thing is scary…But we've been through a lot worse than this. Alright…deep breaths. We've got this!" Sun said aloud, pumping himself up and trying to regain his earlier excitement. To his surprise, it helped a little, even if he was still scared of the monster before him.
"Penny, let's go!" Sun yelled out as a released his Trumbeak, who released a cry as she swooped down over the water. The bird eyed her opponent with a glare, ready to do battle with the monster before her. She could feel her Trainer's fear, but she could also feel how strong his desire to prevail over their opponent was. She'd led him her courage for this fight.
"Let's start this off right. Pluck!" Sun commanded as he punched the air. Penny nodded and fearlessly flew at the massive monster, who dove under the water and easily dodged the attack.
"Alright…I should've expected that." Sun mused nervously as Penny soared higher into the air. The bird let out a shriek as a cannon-like blast of water shot towards her from straight below, nearly knocking her out of the air. Sun's jaw dropped as the massive beast suddenly erupted from the water, opening its mouth wide to swallow Penny whole from below.
"Penny, use Supersonic!" Sun screamed in terror as Penny looked down, eyes widening in surprise. The bird responded with a blast of sound that hit Totem Wishiwashi directly, making the beast falter at the last moment and come just short of Penny in the air. Gravity made the massive Totem Pokémon fall back towards the sea, landing on the water with a tremendous crash and sending waves smashing into Sun and Lapras. Sun gasped as the Transport Pokémon cried out, with water lashing over the two of them as lightning crackled overhead.
Totem Wishiwashi rose from the water, shaking its head blearily through its confusion. The beast fired a Water Gun into the air, but it missed Penny by a large margin. However, both Sun and the bird saw the blast hit a faraway rock, obliterating it with little effort.
"Penny, do not get hit by that!" Sun called to Penny, who gave her Trainer a dull look in response. "Okay, stupid comment. Sorry. Use Pluck!"
Penny nodded and dived downwards at the massive monster, slamming into it with her glowing beak and spearing the fish into the side, making it snarl in pain. Penny shot out of the fish with a muffled chirp, holding a Sitrus Berry within her beak. Totem Wishiwashi let out a furious growl as Penny gobbled the berry whole, lowering her attack as she soared away. Wishiwashi then smashed the water with his tail, letting out a bellow of some sort that echoed across the water.
Sun couldn't help the sigh of annoyance as a second Wishiwashi shot out of the water to stand by its stronger brethren, eyeing Sun and Penny with apprehension.
"Alright. Two-on-one...Well, that doesn't really work since it's a whole bunch of them there, but the point remains. We've got this! Penny, use Hidden Power on the smaller Wishiwashi!" Sun called out as Penny chirped an affirmative, a glow infusing her body before being released in a pulse that washed over the smaller Wishiwashi and sent it flying back into the water. To Sun's dismay, the Wishiwashi shot back out of the water with a tired cry.
"Alright, I'm done using Hidden Power. It sucks!" Sun thought as Penny dodged a Water Gun from the massive Totem Pokémon, ducking low and swooping over the raging water. Beside the massive Totem, the smaller Wishiwashi swam in circles around the Totem Pokémon, glowing white. Sun's eyes widened as several rings of water suddenly formed around the massive fish.
"Aqua Ring? The Pokémon helping that thing need to go...Uh, Penny, use Brick Break!" Sun called out to his Trumbeak. Penny darted towards the smaller fish with a savage cry, her beak burning an orange color as she swung it downwards, smacking the smaller Wishiwashi across the waves and sending it down into the water. After several seconds, Sun broke out into a grin upon realizing that the ally Pokémon of Wishiwashi had been defeated.
"Now, let's focus on the-" Sun began to say before he saw a bright blue glow of light. Sun turned in time to see Wishiwashi firing a wicked beam of bright blue energy at Penny, hitting her in midair. Penny screeched in pain as the Ice Beam froze her left leg and torso, sending her plummeting towards the water. Sun let out a scream as the bird smashed into the water with a massive splash.
"No…No, no, no! Penny!" Sun yelled out as he pulled out a Poké Ball, preparing to return the bird as he saw a great deal of frantic splashing from where the bird had landed. Thankfully the water exploded outwards, with Penny shooting into the air with a loud screech. The bird flared her wings in midair, panting heavily from the powerful attack that she had just been hit with. Sun realized with a pang that this battle had just become much harder.
He was essentially down one Pokémon and the Totem could use a move that could spell disaster for his remaining two Pokémon. Ice Beam was powerful enough to knock out Penny and Oliver with relative ease, as just seen with Sun's Trumbeak. Penny looked like she was about to fall out of the air from just that one attack…
"You still want to fight, Penny?" Sun called to the bird. He knew she was strong and very driven, but he still worried about her. The Trumbeak let out a fearsome screech, a defiant challenge to the Totem that she faced. Even if she was having trouble flying and she knew that getting hit by any attack would likely knock her out, she wouldn't give up on Sun.
To Sun's surprise, one of his Poké Balls suddenly erupted with white light and Brago was released from his ball, appearing beside him on Lapras' back. The dog winced at the rain, but barked out to Penny over the water. The Trumbeak looked back at her teammate with surprise.
"Look at that, Penny! Brago's right here to cheer you on! We're both behind you all the way!" Sun called to Penny, who nodded sharply as she faced forward and stared down the terrifying monster that loomed ahead. Sun couldn't help the proud smile on his face as he threw out an arm and called out his next move.
"Let's hit this thing hard then! Pluck!" Sun called to Penny as the bird willed herself forward, flapping her wings as hard as she could with her beak glowing bright white. Totem Wishiwashi roared as the bird drew near and fired off a Water Gun, the blast of water racing towards Penny.
Sun felt his heart race in worry as the water drew near, but broke out into a wide grin as Penny veered off to the left to dodge the blast before shooting towards Totem Wishiwashi, slamming into the massive beast and receiving a pain-filled snarl in response. Penny soared high into the air with a triumphant cry.
"Keep at it, Penny! Use-" Sun was cut off as Totem Wishiwashi dove into the water a second time before leaping high into the air. Penny released a blast of Echoed Voice without a command, hitting the massive beast directly, but this didn't stop the Water Gun that slammed into the Trumbeak and sent her smashing into the water next to Sun. The boy watched with a pang of sadness as Penny floated to the top of the water, clearly knocked out.
"You were fantastic, Penny. Thanks for giving it everything you had." Sun said as he returned his faithful bird, clipping her ball to his belt. Brago barked in agreement as Sun pulled out another Poké Ball and released Oliver, who hooted loudly as the rain continued to fall.
"Alright, Oliver! Let's beat this Totem and get out of this rain before I catch a cold!" Sun said to his starter, who rotated his head around to Sun and hooted at his Trainer before turning back around to face Totem Wishiwashi. Brago barked something to Oliver, who flipped his feathers into a thumbs up before letting out a chirp in reply.
"Razor Leaf!" Sun commanded his starter. Oliver let out a high screech and released his wave of leaves, which slammed into Wishiwashi and made the monster bellow in pain at the super-effective hit. Wishiwashi let out a growl of fury at Oliver, who flinched at the move and soared past Sun, eyeing the Totem with predatory eyes.
"Hit it hard and fast with Peck! Don't let that thing get you!" Sun yelled out to Oliver. The Dartrix nodded and shot forward with a savage screech, his sharp beak piercing the side of Wishiwashi and making the monster howl in agony. Wishiwashi retaliated with a Water Gun that Oliver barely managed to dodge, dropping several feet in a dive and flaring his wings. Oliver narrowed his eyes as he stared down the Totem. Wishiwashi bellowed at Oliver, slamming its tail down into the water. Oliver responded with a piercing screech of his own as the lightning crackled overhead. Sun yelped at the deafening boom of thunder, but held strong as Brago nudged his side and barked at him with a fierce grin. Sun wrapped an arm around the dog, grateful for his support, and focused back on the fight.
"Oliver, use Razor Leaf!" Sun called out as Lapras shuddered as the two Pokémon lunged at each other. Oliver released the attack and swerved downwards, avoiding an Ice Beam that went wide and froze a solid portion of the water as it swept across the area.
"This thing is fierce." Sun muttered before he saw the Totem Pokémon suddenly release an echoing roar. A few moments later, a large pink fish Pokémon rose from the waters, floating beside Totem Wishiwashi.
"Rotom, there's a big pink fish-like Pokémon helping Totem Wishiwashi. Any idea what it is?" Sun asked the device hiding with his backpack.
"How big izz it?"
"Kinda big, I guess."
"Searching…Match found. Alomomola. The Caring Pokémon. They float upon the open sea. Many water Pokémon gather in the area around Alomomola. It uses its special mucus to close the wounds of injured Pokémon. The reason for this behavior remains unknown." Rotom explained as the pink Pokémon floated beside Totem Wishiwashi, who smashed the water with his tail and opened his mouth wide, a massive torrent of water erupting towards Oliver.
"Protect!" Sun barked as Oliver flared his wings. The massive deluge rushed into Oliver, parting around his shield a second after it fully appeared around the owl. It did however send a massive crack down the front of it, a testament to the sheer power of Totem Wishiwashi. Oliver swept his wings aside, dispelling the shield just in time to catch a series of Doubleslaps to the face courtesy of Alomomola, who had dove and emerged from the water and surprised Oliver with a sneak attack.
"You just going to take that, Oliver?" Sun asked the owl as he faltered slightly in the air. Oliver's response was a fearsome screech that made the Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill and its ally shrink back in surprise as Oliver shot towards them with something resembling bloodlust in his eyes. Oliver released a flurry of leaves at the two of them, making Alomomola screech in pain as Wishiwashi tried to fend off the incensed Dartrix with an Ice Beam. Oliver dodged the attack, however, and slammed into the top of the massive fish with a Tackle, dazing it long enough for Oliver to fly back to Sun. Sun smirked as Oliver landed on top of Lapras, panting as he attempted to rein in his fury. The bird even attempted to preen himself, despite the rain.
"I thought so." Sun told the Dartrix, who just shot him an annoyed look.
"Dar dartriiiix."
"Yeah…You kind of deserved it though."
"…Dar."
"Don't be like that. You totally do."
"Bzzzt! You can understand him?"
"Not really."
Oliver suddenly started as the water exploded and a massive fish beast rose from the depths, landing on the water. Oliver screeched as Totem Wishiwashi roared at back at him, with Sun yelling out the command for Peck on Alomomola. The bird managed to hit the ally Pokémon, but not before getting hit with a Water Gun from Alomomola and a strange blue glowing water attack from the Totem Pokémon. Sun was confused when Oliver had almost no reaction to the attack. It did, however, make the bird glow blue for several moments before Oliver visibly shuddered in midair and was forced to land on Lapras again.
"What was that move? I haven't ever heard of a Water-type attack that does nothing." Sun said as Oliver shook his head furiously and Brago barked to the owl. Rotom suddenly beeped from Sun's backpack, making the boy glance behind him.
"Sun, what did the move look like?" Rotom asked.
"Totem Wishiwashi just shot out some kind of glowing blue water. Didn't do any damage to Oliver from what I can tell, though." Sun said to Rotom, who buzzed from within Sun's bag.
"It might've been Soak. It's a move that turnzz a Pokémon into a Water-type for a short time. Wishiwahsi is able to learn such a move, so it'zz possible."
"What good does changing a Pokémon into a Water-type do?"
"Pokémon generally do more damage with attackzz of their typing. Meaning that Oliver'zz grass and flying attackzz should do more damage than say, Tackle or Astonish. But if it'zz type izz now water…" Rotom trailed off, but Sun understood what it was saying.
"Then Oliver just lost out on a big advantage. Lana trained Wishiwashi really well. I bet she made sure to have Wishiwashi use that move on any Pokémon it has a disadvantage against. That's…I'm really excited now, heh. Thanks for the help, Rotom!" Sun grinned as Oliver landed on the head of Lapras, shaking his feathers.
"Don't worry about it, Oliver. It's only temporary. Now let's take down this thing! Razor Leaf!" Sun barked as Oliver sharply nodded, kicking off of Lapras and darting high into the air. Wishiwashi released an Ice Beam at Oliver, but the Dartrix twirled in midair and dodged the attack, releasing a Razor Leaf and making the massive fish below retreat backwards as the attack slashed at the fish collective and its partner, Alomomola. Sun could tell that the attack, while super-effective, didn't pack nearly as much punch as it did before.
Oliver let out a screech as Wishiwashi burst out of the water with a guttural roar of fury, launching itself towards the Dartrix. At Sun's command, the bird shot to the side and released a barrage of Razor Leaf at the monster, making it wince in pain and miss Oliver with its mouth. It didn't stop Totem Wishiwashi from hitting Oliver with a Water Gun as Alomomola released a blue surge of electricity-like energy to the massive beast. The attack hit Oliver with the force of a truck, knocking the bird out of the air and into the water below.
"Oliver!" Sun called out to the owl, who flung itself out of the water with great effort and narrowed his eyes at Totem Wishiwashi as it slammed back down into the water. The Dartrix let out another screech at the monster, who bellowed right back at Oliver.
"Don't let that fish show you up! Razor Leaf on them both!" Sun barked as Oliver nodded sharply flapping his wings and releasing the leaf barrage once again. Alomomola shrieked in pain as Wishiwashi rushed forward, tanking the attack and charging forth with a raging fountain beneath the beast as it slammed into Oliver with Waterfall. Oliver toppled through the air with a squawk of pain. Sun called out to Oliver, who flared his wings moments to avoid hitting the water again.
"Dar…Dartrix!" Oliver hooted at the Totem as the beast landed in the water once again. Alomomola shot a burst of water at Oliver, who released a Leafage at Sun's command to neutralize the attack.
"Use Peck on Totem Wishiwashi!" Sun called to Oliver as the bird shot forward as fast he could. Oliver's eyes widened in horror as Totem Wishiwashi opened its maw and charged up an Ice Beam, quickly firing the icy blast at Oliver, who was going too quickly to dodge in time. Brago snarled out loud as raw terror made Sun's body go cold.
"Oliver, Protect!" Sun screamed out desperately as the attack arced towards Oliver. The bird managed to stop its Peck attack and it's held out his wings in front of him with a sudden smug look on its face, with a bright blue shield appearing around the bird.
To Sun's horror, the beam slammed into Oliver and quickly began to freeze the shield around the bird solid. Sun felt relief fill him that the bird had managed to avoid being knocked out by Ice Beam, but was confused as to why the Dartrix hadn't ended Protect as he continued to soar towards Totem Wishiwashi in a massive ball of ice. Sun received his answer when said ball of ice collided with the skull of the Totem Pokémon with immense force, shattering upon its head and making the Totem howl in pain as Oliver shot into the air with a cackle-like chirp of glee.
"Did…Did you just use Protect to hurt Totem Wishiwashi?" Sun asked Oliver, who gave Sun a thumbs up with his feathers as he landed on Lapras again. Meanwhile Brago was laughing with amusement at the situation. "Just checking. Oliver, only you could turn a move that it literally just used for defense…and turn it into something to hurt others."
"Daar!"
"You're something else…but you're awesome. You know that, right?" Sun asked his starter. Oliver nodded and shot off into the air, with Sun shouting out a command for Razor Leaf. The barrage of spinning leaves raced towards the two Water-types, with Totem Wishiwashi diving below the water to dodge. Alomomola was slower to react, taking the hit with a cry of pain. Alomomola fired off a Water Gun at Oliver, who winced in pain as the attack hit him in the side as he flew by.
"Now, while the Totem isn't here! Use Peck and then Leafage on Alomomola! Just like when you did with Lillie!" Sun yelled out to Oliver, who nodded and flapped his wings hard, releasing a whirlwind of leaves towards the ally of the Totem Pokémon. Oliver then shot forward, beak shining, and dove into the cluster of leaves, becoming one with the attack and creating a powerful twister in midair that snaked towards Alomomola. The Pokémon let out a shriek of horror before Oliver slammed into it, knocking it clear out of the water with the Grass/Flying-combination attack and onto the rocks nearby, where it fainted with a groan.
"Alright! One down, one to go!" Sun cheered as Oliver let out a piercing cry of triumph before turning his gaze below, searching for the Totem that had seemingly vanished. Sun caught sight of a massive spider emerging from the lake and floating over to the knocked out Alomomola, gently rousing it before carrying it over to the water where it swam away. Sun returned his focus to the battle, making a note to ask Lana about that later. Totem Wishiwashi rose from the depths and fired a Water Gun at Oliver, who took a glancing hit from the attack as he soared through the air.
"Use Razor Leaf!" Sun shouted as the massive fish growled at Oliver, who flinched at the attack but released his leaves anyway. Wishiwashi responded with a massive Water Gun that blasted away each of the leaves with ease.
"That thing needs to go down…Oliver, use Peck!" Sun called to the owl. Oliver hooted as he dodged the Water Gun and shot towards Totem Wishiwashi. The Totem Pokémon roared at Oliver as he slammed into the front of the beast with his glowing beak before being batted aside by the Totem's massive tail. Oliver landed harshly on a nearby rock and was slow to get up, his entire body glowing dark green as his ability Overgrow kicked in. Sun gritted his teeth, knowing that the powerful Totem was pushing Oliver to his limit.
"Not only did it take away Oliver's type-advantage, but it has moves that could take out any Grass-type it wants to…But that's not going to stop us!" Sun thought as Oliver shot into the air again.
"Oliver, Razor Leaf!" Sun yelled to the Dartrix. Oliver flapped his wings hard to avoid another wicked Ice Beam, which narrowly missed the Dartrix once again and struck a nearby clump of rocks, freezing them solid.
"Leafage and Peck again!" Sun commanded as Oliver swooped down to Totem Wishiwashi. The beast leapt towards Oliver using Waterfall and the two Pokémon collided, creating a shiver in the air as both Pokémon struggled for dominance. Totem Wishiwashi let out a roar of fury and shoved Oliver back somewhat in the air, but Oliver's response of a screech of fury was much louder. With a great heave of effort, Oliver forced away the massive fish beast and slammed into its belly with its combination attack, causing the monster to suddenly burst apart into a shower of water and Wishiwashi. All of the fish fell into the water and swam away, save for one Wishiwashi that was immersed in a fierce orange aura and was much larger than any of the other Wishiwashi. He floated above the water, looking exhausted.
"It reverted to Solo Form…" Sun said softly, surprised at this sudden event.
"That'zz what happenzz when Wishiwashi izz really weak. Sun, you've got it on the ropezz! Finish it off!" Rotom yelled to Sun, who nodded and pointed at the fish.
"Now, Oliver! Tackle!" Sun yelled to his owl as Wishiwashi shook his head, trying to recover his senses. Oliver dove at the Totem Pokémon like a bullet and slammed into him with hellacious force, knocking the fish backwards until it landed in the water. Sun and Oliver waited…and waited…
And then Wishiwashi rose once again…completely knocked out.
"We…Yeah! Oliver, we did it!" Sun cheered as Oliver fluttered over to his Trainer. The exhausted Dartrix sighed with relief as he landed and leaned against Sun, shutting his eyes and releasing a pleased sigh. Brago barked happily, his tail swishing back and forth in excitement.
"Zzzt! Lookzz like Oliver just learned Pluck, too!" Rotom piped up from Sun's backpack. Sun ruffled the feathers on the head of Oliver, receiving a glare in response before the bird began to frantically preen himself.
Totem Wishiwashi suddenly twitched and regained its awareness, looking over at Sun and Oliver for a moment before nodding once. If Sun didn't know any better, he would have said that the Pokémon looked happy. Sun broke out into a wide smile as the Totem Pokémon departed, venturing back into the depths of the sea from whence it came. Lapras let out a joyful cry as Sun sat down, laughing softly to himself.
"Thanks, Lapras. Awesome job, everyone. We beat another Trial, even if it gave us a good bit of trouble. And I think it proved Lana is still good as a Captain, too." Sun said as he let Penny back out so that she could be healed with a Revive and a Super Potion. Sun treated Oliver's injuries as well as the storm overhead faded into nothingness, revealing a cloudless sky just a few minutes later with the Alolan sunshine heating Sun's drenched body…
Or rather, it would have if Oliver didn't suddenly knock Sun into the water.
The boy frantically swam back up to the surface, eyeing the Dartrix with annoyance as he laughed at Sun. Penny and Brago gave Oliver deadpan looks of annoyance as their Trainer climbed back onto the Lapras, but not before splashing Oliver in the face with water, making the bird shriek and fly off.
"Your teammate is a jerk. You know that, right?" Sun said to Penny and Brago, who nodded in reply. Lana and Olivia were laughing from the shore at the antics between the boy and his starter.
"Very well done, Sun! Please come back this way!" Lana called to Sun, waving at him from the shore with an amused grin on her face. Sun returned to the shore and landed on the ground with a grunt, turning back around to Lapras and petting the Pokémon on the head.
"Thanks for your help today. I couldn't have done it without you." Sun said to the Transport Pokémon, who happily cried out and nuzzled Sun's hand. After a few moments Lapras swam back out to deeper waters, diving down below.
"I…I must say that I find myself at an impasse here." Lana said quietly, her hands behind her back. "All of the Wishiwashi that I had so diligently trained up were defeated, and that is very frustrating…My champion of them all fell to you, despite my efforts. But of course, I cannot let your completion of my Trial go uncelebrated, Sun."
"You were amazing, Sun. Truly impressive. Please take this." Lana reached into her pocket and pulled out a gleaming blue crystal with a happy smile on her face. Lana handed the Z-Crystal to Sun, who grinned as the crystal suddenly let off a flare of energy. Sun bent down low and struck his pose, extending the Z-Crystal high into the air as energy burned off of it.
"You do know what this is, don't you?" Lana asked Sun.
"A really, really shiny piece of candy?"
"…"
"Sorry, I think it's all the salt water in my ears. It's a Waterium Z, right?" Sun said to Lana, who smirked before nodding to him.
"Watch. This is how you use Waterium Z." Lana said before she began to strike the poses necessary to call upon the power of the Z-Move. Sun repeated the moves until he was sure to have memorized them.
"And that's not all I can offer you." Lana said as she backed away from Sun, walking over to a nearby box that had been stashed near one of the Trial gates. Lana retrieved something from within the box and brought it over to Sun.
"Here. This is a Lana original. One of my own homemade fishing rods." Lana said as she revealed a collapsible fishing rod from behind her back, sleek and finely crafted. Lana gave Sun a quick tutorial on how to fish, which helped because Sun had never gone fishing before. Lana was horrified upon learning this, and promised Sun that he would go fishing with her someday so that she could show him how a pro did it on the water. Sun agreed, and that was that.
"Well, I think that just about wraps up our time here today. Why don't why all head on back to the Pokémon Center?" Olivia said to the two children before she turned around and began walking away. Lana watched her leave for a moment before she shuddered.
"I wonder what she thought…" Lana said quietly. Sun put a hand on the girl's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile.
"No worries. You were awesome out there, and I'll be surprised if you didn't ace the evaluation." Sun said to the Captain, who smiled back at the Trainer.
"Thank you, Sun. Shall we return together?"
"Sure." Sun said with a shrug, eyeing the beautiful sky overhead and enjoying the heat enveloping him. It wouldn't take that long for the sun to dry him off. And with that, the two set off after Sun returned his Pokémon. The two chatted idly about the Trial itself and how the battle against Totem Wishiwashi had gone. Eventually, as they crossed the wooden plank bridge, Lana asked Sun a question.
"By the way…Did you know I once reeled in a red Gyarados?" Lana said with a totally neutral expression on her face. Sun genuinely couldn't tell if she was kidding again or if she was telling the truth. She was comfortable enough with fishing for it to seem plausible…
"Did you really?" Sun asked cautiously, deciding to guess that Lana was kidding. Lana burst into giggles, looking away from Sun.
"Well, what do you think?" Lana asked as she calmed herself down. Sun chuckled, shaking his head at the Captain as they made their way through the path.
"You did a fine job today. Washua was very happy after that battle. He really enjoyed himself out there." Lana said happily to Sun, who was confused by the name.
"Washua?"
"My Wishiwashi. The Totem Pokémon."
"Ah…Wait, Washua? What kind of name is…Oh, I get it. Washua…like, Joshua and Wishiwashi…That's clever."
"I thought so too."
The two Trainers kept up the chatter until they reached the exit to the area, where they found Kahuna Olivia waiting for them, along with a familiar TV news reporter/anchor/owner, Adrian Battlestorm. The man grinned at the sight of Sun and Lana and quickly muttered something into his earpiece before turning back to them.
"You three ready for a quick little interview? I know you're busy, but the word's got to get out soon about what's happened today." Adrian said to the trio, with Olivia giving him the nod to go ahead with the story. The man nodded to the woman holding the camera and with a thumbs up, they were rolling.
"This is Adrian Battlestorm live from Brooklet Hill, where we have Kahuna Olivia and Captain Lana emerging from the Trial site with a Trial-goer backing them up!" Adrian said enthusiastically, striding over to them. Lana took a breath to calm herself, and smiled placidly at the camera shoved into her face.
"After an incident regarding Councilmember Palena's daughter being attacked by the Totem Pokémon just yesterday, we have received word that not only is the Trial of Brooklet Hill up and running once more, but that a new Totem Pokémon has been chosen to protect the site. Captain Lana, what do you have to say about the incident and do you believe that the steps you've taken for a new Totem will help keep Trainers safe?" Adrian asked the meek girl.
Lana nodded in response. "Of course. Rest assured that what happened yesterday will never repeat itself. The Totem Pokémon that currently protects the site is one I would trust with my life. As shown in his battle with Sun just a few minutes ago, he is able to control the power that was gifted to him and not only handle it with grace, but perform well in combat as well. Despite Sun having a Pokémon with a type-advantage against it, my Totem pushed Sun's team to their limits."
"Oh? Sun, what do you have to say that?" Adrian asked the Trainer. Sun grinned at the camera, with Oliver and Penny fluttering into the air beside him. Brago let out a bark, making Olivia chuckle behind them.
"The Trial is in safe hands with Captain Lana and the new Totem Pokémon. It definitely gave me a run for my money, and it'll be able to protect Brooklet Hill with no problems. And Lana did a really good job of training it too, so there's no chance of anyone else getting hurt." Sun said to the media icon of Alola, who smirked at Sun.
"Bold words from one of Alola's rising stars! Captain Lana is back is business, folks, after a hiccup and the removal of a rogue Totem Pokémon. Now we've got a determined new start and a fresh-faced Totem ready to roll! We've received confirmation that the Water Trial will be back underway on Saturday, two days from now, so I hope upcoming Trainers are prepared to go all out against Alola's newest protector." Adrian said with a wide grin, stuffing a hand in his pocket. "Back to Jamie with the weather!"
"And we're clear." The Camerawoman said as she stopped recording, sighing slightly.
"Wonderful work as always, Kelly." Adrian said to the blonde-haired woman as she gave him a deadpan look.
"You're the one who does everything, sir." Kelly said as she adjusted her glasses.
"Nonsense! You think I know how to operate a camera that well anymore? I'd be nothing without my supportive staff." Adrian grinned at his camerawoman, who sighed in response, though she did break into a small smile. Sun could tell the woman appreciated that her boss took the time to let them know that he valued their hard work.
Adrian turned around to face the Trainer trio behind him and said, "That said, I'm glad you got this mess sorted out. Councilmember Palena is definitely going to be heading out here to have a word with you, Captain Lana. Even if you managed to get a new Totem and have the Trial running smoothly again, you'll still need to ease the rage of an upset parent. He still hasn't found his daughter."
Lana nodded slowly, but didn't reply verbally. Adrian snapped his fingers and said, "Fantastic stuff, though, you three. With a bit more media coverage and some interviews with Trainers beating the newly-improved Water Trial, we can smooth over the rest of the feathers here on Akala. Sadly this is where I have to head off. I've got breaking news out of Malie City and I need to be there. Take care!" Adrian said as Kelly released an Venomoth. With a wave, the trio vanished the spot with a Teleport, leaving Olivia, Sun, and Lana standing on the path. Lana suddenly collapsed to her knees, sighing with relief.
"Thank goodness that's over. It's so hard to keep calm when the thought that millions of people are watching you across the region won't stop pounding against your head." Lana said as Sun helped her to her feet. At that moment, Hau burst out of the Pokémon Center with a wide grin.
"So, how'd it go?" Hau asked Sun, practically bouncing up and down in excitement. Sun pulled out his Waterium Z and showed it to Hau, who let out a low whistle. Hau turned to Lana, his smile widening as the girl blushed pink and looked away.
"Captain, you've got to let me do the Trial!" Hau said as he jumped in front of Lana, who let out a yelp and stumbled backwards in surprise at the boy suddenly in her face. Sun chuckled while Olivia just shook her head.
"You kids…Anyways, Lana, just in case you were wondering, you passed your evaluation with flying colors." Olivia said to the blue-haired girl, whose mouth dropped at the sudden revelation. "Your safety precautions were on point, which was my biggest concern. Your Araquanid keeping watch in the water below was clever and something I approve of."
Sun suddenly realized that was what had saved him from the water and helped Alomomola back into the water when it was knocked out.
"The Totem provided a fighting challenge while not going overboard with its abilities or showing any signs of unwarranted aggression. Your demeanor during the Trial, while humorous, reflected your personality and allowed Sun to be comfortable with the challenge set forth. Small touches here and there that I really liked such as the fishing and using only Wishiwashi to test Sun before the real battle are two that stick out. And most importantly, I could see how much fun Sun was having and you even made a friend out of the experience. You have proved that you're a worthy Captain and deserve your position." Olivia said to Lana, who seemed unable to say anything.
"I think you broke her, ma'am." Sun chuckled as he waved a hand in front of Lana. The girl started and suddenly flung herself forward hugged Olivia.
"Thank you so much, Miss Olivia! I promise, I won't let you down again! I swear!" Lana promised the Kahuna, who returned the hug with a small laugh.
"Lana, you never let me down in the first place. Accidents happen, regrettable as it is. We'll clean up this mess together and get everything back on track." Olivia said to the girl as they separated, with Lana rubbing her eyes as tears of relief threatened to fall.
"Feel free to take the rest of today and tomorrow off, like we discussed. You deserve a bit of time to relax before getting back into the swing of things. I know you barely slept last night." Olivia said to the Captain, who nodded in response. Lana then turned to a grinning Sun.
"Looks like you've still got your position as Captain." Sun said to the girl, who smiled softly at Sun.
"Thanks to you, Sun. Like I said before, I won't ever forget the kindness you and Hau have showed me. If I'm ever able to help you both in any way, please let me know, and I'll be there." Lana said to the Kanto-native, giving Hau a small nod as well.
"It was nothing, Captain Lana! We've all got to look out for each other, you know? We're all 'ohana in Alola, just like I was telling Sun yesterday." Hau said as he shut his eyes, beaming at Lana. The Captain couldn't help a small laugh at the boy's contagious cheer.
"So, here's the million dollar question…" Hau said as he opened his eyes and put his hands behind his head. "When is the earliest Trial appointment for Brooklet Hill? I've been itching to battle this thing forever!"
"I actually had most of those who scheduled appointments for the Totem cancel on me once word got out about what happened to Demi, and the earliest Trial attempt I'm going to be officially scheduling for is Saturday morning." Demi said with Hau, who snapped his fingers in disappointment. Lana smiled mischievously, crossing her arms. "However, I do owe you one. Perhaps I might be willing to let you attempt the Trial in an hour or two from now…if you ask me nicely that is."
"Aww yes! Lana, you're the best!" Hau cheered, bounding forward and bear-hugging the blue-haired girl. Olivia giggled with amusement while Sun stifled his laughter with his hands at Lana's horrified expression as Hau swung her around and around with an excited and joyous grin on his face, unaware of Lana's quickly brightening red face.
It was just a few moments later that Lana fainted in Hau's arms, having been unable to deal with the super-effective Hug Attack from the wild Hau.
