Pokémon Radiant Sun
Whelp, I think I made this the longest chapter in this story yet. Whelp. And it's a two-parter. WHELP.
So, last chapter had a lot of interesting reactions. Mostly positive, though not without some feedback that did make me decide to go back through the chapter and polish up the fight scene a bit (which I'll get to tomorrow, since this chapter took all of my time up this weekend).
Fight scenes, more or less, are my main strength when it comes to writing. I figured that out a while ago, and it's definitely something I enjoyed writing last chapter. But I'll admit it openly, that last chapter was rushed and I made some errors regarding realism, which is a very major thing I keep in account when writing. However, I did want to point out some of the recurring remarks I've heard regarding characters and explain some things.
Yes. Amber is stupidly overpowered and definitely one of the most irredeemably evil OC characters I've ever made. Which considering Queen Arranst, Harvey Yena (technically an OC), Illuzio, and Captain Alex Jacobson, is some pretty damn good competition.
To the point where it's not even fair. She's deadly with or without weapons, she's intelligent, has a ridiculous kill-count and is generally cruel and sadistic, she has a very and well-balanced powerful team, has body armor that can help her withstand fatal injuries, and even not factoring that into account she's very difficult to put down, let alone kill. She has access to limitless resources as an Admin of Cipher. And now I've given her what I've described as a WOD in the form of Umbral Pokémon and made her even more OP. It's just not fair to just about any character that fights her.
But...that's kind of the point. Amber is essentially one of the strongest, if not THE strongest member of Cipher at the moment and one of the two main villains in this iteration of Pokémon I've created, not counting the Sun and Moon cast. A significant amount of Cipher's successes has been achieved because Amber has been able to do what she does in the past against Wes and his allies in Kanto and Unova, as well as being as deadly as she is against other forces. Amber is, for lack of a better description, that obstacle always in the way and wearing a smile because of your misery. Amber is a recurring motif that that in life there will always be someone there to bring you down.
For those wishing for her to get some karma thrown her way, you won't have to wait too long for that. Trust me when I say that I've thrown some hints down for what I have in store for her. Amber Fontaine is not invincible, and I've made every effort to make her strength as realistic as possible, and that the vengeance that comes her way will be very enlightening and very brutal. Again, this is explained at the post-chapter author's note when I breakdown some stuff. More will be explained about how and why Amber is the way she is later on in the story, however.
Rambling again.
Also, I've got make a quick apology to Omegastar327. I completely forgot to answer your question from a while ago, and I'm so sorry for that. So I'll answer it now.
From: Omegastar317
Speaking of which, when Lusamine opens the Ultra Wormhole, (and we know she will) will we get to see the other kahunas battling the Ultra Beasts?
Absolutely yes. That, as of a matter of fact, will actually have its own chapter dedicated to it. It'll cover each of the UB's found in Sun extensively, and cover the battles of each Kahuna in depth. Even Hapu, since it's heavily implied that Tapu Fini battled alongside her when the Ultra Beasts attacked Alola.
Oh, and one of the most badass scenes in the entire story happens regarding one of the Kahunas in the story as well. I've had this idea in mind since Chapter 10 or so. I'm pretty hyped for it.
Seriously, if I don't answer your question for whatever reason, please ask it again or PM me. I sometimes just lose track and don't want people to think I'm ignoring them.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes SoulMatter, MoonlightButterfree, Cottonmouth25, BraviaryScout, Madame Rodoshe, RC-DA, Angelfir3, GeekyGamer314, SonicIKE, Sai Og Sus, Okamiden14, A Guest Reviewer, DarkestShade73, another Guest Reviewer, Gokan123, and operettaoceanic, as well as four new reviewers known as The Holy Dragon, TheWhiteKnight2K16, The Hand of Section XIII, and AnotherTrojan. Thanks for the support and feedback from last chapter, which may have actually topped my record of most reviewed chapter of all time at 21 reviews. Which is...insane. And amazing. Thank you so much.
Special shoutout to Cottonmouth25, MoonlightButterfree, JasperCFZ, SonicIKE, Sai Og Sus, DarkestShade73, and BraviaryScout for their suggestions that made it into the final chapter! Also, big thanks to those who submitted suggestions in general! It was fun to work on this with your ideas, and I hope I put them to good use.
Also, fair warning. This chapter and the next will be very angsty, and somewhat raunchy and I have two pages worth of truth or dares, describing the entire game. For the sake of the chapter not running on and on (WHICH IT STILL DID AND IS NOW TWO PARTS), some stuff just isn't gonna happen and some people are not going to get a lot of turns. Also, I'm gonna keep it to a T-Rating and have some ground rules for the game, but keep in mind that there's a few adults and a few very perverted children present in the game (Mallow [and Hau to an extent]), so things may drift into inappropriate territory.
Keep an open mind is all I'm saying. I hope that the build-up has been worth it. I somehow ended up making this Truth or Dare thing two parts, which I guess works out? I don't know. But I do know that I was laughing my ass off a good bit of the time writing this, and I hope you are equally as amused as I was. With a bit of scene rearrangement, it all worked out.
Enjoy.
Chapter 61: Happy Birthday
Sun couldn't help but be ecstatic that all of the effort he and Hau put into Lillie's 13th birthday had been a success. But he also couldn't have ever imagined that the day would take the interesting turns it did.
It started out fairly standard, all things considered. Sun and his mother departed from the Tide Song Hotel, where his mother had booked them rooms for the week at, and made their way to the Dimensional Research Lab at around noon. Once there, they began working with the guests to turn the building into Party Central for everyone's favorite princess. Streamers, banners, and all sorts of balloons and decorations covered the entire inside of the building, even the main lobby. The building was tidied up and cleaned from top to bottom so that it would look its best. On top of that, there was a small mound of presents set to the side of the main lab, where the party would be taking place, which Sun admired for a moment as he took a break from his efforts.
"So, where's our birthday girl anyway?" Vivian asked as she busied herself with putting a birthday party hat on Penny's head, which the bird snapped at her in annoyance for doing.
"Going for a walk with Professor Burnet and Nebby by the beach. She'll be back just in time for the food to get delivered." Sun replied as he surveyed the room, grinning in excitement. He was honestly impatient for Lillie to get back, just to see her expression when they saw the party that they had thrown together.
"Which cannot come soon enough." Hau muttered, rubbing his stomach. Upon hearing said stomach rumble, Lana burst into giggles from a nearby chair.
"Hey, my family is providing the catering for this thing. We're not miracle workers and there's a lot happening this week." Mallow remarked from her place on the couch, lounging as if she owned the place.
"I'm just glad I happened to have today off." Kiawe remarked wryly as he plugged in a vacuum and turned it on to help finish tidying up. Brago snarled angrily at this, leaping at at Kiawe and sinking his teeth into the loud cleaning device while everyone watched in mild horror. Sun pulled the frantic canine away, laughing at the sheer oddity of the situation.
"So, enjoying your birthday so far, Lillie?" Burnet asked as she and the girl in question leisurely made their way down the sandy expanse, with the Alolan sun shining down on them from above, reflecting off of the ocean and making it shimmer and sparkle with a radiance that Lillie never truly appreciated until she started going on walks with Professor Burnet. They were calming and allowed the girl to get a breath of fresh air, when she usually cooped herself up in the lab and read as much as she could.
Or at least, she used to until she started doing field work with Professor Kukui. Now she had plenty of fresh air and not nearly enough time to read. Pretty ironic, in a way.
Lillie nodded in reply to the Professor's question, smiling up at her. "Yes, I am. We got to have breakfast at my favorite cafe and we've seen a lot more Pokémon than we usually do on these walks. They're always so enjoyable and relaxing."
Burnet chuckled, resting a hand on the girl's head and playfully messing it up, making Lillie duck away from the older woman with a rueful smile. Burnet then spoke and said, "If only you'd start going running with me and Kukui."
"Professor, I'm woefully out of shape. You know this."
"All the more reason to work on your cardio now! Besides, how are you supposed to impress a boy like Sun if you can't manage more than a light jog for a minute?" Burnet asked Lillie, who's cheeks turned pink at the mention of her crush.
"Professor...What's the best way to get to a boy's heart?" Lillie asked Burnet, who burst into laughter.
"Oh, boy. Lillie, that's a question we could spend all day debating. For someone like Kukui, it was complicated. He found a way to get to my heart, after we'd known each other a while. We were mutual friends for years, but then I arrived in Alola and we encountered each other more frequently. I'll admit he was charming and handsome, but if he hadn't taken initiative, I wouldn't have considered our friendship to be more than that." Burnet explained to a confused Lillie.
"Initiative?" Lillie asked, with Burnet nodding.
"Yes. Taking that first step forward and making it clear that you wish for something more out of your relationship with someone. That they mean more to you than what you were once before. Kukui made that step by using Pokémon moves to create a massive flower out of ice, fire and electric-based attacks out over there." Burnet explained, pointing to a small dock area not too far away. "It shimmered and crackled and was so beautiful. He told me that he had been smitten with me for years, but couldn't find a way to reach out to me. Kukui decided to take his own step forward, and showed me something that made my heart resonate with his. From then on...Well, we dated and the rest is history."
"Wow...So for everyone its different. Hau would probably be smitten with anyone who gave him a Malasada." Lillie remarked dryly, with Burnet bursting into giggles.
"You bet. Hugh told me he developed feelings for Aria after he beat her in a battle when she was just starting out as a Trainer, and promptly kicked his butt for making a mean joke at her expense. As for Sun...Lillie, there's so many ways you could do this." Burnet explained carefully, unsure if she wanted to tell Lillie what to do. Eventually she made a decision.
"Sun cares deeply about you, Lillie. I only need to see how you and he interact to know that you're special to him and that your friendship is strong. However, how deep your bond goes is something you need to find out. You need to do something to make yourself stand out and show him that no other girl should be considered for his heart besides you. In Sun's case, he would most likely react positively to a gesture of trust from you. You and Hau were his first two friends he ever had in his life, as I recall you saying. Show that he didn't make the wrong decision in friends, and show him that you can be more. How that happens is up to you."
"I...see." Lillie murmured, deep in thought. Burnet wasn't done, however.
"Yes, boys are a tricky thing. Thankfully, Sun doesn't seem like the shallow type. From what Laura's told me, he's only recently started noticing girls anyway. Though…" Burnet smirked as Lillie blushed slightly. "I recall you saying that he called you the prettiest girl he knew. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think you should just confess your feelings to him, Lillie. Sun won't think any less of you for it."
"I'll think about it...Professor, look! There's a Altaria over there!" Lillie suddenly called out, pointing forward with a smile and surprising Burnet as she looked out over the water. She followed Lillie's pointing and indeed saw a blue draconic Pokémon with cloud-like fluff surrounding its wings and chest. It slowly flapped over to a figure on the shore, clad in a tan cloak and with black hair.
"Strange. That's definitely not a Pokémon you usually see in Alola. Must be a tourist or something." Professor Burnet muttered, increasing her pace. Lillie forced herself to keep up with Burnet, who had reached the figure, who appeared be a woman garbed in a strange outfit hidden by the cloak. Professor Burnet's eyes caught a strange dragon-like anklet wrapped around the woman's right leg, with a gleaming jewel in the dragon's mouth.
"Good afternoon, Alolans. Can I help you with something?" the woman asked, glancing over at them, her crimson eyes twinkling in amusement.
"Is that a Key Stone? The one's used for Mega Evolution?" Professor Burnet asked the woman, who chuckled softly in response.
"Not bad. Yes, Professor Madeline Burnet, that is a Key Stone wrapped around my ankle. I acquired it a while back, after I...lost my own. I try to do some good with it, but I'll also admit I haven't had to use Mega Evolution in long time" The woman remarked, looking towards the ocean.
"It's funny, you know? All the time spent in Hoenn, I never stopped to appreciate the beauty of the world we live in. I was so focused on saving it from total obliteration, but I never stopped to smell the roses...Whelp, that's boring me. So, again. Can I help you both with something? Or do you just like walking up to people and speaking to them randomly?" the woman asked, turning to face Burnet and Lillie properly, her smile smug for some reason.
"We're just going on a walk along the beach because its my birthday. I don't think asking someone who sticks out as much as you do what you're doing is so far out of line." Lillie stated quietly, earning an odd look from the stranger before the woman smiled at her.
"I like your style, kid." The woman remarked before Professor Burnet spoke up.
"Well, you seem to know who I am. But who are you? It's not often I meet a Trainer who can wield Mega Evolution, especially with a Dragon-type from another region." Burnet said to the stranger, who laughed quietly in response to the inquiry but looked skyward, remaining silent for a few moments before replying in her same playful manner.
"Who am I? I'm the Lorekeeper! Exactly..." the woman looked down, thinking about it before she shrugged. "...oh, screw it. Just call me Zinnia." The woman explained, shaking her head in bemusement. "I honestly have no idea why I bother to try and hide my identity. Not many know who I am and those who do don't matter. It's been a long time since the meteor incident anyway."
"I...Okay?" Professor Burnet replied, obviously confused. Lillie turned to the Professor to speak, but at that moment her bag suddenly wriggled violently and an adorable Cosmog popped out, letting out a happy cry as it flew into the air and began soaring down the beach in a desperate bid at freedom.
"Nebby! Get back into the bag!" Lillie cried out as she jumped for the Cosmog, who was floating just out of Lillie's reach. The girl quickly looked around to see if anyone else was around to see Nebby, and had looked up at the Cosmog again when she saw Zinnia roll her eyes and leap into the air. The Lorekeeper easily jumped six feet and snagged the mischievous creature in her arms, where it wriggled unhappily.
"The things I find here in Alola get weirder and weirder. First floating, haunted Pokédex and now floating cloud Pokémon?" Zinnia mused, though she turned to her Altaria and said, "No offense, of course."
"Tarria!" the Dragon/Flying-type sang in response. Zinnia grinned as she held out Cosmog in front of her, where Nebby let out a cry. Lillie ran up to the woman, her hands over her heart.
"Please, ma'am! Can I have my Pokémon back?" Lillie asked the woman, who just shrugged.
"Sure. Not like I want it." Zinnia remarked with a smirk, setting the Cosmog down on top of Lillie's hat. Nebby let out a happy cry before Lillie snatched him up in her arms.
"You! Always getting into trouble! You know what would happen if they found you." Lillie scolded Nebby, who let out an insolent cry in response. Lillie looked back at Zinnia and bowed to the woman, saying, "Thank you ma'am. He's such a troublemaker, and I appreciate you catching him for me.
"Again, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Zinnia remarked, though she did lean closer to Lillie and said, "That's a really strange Pokémon though. Where'd you get it?"
"I...I can't say." Lillie said haltingly as Professor Burnet walked over to them, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Lillie almost sighed with relief, knowing Professor Burnet would help deflect questions about where Nebby came from.
"Mmm...Sounds like something fun. But I swore off worldwide drama. Especially after that whole Mega Evolution thing turned out to be more painful than helpful." Zinnia remarked, wincing slightly before she suddenly perked up and snapped her fingers.
"That reminds me. Have either of you seen or heard about some kind of magical Heliolisk roaming around Alola?" Zinnia asked Lillie and Burnet, who both shook their heads. "Then I guess I'll have to keep looking."
"Magical Heliolisk? Isn't Heliolisk a Pokémon from Kalos?" Lillie asked, receiving a grin and a nod from Zinnia.
"That's right. Well, the one I'm hunting down isn't a normal one. In fact it's not a normal anything, and it's merely using the guise of a Heliolisk to escape me because it knows I'm going to kill it." Zinnia explained with a smile, with Lillie gasping and Professor Burnet frowning angrily.
"So you're hunting down a Pokémon for sport?" Burnet said harshly, with Zinnia suddenly bursting out into laughter, which threw both of the woman off completely. Who was this lady?
"Oh man...You Alolans are a riot. Absolutely not. I'm not hunting it for sport. I'm hunting it because it's an unpredictable monster that defies reality. It's not supposed to be here. The best way to describe it is a freak of nature. I call it the Anomaly. A being that's exceedingly powerful and not something I'm comfortable with roaming around. I've spent the past few years tracking it, which leads me here to Alola. It's better than working a real job and I get to explore the world and learn things normal, boring people wouldn't." Zinnia explained as the wind suddenly picked up, with Zinnia brushing her bangs out of her face.
"Interesting. Can you tell me more about this...anomaly? If this thing is dangerous to others, perhaps we can help track it down at the Dimensional Research Lab?" Professor Burnet asked Zinnia, who smirked in response.
"Last time scientists got involved in something they didn't understand, they tried to doom another world because they couldn't solve their own problems. I'm fine doing this solo, but thanks anyway. But if you do run into something like that, do try and stay away from it. This thing is known to be incredibly violent. Especially if you call it out on the whole, 'it's not supposed to be here thing.' I nearly cornered it in Johto, but it blew up a building and got away through a small rift it created." Zinnia said to the Professor, who slowly nodded.
"I wonder if it's related to the Ultra Beasts and the Ultra Wormholes in any way." Burnet mused, with Zinnia tilting her head in curiosity.
"Ultra Beasts? That must be what Layla was going on about. So there's something to it after all." Zinnia mused, a smirk coming to her face. She then shook her head. "No. I'm not going to get involved. Though I'll admit I'm interested."
"Interested in what? The Ultra Beasts? What about the anomaly you're searching for?" Lillie asked Zinnia, who waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't mind me any. Just thinking out loud. You two keep on doing your thing and I'll keep on doing my thing." Zinnia said to the two other women, throwing her hood up again. With that, the woman turned around and began walking away, but not before looking back at the girl with a small smile.
"You remind me of that boy I met the other day, little one. Sun, I think his name was. He was interested in legends and lore, much like myself." Zinnia remarked, with Lillie gasping at the name.
"Sun? He's one of my closest friends! How...how did you meet him though?" Lillie asked, curious as to how such an odd woman met her crush. Zinnia grinned wolfishly as she crossed her arms.
"Why the interest? Is he your boyfriend or something?" Zinnia asked, with Lillie blushing furiously at the question. "I'll take that as a yes, or that you care for him. You really shouldn't be so transparent."
"W-what's your point?" Lillie asked, getting a little annoyed. Zinnia hopped forward and patted Lillie on the head, positively beaming.
"My point is that I'm different than most people and have a knack for knowing and seeing things where normal people do not. So I'll let you in on a secret. The Guardian Deities of these islands are not the kind protectors you all think they are. Yes, they may protect you from time to time, but some of them…Just want to see you suffer." Zinnia turned back around and continued walking, leaving the two women behind with matching looks of bewilderment on their faces.
Until Zinnia turned around again and shouted, "Oh yeah! And Happy Birthday!"
"Alright...lights are off. They should be here any minute."
"Good. It's kinda cramped hiding like this."
"Whoever's touching my butt...can you please stop?"
"Oops. Sorry Lana."
"Eep! Um...It's okay, Hau! A-accidents happen, r-right?"
"Yeah. I'll just move over here and…"
BAM!
"Ow!"
"The hell, man?"
"My legs!"
"Hau, now you're touching my butt!"
"Yikes! Sorry Mallow!"
"I mean...You don't have to stop! I was just saying."
"SHHHH!"
The doors opened, revealing Professor Burnet and Lillie standing in the light of the elevator. The two stepped in and turned on the lights, revealing everyone crowded in the room with a fully decorated lab around them.
"Surprise! Happy Birthday Lillie!"
Lillie took a step back in shock, with Professor Burnet grabbing the girl and pushing her forward. Lillie held her hands up to her mouth, trying to process the fact that her friends had all done this…
For her.
Lillie was suddenly embraced by Sun and Hau, who dragged their friend forward and quickly began to chat with her while Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet watched on with happy smiles.
From there, the party began in earnest. Snacks were eaten, Hau completely destroyed the half the catering in a horrifying manner, and the organizers of the party enjoyed the fruits of their labor, taking joy in seeing the sheer happiness on the face of the birthday girl. Though they also got much amusement from Nebby bouncing all around the room while a beach ball, happily crying out while Lillie just watched on laughing. It was generally a happy afternoon of just spending time with friends while celebrating the birthday of a precious girl that had come into their lives.
Soon enough, it was time for presents. Lillie was a bit upset at the mound of presents she had piled in front of her, but eventually calmed down and began going through them. Several people were holding onto gifts, deciding to hand Lillie their presents instead of keeping them in the pile.
"This one's from Hau…" Lillie remarked, picking up a small box. The girl tore off the wrapping paper and pulled out a strange idol of sorts that fit in the palm of her hand, which reminded Sun of the Island Challenge Amulet in a way. It resembled a totem pole of sorts that looked like a Snorlax, complete with wings and painted a gold color with white eyes. Lillie looked at the small wooden statue in awe, her eyes sparkling at the gift as she looked at Hau.
"I hand-made that as a good luck charm for you. I've always thought that gifts that you make yourself are the best so-" Hau was cut off when Lillie suddenly flung herself out Hau and hugged him tightly, with Hau blushing bright red at the suddenly display of affection.
"I love it, Hau. Thank you so much." Lillie said as she separated from her friend, holding the little idol in her hands and looking down at it. Hau laughed sheepishly before glancing at Sun, who was grinning with approval at his friend.
Professor Burnet and Kukui had both chipped in to buy Lillie a fresh supply of Repels, Potions, and the like for her travels around Alola to help Nebby, which was easily more than Sun and Hau both used. On top of that, the two Professor's promised that they were working on getting her a special gift, but that they couldn't get it to her yet. Regardless, she was happy that the two Professors had spent so much money on her despite the fact that they constantly protected and cared for her already. Both Kukui and Burnet hugged Lillie, who wiped her eye as tears threatened to spill from them.
Hugh, Vivian, and Noah bought Lillie gift cards, due to a total lack of ideas. Aria's gift, however, caught Lillie completely off guard. Lillie unwrapped the box Aria handed her and was surprised to see that it was a red and black headphones as well as the Lono3, the newest line of music and video playing devices created by Aupuni Industries back in Kanto. This wasn't what surprised Lillie, however…
"These...These headphones are signed by Zoey Cairdelly. Lead singer of Crimson Dawn…" Lillie whispered, looking up at Aria. Sun was surprised at that bit of information, but grinned when he remembered that Crimson Dawn was a heavy-metal band that Lillie adored as of late.
"Funny thing about that. You see, back in Unova, we ran into Zoey back in Castelia City and me and Wes became good friends with her. I started talking with her again when I got here, and she said she wants to have a chat with you. I told her all about the sweet little girl here in Alola who's her biggest fan and would love to talk to her favorite singer." Aria said with a grin as Lillie suddenly let out a squeal of sheer joy, fangirling hard before hugging Aria.
Moving on, Lana had made Lillie her own fishing pole, along with a lure that looked exactly like Nebby. Lillie burst into laughter upon seeing this, exchanging hugs with Lana. Mallow's gift was a cookbook of traditional Alola recipes, as well as some that Mallow and her family had come up with on their own. Sun found out that Mallow worked part-time at her family's main restaurant in Konikoni City, since apparently they owned several all across Alola. Coincidentally, that was where Lana lived as well. Kiawe's gift to Lillie was a fire-starting device shaped like a Alolan Marowak's head, which Lillie appreciated for its practicality.
Sina and Dexio both chipped in together to get Lillie her own mask, just like the ones that the two heroes wore. When asked by Hau why this was, Lillie blushed and admitted that she thought their costumes were cool and that she had wanted a mask of her own. The mask itself was mostly white, lined with faint lines of pink and blue. Lillie slipped the mask on and grinned at the crowd of people in the room, who mostly praised her while Sina burst into tears about how Lillie would carry on their legacy when they were gone.
Dexio reminded Sina that Lillie lived in Alola, not Kalos, and promptly shattered her dreams.
Laura Smiles had bought Lillie a bright pink backpack, which was designed for Pokémon Trainers and for comfort, but also looked stylish. Lillie happily accepted it and, while wearing her mask still, did a small twirl with it on.
"Trainer Lillie would like to battle!" Hau declared, scaring Lillie and making her fall onto Vivian in surprise.
"Lillie whited out." Kiawe remarked dryly, making Noah and Lana giggle at the remark while Lillie stuck her tongue out at the Captain. And then...
It came down to Sun's gifts.
"Is there any particular reason you all had Lillie unwrap my gifts last?" Sun asked Professor Kukui and Burnet, who both grinned at the boy. Sun shook his head, but looked over at Lillie as she looked down at Sun's trio of gifts.
"They all look like books. I guess I'll be adding to my collection." Lillie said happily, picking up the first one and unwrapping it. Lillie grinned at the title, which she read aloud.
"Pokémon Care and...Training for Beginners," Lillie read aloud, looking at Sun with a little bit of confusion.
"Just because you're not a Pokémon Trainer doesn't mean that learning about how to take care of Pokémon properly isn't important. You deal with them all the time, and there's a lot of stuff covered with Pokémon Training that being a Breeder or Researcher can't really cover. And besides…" Sun offered Lillie a wide smile. "After you helped me beat Sina and Dexio way back, I think you'd do amazing as a Pokémon Trainer, Lillie."
"The boy's right, you know. You were a natural out there." Sina agreed as she leaned against Dexio, who was grinning at Lillie.
"We didn't stand a chance against you and Sun. I believe you have a lot of talent, my friend." Dexio agreed as Lillie set the book down with a thoughtful expression on her face. She unwrapped the second book, which to her surprise was a book full of music and songs that could be learned on the flute and that were well-known songs that Pokémon enjoyed hearing, including the famous Poké Flute melody that soothed Pokémon and could make them fall asleep.
"I was originally against giving you a music book because you know so many songs, but then I learned that there's actually certain types of melodies and music you can play for Pokémon that have benefits to their health, and can calm them down the stuff. I thought you might like it." Sun said to the girl, who was smiling now.
"I never knew that about music! I wonder if my parents knew about music that's beneficial to Pokémon?" Lillie wondered aloud before grinning at Sun, happiness blooming across her face. "Thank you, Sun."
"You still have one left. And I think that's the best one of the three." Sun said to the girl, who looked down at the rather large book and slowly tore the paper off of the front, revealing the old tome that Sun had acquired from Zinnia and Layla the day before, adorned in old leather and jewels that Sun later learned represented each of the four Guardian Deities of Alola.
"Nā Waiʻi o Alola: He Mōʻaukala...The Ruins of Alola: A History." Lillie read aloud in an awed whisper, brushing a hand against the cover. She looked up at Sun, a questioning look in her eyes.
"I found two weird ladies selling books and antiques at a stall by the docks. They gave me that book, after I told them I was interested in finding a book about the Tapu. I already skimmed through it, and it has a lot of old stories about the Tapu and some of the stuff done at ruins in the past, including some of the battles with the Ultra Beasts. I figured the book would help you with Nebby-" Sun began to say before, much like earlier with Hau, Lillie threw herself at Sun. This time, however, Lillie had burst into tears.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Now I don't have to wait until Kahuna Olivia has time to escort me to the ruins or go all the way to Malie City! Sun, I might be able to find something to help Nebby get home! Thank you so much, Sun...thank you. Thank you!" Lillie sobbed with what seemed to be relief and happiness as she clutched the book close to her chest and moved away from Sun. Nebby floated over to Lillie as she said this, with the girl hugging the Cosmog close to her, overwhelmed by the gifts she had received, as well as the amount of kindness being shown to her. Lillie found herself enveloped in a massive hug by Sun, Hau, Mallow, and Professor Burnet while the others just watched on with smiles as Lillie just repeatedly thanked everyone as tears of joy streamed down her face.
It had taken a while for Lillie to calm down after the presents were moved to her room. The girl in question was now sitting next to Sun and Kiawe on the couch while Hau stole the last of the BBQ cooked meatballs, with Mallow glaring daggers at the boy.
"You're being a Munchlax, Hau!" Mallow growled at the boy, who scoffed.
"What? Partying makes me hungry. Besides, it's not like we're doing anything else." Hau shrugged, stuffing a piece of cake into his mouth.
"Actually...I was thinking we could fire up some party games and stuff. You know, get this party back on track and have some fun now that Lillie has calmed down from happiness overload." Mallow said as she exchanged smiles with Lillie.
"Party games are kind of a kid thing, Mallow." Hau said to the Captain, who's smile suddenly turned evil.
"Not my party games. Especially not when you have the Queen in the house. I'm going to go set my game up...I'll see you all in a bit!" Mallow said with a giggle and a dangerous glint in her eyes, with the Captain walking out of the room. Lillie shivered as Mallow departed, with Sun looking at her in concern.
"Sun, we need to talk privately for a moment." Lillie said to her friend, who nodded. Sun followed Lillie to a small study, which looked like it belonged to Professor Kukui of all people based on pictures of Kukui posing with old friends and colleagues, which included the current Kanto and Johto Champion, Lance, as well as Crasher Wake. Sun guessed that even the eccentric man had to read every now and then, meaning he needed a place for peace and quiet. After staring at a picture of Kukui as a boy, standing next to a boy with messy white hair and a black tank-top and baggy grey pants, a weird bug Pokémon crawling in the other boy's hair, Sun returned his attention to Lillie.
"Sun, I have a feeling I know what party game Mallow plans on playing." Lillie said in a grave tone, crossing her arms as Sun looked at her with a confused expression.
"What game would that be?" Sun asked.
Lillie sighed and said, "Truth or Dare. She's notoriously brutal at the game and she has no shame. Poor Lana will tell you all about it, because she's been friends with Mallow for a long while, but the last time they played it, things got bad."
"How bad?" Sun asked, dreading the answer.
"Apparently Kiawe had to run down an entire route naked while holding a pineapple on his head. Lana was forced to do an entire Trial while speaking in limericks. Worse yet, Mallow got both of those events on film to prove it and I've seen both." Lillie said quietly, shivering in mild horror.
"That's just...sadistic. Can't we just tell her that no one wants to play it?" Sun asked Lillie, who shook her head.
"Lana's tried that three times now, and it doesn't work. Mallow just has a way of convincing people to go along with it, and it always ends in disaster. I got involved last time she was here and even with just playing Truth or Dare with the people here at the lab it turned into trouble. Two computers were blown up and Professor Burnet had to take a week off work." Lillie explained to a slowly paling Sun.
"So what do we do? Mallow's a massive teaser as it is. It doesn't matter if its truth or dare, she's going to embarrass us as much as possible." Sun pointed out to his friend, who nodded in agreement.
"Yes, she'll definitely do that. So...I propose we make an alliance of sorts." Lillie said, her smile becoming adorably mischievous.
"Go on." Sun said to the birthday girl, smiling now.
"I propose that we work together to get Mallow out of the game as early as possible, as well as ensure that neither of us forfeit the game no matter what gets thrown our way. That way, she gets shown up at her own game, and maybe...just maybe, we can stop this madness once and for all. And we'll never have to play Truth or Dare again!" Lillie explained as Sun listened.
"I'm game." Sun agreed with a nod, but Lillie wasn't done.
"That means that you'll have to truthfully answer whatever they ask you to, and do whatever dare you're ordered to do. So please, Sun...Just go with it. I'll be doing the same. I'm going to embarrass Mallow at her own game!" Lillie proclaimed, with Sun extending a hand out to Lillie.
"Even if she has you do something super embarrassing like singing a weird song or g-getting um, n-naked?" Sun fumbled with the word, a blush creeping into his face that he couldn't help. Lillie blushed a bit as well, but nodded fiercely.
"If it's what it takes to beat Mallow, then I'll do whatever I have to. I'm getting tired of being teased all the time. Especially since she found out how close me and you are and how much I enjoy your hugs." Lillie's blush intensified further, which made Sun laugh.
"Sounds good to me. We'll have to brainstorm some ideas to really get her. Maybe set up some ground rules so things don't get really bad. But... just so long as you remember the kind of crap Mallow and the others like to pull. They're gonna try and have me and you admit about or do things to each other. We're going to have to promise each other that no matter what happens during the game, we're still friends." Sun said to Lillie, who beamed and shook her friend's hand, sealing the deal. Sun then pulled Lillie into a hug, which sent a flare of warmth through the girl's body. Lillie returned the hug, closing her eyes happily and relaxing for a few moments before the door was suddenly kicked in by Mallow.
"It's time." Mallow laughed evilly, eyeing Sun and Lillie as they broke apart, blushing furiously. "Jeez, you two are gonna make this too easy. Defending the my crown as the TOD Queen will be easy as pie. Blueberry pie with cinnamon crumble and with lemon-filled crust!"
Mallow exited the room and slammed the door, with Lillie sighing softly.
"That tears it. I don't care what that girl throws at me, I'm going to beat her. If I'm going to become a stronger person like you and Hau, then I'm going to have to learn to become brave. And such a task starts from something small, like winning a party game hosted by a rambunctious Trial Captain!" Lillie said declared quietly, pumping her fist with a determined glint in her eyes. Sun privately thought it was adorable, but decided not to comment. Instead he wrapped on arm around Lillie's shoulder, grinning at his friend.
"That's the spirit." Sun said happily, separating from Lillie and opened the door for her. The girl exited the room with her crush close behind, the two friends preparing themselves for what was to come by discussing the best ways to embarrass the Grass Captain at her own game.
"What do you mean we're out of food!?" Hau screamed, falling to the ground and clutching his head with horror.
"I mean that we're out of food. There was way more people here than I thought there was." Mallow said in a dull tone from the lounge that they were now all sitting in. Hau hung his head while Sun pat his friend on the back, though he met Lana and Lillie's gaze and nearly joined them in silent laughter at their hungry friend's plight.
"Anyway, is everyone finally here?" Aria cut in from her spot on the floor, where she was lying down in Hugh's lap.
"I believe so. What are we doing, by the way? No one really told us." Sina asked as she joined Dexio on the floor. At that moment, Rotom Dex popped out of Sun's backpack with a happy buzz and floated above the rug in the room where they had all gathered. Sun, Hau, Lillie, Aria, Hugh, Noah, Vivian, Sina, Dexio, Mallow, Kiawe, Lana, Laura Smiles, Professor Burnet and Professor Kukui.
"Hello, ladiezz and gentlemen! Welcome to the 92nd game of Truth or Dare, brought to you by Alola'zz one and only Captain Mallow! Here as your Master of Ceremonies and glorified bottle for this game izz meee! Rotom Dex!" the Pokédex cried out happily as a small roulette wheel suddenly popped up on its screen, showing the names of everyone present in the room.
"Truth or Dare, huh? Sounds fun." Vivian remarked as she sat down on the ground next to her boyfriend, Noah, who was watching Rotom Dex with amusement.
"I imagine we'll have some ground rules though?" Noah asked, with Lana, Lillie, and Kiawe nodding furiously and all standing up.
"No sexual or graphic dares that involve nudity." Kiawe stated, drawing everyone's attention. "I'm not going through that again."
"Also, no dares or truths that will cause a massive argument, hurt people's feelings, or result in blackmail material showing up on AlolaNet tomorrow." Lana said pointedly, with Mallow whistling a familiar tune innocently.
"And each person gets one pass for any truth or dare they want. And no re-using dares or truths already done in the game!" Lillie added, with Mallow sighing deeply and nodding.
"Izz that all?" Rotom asked the others, who more or less shrugged. "Alrighty then! Let the game'zz begin!"
Rotom spun its wheel and the first one landed on Mallow, who laughed in delight. The wheel spun for a second time, which landed on Hau.
"Interesting. Alright, Captain Mallow. Truth or dare?" Hau asked the green-haired girl, who stood up and posed dramatically.
"Dare!" Mallow shouted, her expression giddy due to her being the first pick of the night. "Hit me with your best shot, Hau!"
Hau smirked and rubbed his chin, thinking. "My best shot huh?"
"Oh, this is going to be good." Lana whispered to Kiawe, who grinned and nodding in agreement.
"Mallow, I dare you to order me more food."
You could hear a pin drop in the room, with everyone staring at Hau with a dull expression on their face. Mallow's expression was unreadable as she looked down at the floor, but a soft growl from the teen alerted the room that Hau had made the girl quite mad. Especially when she looked up with blood-lust in her eyes.
"...Let me at him! I'm going to rip his arms off!" Mallow snarled as she lunged at Hau, only for Kiawe to grab the girl by the arm and yank her down to the ground.
"I'm thinking pizza. Haven't had that in a while." Hau remarked casually, earning a scream of fury from Mallow while Lana and Kiawe exchanged a fist-bump. It appeared that Sun and Lillie weren't the only ones to make alliances to defeat the TOD Queen.
"Mallow, you should know better than to lose your cool because of a bad dare. I still have scars on my arms from the last one, so just order him a pizza." Kiawe said to the other Captain, who sighed and pulled out her phone. One pineapple pizza ordered later, a supremely smug Hau was reaching over and hi-fiving Hugh while Mallow fumed.
"Next!" Mallow grunted, spinning the bottle while Rotom Dex floated above it. To Mallow's delight, the bottle landing on Lillie and her.
"Truth or dare, Princess?" Mallow asked the birthday girl, who inhaled and exhaled to calm her breathing. She was going to beat Mallow at her own game!
"Dare." Lillie said firmly, with Mallow's grin becoming absolutely evil.
"I dare you to take off your dress." Mallow stated, with Professor Kukui and Burnet giving the Captain a glare each. Considering they treated and cared for Lillie like their own daughter, this was understandable. They didn't want to see Lillie being humiliated like this.
"That's really uncalled for, Captain Mallow. I thought we agreed that we weren't going to do anything like that!" Burnet said to the girl, who chuckled darkly in response.
"Unless Lillie's one of those shy and kinky types like Lana over here," Mallow said, making Lana blush and cover her face, "Then she'll just be baring a bit more skin than usual. Nothing explicit about that at all if she's got something on underneath it. Besides, she has a pass she could use."
"Actually, I'm fine with it, Professor Burnet." Lillie said with a small shrug, earning a surprised look from Mallow. To everyone's surprise, Lillie slipped out of her trademark dress without further ado, but Mallow let out a yell of rage upon seeing that Lillie was just wearing a fancy white nightgown underneath her regular outfit it that was somewhat similar to her usual dress and preserved her modesty well.
"You wore another dress underneath your regular dress!?" Mallow hissed, amazed and horrified that two newcomers to her game had managed to outsmart her within the opening round. Lillie grinned shyly at Mallow as she gently set her first dress on the ground, sitting on the floor while Sun was smiling at her with pride. Even if she did have the foresight to wear extra clothes in preparation for the game, doing something like that still had to be unnerving.
"Don't scare me like that!" Hau said to Lillie, pressing his shirt against his nose to stop the nosebleed that had come. Lana slowly shook her head with a small frown while Sina, Aria, and Vivian snickered at the boy.
"Alright, next turn!" Mallow said aloud with Rotom beeping and twirling in midair. Eventually it landed on Noah and Hugh. The two friends smirked at each other.
"Truth or dare?" Hugh asked the other teen.
"Dare. Bring it." Noah said bravely, with Vivian laughing softly beside him.
"I dare you to punch Professor Kukui in the abs as hard as you can." Hugh said with a smirk. Sun took a moment to process the fact that the crimson-eyed teen had asked a frail, sickly leukemiac Trainer to punch a man like Kukui in the abs, but decided not to comment on that. Noah shrugged and stood up as did Kukui, who grinned in anticipation. Noah punched Kukui in his rock-hard abs with a yell of effort before drawing back his hand, hissing in pain.
"What the hell? It's like trying to punch solid granite!" Noah yelped as he shook his hand, with Kukui chuckling softly.
"Seriously, I bet you could grind cheese on those abs." Vivian remarked, with Professor Burnet nodding in agreement.
"Yes, you can actually. We've tried it. However the smell tends to linger something awful." Burnet remarked, with the group bursting into laughter as Noah and Kukui sat back down. Rotom activated its roulette, which landed on Lillie and Professor Kukui.
"Truth or dare, Lillie?" Kukui asked, with Lillie thinking about it.
"Truth." The girl replied, with Kukui smirking.
"Alright then. Describe the best day you've had since arriving here." Kukui said, with Mallow frowning at the essential freebie Kukui had given her. Lillie didn't mind though, because she smiled.
"Honestly, it might just be today. I don't deserve all of this effort and gifts and your time, but...Being able to spend time with my friends and those who care about me is just overwhelming. I'm so happy. I'll never forget the kindness you've shown me" Lillie said quietly, with Sun and Aria wrapping an arm around the blonde girl's shoulders with matching grins while everyone else just smiled at the birthday girl.
"Zzzt! So much happiness! Fantazztic! Now, let'zz see who goezz next!" Rotom declared as it spun again. This time it landed on Professor Burnet and Laura Smiles, with both women smiling at one another.
"Alright, Madeline. Truth or dare?" Laura said with a cheeky grin.
"Truth. I'm not so stupid as to take a dare from you. I imagine my husband will appreciate it if he doesn't get the same treatment poor Hala got a little while ago." Burnet said with a rueful smile, earning a wince from her husband.
"Wait, what happened to Tutu?" Hau asked, confused.
"When I found out that he likes to taint children's minds with profanity, as well as impressionable young Pokémon, I hunted him down and kicked him in the testicles." Laura explained, with all of the men wincing in discomfort. "Needless to say, I'm not a fan of that kind of language around children of any kind. Now, onto my truth for you...describe Professor Kukui in the bedroom." Laura Smiles said with a small smirk, with Professor Burnet sighing softly while Sun, Lillie, Hau and Lana all began to blush. Professor Kukui was smiling, amused at this. He wouldn't be for long.
"The...ahem, few times we do make love are very passionate and incredible. However, getting him to actually focus on something like sex instead of something stupid or work-related is a lot harder than you think." Professor Burnet remarked dryly, remembering a conversation from the other night.
"Johnny Kukui, will you focus for two seconds? I didn't get dressed like this for nothing, you know! I spent a lot of money on the whips too!"
"Honey, think of the science! We have to know for sure how their sleeping patterns work in conjunction with the move Rest."
"By Arceus, you're ridiculous sometimes, you know that?"
"Madeline, he sleeps in the bed with us, okay? Don't make me choose between you and the rock wolf."
"Johnny, I love you to death, but you have the attention span of a Patrat." Burnet said to her horrified husband, who was cut off from replying when Sun interjected.
"Wait, wait...Your first name is Johnny? That's so normal though!" Sun asked the Professor, who grinned.
"Duh. What name sounds more Alolan than a name like Johnny Kukui? Think about it. Totally a surfer's name." Kukui responded to Sun, only slightly breaking the fourth wall. That's literally the only reason behind why I decided Kukui should get that name.
Regardless, everyone else was somewhat bothered by this revelation, and not in the fun way. Rotom decided now would be best to go onto the next dare, which was Lillie and Lana. Lillie went with truth, which Lana smirked at.
"Who's the hottest guy in the room?" Lillie paled at the question the bluenette was asking her, before slowly blushing pink.
"I um...Well...S-sun…" Lillie mumbled, but Lana wasn't satisfied with that.
"I didn't quite hear you. Could you speak up for the rest of the class?" Lana said with a teasing smile that Mallow was proud of.
"S-sun…" Lillie said in her usual volume. The boy in question felt really embarrassed at that, but was also quite happy about hearing this from his crush. He'd have to ask her about that the next time they were alone.
"~I still can't hear you, Lillie!~" Lana sang aloud, with Lillie's inner calm snapping like a twig
"It's Sun, alright! Are you happy!? I think Sun is...hot?" Lillie whispered the last bit of that sentence in horror before sinking down to the ground, unaware that she had stood up. Lillie quickly glanced over at Sun, meeting his eye. Lillie sighed with relief in seeing nothing but a bit of humor in Sun's eyes at the situation. If anything they were even now. Sun had admitted to her long ago that he thought she was the prettiest girl he knew, which still made her heart flutter with happiness.
"Wow. So that's what it felt being so nosy. I now know what it feels like to be Mallow." Lana said with a small shudder. "Feels gross. 2/10 would not recommend."
"No one asked you, Lana." Mallow said with an annoyed expression. Ignoring the squabble, Rotom spun the wheel again, which landed on Aria and Vivian.
"Ah, me and the Heroine. Truth or dare?" Vivian said with a sharp grin, with Aria rolling her eyes.
"Truth."
"Who's hotter? Wes or Hugh?" Vivian asked the new Snagger, who suddenly blushed bright pink and looked up at the ceiling, determinedly not meeting anyone's eyes.
"I hate my life...Wes. Wes was hotter." Aria answered, not seeing the annoyed expression on Hugh's face.
"I accepted that long ago." Hugh muttered, with Vivian deciding to pour salt into the wound.
"What about him made him so hot?" Vivian asked, with Aria sighing deeply as she looked down, her blush darkening.
"He was really h-handsome...and he had great body too. Plus, he taught me everything he knew about being a Trainer. I just liked his personality in general too, I guess. He was a dependable and likable guy, and he knew just how to make people smile. I began to develop feelings for him early on, and…" Aria trailed off with a small cough, knowing that she had said way too much. Hugh leaned against Aria and gave her a small hug, which she smiled a bit at. Sun wondered if thinking about her former mentor and friend in such a fond way brought up bad memories for Aria.
"I knew you'd say something like that, and I'm still amused. Life is good." Vivian remarked as she waved at Rotom, who spun his wheel again. This time it landed on Dexio and Sina, the former being terrified and the latter being very excited.
"Oui! Mon tour! So Dexio, truth or dare?" Sina asked her partner happily. Dexio sighed and resigned himself to his fate.
"Truth. That's harmless, right?" Dexio muttered the last part to himself. Sina cackled with glee, bouncing up and down on the floor.
"What is your worst fear?" Sina asked Dexio, who's eyes widened in horror at the question.
"Pass. I'm not giving you that kind of ammunition against me, my friend." Dexio said firmly, crossing his arms as Sina giggled in delight.
"Alrighty! Next one is...Mallow and Hau!" Rotom announced, with Mallow growling softly in annoyance.
"Heh. Pick your poison." Hau said cockily, with Mallow's eye twitching slightly.
"Truth."
"Hmmm...Describe your last breakup and why you think it happened." Hau remarked, with Kiawe face-palming with a groan.
"Oh boy, here we go." Kiawe muttered, ignoring the glare of fury from Mallow, who frowned and looked down.
"Well, me and Bobby broke up after he beat the Grass Trial. We had been seeing each other for a little while at that point, and I thought after the Trial we would be able to spend the evening together and just hang out in the jungle, or maybe go out. It took way longer than it should have to convince him to spend some time with me, but...by that point he had really soured my opinion of him. It shouldn't be a struggle to decide something like that, right?" Mallow asked the others, who more or less agreed with a few nods. "He tried to salvage it with apologies and even tried to convince me to camp out with him and cuddle under the stars, but the thought of doing that bothered me at that point and I refused to even consider it. He got mad, left, and we haven't spoken since." Mallow said with an annoyed frown on her face. Her expression became more thoughtful, however.
"As for what went wrong...I don't know. At first, things usually start out pretty good. But after a while, I kinda just start losing interest one way or another, no matter how cute the guy is or how well we get along. I just stop becoming comfortable whenever I get more...intimate. It's weird, but I know I'll find the one meant for me. I've got to keep looking!" Mallow declared, pumping her fist into the air. "In the meantime, I'm going to help all my friends find love while I search for my own!"
"Well said." Noah remarked with a small chuckle, with Mallow giving the older Trainer a thumbs up. Rotom spun the wheel and it landed on Mallow and Sun.
"Rotom, what the hell?" Mallow growled at the device, who giggled in response.
"Good job Rotom. Truth or dare, Mallow?" Sun asked the Captain.
Mallow puffed out her chest and boldly answered, "Dare! Bring it."
"I dare you to dye your hair the same color red as Kiawe's." Sun said to the girl, who went sheet-white at the words.
"Pass. I'll die before I stoop down to Kiawe's level."
"...T-that actually kind of hurt, Mallow."
"Kiawe...are you crying?"
"No! You...you're the one who's crying, Lana!"
"Zzzt...Do you want me to spin the wheel again, or…?"
"Just do it!" Kiawe yelled at the device, who yelped and spun its wheel and found that it landed on Dexio and Sina, the former of whom grinned manically while his female partner paled.
"Truth or dare?" Dexio asked innocently, with Sina sighing softly.
"Truth, I suppose."
"Considering most of everyone here knows our secret identities, I must admit to some curiosity to something I've wondered ever since we became the Masked Heroes of Kalos. Umm…" Dexio trailed off, a small blush creeping into his face that worried Sina. "Have you ever...um, posed while wearing the mask entrusted to you-?"
"Of course I have. We've been doing this for years, Dexio."
"If you'd let me finish…" Dexio said with an annoyed sigh, with Sina blinking in response. "Have you ever posed inappropriately while wearing your mask?" Dexio finished, with Sina suddenly blushing a very dark shade of red at the question that made her really wish she had said mask right then and there.
"Of course not-" Sina said in response, but Rotom suddenly buzzed loudly and swooped down in front of the Trainers for Kalos.
"Oh really? Because according to my sensorzz, you're lying through your teeth! You wanna try that again, Mizz Sina?" Rotom asked the girl, who suddenly looked down at the ground while everyone stared at her in and Dexio, wondering what the hell was going on.
"Fine. Sometimes...I like to pose in front of the mirror wearing my mask." Sina responded, with Dexio giving her a look. Sina curled into a ball, her face somehow going a shade of red darker. "Just my mask. And nothing else. Happy?"
"Shocking. Professor Sycamore enlists the help of weirdos, one of whom pose nude while pretending to be heroes." Laura Smiles remarked while the Captains and children exchanged looks of surprise while each sporting blushes. Dexio patted Sina on the head and whispered something into her ear, which made her recoil back in surprise.
"Wait, you do it too!?" Sina yelped, with Dexio throwing his hands up into the air in frustration.
"That was said to make you feel better! I didn't want my dirty habits getting out!" Dexio yelled, slipping into Kalosian and going on a rant. Sina did the same, and as a result no one knew what the two were saying. Well, except for Lillie, who was watching the two in mild horror.
"Lillie, you can speak their language, right? What are they saying?" Sun asked his friend, who shook her head.
"I'm not going to touch this one." Lillie responded, though she did catch Professor Burnet talking with Professor Kukui.
"Honey, you don't pose like that, do you?" Burnet asked her husband quietly, which unfortunately wasn't quiet enough for everyone in the room to latch onto the conversation. Hau and Sun clutched their eyes, screaming at the mental image.
"Kukui, please for the love of Arceus, don't tell me you wear weird masks and pose nude." Laura said to the man, who scoffed.
"Don't be ridiculous Laura. Since when I have ever owned a mask? And besides, that's highly inappropriate for a man of my standing and age." Kukui responded, with Laura sighing in relief. Though...
"They must never know." Kukui thought darkly, crossing his arms and looking down at the floor. Suddenly the doorbell rang in the distance, with Hau and Mallow hopping up to retrieve Hau's pizza. The boy came back wearing a massive grin and began chowing down, sharing the pizza with Noah, Sun, and Lillie. By that time Sina and Dexio had calmed down and the game was underway once more. It landed on Kiawe and Noah, with Kiawe deciding on dare.
"Um...Huh. Got it. Kaiwe, I dare you to log onto Festival Plaza and declare that you think dancing is for girls." Noah said with a grin, with Kiawe groaning in despair as he hung his head.
"P-pass…"
"Wow, seriously? Kiawe, you're such a weenie." Mallow said to the older Captain, who scowled at Mallow. The wheel was spun once again, and to everyone's delight it landed on Lillie and Sun.
"Alright Princess. Truth or dare." Sun said to Lillie, who grinned adorably at him.
"Dare." Lillie said, earning several smirks in the room.
"I dare you...to wear all black at the next big party we go to." Sun said to Lillie, who frowned and looked away at that.
"But I…" Lillie trailed off, unsure. Ever since she could remember, she had worn her fancy and elegant all-white dresses. Even though they were a reminder of the mental conditioning she had been subjected to and were a testament to her mother's influence, Lillie couldn't feel comfortable wearing anything else. They gave her comfort, and reminded her of times when she could feel the love her mother had for her. However…
Lillie wanted to be brave. And sometimes, it meant doing things despite being scared. Little steps, after all.
"Okay. I'll do it." Lillie said to Sun, who smiled at his friend.
"You should've just asked her out to the big Tapu Lele party happening six weeks from now. That would've been way more interesting." Vivian noted, making Sun and Lillie glare at the violinist. The wheel was spun again, with the wheel landing on Noah and Lana.
"Hmm...I'll go with truth." Noah said to the Water Captain, who thought about it.
"Well, you and Hugh beat my Trial the other day. But I couldn't help but wonder, how does someone with a life-threatening illness train and explore with his Pokémon?" Lana asked the pale young man, who smiled in response.
"Interesting question. Well, it amounts to me being very stubborn. I ran away from home after my first batch of treatments, once my illness started really making its mark on me. My only Pokémon was a Machop who had been given to me to be my strength, because I was so weak. I credit my survival in general to my Starter, who kept me going and fought to protect me since I was so defenseless. Together, we expanded the team and slowly but surely conquered Kanto's Gyms through sheer force of will. I refused to be held back by some sickness. If I died, then so be it...But I would achieve my dreams of being a Trainer or die trying." Noah said in reply, with the others listening intently to the young man's tale.
"Yes, I've put my health at risk many times. I'd have a much more comfortable life being in the cities, receiving treatment and hoping for a cure to someday come. With recent advances in medical treatment, I wouldn't be surprised if it happened in a few years. But for now, I'm not going to wait. I'm going to keep fighting. That is how I'm able to train despite being so sick, Captain Lana. The will to live, and truly live. I'm not afraid to die when I'm doing what I love and am surrounded by a team that loves and respects me, despite my physical weakness." Noah finished, with Vivian placing a hand over Noah's and clasping it in a rare show of affection for her boyfriend.
"That's...dude, that's really cool." Hau remarked, with Noah laughing in response.
"Glad you think so, man. So who's next?" Noah asked Rotom Dex, who buzzed in response.
"You're gonna make me cry, Noah! Zzzt! Just kidding! I'd hate to short-circuit when all thizz drama and fun iz going on." Rotom declared, spinning its wheel. It landed on Laura Smiles and Professor Burnet. Laura went with truth, and Professor Burnet thought about it for a moment.
"I was curious about something, since you don't talk much about yours and Sun's past. But do you or he have any family here in Alola, or is it just you two?" Burnet asked Laura, with Sun looking at his mother in surprise as she sighed quietly.
"From what I remember, my ex-husband's mother and father still lives on Ula'ula Island somewhere. Sun's grandparents have never met him, though, and are estranged from my ex-husband." Laura replied, with her looking at Sun sadly. "I don't know how to reach out to them, though. I'm not sure it's wise to either. I don't want to risk word getting to that man about where we are."
"I understand Mom...I think I still want to meet them." Sun said quietly, looking away. So, he had grandparents here in Alola? He wasn't sure how he felt about that. He needed a bit of time to think about it. The wheel spun again and landed on Aria and Kiawe, who was dared to smack Hugh in the bare chest with her Snag Machine arm. Needless to say…
"Agghhh! Holy sweet mother of Arceus, that stings!"
It hurt. A lot.
The next rotation was Kiawe and Vivian, the latter of whom was grinning at the Fire Captain.
"Truth or dare, Kiawe?" Vivian asked the dancer, who grinned confidently.
"Truth."
"If you had to spend the night in a broom closet with one of the people here, who would it be and why?" Vivian asked the young man, who chuckled in response.
"Easy. Professor Kukui!" Kiawe responded, shocking everyone. "After all, we could discuss Pokémon battling and all sorts of interesting things. I'd like a chance to learn from him. Besides, it definitely beats hearing about Mallow's feelings, that's for sure."
"Go to hell."
"Already there, Mallow. Already there...i wish I was kidding." Kiawe said with a laugh, though he suddenly stopped smiling and pulled out his phone, which was buzzing. Kiawe opened it and began speaking to however was calling him. "Hey boss, what's...Oh. Really? Karen called out?...No one else can come in this late? I...understood. I'll be there soon."
Kiawe hung up his phone and stood up, sighing softly. "Sadly, this is where I'll have to say goodbye. We had an incident at work and we're understaffed right now, so I'm heading in. You all have a goodnight."
Kiawe looked over at Lillie and said, "And Happy Birthday again, Lillie. May the coming years bring you happiness."
"Thank you Kiawe. You have a good night! I hope work goes well!" Lillie said to her friend as he left the room, waving goodbye to the others. With that, their number was reduced by one.
"Next!" Rotom declared, with the wheel landing on Laura Smiles and Mallow, with both women grinning at each other.
"I'm thinking truth." Laura said to Mallow, who cackled with glee.
"I want you to tell me the most adorable thing you've seen Lillie and Sun doing." Mallow asked the woman, with the two children in question both gulping in horror.
"Why are all my truths and dares used to get information on Sun?" Laura said jokingly, but she smiled regardless. "Well, it'd have to be the first morning Lillie stayed at our house on Melemele Island. I found her and Sun cuddling on the couch, fast asleep. Best part was that Sun was sleeping right on top of Lillie's boobs, so-"
"Okay Mom, that's enough!" Sun interjected, blushing dark red while everyone else laughed at him and Lillie for their embarrassing moment. Things didn't improve for the two children, either, as Lillie and Aria were up next on the wheel.
"Truth or dare, Lillie?" Aria said with a grin. The girl took a shuddering breath, but remembered her promise to herself. She wouldn't back down, no matter how nervous she was.
"Truth."
"Describe the moment Miss Smiles just talked about from your own perspective, using as much detail as possible." Aria instructed Lillie, who flinched and looked down.
"M-me and Sun were staying up late, reading together on the couch. I started getting really tired, and rested my head on Sun's shoulder for a moment before falling asleep. The next thing I know, I hear Miss Smiles laughing and I'm holding Sun close to me, with his face buried in m-my...breasts." Lillie said the last word in a whisper, with Hugh and Vivian on the floor laughing. "I tried to wake Sun up, but he just starting...moving around, which made things worse. Finally I yelled, woke him up, and that was that. He apologized for what happened even though I'm just as at fault and we're still friends."
"Did you like having him do that, Lillie?" Mallow asked with a perverted grin. Lillie frowned at her friend, crossing her arms.
"I satisfied the requirements of the round. Rotom, if you would?" Lillie said with a huff, with the Pokédex giggling before spinning the wheel, with it landing on Noah and Aria.
"Let's see now…Truth."
"Since you had feelings for Wes, did you ever ask him out? And if so, how'd that go?" Noah asked the Snagger, who face-palmed while blushing bright pink. Hugh rolled his eyes, though he was smiling slightly now.
"Yes, I asked him out. I'm not proud of how I reacted when he shot me down though. I got really mad because he said that he wasn't looking to date, because his last girlfriend ruined a lot of things for him. That was the first time I had ever asked someone out, and being rejected didn't sit well with me. So I got into a bad argument with him and went to sulk at our hotel. He went to the bars, ran into one of the most famous singers in the world right now, and ended up becoming friends with her. Needless to say, I'm not proud of how I acted that night." Aria explained in a quiet voice, with Hugh giving her a sympathetic look. After all, he knew what it was like to be shot down by someone you had feelings for. The wheel spun again and landed on Lillie and Mallow, with the Grass Captain giggling happily.
"Truth or dare, Lillie?"
"Truth!"
"Gah, can some of you weenies pick dare already?" Mallow complained before she suddenly smirked sinisterly. "Lillie, I want you to tell me which of the videos on that website I showed you that you enjoyed the most."
Lillie coughed awkwardly and looked away from the Captain, though Kukui and Burnet were confused.
"What website is she talking about?" Kukui asked Mallow, who chuckled.
"Well, our little Princess had some questions about boys and I introduced her to the wonders of the internet, beginning my work of corrupting her mind with as much filth as possible." Mallow said happily while anger flashed on Burnet's face.
"You showed her an adult website? Really? Mallow, not everyone is much of a pervert as you-" Lana began to say before she was cut off.
"Number 21 on your playlist of videos was interesting, Mallow. Next." Lillie answered to the collective surprise of everyone, which Lillie took notice of. "Again, I was curious about some things and it'd be weird asking either one of you two. As much of a disgusting pervert she is, Mallow actually taught me a lot about the subject with her dirty mind."
"Your welcome!"
"I wasn't thanking you. I was just stating a fact."
"Zzzt! Next up is...Vivian and Sun!" Rotom Dex declared, with Sun grinning at the violinist while Kukui and Burnet glared at Mallow.
"Truth or dare, Vivian?" Sun asked the young woman, who grinned back at him.
"Dare!" Vivian declared, with Sun laughing in a manner that Mallow approved of. She also approved of the dare, considering it involved her.
"I dare you to take a bite of the Mallow Special." Sun said to Vivian, who looked confused. Meanwhile, Mallow was eagerly digging into her backpack and pulled out a Tupperware container filled with green goo of sorts.
"I have some leftovers from the other day! I'll be more than happy to share some!" Mallow said happily, though she frowned after a moment. "Wait, why is this a dare? Is something wrong with the Mallow Special?"
At the silence of everyone else, Mallow's expression fell. Wordlessly she passed a spoon and the container to Vivian, who looked down nervously at the food offered to her. Opening it, the violinist flinched at the smell that suddenly hit the room. Vivian coughed, waving her hand and waving away the smell before quickly getting a spoonful and shoving it into her mouth. Vivian's expression turned to pain and the woman quickly swallowed, gagging several times before hunching over, shivering.
"Was it...bad?" Mallow asked quietly as Vivian groaned.
"I think I would rather gargle battery acid than do that again. Oh...I don't feel so good, Noah." Vivian groaned, falling onto the floor.
"...Let'zz skip Vivian for now and continue!" Rotom declared cheerily, ignoring the horrified looks everyone was giving a rather upset Mallow. Needless to say, when it landed on Lillie and her, Mallow felt a bit more cheery.
"Truth!" Lillie picked, smiling as Mallow scowled.
"Fine...What's Sun's best quality?" Mallow asked, making Lillie frown.
"Mallow, you really have nothing better to ask me than more stuff about Sun?" Lillie asked the Captain, who happily nodded in response. "Fine then. I think Sun's best quality is that he's able to see the best in people. Even at their worst, he supports people no matter what they're going through. I can't help but admire him for that."
Mallow nodded, satisfied at the answer she received while Sun rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly at the praise from Lillie. The spinner landed on Aria and Dexio, who both grinned.
"Truth or Dare?"
"Dare me, sucka." Aria said cockily, with Dexio chuckling.
"I dare you to predict something in the future for me and Sina! You have a very helpful gift, and I can't help but be curious in what lies in our perspective futures." Dexio explained as Aria rolled her eyes, but got up and walked over to the two Kalosians. Aria grabbed both of their hands and the group waited in silence for a few moments before Aria tilted her head back, her eyes glowing green for several seconds before she slumped over, shivering as if ill.
"Never...stops...hurting." Aria grit her teeth as Hugh scrambled over to her and helped her to her feet. Aria was helped back to her original spot and given some water, and after she downed a bit of it she explained what she saw to Dexio.
"I saw...a chapel of sorts. With a massive tower in the background, but the focus in on a massive party going on. Everyone's wearing their best clothes, the food looks great, and its all set up for a wedding." Aria explained, with Dexio frowning at that.
"Strange. I know of no one who would be getting married in the foreseeable future." Dexio remarked, glancing at Sina, who shrugged in response.
"Well, that's because the people who're getting married isn't anyone that you're friends with...The people getting married is the two of you, Sina and Dexio." Aria said with a small smirk on her face as the two foreign Trainer's eyes widened in surprise. Dexio slowly looked at Sina to see what her reaction to that was, but was amazed to see that she was smiling at him with a bright pink burning her cheeks.
"So yeah, congrats on the revelation. Hope you two finding out that you both like each other was worth me going through intense pain. Jerks." Aria said to the two Trainers, who were staring at each other transfixed.
"Sina, y a-t-il quelque chose que tu veux me dire?" Dexio said quietly to his partner, who looked away from him. Dexio looked down for a moment before he looked back up at her. "As-tu caché aussi tes sentiments, mon cher ami?
"Qui." Came Sina's reply, surprisingly quiet for such a lively and energetic woman. Dexio nodded, satisfied at the answer, before he suddenly leaned forward and kissed Sina full on the mouth. Sina gasped at the sudden contact, but slowly shut her eyes and leaned into the kiss while everyone watched on in surprise.
"Well...That took a turn." Aria stated aloud with a wide grin as Sina and Dexio broke apart, gasping for air and both sporting heavy blushes.
"It looks like you both have some things you need to sort out." Vivian remarked idly as Sina sighed and leaned against Dexio, shutting her eyes.
"I've been waiting years for that." Sina breathed happily as Dexio wrapped an arm around her, pulling his friend close.
"My friends, I believe me and Sina have some things to discuss. Thank you for allowing us here for the day. It was quite fun, and the day we see each other again will hopefully not be far from now." Dexio said to the others as Sina stood as well, stretching for a moment. Both of the Kalosians bid Lillie a Happy Birthday and departed from the room, leaving everyone else sitting in silence. At least until Aria broke it.
"And once again, Aria the Matchmaker has two satisfied customers." Aria said, leaning back and lying down on the ground. "I'll give them both two weeks before I admit to those two that I lied about the vision of their wedding just so that they would admit their feelings for each other."
"Wait, you did what?" Hugh asked the Snagger, who gave them all a massive grin.
"Well, it's official Torch. I'm bored."
Demi wandered through the Shady House with her Quilava, but found that despite the size of the mansion and the many odd people and things within, there really wasn't a whole lot to do. Which sucked for Demi, considering it was pouring rain outside and she didn't feel like going outside.
"I just don't get it. This unease with the rain...why is it so bad? Why can't I just go out there and deal with it?" Demi asked as she passed a window, where a glance had shown her a few of the Team Skull Grunts wrestling the three Skull Brothers on the front lawn of the house, with Plumeria watching them with Kayla and Kevin standing beside her. Demi had declined Plumeria's offer to teach her how to fight, instead choosing to stay in the Shady House and do some chores instead, considering what a dump the house was. Plumeria praised the girl for taking initiative, which none of the other Grunts seemed to want to do.
"Hey, Demi!" The girl's attention snapped upwards, where Kevin was standing above her. The Grunt walked down the stairway and held out a fist, which she punched. "How's it going? Why aren't you outside with the others?"
"Not feeling like it. It's hard to explain. What are those?" Demi asked, pointing to the stack of papers in the teen's arms.
Kevin shrugged in reply, grinning underneath his bandanna. "The Boss told me to update the Wall of Infamy, so we know the best marks to hit, yo. It's usually the same ones, but every now and then we get some new folks to harass. Follow me, sis, and I'll show you where it is."
Demi shrugged and followed the teen, returning Torch as the two made their way to the dining hall, which Demi had cleaned just two hours prior. It had taken a lot of work to move some of the broken furniture and trash that littered the room, but it definitely looked a lot better now that someone had taken some time to clean.
"Huh...So this is what this room looks like without the debris. Weird. Anyway, here's where we usually keep the papers and stuff." Kevin said as he walked over to a massive billboard that was oddly enough, completely clear. The teen snagged a step ladder and begin using tacks to pin a series of pictures to the wall, complete with descriptions of what they had done and what the reward would be upon their capture.
"What are you two doing?" came a low voice from behind them. Demi whirled around and saw Gladion standing in the entryway, a hand on his hip and looking rather exhausted. Demi looked away from the boy, remembering the harsh words he had said to her the other day.
"I don't understand him...Why does he want to be miserable so much?" Demi thought as Gladion looked at Kevin, who was continuing to staple the pictures to the wall. Kevin hopped down from his ladder and looked at Gladion and Demi, who weren't meeting each other's gaze.
"I feel like I'm interrupting something...so I'm gonna bail." Kevin said before either teen could say anything. He did turn to Demi and said, "I'll be outside with the others, if you feel like coming to hang out with us."
"M-maybe later." Demi said to the teen, who nodded and wandered out of the room, leaving Gladion and Demi alone. Demi turned around and began scanning the Wall of Infamy, with Gladion watching her for a time.
"I'm surprised you're not outside." Gladion noted, with Demi snorted derisively.
"I told you a few days ago. The non-stop rain is really messing with me. I don't want to go outside in that...It's scaring me." Demi whispered to herself, shivering slightly. She then shot a glare at Gladion while pulling her bandanna down, showing her angry expression. "Why do you even care? Trying to find another way to be a dick to someone just trying to be nice?"
"I don't...It's just that…" Gladion trailed off, looking away. He had come to the Shady House to speak with Plumeria and get new orders from Guzma, which was fairly standard. However, when he saw Demi walking with Kevin, he followed without hesitation. Why though? He had already taken that step and pushed Demi away, so why...Why did he feel the need to follow her? He turned to look at her with a small sigh escaping him, the teen walking over to her.
"I don't know. So...They're finally updating the Wall of Infamy?" Gladion asked Demi, who looked back up at it.
"Yeah. Lots of unfamiliar faces, but they're unsurprising. All of the Captains and Kahunas are on here. I don't recognize this Hapu lady or the Commander Jack guy, though his name sounds familiar. But I...Wait what!?" Demi yelled out, catching a familiar face on the board. Several familiar faces on the board.
Sun, Hau, and Lillie.
Hau was an obvious target. He had beaten Team Skull several times and was the grandson of the Kahuna of Melemele Island. No big stretch to see why the gangsters considered him a target. Sun had beaten Team Skull even more times and he was new to the islands of Alola as well, which probably made things more insulting to Team Skull. But…
Why would Team Skull be after Lillie? The girl was so sweet and innocent, she couldn't have done anything to provoke Team Skull. Demi then remembered some of the conversations Lillie had with her back on Melemele Island, where the girl had warned her that people were after her and Nebby. Demi had promised the girl that Demi would make anyone who tried to hurt the girl run away with burns. They had hugged after that.
"I really do miss them." Demi sighed as Gladion joined her, looking over the wall. He suddenly froze, and Demi noticed he too was staring at Lillie's picture.
"How...Why is Team Skull looking for her!? I thought she was safe!" Gladion rasped, his voice thick with horror and, Demi noticed, genuine worry.
"I don't know why they're looking for Lillie. I just know my friend's in danger." Demi replied, not noticing the sharp look of alarm Gladion had given her. Instead, she was looking at the picture of Lillie and was frowning as something began to bother her. She then looked at Gladion, noticing the glare he was giving her, and rolled her eyes before looking back at the picture of Lillie on the Wall of Infamy.
"You know...Looking at it, you remind me of Lillie, Gladion. You two could be brother and sister." Demi noted, taking in the fact that the two shared the same hair color, skin complexion and eye color. Their faces even looked a bit similar, actually...Demi looked at Gladion and saw that the boy had gone deathly pale, his eyes wide. She then processed what he had said before, and began putting a few pieces of the puzzle together.
"How exactly do you know Lillie, Gladion?" Demi asked the boy, who shut his eyes for a moment, as if considering his options. He then opened his eyes…
Before suddenly punching Demi in the stomach and making the girl drop to her knees, choking in pain. Gladion suddenly threw the girl to the ground and pinned her to the ground with ease, his face bared in a look of absolute fury. Demi tried to move her head, but quickly found that Gladion had a knife pressed to her neck.
"You're going to tell me everything you know about Lillie. Right. Now!" Gladion hissed at the girl, pressing the knife into her throat just enough for a tear of crimson to drip onto the carpet.
Well that escalated quickly!
Next chapter we'll see the conclusion of Lillie's birthday, with some more fluff and with some stuff being explained with Gladion and Demi! And maybe something else...
Q & A
From: RC-DA
Alright, I'm gonna explain my logic to some of the things that you've expressed concern about in your review. If this doesn't cover it, then feel free to PM me to discuss this further.
You're absolutely right in the fact that as bad as Amber was injured in this past fight, she shouldn't have been able to fight as well as she was. I plan on making some revisions to the last chapter to make her injuries and actions more realistic, because despite how tough Amber is, she shouldn't be able to take down anyone in a fight in her condition.
Back during their battle, Kukui thought Amber was knocked out and that he would be able to escape with the children while she was incapacitated. Yes, it was a lapse in judgement on his part, but he wasn't going to kill someone in front of a bunch of already traumatized kids. Also, considering the kind of person Professor Kukui is...I honestly don't think he has it in him to kill an opponent that's defenseless like that. Hence why the scene played out the way it did. Not everyone has the resolve to kill someone.
Amber shooting Oliver's Gallade was done because it was a moment where everyone was more or less awed by the psychic deadlock taking place. It wasn't a thing where no one could interfere. It's that Amber was the only who was awful enough to take a cheap shot at an unmoving and distracted target while everyone was watching two Psychic's slugging it out, again showcasing that she doesn't care what she has to do to beat her opponents no matter how underhanded and genuinely awful it is.
Avis, Amber's Xatu, is one of the main reasons she's survived as long as she has. Amber doesn't have much of a sense of self-preservation, while Avis is always there to bail her out of trouble, as seen in nearly every fight Amber is in. Avis abuses the hell out of her most useful moves, Protect and Teleport, and maintains a mental link with Amber so that Amber can think orders to Avis, and Avis relays the orders to her team. That's what makes Avis so dangerous, is that she fights completely in-sync with her Trainer and doesn't need to be a powerhouse to win. She just needs to keep Amber and her team alive long enough to turn the odds around in their favor, as seen when Avis and Oliver's Gallade were in a deadlock with Psychic.
And yeah, while Xatu isn't the most powerful Pokémon around, when you have a very high-leveled anything, it's going to be a force to be reckoned with. Amber's entire team is in the upper 50's and lower 60's, with Avis being the strongest. However, I've also read stories where Trainers have had unconventional Starters that are the cornerstone of their team (Des the Camerupt from "Pedestal" comes to mind. Hell, isn't Ash's Pikachu strong enough to take down one of the Golem Trio?) Anyways, I hope that clears up why things have happened the way they have. Again, if you have further questions, let me know and I'll answer as best as I can.
Feel free to drop a review telling me what you think, and favorite and/or follow if you haven't already! Oh yeah, and questions as well. Just don't forget to drop feedback with those questions!
I'm going to go...Get lunch maybe? Or probably work on more of the TOD stuff. I kinda went overboard with that. I hoped you all liked it though!
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
