Pokémon Radiant Sun


After this next chapter, we'll finally be done with the Akala Island Arc and move onto the next one, which I call the "Recovery Arc."

I also had to do some serious re-shuffling of chapters, mainly because I decided I wanted to keep some things in order with the game, since this is a novelization of the game itself. And by this, I mean I wanted the Trial Captain battles to take place before Sun beats Olivia, but you can't do that and I decided I wanted to stay true to that fact in this story. So they'll happen afterwards.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes SomeCalItKye, Ultimate blazer, RC-DA, Moonlight Butterfree, TheOneWhoSaysMeep, Cottonmouth25, SpoonyAzul, Sai Og Sus, SonicIKE, Angelfir3, a Guest reviewer known as Michael, BraviaryScout, snipmaster149, skyguys05, AncientHeroOfTime, KyubiMaster9, a Guest reviewer, and a new reviewer known as PowerZone. Loving the awesome feedback!

And for those wondering when Sun will rematch the Kahuna, it will be a decent while. This next arc will be expanding on backstories, and give our characters some downtime and allow us to spend some time with those that desperately needed more spotlight. And it'll also lay off the Cipher stuff for at least a little while, which I'll admit has been getting a lot of focus lately. Kinda hard to do when this is one of the most important arcs in the story with big revelations and stuff, but I'll promise that things will calm down shortly as we take care of some side stuff in this next arc as Sun recovers (Ayyyyy) from what's happened lately.

Oh, and there's tons of fluff too. Especially next chapter, because I think enough time has passed and thing's need to lighten up. Especially since Sun will be getting his next teammate very soon.

And with that teaser out of the way...

Let's take a moment to appreciate that this is Chapter 69. Which is indeed a sex thing. Tee-hee.

Enjoy!


Chapter 69: Heaven's Cry


"Yo...is this the place?"

"...Axen, we're in the middle of the wilderness and there's a guy hunched over a campfire with a can of beans and a bunch of Fossils next to him. No shit it's the place."

Bone Unit 71 entered the so-called Dream Park, with Gladion staying as far as he could at the back as he could get away with. He explained who this man was to the group, but only Demi actually heeded his words and kept her distance like the fierce teen did. All of them had their Pokémon out now, ready to bail them out at a moment's notice.

Gladion glanced at his Golbat perched on a nearby tree, ready to interfere should need be. Type: Null padded alongside him, on the alert. Only the sleeping Zorua in Gladion's arms was relaxed, looking far better than it did just a few days ago.

Demi had to admit, seeing Gladion care for the little wolf like the child that it was had to be the most adorable thing ever. Of course, he was training the Zorua alongside his team and was helping it develop its transforming powers, but regardless he still made sure to treat the newest member of his team with a kindness that surprised Team Skull. It was as if they were glimpsing someone else within him. The kinder soul that Demi knew the boy possessed, but that Team Skull didn't care enough to acknowledge.

As they approached the campfire, the man looked up at them and gave them a massive grin. He stood up and opened his arms, his eyes glittering with Gladion recognized was either malice or madness.

"Hello! Welcome to Dream Park! I am the Fossil Man and I-" the man began, but he was cut off by Gladion.

"Just give him the Fossil so we can leave!" the teen shouted from about thirty feet away.

Kevin shrugged and said, "Fair enough, yo. I heard that you can bring Fossils back to life. That true?"

The Fossil Man grinned widely and threw his arms apart. "Absolutely! And all free of charge! Thanks to the incredible technology-"

"Cool. Here." Kevin said, handing the man the Cover Fossil. The strange man blinked once and cocked his head in confusion.

"You don't want to hear about how I turn Fossils into living, breathing Pokémon?" the Fossil Man asked, with Kevin shrugging.

"Not really. I just want my Pokémon, dawg." Kevin remarked, leaning against the trailer. The Fossil Man pondered this for a moment before he shrugged and walked inside of the trailer. He poked his head back out after a moment.

"Might take a little while. Feel free to sit around the fire." The Fossil Man offered, though he added, "If you eat my beans, I'll skin you all alive and then wear your butts as a hat."

All of the Team Skull members looked at him in horror before the Fossil Man let out a cackle and vanishing inside of his trailer. Kayla turned to Gladion, scowling underneath her bandanna.

"Fine. You were totally right, Gladion." Kayla said to the teen, who wordlessly pulled a tape-recorder out of his pocket. He tapped the button, and heard Kayla's voice repeat what she had just said.

"Just so I have it on record." Gladion remarked, with Kayla growling softly and making a gesture like she was going to slap Gladion. However, the Zorua in Gladion's arms softly growled, his eyes opening as if it sensed the girl's violent intentions. Kayla scoffed and lowered her hand, stepping back. Gladion nearly smirked in amusement, putting away his tape recorder and went back to petting the little fox in his arms.

"Gladion, you do know that you and that Zorua are totally adorable, right?" Demi said to the teen, who stared at her in horror. To her delight, the fierce teen began to blush at the declaration from Demi.

"S-shut up!" Gladion sputtered, looking away from the girl while Team Skull chuckled at his embarrassment.

"Aww, does Glady like being daddy to his wittle wolf?" Axen said mockingly, making a mocking gesture with his arms.

"It's a fox, dude." Kevin said, looking confused.

"I was being condescending, yo! I know what that thing is!"

"Can you even spell condescending?" Kayla asked, with Axen freezing on the spot.

"Uh...C-O-N-D-E...Shit." Axen sighed, with Tim snickering softly behind him.

"Thought so." Kayla said with a smug grin.

"I feel like my brain cells are dying one by one." Gladion muttered, sitting down against a tree as Type: Null shook its head by him.

"They're amusing, but I understand your annoyance. I'd suggest we finish up here and find shelter though." Type: Null remarked, earning a look from the others.

"Why's that?" Axen asked, with Type: Null sitting down on the ground and gesturing upwards in response. The group looked up and saw that a massive group of dark grey clouds was coming on from the west. Demi shivered despite the warmth of the afternoon around them, which Gladion noticed with some concern.

"Something wrong?" Gladion asked as the girl walked over to him and sat down in the dirt.

"Rain...It just freaks me out now. We should finish up here and do what Null says. Find some cover and wait this out." Demi said quietly, with Gladion frowning at the fearful expression on her face. This was not the first time his...ally, had mentioned being wary around rain. He wondered if it had to do with what happened at Brooklet Hill.

"There might very well be some trauma there. Having your Starter killed by a psycho Totem Pokémon is definitely going to scar you in some ways." Gladion thought to himself, but instead he just sighed softly. "We'll find somewhere to stay while it blows over. I was planning on going to Konikoni City later today to schedule...a thing."

"A thing? You better not be scheduling a Grand Trial!" Kayla said hotly, with Gladion sighing softly in annoyance. "You douche! Why would you do that?!"

"Because I want to get stronger, and I personally don't give two shits about offending you all. What does me doing the Island Challenge do to you all? Nothing. So be quiet. This little guy is trying to sleep." Gladion said with a scowl as he leaned against the tree, petting the Zorua in his arms that had once again shut its eyes. As if on cue, the Fossil Man emerged from the trailer holding a Poké Ball with a wide grin on his face.

"This was a fantastic specimen. Where'd you get it?" the man asked, handing Kevin the Poké Ball. The teen stared at it in awe before looking up at the man.

"I got it from a little homie back in Konikoni. Damn...I owe that Sun kid big time for this!" Kevin said with an excited laugh, doing a small dance. "I got myself a Pokémon, yo!"

"Sun, huh? Sounds familiar." The Fossil Man remarked, scratching his head and ignoring the look Gladion was giving him. After all, he and Sun had both met the Fossil Man together only a few weeks ago.

"Yeah, I bet the little guy's battling Olivia by now. He was hanging with her the other day, anyway." Axen remarked, shrugging. "As far as kids go, he's alright. Doesn't treat us like total shit like the others do, yo. But worst comes to worst, I'll find a way to beat him down yo."

Demi remained quiet, though she had to admit she was happy that Sun had helped Kevin through such a rough time. Losing your Pokémon was incredibly difficult, and Team Skull didn't exactly have a lot going for them. For Sun to go out of his way to give Kevin a priceless Fossil like that was incredibly kind of him.

"I really do have good friends...I shouldn't have turned my back on them." Demi thought, sighing softly. "I need to track them down and apologize. I think I'll see if I can find them in Konikoni City."

"Interesting…" The Fossil man mused, rubbing the stubble under his chin. "Well, I'm afraid this is where we bid each other farewell. After all, I've got drugs to deal, solvents to abuse, and Pokémon to bring back to life!"

"...Right." Kayla replied, taking a step back. Kevin and Axen did as well, since the Fossil Man started cackling with glee for literally no reason.

"Ah...Fantastic." The Fossil Man breathed, wiping a tear from his eyes. "But that's enough of that. Get the hell out of here, or I'll not only hurt you. I'll harvest your organs and sell them for more high-tech equipment for my Dream Park!"

"You're...you're insane!" Demi proclaimed, with Gladion nodding in agreement.

"Sure I am! What's your point?" Fossil Man asked, cocking his head.

"That you're a some crazy dude in his mid-twenties living in the middle of the woods, drugged out of his mind." Gladion said to the man, who cackled with delight.

"Ha! Joke's on you! I'm in my late-fifties!" the Fossil Man proclaimed, which surprised the teens. Even Gladion, who had a very young-looking mother, was thrown off by this elderly man's youthful appearance.

"Holy shit. You look good for your age, man. What's your secret?" Axen asked as the Fossil Man flexed, grinning at him.

"Steroids and crack cocaine!" the large man boomed, striking a pose. "But seriously, I've got things to attend to. Hope you enjoy your Fossil, bucko! Come back to the Fossil Man for all of your Fossil and/or drug needs!" the man proclaimed before he went inside of his trailer and shut the door.

"Well...That's definitely to be a story to tell to the others." Demi remarked lightly, crossing her arms.

"True dat. Now let's see my new Pokémon!" Kevin yelled, tossing the ball into the air and allowing it to explode in a shower of light, calling out the Pokémon within. Within moments, a blue turtle with a black shell appeared and looked around curiously before it looked at Kevin, who had knelt down to the prehistoric turtle.

"So, like...what is it, yo?" Axen asked, crossing his arms.

"A Tirtouga." Kayla remarked, eyeing it with wonder. When she saw Demi and Tim looking at her in surprise for knowing that, the teen crossed her arms and huffed. "What? Dinosaurs are cool! I might have watched some documentaries on Fossil Pokémon once or twice...or ten times...Screw you!"

"Technically it's a turtle. Not a dinosaur." Axen argued, but he was cut off when Kevin tearfully hugged the turtle Pokémon ahead of him.

"Yo! I can't believe it! I've got a Fossil Pokémon! And it's an awesome turtle too!" Kevin proclaimed, letting go of the obviously confused Prototurtle Pokémon. "Heya, little guy. I'm Kevin. I'm going to be your Trainer from now on."

"Tirr?" the Pokémon questioned.

"I bet this is super confusing for you, huh?" Kevin muttered, scratching his head. "No worries. I can show you what the world's like now! Would you like that?"

The Tirtouga nodded happily, glad that it's Trainer and new friend was at least kind enough to explain things in this new confusing world that it had been a part of for about ten minutes. Gladion couldn't help the small smile as he saw Kevin happily embrace his new Pokémon with another hug, actually crying in joy at the new chance he had been given to be a Trainer.

"Sun...You would do this for a criminal who caused you nothing but trouble? Look how happy you made him. I may not like Team Skull, but they're still people at the end of the day. They're not evil…" Gladion thought, stroking the small fox in his arms. "How strange it is, seeing them in this light. Makes you forget for a moment that they're street thugs...But still kids, like me."

"He's so happy." Demi noted, lowering her bandanna and smiling.

"Yeah...he is." Gladion replied simply, just watching Kevin tearfully talk to his new Partner while Axen took a picture of them with his phone, laughing in delight at how happy his friend was. Kayla and Tim watched with amusement, though Gladion could sense their happiness as well. Gladion probably could have slipped away, since this was the only thing the group had planned for the day. But instead, he remained standing alongside Demi as the rest of the group introduced their Pokémon to the newly remade Tirtouga, and found himself smiling slightly at the joy the group had found in their new friend from the past.


Sun had lost.

He had failed in his Grand Trial.

"How could this happen?" Sun thought, looking down at his Poké Ball. He knew that Oliver was vain when it came to his feathers. Ever since he had evolved, the owl had become a stickler for keeping his appearance as prim as possible. But it had come to be a detriment to Sun's strongest Pokémon time and time again, in each of the Trials on Akala Island. Yes, sometimes it how allowed Oliver to unleash extra damage in a fit of rage, but it was also hard to get the owl to obey his commands again.

"I can't believe you care more about your feathers than me." Sun said quietly, gritting his teeth in anger. He looked up and saw Kahuna Olivia offering him her hand to help him up. Sun mutely took it, with the Kahuna laughing nervously.

"You battled very well, Sun. I'm almost sad I had to abuse knowledge like that to win." Olivia chuckled, with Sun looking the other way. Lillie slowly walked over to them, biting her lip in worry.

"Sun…" Lillie said quietly, making the boy look at her. To Lillie's horror, they were a very dark color of grey. Sun was definitely upset, which didn't help considering how miserable and depressed he was already. While battling, he had seemed so much better, likely because he was doing something he loved. But now he was worse than before.

"You battled my entire team with one that was weak to Rock-type moves and nearly pulled out a win. I commend you for giving me a great battle, Sun. I look forward to challenging you again soon." Olivia said as she placed a hand on Sun's shoulder. The boy hadn't said a word, so Olivia's smile slipped away.

"I would recommend getting a new Pokémon. One that can cover for the glaring weakness in your team. Even without it, you nearly defeated me with a great deal of disadvantages going against you. I am honored to have shared this fight with you, Sun. May the Tapu watch over you, and ease the pain in your heart." Olivia said gently, raising a hand and pressing it against Sun's head as she shut her eyes. "Loaʻa iāʻoe ka maluhia."

Sun looked at Olivia blankly as she stepped back, smiling at him. Lillie stepped forward and was about to say something, but...couldn't. Sun looked to her and just shrugged.

"I'll bounce back. Brago and Penny did great, despite their disadvantages. And Oliver…" Sun trailed off, his expression souring. "I can't believe he actually let his feathers distract him that much. Usually he freaks out and beats the crap out of whoever got him dirty."

"I think the fact that it was mud made it sting a bit more than anything else. From what I understand, Dartrix are hard-wired to care deeply about their appearance. It can be very difficult to raise one to it's final evolutionary form." Olivia said as she crossed her arms. "That said, I think Oliver's case is a bit worse than usual. He kept trying to clean himself even while being hit by Rock Blast."

"I'll have a talk with him…" Sun trailed off, looking down at the Poké Ball in his hands. Sun scowled and said, "I really needed this win today, and he let me down. I just…"

Sun sighed and stopped talking, clipping the Poké Ball to his belt and began walking out of the clearing. Lillie began to follow him, but she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Watch over him." Olivia said, with Lillie looking back at her and seeing the sad smile on her face. Lillie nodded silently and turned back around, moving to follow Sun out onto the Akala Outskirts, with Olivia trailing behind them. To their surprise, a grinning Hau was waiting for them.

"Heya folks! Howzit going?" Hau asked, grinning at them all.

"I lost." Sun said quietly, with Hau gaping in shock.

"Whaaa...Huh. Well, it happens dude. No worries! You'll get her next time!" Hau said bracingly, beaming at Sun. The boy looked away, making Hau's smile take a hit. Hau looked at Lillie, who just shook her head, so the cheery boy looked to the Kahuna.

"Well...I'm here for my battle! I know I'm a bit early, but since you're done battling Sunny Side Up, it's my turn!" Hau proclaimed, bouncing up and down on his feet for a moment before he began stretching.

"You're certainly excited. Sun was quite the opponent. I hope you're ready for a hard-fought battle." Olivia said with a smile, causing Hau to chuckle gleefully.

"I may not be as strong as my gramps, Hala, but I can still raise my team to do their best! You better believe we'll give you a showdown to remember!" Hau declared, with Olivia frowning thoughtfully at that.

"But you're just Hau, right?" Olivia asked the boy, who nodded with a smile. The Kahuna grinned at the boy and said, "So what's wrong with that? Who cares if you're the Hala's grandson? I want to see what Hau can do!"

"You got it, Miss Olivia!" Hau declared with a massive grin, punching forward. He was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked over to see Sun. It actually made Hau's own heart ache to see his best friend looking so miserable. Sun's voice sounded strained as he spoke, as if he was trying his best not to let the pain creep into it.

"You beat her, alright? You've worked way too hard not to do anything less than your best, man." Sun said quietly, managing a weak smile. "I'm going to head back to Konikoni City. I'd stick around to support you, but I'm not...doing too great."

"I understand. Hope you feel better, brother." Hau said, holding out his fist. Sun looked at it for a moment, tapped it gently with his own and began walking away. Lillie looked at Sun, turned to Hau and sighed.

"He's worse off than I thought. Oliver letting him down and Sun losing for the first time...It's like the world is conspiring against him." Lillie said quietly, with Hau shrugging.

"It happens. I'm gonna get this done and then we can take him out to dinner to cheer him up. Just keep an eye on him, okay? Don't let the Unova dorks bring him down any further." Hau said to Lillie, who nodded sharply in affirmation. Hau was surprised when Lillie stepped forward and hugged Hau, who blushed bright pink but happily returned the hug. Lillie separated from Hau, bowed to Olivia, and hurried after Sun. The girl in white found her crush kneeling on the ground, holding out the Zygarde Cube and absorbing a Zygarde Cell. Rotom Dex suddenly popped out of Sun's backpack, buzzing for a moment before speaking.

"Sina wants to talk to you! Zzt!" Rotom said before its screen cut to a grinning Sina, who seemed to be in an all-white lab of sorts.

"Sun! You've collected 10% so far. If you'd like to know what this number means, please come to the Aether Base on Route 16 on Ula'ula Island! You are getting warmer! Bonne chance!" the Kalosian woman declared, though her smiling face fell when she saw Sun's face. "Sun, are you alright? You look awful."

"It's been a really bad week, Sina. How're things with you?" Sun asked, with the girl's frown deepening.

"Fine. Dexio's taking a nap, since he was up all night working on something for Professor Sycamore. But that's not important. What's going on? Is there anything I can do to help?" Sina asked, concerned about the boy.

She was surprised when Sun scowled and hung up the phone.

"S-Sun...That was…" Lillie trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Rude? Yeah...I just don't want to talk about it. I want this all to be over with, but I just…" Sun's words died and he just kept walking, with Lillie hastening to keep up with the boy's anguished stride.

They made it back to the city, with the two children getting lunch at Mallow's restaurant. Apparently the restaurant was open today, contrary to what Mallow had said before, so the two children managed to get a table with no issues. The Captain herself was happily cooking, and made sure to get them a discount. Lillie filled in the Captain on Sun's loss, which earned the boy a hug and a free meal. Sun didn't seem happy about it, though.

"I don't need pity, Mallow." Sun said grumpily, earning a raspberry from Mallow.

"It's not pity. I always give discounts to my friends. Stop being moody and enjoy yourself. You've got a lovely lunch date with the most adorable girl I know. Enjoy the good stuff, Sun." Mallow said to Sun, making Lillie blush at the comment about being on a date with Sun.

"Good stuff? What good stuff...You mean the few friends I have left after my father became public enemy number one? Friends who are in danger just for knowing me? The knowledge that my Starter cares more about his feathers than he does about me?" Sun said, beginning to laugh. Lillie and Mallow exchanged a brief look of concern as Sun broke into helpless giggles, looking down as his body shook. And then, slowly but surely...The laughter petered out and Sun's body continued to shake. He wasn't laughing anymore though.

When the two girl's realized he was now sobbing uncontrollably, both of them embraced the boy in a hug. Sun shut his eyes and wept, because despite the fact that he had his friends supporting him…

He still felt so alone, with the entire world against him.


"Cassy, let's wrap this up! Aqua Jet!" Hau yelled out, grinning as he crossed his arms. His Brionne rushed forward with a happy cry and slammed into the exhausted Lycanroc, who crashed onto the ground with a snarl. After a few moments of trying to rise, the beast collapsed with a groan.

"Olivia's Lycanroc is unable to battle. The winner of the Grand Trial is Hau!" the referee proclaimed, raising a flag in the direction of Hau as Olivia recalled her Lycanroc.

"Awwww yeah! My first Grand Trial! We did it!" Hau boomed as he ran forward, scooping up Cassy in a hug and spinning around. The boy lost his balance and toppled to the ground, but he and his Starter were laughing happily despite that. Olivia giggled softly as she walked over to Hau, who rolled to his feet. Needless to say, Hau got his Trainer Passport stamped with the official stamp of Akala Island and the boy didn't stop smiling the whole time.

"So, what now?" Olivia asked Hau, who chuckled.

"Probably lunch?" Hau remarked, though he blinked as he heard a clap of thunder. The boy and Kahuna looked up and saw that a storm was just upon them, already beginning to bring its showers upon Akala Island.

"We best start making our way back to the city. I'd hate to get stuck in this downpour coming our way." Olivia said before she looked to the Trial Guide, who began walking their way.

"Ma'am, should we cancel the rest of the Grand Trials for the day? There's plenty of lightning coming our way, and we don't want to risk anyone getting hurt." The Trial Guide said, with Olivia nodding.

"Rescheduling shouldn't be an issue. It was only one more battle. Would you mind doing a sweep of the area real quick for me? Tapu Lele lingers around battles, and...you know." Olivia said with a shrug, with the Trial Guide nodding. He then opened his mouth-

Before he suddenly dropped to the ground, twitching and jerking around and gasping for air. Olivia and Hau knelt down to the ground, horrified as the man's mouth began to foam and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. With a rattle, the man stopped breathing altogether. Hau's breathing shook and he looked away, with Olivia staring at the man for several long seconds as she checked his pulse.

When she heard the sound of laughter, the Kahuna hopped to her feet and whirled around. She gasped when she saw a man covered in a thick black cloak with white designs flowing along the edges. His face was covered in a simple black mask, and his face was cowled as well. In his hands was what looked like a gun, but upon closer inspection was a blow-dart gun. He was flanked by an Ariados and a Claydol.

"Hello." The Masked Admin greeted them, his voice distorted and sounding unnaturally deep. Olivia scowled and moved in front of Hau protectively, calling out a massive blue stone Pokémon with crystals sticking out of its body. "Oh? That's rude. I haven't even made demands or threatened anyone yet. They sure don't make Kahuna's like they used to"

"Gigalith, stay alert." Olivia whispered to her Pokémon, glaring down the man as he continued walking towards them, the Claydol by his side floating beside him. "Back off. These are the sacred grounds of Tapu Lele! You will not defile them with your evil presence!" Olivia yelled to the Cipher Admin, who chuckled. Hau then realized what was so odd about the man. He had a voice changer wrapped around his neck outside the cowl he wore, which made his already weird appearance even stranger.

"I'm well aware of the importance of these hallowed grounds. However, due to a recent change in management, I'm forced to make a move sooner than I'd like. So I'll offer you an ultimatum, Olivia. You tell me where Sun is, and I'll let you and the boy behind you live." The Masked Admin said as five Cipher Grunts teleported next to the man, calling out a horde of Shadow Pokémon and grasping their weapons tightly.

"S-Sun...You leave my friend alone!" Hau yelled to the man, who laughed again.

"I admire the loyalty, Hau. But loyalty won't change what's going to happen next. I'm here to take that child back to his father, where he belongs." The Masked Admin remarked, with the Kahuna's grandson flinching at the man using his name. Naturally the Masked Admin noticed this, laughing again. "Yes, I know you. I know Aria and her friends are here in Alola as well. Rest assured, once we're more established here I will ensure they all meet a grisly demise. But my visit here can be pain-free. Just tell me where Sun is. Otherwise, I will hurt you. And if need be, kill you. Just like I killed that Trial Guide."

"He's not here!" Hau shouted, with the man chuckling softly in reply.

"Sorry, but I don't believe you. I have it on good authority that he's in the area. Now...let's try again." The Masked Admin remarked, though he snapped his fingers loudly. Cipher raised their weapons, with Olivia scowling furiously.

"I don't care what I have to do...But you will not harm that boy! He's suffered enough because of you lot!" Olivia shouted, with the Masked Admin chuckling again.

"You really don't understand just what's going on, do you? Sun's father just became a very important man and he's very suspicious of me. I've been aware of Sun's existence here in Alola for a little while now and I've been waiting for a chance to exploit that, just like any businessman worth his salt. Once I get my hands on that boy and deliver him to his father, Borlath won't have any reason not to trust me. Hell, he'd probably start trusting me. Imagine me having free reign and unlimited resources to burn Alola to the ground and making something better...Heh. With as much as he hates this place, Borlath would agree to whatever I suggested. Now tell me...Where is Sun?" The Masked Admin said, his voice dipping into a low growl as he stepped forward.

"I'll never tell you anything! Gigalith, Stone Edge!" Olivia barked, throwing out an arm and calling out an Armaldo. "Crush Claw!"

"Secure the perimeter. I've got this." The Masked Admin replied as he holstered his blow-dart gun and pointed forward. "Smart Strike!"

The Ariados shot forward with its horn glowing, smashing into Gigalith with a hiss. However, the Compressed Pokémon simply roared and called forth stone pillars that smashed the spider into the air, which was worsened when it crashed onto the ground and was hit by a powerful Crush Claw by Armaldo.

The Masked Admin watched as his Araidos fainted on the ground before he held out an Ultra Ball, tossing it forward and calling out, "Alright then! Heatran! Let's turn up the heat!"

The Lava Dome Pokémon hit the ground with a hiss, incinerating the grass underneath it by merely touching it. Hau felt dizzy just from the amount of heat coming from the beast, but he was snapped out of his daze when a ball of darkness suddenly slammed into Heatran and a scary-looking man suddenly stepped out beside Olivia from out of nowhere. A massive ghost rose from his shadow, flexing its hands.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Olivia said to Jack and Gretel, the latter of who charged at Shadow Heatran and began to punch it with fists of ice and lightning. The Masked Admin swore and called out a massive T-rex Pokémon that Hau recognized as a Rampardos. Hau spotted the shadowy aura around it and realized it wasn't quite what it seemed.

"What's the situation?" Jack asked, eyeing the Cipher Grunts with distaste.

"They're after a boy who's father is the new leader of Cipher. I can explain more later, we need to get rid of these idiots before they kill someone else!" Olivia said tersely, even as a light drizzle began to fall on them.

"So why haven't you beaten them yet?" Jack asked, watching as Gretel was knocked away with Iron Head and sent soaring through the air. The Dusknoir caught herself and held out her hands, firing a Dark Pulse at the Lava Dome Pokémon.

"Mainly because I don't have my actual team on me, save for Armaldo and Gigalith. Lycanroc is knocked out and Probopass is back at the store." Olivia explained, making Jack swear softly.

"Then we'll need to get out of here." Jack said in reply, looking towards the battle as Gretel was hit with Zen Headbutt by Shadow Rampardos and sent crashing to the ground. Gigalith and Armaldo unleashed attacks on the Headbutt Pokémon, making it snarl in pain.

"You're all going to die if you don't tell me where that boy is!" the Masked Admin yelled, pointing a finger at Jack. "And you...You should be dead!"

"Psh. I wish. But I'll be damned if I let some pompous ass-wipe like you who can't even show his face intimidate me." Jack replied, making the Masked Admin clench his fists.

"Shadow Rampardos! Smash them to bits!" the Masked Admin barked as the Shadow Pokémon roared in fury and charged ahead. He then looked down at Shadow Heatran and said, "Heat Wave!"

Shadow Heatran snarled and with surprising quickness, scuttled over to where Gretel and Gigalith where battling Cipher's Shadow Pokémon. With a roar its body glowed and the Legendary Lava Dome Pokémon exhaled a blast off flames that struck the old Dusknoir, making her scream in pain. The Ghost-type slipped into her shadow and re-appeared next to Jack, covered in burns and shaking in pain.

"It hurts...That monster is really strong!" Gretel hissed as Heatran began to engage Olivia's Gigalith and Armaldo. The duo had managed to strike down the Shadow Rampardos, but Shadow Heatran had the type-advantage against them and with a Iron Head, Gigalith went down. Olivia returned her Pokémon as her Armaldo leapt back to her side, panting slightly as Shadow Heatran snarled in fury, releasing a blast of fire at them.

"Move!" Jack barked, with Gretel grabbing them in her shadow and pulling them into the darkness. Hau was the furthest away from the Dusknoir, and was the last to be pulled in, meaning that he wasn't able to completely avoid the flames that scorched the spot they were just in. Once the trio and their Pokémon reappeared, Hau screamed in pain and began trying to put out the fire that was on his shoe and creeping up his leg.

"Hau!" Olivia yelled out as the boy hit the ground, clutching his leg.

"Gretel!" Jack said to the Dusknoir, who grabbed the boy's leg while using Ice Punch. She was able to quickly extinguish the fire, but the damage was done and the boy's leg was badly burned. Hau moaned in pain, panting from the effort it was taking to not pass out from the excruciating pain he was in. Olivia grit her teeth as she prepared herself to call out her Lycanroc, who was still weakened from the battle he was just in and hadn't been treated yet-

"ENOUGH!"

A shockwave of force blasted through the clearing, with a pulsating pink light flickering into existence in front of Olivia, Jack and Hau. A figure began to form within the light, and Olivia gasped as a strange pink and black-colored creature descended to to the ground with it's hands extended outwards.

"I refuse to be disrespected like this…" the Pokémon hissed telepathically, projecting it's thoughts to everyone present.

"W-what is that?" Hau asked weakly, with Olivia sighing in relief.

"Tapu Lele." Olivia answered as the Cipher Grunts and the Masked Admin took a step back in fear of the god. The Masked Admin spotted his Ariados rising to its feet, and began to issue a command.

"Ariados, use-!" the Masked Admin barked, but Tapu Lele made a violent gesture with its arms as it's eyes glowed bright blue. The Long leg Pokémon screamed as it floated into the air before it's entire body began to glow a dark blue color. And then one of Ariados' legs ripped off, making the creature squeal in agony.

"Oh my god...Is this...That thing is scary!" Hau thought in horror as Cipher opened fire on the Tapu, who began to laugh ethereally as the Ariados in its grasp thrashed and hissed before suddenly being slammed into the ground once...twice…three times...

"Ariados…" the Masked Admin hissed, eyeing his fallen Pokémon with sorrow. All that was left of his Ariados was a bleeding dismembered corpse. He looked up and saw a flutter of pink dust drift from above as a pink and black-colored Pokémon descended from the sky, now much closer to them. The dust did nothing to heal the already dead Ariados, essentially taunting the Cipher Admin. The Cipher Grunts continued to try and attack Tapu Lele, but the Guardian Deity continued to brush aside their attacks like they were nothing.

"I will come back...I won't rest until you all pay! Until Alola suffers!" the Masked Admin roared, taking a step back in fear, recalling his Rampardos as he did so, as the god-like being continued to laugh it's head off.

"You little fools…You really should have known better." Tapu Lele whispered into their minds. The Masked Admin scowled and placed a hand on his Claydol, teleporting from the area with a small flash. This however, had the effect of leaving behind the five Cipher members who opened fire on the Guardian Deity. Tapu Lele's eyes glowed and the bullets simply went around it, even as the being floated closer to the them.

"I am going to kill you." Tapu Lele whispered, making no effort to hide the glee from its voice. With a hand it used Psychic on the men and women of Cipher, throwing them towards the Ruins of Life with a demented giggle. It then looked towards Olivia, not caring as the men and women crashed heavily on the ground with yells of pain.

"You both should go...After all, I'd hate to make a child watch me do...Well, bad things to these people." Tapu Lele remarked lightly, with Jack nodding as he snapped his fingers and Olivia grabbed his hand, his other extending to Hau. Hau wordlessly grabbed the man's hand, bewildered and in too much pain to do much else. The last thing he saw before darkness was Tapu Lele floating towards the Ruins of Life, dragging the Cipher Grunt in with it using it's psychic powers.

"Something tells me I got off lucky." Hau thought as he shut his eyes, trying to not throw up as the trio traveled through the darkness using Shadow Sneak. Maybe when he got back, he could sleep this off and have a malasada.

Sadly, things don't always work out how we want them too.


Sun and Lillie sat side-by-side in the Pokémon Center, reading silently. Sun had calmed down, but he still looked incredibly upset. Lillie had seen Sun use a Revive on Oliver and have a very heated discussion with the owl, who remained silent the entire time. It was definitely the angriest Lillie had ever seen Sun, with the boy calling into question whether or not Oliver was going to turn his back on him like Hugh and the others did. Oliver looked alarmed and hurt at the suggestion, but before the owl could even say anything Sun returned him and stormed off.

Lillie was so worried. But like always, there wasn't much she could do. Instead she decided to keep Sun company, and support him however she could. Right now they were just trying to relax while waiting for Sun's team to get healed, which would take a little bit longer than usual due to the intensity of the Grand Trial they had just went through.

She was surprised when Hugh, Noah and Vivian decided to walk over to them about half an hour after they had arrived at the PMC. Hugh was looking calmer than he had before, but he still looked upset. Sun looked up at the young man and sighed.

"Come to yell at me some more?" Sun asked, with Hugh shaking his head.

"No. I...overreacted yesterday. I'm sorry about that." Hugh said with a small shrug. "That said, I'm not going to trust you again until I know for sure you're not a threat to us."

"I'd never hurt any of you." Sun muttered, looking back down at his book. Lillie jumped as a crackle of lightning ripped through the air, the rain outside coming down even harder a few moments later.

"Jeez, I thought Alola was the land of sunshine." Vivian muttered, with Noah chuckling in response.

"I mean, it's got plenty of that. But it's also in a region of the ocean that experiences some incredible storms." Noah explained to his girlfriend, who scoffed.

"Nerd." Vivian replied, with her boyfriend sticking his tongue out at her. Lillie giggled at the childish display while Sun managed a small smirk, though this was wiped off of his face when several figures tumbled out of nowhere and into the middle of the Pokémon Center.

"Goodness!" Nurse Joy yelped as Jack, Olivia and Hau reappeared from the shadows. Gretel sighed with relief as she slunk out of the shadows, covered in bad burns. Hau collapsed onto the ground clutching his leg, drawing Sun and Lillie's attention as the two children ran to check on their friend.

"Hau! What happened?" Sun asked before he caught sight of the burn. "H-how…?"

"Cipher attacked." Jack said by way of explanation, making Sun pale in horror.

"Some masked weirdo showed up with a Legendary Pokémon and demanded to know where you were, Sun. He also killed one of my Trial Guides. When we refused to tell him anything, things got violent. I think Hau got grazed by a Heat Wave attack. Nurse Joy, some help here!" Olivia called to the woman, who scurried over with a Chansey and some supplies.

"I don't know how to deal with Heal Pulse treatment, so we're doing this the normal way." Nurse Joy said as she produced some salve and began apply it to Hau's burns. The boy hissed in pain, but relaxed Chansey handed him a reddish-brown berry to eat. Lillie turned to the ex-Commander, confused.

"Why were you at the Ruins of Life, Mister Jack?" Lillie asked, earning a dry laugh from the man.

"I was actually going to meet with Olivia after this kid was done with his Grand Trial. Old Nanu and I have been doing some digging, and we caught wind of an operation Cipher's pulling on Ula'ula Island. I'm glad I showed up when I did, since Olivia doesn't have a Pokémon capable of quick-transportation and it can take a little while for a Ride Charizard to show up. Otherwise the kid's situation would be worse." Jack explained to the girl, reaching over and patting her on the head. "I'm going to make some calls. We've got an attack on a Kahuna and a family member of a Kahuna on our hands. We're going to need more support."

Jack began to work on healing Gretel, but was surprised when Lillie began pulling out Full Heal's and Hyper Potions out of her bag and handing them to the man. Jack healed his Partner, thanked Lillie for her help and vanished into the shadows with Gretel.

Olivia muttered something to Hau as he was being treated, with Nurse Joy announcing Hau's burns weren't life threatening and would heal in two or three weeks. However he would have to take it easy for a bit. Olivia sighed with relief and rose to her feet, turning around.

"You all take care of him. I have to take care of this. And then head back to the Ruins of Life, because I know Tapu Lele's going to make a mess." Olivia sighed, shaking her head before she exited the building and walked out into the downpour going on outside.

Meanwhile, Sun and Hugh were having a stare-down.

"I stand corrected. Looks like Cipher's done-" Hugh began to say hotly, but Sun jumped to his feet and got in the teen's face.

"I know! You think I don't know that they're done messing around here?! They're trying to find me, and don't care who they hurt to get in their way! You think I like this, Hugh!? Watching people I care about get hurt because of me!" Sun screamed at the teen, tears burning in his eyes. Sun didn't stop there, though.

"Do all of you really think I like having that man as my father? He's a monster! He kills Pokémon and people and then asks for a thank you afterwards, thinking its for the best! All he's ever done is hurt me and my mother and everyone else he knows! And I have to spend every...single...day...knowing that man's blood runs through my veins. I honestly feel sick right now." Sun admitted, his entire body shaking in anger and sorrow.

"S-Sun, it's not your fault man!" Hau said to his friend, trying to calm him down. Sun looked at Hau, shaking his head.

"It actually is. If Sun wasn't here, Cipher would have no reason to search for him." Hugh remarked coldly, only for Sun's expression to fall, with the boy looking down at the ground.

"Just stop it Hugh! This isn't helping anyone!" Lillie said desperately, seeing Sun getting even more upset. Even if there was some truth to Hugh's words, having them thrown in Sun's face when he was already at rock bottom wasn't doing anyone any good. Lillie then heard Sun speak, his voice thick with self-loathing and guilt.

"It's absolutely my fault, Lillie." Sun whispered, looking up as more tears dripped down his face. "I...Hau... If it wasn't for me...My father would have died before I even left for Alola."

"W-what?" Lillie responded, with everyone else confused. Sun rubbed his eyes, but continued.

"Everything that man has done since we left Kanto is all my fault. I...I could have stopped him. I could've let him die...But I couldn't. I hate him, but he's still my Dad. I couldn't let him die...And now everyone's suffering because of it. All those people dead. Miss Erika. All those people in Celadon City. Lorelei...And the people here in Alola." Sun said quietly, his voice aching with pain and anger at himself.

"Sun...what do you mean you couldn't let your father die?" Lillie asked, confused. Hugh cut her off, stepping forward and grabbing Sun by his shirt and lifting him into the air.

"You little brat! You knew how bad your father was and you…You're just like Borlath, aren't you? Hurting everyone else around you!" Hugh threw Sun to the ground in disgust. "I guess I was right after all. "

"What do you expect him to do? Die? Take on Cipher all by himself while you throw a tantrum that your friend is related to the bad guys?" Hau demanded from his spot on the floor as Nurse Joy went back to work.

"I expect him to at least try and deal with this! Either that, or get out of our lives so we can try and clean up the mess that he admits he made!" Hugh barked back at the boy, who shrank back in fear.

"A-alright...I'll do it."

Everyone turned to look at Sun, whose eyes had become jet-black. It was terrifying to the Unova crew, because they saw then how much the boy looked like their archenemy in that moment. It was almost insulting how they didn't pick up on how Sun resembled Borlath, save for the ever-changing eye-color. However, now that Sun's eyes were fluctuating colors, it was incredibly eerie for them. Sun continued speaking, even as more tears dripped down his face.

"Do what?" Vivian asked, confused as Sun turned around, his body shaking.

"I'm...g-going to find Cipher." Sun stated, casting a glance back at his shocked friends. "I'm going to have them take me to my father. And have him stop this once and for all. I can make him listen, and he can order them away from here. I can make sure no one else gets hurt because of me."

"Sun, your father is a lunatic!" Hau yelped, though he was cut off by the harsh glare sent his way by his friend. "You giving yourself up for us is crazy!"

"Yeah, and you know what? I'm the only person who can change his mind about this! I can make him leave Alola alone! He hates this place, anyway. I just need to talk to him…" Sun breathed harshly, shutting his eyes and turning away as more tears flowed. "Even if I don't come back...Even if he keeps me with him, if I can make sure Cipher doesn't hurt anyone else, then it'll be worth it."

"You can't do that! What about your mother? What about us?" Lillie asked, with Sun giving her a sad smile.

"I'm not worth the trouble, Lillie. And if I die, then...oh well. At least I'll be doing it for my friends." Sun said sadly as he slipped his backpack on and began walking towards the door, even as a deafening boom of thunder rolled by. He offered his friends one last look before saying in a quiet voice, "Goodbye."

Sun turned around and stepped towards the door, but Lillie threw herself at Sun and wrapped her arms around his midsection, pinning his arms to his side in a hug. The girl buried her face in Sun's shirt, whispering, "Please don't! Please, please Sun...don't!"

The Kanto-native froze as Lillie begged him not to go, her arms wrapped around her crush in a tight embrace...but the boy didn't hear a word she said as the suppressed memories from before Alola came rushing back to Sun's mind. The boy remembered the last time he was this upset, and was unable to move just like he was now.


"D-dad? You're...hurting me! I can't...move!"

"I'm so sorry...This is going to hurt very badly, Sun. You're going to cry, and that's okay. But you becoming a Pokémon Trainer cannot happen. I need loyalty, Sun. I need you by my side for this...I can't afford to have you go down the path that I hate so much…"

"What are you talking about? I want to be just like you and Mom! T-this...I don't understand!"

"You'll thank me for this, someday. Someday...But not today. Today you will learn what happens when someone crosses me. They suffer...Even if you're my son, I have to teach you a lesson."

"Dad...W-what are you g-going to do to her?...Dad?"

"Damien…Kill."


"GET OFF!" Sun yelled as he broke out of Lillie's hold on him, shoving Lillie away with a snarl. The girl fell onto the ground with a yelp and looked up at Sun with a hurt expression while Hau gasped, crawling over to Lillie and giving Sun a shocked glare. Both children saw the expression on Sun's face go to horror, his eyes slowly going pure white. And then, they began to turn crimson.

"See...You all are better off without me. All I do is hurt people anyway...Just like my father. I'm a monster just like him." Sun whispered before he turned around, adding with a glare at all of them as his eyes flashed gray and then black, "Don't follow me."

Sun bolted out of the building and into the storm outside, with Lillie's eyes widening in horror as she hopped to her feet.

"No!" Lillie screamed, taking a few steps forward before she slowly stopped, her head drooping.

"That kid really does run from his problems way too much." Vivian noted dryly as her Chatot lightly sang from her shoulder. Lillie whirled around, anger flashing in her eyes that surprised everyone.

"What is your problem!?" Lillie shouted, shocking everyone and drawing the attention of everyone in the lobby. "He's your friend! Nothing's changed other than the fact that you know who his father is! He hasn't done anything to hurt anyone! Sun is a victim of circumstance and you all know it!"

"That may well be the case. But I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to sell our location out to Cipher, who he just said he was going to go find. He admitted you could have stopped Borlath before a lot of people got hurt. So damn right I'm going to give him shit for it." Hugh said as he stood up, but he never stopped glaring down Lillie, who shrank back.

"You...You're just absorbed by your hate for Borlath that you're not even considering how much Sun is suffering. How much guilt he feels that his father is doing all of these terrible things and that people he cares about are getting hurt...and there's nothing he can do to stop it." Lillie said quietly, with Hugh crossing his arms and shutting his eyes. Finally, Vivian spoke up and stepped forward.

"As much as I love getting into arguments with Hugh, I'm gonna admit the Princess here has a point." The violinist said, making Hugh scowl in annoyance. "Borlath is a sneaky, conniving bastard through and through. It's possible that he's manipulating Sun to get to us...But think about it. This is the guy who leveled a city to prove a point. If he wanted us dead, he'd come to Alola himself or do something ridiculous. Sun's a talented kid, but any one of us can beat him in a battle. It's just...stupid, guys. Come on, Sun being some kind of secret weapon is just...crazy. All we're doing is hurting a kid who's already going through a bad time." Vivian said quietly, walking over to Lillie and putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Noah sighed and looked down, but Hugh was still fuming.

Noah glanced and Hugh and said, "You know she's right man."

"Well...I'm not going to go looking for him. If he wants to try and pick a fight with his bastard of a father, that's his own problem. If he comes back, we try can sort this out." Hugh said stubbornly, with Lillie looking at him with an exasperated expression.

"Aria would be so disappointed in you. I'm disappointed in you." Lillie said quietly, looking at all of them, with her green eyes landing on Hugh last. The young man looked very ashamed of himself, now. "You're letting the actions of one man influence your opinion of someone who is completely innocent. Sun's done nothing but suffer at the hands of Cipher. That man you call Borlath is a terrible person. But not just for what he's done in Cipher. He's hurt Sun in ways I still don't even know about. He tried to kill Miss Smiles when she tried to flee Kanto with Sun months ago...Sometimes I don't know if even Sun understands how badly his father has hurt him. But I am not allowing Cipher to get my friend!"

"Lillie, you're not going after him are you?" Hau asked.

"Absolutely." Lillie said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Even with Team Skull out and about?" Vivian asked, surprised that Lillie would risk everything to go after Sun. That despite Sun's relation to Borlath, she would still show such loyalty. "You want me or Noah to come along?"

"I think you guy's have done enough damage. I can fix this...I have too." Lillie said quietly, picking up Nebby's bag off the ground and hefting it over her shoulder.

"Dang...I'd come too, but my leg is really hurting." Hau sighed, looking down at his bandaged leg. Just then a loud ding came from the counter and Nurse Joy appeared, holding a tray with three Poké Balls.

"Sunshine Smiles, your Pokémon are healed and battle-ready." Nurse Joy announced, with Lillie smiling slightly and walking over to the woman.

"Ma'am, my friend Sun just walked out of the building and I don't think he'll be coming back anytime soon. Can I take his Pokémon to him?" Lillie asked the woman, who frowned but nodded.

"I was too late then. I heard the commotion and tried to hurry so I could do this myself before something happened." Nurse Joy said with a sad smile, though she handed Lillie the tray of Poké Balls. "You're a wonderful friend dear. Make sure his Pokémon get back to him." Nurse Joy said as Lillie picked up one of the balls. She looked down at it for a moment before tossing it into the air and calling out Oliver.

"Hmm? Lillie? What's going on? Where's Sun?" Oliver asked as Brago and Penny joined their teammate. Lillie crouched down in front of them, taking a shuddering breath.

"More bad things have happened. Sun's run off to try and fix things, even though he knows it's going to end badly. He's so hurt that he doesn't even care about his own safety anymore. If we don't find him, he'll be gone forever." Lillie explained to Sun's team, whose eyes collectively widened at the news. "But I'm going to track him down and force him to listen to me. Can I count on your help to make him see reason? And to protect me while we look for him?" Lillie asked the trio, who looked very alarmed at the situation but all nodded in agreement.

"We'll do whatever we have to. He's our Trainer, after all." Penny replied, though she seemed very worried.

"What would make him abandon everyone like this, though? Abandon us? I know I let him down, but this?" Oliver wondered, closing his eyes in thought.

"'Let him down'? What do you mean?" Brago asked with narrowed eyes, with Oliver coughing awkwardly.

"Well, I um...er...You know what? Let's worry about our Trainer first. He can explain it better than me." Oliver said evasively, knowing that explaining how exactly he botched the last battle would end up with the canine getting mad at him. Penny would likely be even more upset. It would be best if they deal with the current situation first.

"I'll hold you to that. I wonder what would make the Alpha flee from his friends. He's been through a lot, but to leave everyone behind?" Brago questioned, shaking his head. Lillie was surprised that Sun's team had next to no idea what was going on. She'd have to make sure Sun explained things to them when she found him.

"You'd be surprised what people do when they're upset. I left my family behind, after all." Penny remarked, earning a surprised look from Brago and Lillie at that. Oliver's response cut off any questions about that.

"His heart is full of hurt...Has been since I met Sun. Sometimes it can make dealing with everything else harder." Oliver said quietly, ruffling his feathers. "Brago, you're good with smells. Track down our Trainer, and we'll keep an eye on things from the air."

"It's raining out." Brago noted, looking at the windows before looking back at Oliver, who had shut his eyes. He had discovered that during the Water Trial that he disliked the rain quite a bit, since it messed with his feathers.

"That's my problem. You're a Fire-type and you dislike the rain as well. I'll deal with it." Oliver said with a resigned sigh.

"Thank you. Thank you all so much!" Lillie said gratefully, a smile coming to her face. Brago sniffed the air a few times, looking towards the front doors while everyone watched on.

"I can follow the Alpha's scent. Let's hurry!" Brago yelled as he bounded towards the exit, with Penny and Oliver taking flight and following the canine. Lillie walked towards the door and adjusted her hat, with Nebby cooing softly from her bag. She took a deep breath and exhaled softly, gathering her courage and preparing herself.

"Good luck!" Vivian called to Lillie, who gave the violinist a look before nodding to her. Lillie turned forward and went out the doors.

Lillie winced as the cold rain hit her. Brago sniffed the air and growled before turning to the southern path and saying, "This way!"

Following Brago's lead and flanked by Sun's birds, Lillie began to run through the rain even as the lightning danced in the sky and thunder boomed through the heaven's. Lillie quickly began to feel the strain from running on legs and in her lungs, but she powered on as Oliver and Penny kept pace her with Brago focused on finding Sun's path through the storm whirling around them. Soon enough they were out of the city and racing towards the northern muddy path, with trees passing them by as they continued their furious run. Meanwhile, a thought struck Lillie.

"I'm with Sun's Pokémon and he's running away through the rain...Aria's vision came true!" Lillie realized before she grit her teeth as they ran down the forest path. She felt so cold, right then. The rain had soaked her down to the bone and the lightning overhead sent fear through her body. Her lungs burned and her legs ached. Lillie knew it was incredibly dangerous for her to be out like this, especially with the Aether Foundation's heavy presence on Akala Island. Nebby being with her made this even worse. But...

It was time for her to be brave once again, and help save her hero from his own darkness before she lost him forever.

So Lillie kept running as the storm raged on.


Alright, so we've got one more chapter of sad times (kinda, honestly next chapter is 50/50) for Sun before things lighten up again.

So, the future comes to pass as Lillie and Sun's team begin to hunt down their friend. Will she be able to snap Sun out of his plans to sacrifice himself to Cipher or will Lillie fail?

Tune in next time!

Q and A:

From: RC-DA

Sun is lucky isn't he? Lillie's parents are friends of his Dad, so approval won't be any trouble for him! Also Sun made one crucial error in his fight, he underestimated The Boldore! Too bad he isn't the Blind Bandit huh?

Alright, you get twenty points for that reference. I'm actually mad at myself for not thinking of it. Especially since it misspelled Boldore as Baldore like five times last chapter and had to keep fixing it.

And that is a very good point, actually. That said, I'd think Lusamine would approve of Sun after he helps save her from the Nihilego.

From: Sai Og Sus

What does he mean when he said he don't have any Pokemon that is advantageous toward Rock Type? Oliver may be half Flying but he is still a Grass! Don't tell me this whole daddy issue is clouding his memory too?

And his first loss. I knew it would happen sooner or later. Also, am I smelling a break-up?

Fixed that bit. I worded that section weirdly, so thanks for the comment on that.

And break up for what? Sun and Oliver? I'm a bit confused on that one.

From: BraviaryScout

At the same time, I hope Borlath knows that throwing the world into even more chaos with the catalysts to make it orderly is on his conscience. The worst part is that he knows what he is doing is making people suffer, yet continues to go down that path. He probably knows that kind of deal with the devil is going to cost him down the road. And contrary to what he thinks, it's not making life easier for Sun, it's making it hell on earth. This actually makes me wonder did the older kahunas like Hala ever come across Ashton when he was younger? Hmm.

Hala and Nanu both know Ashton, with the latter knowing him very well. This will actually be explained during the Origins Arc that begins at the Aether Paradise (first trip).

From: Guest

Is Demi your version of Moon or just an OC? And are you considering putting Mantine surfing and Pikachu hill or anything else from USUM?

Did you seriously copy-paste this question from the last time you asked this? Because I'm pretty sure this exact question was asked word-for-word a few months ago when I started the Q and A thing.

No, Demi is an OC. And maybe if I can be bothered to. Sun's spending a good bit more time on Akala Island, so I can probably throw in something.

That's all for now, folks. If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought! I also accept questions, though I do ask you leave some feedback in the review with the question as well. Also, follow and/or favorite RS if you haven't already so you can stay updated with my weekly updates...kinda ironic, admittedly.

Take care and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!