Pokémon Radiant Sun


So, unpopular opinion time…

I really like the idea of Marco and Kelly being a ship in SVTFOE. Based on the new episodes coming out, they're gonna be a thing, and it's pretty adorable. I do think it's weird to spend so much time working on the relationship between Star and Marco and effectively retcon it through another episode, but...I do like the end result. So yeah, Starco for the win, but I'm a fan of Kelco too.

So yeah. There's my public service announcement.

On another note, since everyone is doing it, I'm dropping my list of top ten favorite games here for shits and giggles. I've seen it blowing up on Twitter, and I figure I'd join the bandwagon.

So…

1. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

3. Undertale

4. Persona V

5. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

6. Bioshock

7. Pokémon White/Black

8. Call of Duty: Black Ops III

9. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

10. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

LIST YOUR TOP TEN IN THE REVIEW SECTION BELOW.

IF YOU DARE!

So yeah, here's where the real fun begins!

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes SomeCallItKye, OragonKing, RC-DA, SonicIKE, skyguys05, Technetium2, snipmaster149, Wan323, Cottonmouth25, JDunks809, a new guest reviewer known as PigniteGamer, a new guest reviewer known as Joey, Sai Og Sus, BraviaryScout, a Guest reviewer, as well as three new reviewers known as tslsmokey, Boy Knight, and Ew futf. Thanks for the incredible amount of feedback and support!

I've also been keeping special note of the suggestions you all have been sending my way. It's really odd how I seem to be on the same wavelength as you all sometimes. Heh.

Special shoutout to Technetium2 and Boy Knight, who's ideas were used in this chapter. Definitely appreciate the feedback and the support, and I hope you enjoy what I did with your suggestions. I ended up mixing a few ideas I had with yours, so...Yeah. Let's see how this goes.

On that note...

Enjoy.


Chapter 82: A Rogue's Choice


Sun looked up from his book as he heard a rumble of thunder in the distance. The ten-year old boy sighed and shut the book his father had given him about the Legendary Birds of Kanto and huddled closer to the tree he had been sitting on. Damien was somewhere, but wasn't nearby at the moment.

It had all been part of his Dad's idea. Sun had been sulking ever since the Nova event, which hurt Sun to even think about, so his father wanted Sun to try and get out of the house a little more. Sun had kept quiet about the whole event, though it's not like it helped things with his parents. They had been arguing a lot more lately, and Ashton had been away from home for over a week with no explanation. Sun worried, but he decided he should get more fresh air.

That said, he was bored. It's not like he could play with Pokémon or do anything else besides read or walk around the yard. As much as he loved reading, it did get dull sometimes. Sun was jolted out of his thoughts by someone speaking.

"You should probably head inside, kid. Rain ain't gonna do anything but ruin that nice book you've got there."

Sun perked up and looked around, but couldn't find where the voice was coming from. He heard a rustle of leaves above him and looked up to see a familiar bounty hunter grinning at him. Sun smiled and hopped to his feet to see Dawson drop from the tree, landing in a crouch before standing up. The man had short blond hair and green eyes, dressed the way Sun imagined an adventurer would, with a cool black cloak and fancy hat. A strange pistol was clipped to the man's belt, which Sun had learned was called a hand-cannon.

"Hey Mister Dawson. You need to talk to Dad again?" Sun asked the man, who shrugged.

"I didn't find him at his big old building, so I decided to come here. Didn't feel right breaking into his home, so I wandered around this massive yard you all have. Whatcha doing outside, kid? It's about to rain!" Charles Dawson asked Sun, who frowned and looked away.

"I don't know...I needed to be alone for a bit." Sun said with a small sigh. Dawson frowned at that, though he looked up in time to see a rather old Pelipper land on his shoulder. Dawson smiled for a second at the bird before returning his gaze to Sun.

"Sounds like you're not doing too well, kiddo." Dawson remarked, with Sun sighing. "Two sighs, huh? Never a good sign."

"I'll be fine. I just...I'm confused. Hurt. Tired. Angry. I don't know what to feel anymore." Sun said with a resigned expression of unhappiness on his face. Dawson frowned, though he was distracted by his Pelipper coughing a few times on his shoulder. Sun looked at the bird worriedly, seeing how bad it was doing.

"Is...is she okay?" Sun asked Dawson.

"Flappy's...Not doing too well." Dawson said tightly, even as the Pelipper nuzzled his head. Dawson smiled sadly as he leaned against the tree.

"Will she get better?" Sun asked, looking at the Pelipper. Sun could tell she was definitely sick, considering how ruffled and ragged her feathers were and her weak cry. Despite that, she seemed to be in good spirits.

Dawson shut his eyes, smiling sadly. Sun knew what that meant, and his heart sank."There's nothing that can be done for her. She's an old bird, so...I'll make sure the time she has left is the best time of her life. You know?"

Sun looked down and shook his head. Dawson didn't see this, too wrapped up in his own problems, though he did open his eyes and saw Sun hanging his head.

"What's up with you, Sun? You look pretty down." Dawson asked the boy, who looked up at him.

"I don't know what to do, Mister Dawson." Sun said quietly, with the man noticing how upset Sun sounded. He sounded close to tears.

"Tell me what's wrong. I've got a way with words, you know. Maybe I can help." Dawson suggested, stroking Flappy's head. The Pelipper hopped off of Dawson's shoulder and unsteadily fluttered down to where Sun was. The boy looked up at the bird and smiled weakly, patting it on the head. Flappy nuzzled Sun's arm, cawing hoarsely twice before Dawson reached down and picked up the large bird.

"Flappy agrees. And it's rude to make an old lady wait." Dawson said lightly, making Sun cough, the boy trying not to laugh as the pelican swatted Dawson upside the head with her wing.

"A-alright...I'm worried about Dad. He's been acting differently. And him and Mom haven't been getting along at all...I just don't understand what's going on. Why does Dad have to be so selfish?" Sun muttered, curling into a ball. Dawson stroked Flappy's head as he thought about Sun's question. It was the age old question, wasn't it?

"Dad's can come off that way, but they still do care deep down." Dawson said after a few moments. "I'll admit I'm late to the party, but from what I've seen your Dad is a passionate man. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, even if he attempts to hide them behind that calculating facade. I say talk to him." Dawson said to the boy, who looked up at him.

"I've tried. All he cares about is making sure I know all about running a business and keeping my nose out of trouble. He doesn't want me doing anything related to training, even though that's what I want. He just...doesn't care." Sun said with a harsh sigh.

"Hmm...Well, it always does seem that way. But I think in time you'll understand a bit better. You're really young, you know, and there's a lot going on you don't know about kiddo." Dawson said to the boy, earning a confused look in response.

"Such as?" Sun asked, curious. Dawson barked out a laugh, crossing his arms.

"Classified. I'll say it has to do with part of why he's so stressed. Until then, just keep hanging in there. You've got a good head on your shoulders and your heart's in the right place. Keep on supporting your Dad and maybe everything will work out. If not…" Dawson trailed off, shrugging. "You'll survive somehow."

"It's not a matter of surviving. I'm worried about him. He's becoming more reclusive. Spends so much time away from home now, and when he's around he's always in a bad mood. Something is changing him...I'm scared, Dawson." Sun said quietly, hugging himself. Dawson remained silent, though his mind was racing at Sun's words.

"Yeah, I can imagine being responsible for thousands for people dying and killing off a Gym Leader's entire team on live television would probably put a man like him in a grim mood. He's too soft to go around killing people. It's why he makes his pet assassin do it instead. He doesn't have the stomach for it...I imagine the guilt is eating the poor bastard alive." Dawson thought as he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Dawson put a hand on the boy's head, making him look up.

"Your Dad loves you, kid. Even in our limited interactions, I can tell. He's lining up a lot of things for your benefit. You just can't see it yet." Dawson said to the boy, sitting down on the ground.

"And...what if none of that is anything that I want?" Sun asked quietly.

"Then talk to him. If he doesn't listen, talk to him more. Sometimes parents can be really boneheaded. Mine were. I'm guessing Ashton is the same way." Dawson said to Sun, kneeling down to look the child in the eyes. Dawson saw conflict and worry there, but offered Sun a reassuring smile.

"Okay...I'll try." Sun said to the man, making him grin. Dawson stood up and adjusted his hat as Sun looked up at him.

"Good. I think I'll try my luck at your Dad's building again. What I wanted to talk about was kinda important, so I can't put this off." Dawson remarked, adding a moment later. "This will probably be the last time we see each other for a while, you know."

"Where are you going?" Sun asked as he stood up, looking worried.

"No idea. I just know the winds of change are blowing, and I'm along for the ride. Hopefully it'll be a pleasant change. If not…" Dawson gestured down to his pistol, smirking slightly. "I've got Justice on my side."

"Justice?" Sun asked. In response Dawson unclipped the hand-cannon and twirled it expertly in his hand.

"The pistol, kid. I stole it from Team Magma years ago. I then used it to kill every person in their base. After what they and Team Aqua did to me, I considered it justice. Hence the name." Dawson said as Sun nodded slowly.

"People like them...Do they really deserve to die?" Sun asked quietly, with Dawson offering Sun a sad smile.

"Good question. Some people would say no. Steven Stone said no. The victims of the Great Downpour say otherwise. And so do I. People like Team Aqua and Magma shouldn't be allowed to live their lives in peace. Criminals like them deserve to be put down for the sake of others. It's the right thing to do." Dawson said as he clipped the pistol back to his belt.

"I see…"

"Do you?" Dawson asked, amused. He shook his head and said, "We'll see. See you around, kid. Take care of yourself."

Dawson began walking away, with Flappy waving a wing to Sun as they sauntered away. Sun had one last question for the bounty hunter, though. "How do you know what the right thing to do is, Mister Dawson?" Sun asked the man.

"Follow your heart, Sun, and nothing can go wrong." Dawson said with a smile as he turned around. He saw Sun smiling at him now, and with that the bounty hunter gave the boy a casual wave as he walked down the road, his dying bird resting atop his Trainer's shoulder. Sun watched the man depart, grateful for his advice and company, before heading back into the house, with Damien following him inside to escape the incoming rain.


Dawson stood in front of Sun and Lillie, aiming his special hand-cannon at the Bone Brothers. About two dozen members of Team Skull surrounded them, yet despite this Dawson didn't look the slightest bit concerned. One of the Bone Brothers barked out a laugh, flipping Dawson off.

"Not a chance. I don't give a shit what that oversized flare gun can do. We're Team Skull! We've got you surrounded! Drop the tough guy act and step back. We're about to break some bones." One of the Bone Brothers growled, stepping forward. Dawson's aim switched to him, a calm smile on his face.

"I have to say, I'm glad you're doing well Sun. Now...would you like a hand in dealing with these guys? I'm willing to work out a deal." Dawson asked Sun, who grit his teeth. On the one hand, he couldn't trust Dawson, even if the man had been nice to him before. On the other hand...He didn't think he could get away from Team Skull while looking after Lillie. Her safety was more important than his.

"What's the deal?" Sun asked tersely, with Dawson sighing softly.

"Jeez, don't act so dramatic. How about this? I deal with this, and we have a talk. No Cipher people, no Unova dorks. Just a discussion. Your friend can go back to safety elsewhere or be there with you. Or she can come with? Either way, you've got five seconds." Dawson said as he readied himself to fire.

Sun exchanged a look with Lillie, who looked terrified. Sun knew that he had to protect her, no matter what. Lillie had told him about the Bone Brothers, who all had fairly strong teams, including that brutal-looking Drapion. Sun couldn't take them down alone, even if he wasn't surrounded by Team Skull. Though that did leave the question of where Dawson's Cipher goons were…

Sun made his choice.

"Deal with them." Sun said as and Oliver and Penny looked at him.

"What's going on? Who is this guy, Sun?" Oliver asked the boy, who shushed him. Dawson grinned and stepped forward, calling out his Roselia.

"Don't run away. Stay where I can see you, in case one of these dorks goes for your girlfriend." Dawson instructed Sun before he stepped forward and addressed the Bone Brothers. "So yeah, sorry about the interruption. Kindly go to hell."

"Not likely." The lead brother grunted, his Drapion hissing as it flexed its claws. Sun was acutely aware of some of the Team Skull goons coming closer.

"Watch our backs." Sun murmured to the two birds hovering beside him. Penny and Oliver nodded, prepared to attack should any of the thugs make a move.

"You sure? It could save you a lot of trouble." Dawson offered, cracking a cocky grin.

"Yeah, I'm gonna say no. That girl is property of Team Skull! She might have escaped us once, but we're not gonna let some punk-ass bitch from Hoenn muscle in on our turf!" the the other Bone Brother hissed, pointing a finger at Dawson, who's expression fell.

"Wrong answer." Dawson's voice was now completely serious. Sun and Lillie flinched at the tone as the man's next words became cold and hard as permafrost "Sun, close your eyes. Girl, do the same. I'm about to do something you kids probably shouldn't see."

Lillie whimpered and shut her eyes tight, Sun kept his eyes wide open, his mind racing at what was happening. If he had been thinking straight, he could have taken Lillie and ran for help, but the thought didn't occur to him until later.

"GET THEM!" the Bone Brothers shouted out at once, with the Drapion scuttling towards them. Team Skull closed in, drawing their Poké Balls and cracking their knuckles.

"Circular Stun Spore and then Protect!" Dawson barked as he held out an arm. His Rosela hopped onto his outstretched palm and Dawson threw the Thorn Pokémon into the air as the thugs drew closer. Some of them paused as the Roselia rapidly fired yellow powder down below, quickly spraying it in a circle around the trio and keeping Team Skull at bay, though they stood at the edge of the powder eyeing them with anger.

"What did that accomplish?" Sun asked, eyeing the powder warily. Stun Spore was nasty stuff if inhaled, and was pretty volatile in general. Dawson grinned as his Roselia landed on the ground and conjured a light blue shield around the group, though Dawson fired his pistol into the powder right before the shield formed.

A deafening explosion followed, making Lillie scream in surprise and sending most of Team Skull to the ground, screaming in pain. As it was, the shield itself protecting them was heavily cracked. Dawson was smirking like crazy though, shaking his head.

"I have to keep reminding myself that I'm dealing with a bunch of kids, and not a bunch of wannabee pirates." Dawson said casually as Sun looked around, eyes wide in surprise as he saw a bunch of groaning thugs on the ground as the smoke swirled around them.

"What did you do?" Sun asked Dawson, who chuckled darkly.

"Stun Spore powder is highly combustible. As it is, Justice is more than enough to ignite it and create a strong explosion. A match would have also worked." Dawson explained, spinning the hand-cannon in his hand for a moment as his Roselia allowed the shield to drop.

Dawson then pulled the trigger of his gun and pierced the smoke, making the trio of thugs ahead of them jump apart to dodge the shot, though Dawson casually fired again after a moment. This time his aim was true, blasting one of the Bone Brothers in the arm.

"AAAAGHHH!" the man screamed, as the limb exploded in a shower of sparks, cauterizing the stump left behind and making the arm itself disintegrate into burning ash. The man fell to the ground, writhing in agony while the rest of Team Skull watched in horror as they achingly pulled themselves off of the concrete.

"NO!" one of the brothers screamed as the Drapion lunged at Dawson. The man ducked under the swipes from the monster, a wild grin on his face as he aimed his pistol at one of the other brothers, who froze in his tracks. The Drapion remained still, worried that a single movement would spill doom for the man.

"That one was on you. Trying to pick on some kids just because you're bigger than them?" Dawson scoffed, shaking his head. "Pathetic."

"You're a...you…" one of the brothers hissed, but Dawson's soft laughter cut him off.

"I'm better than you. Simple fact. You probably could have beaten me in a real battle. But that's not my thing. I tore through all of Team Aqua on my own, you little shits. Three overgrown thugs and a bunch of tweens is child's play." Dawson said as the barrel of his gun began to glow.

"Don't kill him!" Sun shouted to Dawson, who sighed.

"I wasn't planning on it. Too much trouble, and I don't kill unless I need to. I'm not Amber." Dawson said as he glanced back at Sun, though he turned his green eyes forward once more.

"Call back your Drapion and get the hell away from here. If I ever catch wind of you bothering Sun or the girl again, I will come to Po Town myself and make sure there are no survivors." Dawson spat at the men, who glared back at him with hate.

"Scatter!" one of the men barked to the grunts surrounding them. Every single one of the Team Skull members hobbled away as fast as they could, with two of the Bone Brother's helping the third, injured one up off of the ground.

"We'll make you pay…" the injured one spat at Dawson, who shrugged.

"Sure, sure. But you should probably get him medical attention." Dawson said with a smug grin as they retreated down an alleyway, with one of the Bone Brother's flipping him off as they rounded the corner. Dawson lowered his pistol for a moment before spinning on his heel and aiming it directly at Sun, who had a finger pointed at Dawson.

"Razor Leaf! Echoed Voice!" Sun barked out, with Oliver and Penny releasing their attacks. Dawson leapt backwards with a swear, barely dodging the blast of sound, though Oliver's leaves found their mark, slashing Dawson's chest and left arm and spraying the ground with crimson.

"Sun...Don't start a battle you can't win!" Dawson warned the boy, who scowled at him.

"You're not taking me to Cipher! I'm happy now! Dad needs to just leave us and Alola alone!" Sun shouted at the bounty hunter, who grit his teeth but pulled out a Poké Ball, calling out a Roselia.

"We can do this two ways, Sun. I can knock you and your friend out and take you to where Amber's waiting for me to give a report. Or, I can take you to a Hidden Base I made nearby where we can discuss some things in private. No one else needs to be involved. And you know that those birds aren't going to stop me one way or another...All I want is to talk. So what's it going to be?" Dawson said as he raised his glowing hand-cannon again, this time aiming at Oliver. Sun scowled, clenching his fists.

"Sun?" Lillie said quietly, with the boy growling softly in sheer frustration.

"I don't know what to do Lillie. If I go with him, he might take me to Amber or...or to Dad or somewhere else. I can't just do that!" Sun said to the girl, who looked at Dawson. The man clearly had no qualms about killing one of Sun's birds, though he certainly didn't look happy about it.

"Can't we talk here?" Sun asked Dawson, who shook his head.

"At best, I've got a minute before this place attracts the bad kind of attention. Decide now. Either you and your friend come with me to talk, or I kill both your birds and then we discuss things with Amber. I don't want to hurt you, but I'll do it if I have to." Dawson said firmly, the barrel of the hand-cannon beginning to glow.

"Lillie...I don't know what to do." Sun said with gritted teeth. Lillie didn't either, though she knew the situation was bad. Out of the frying pan and into the fire described it well. That said...Not once had Dawson said that he'd take Sun to his father. He simply stressed that he wanted to talk.

"Excuse me? Mister...Dawson was it?" Lillie said to the man, who blinked twice before smiling slightly.

"Yeah, that's me. You want to weigh in on this, little lady?" Dawson asked Lillie, who nodded timidly.

"Why do you want to talk to Sun? He's not on speaking terms with his father, your leader, right now. He just wants to live his life here in Alola. You don't seem like you want to hurt Sun, but leaving him alone seems like the best way to ensure he's happy." Lillie said to the man, who smiled somewhat.

"All very good points. I'll answer those questions. Right now!" Dawson said with a grin, lowering his weapon. Lillie looked at him with a confused expression before Sun let out a scream. Lillie whirled around and saw Sun being pulled into the ground by a Duskull using Shadow Sneak. Oliver and Penny shot towards the ghost at the same time Lillie dove to the ground, grabbing Sun's arm. Only Lillie was successful, though this ended with her being dragged along in the shadows while Oliver and Penny met air.

Lillie and Sun winced as they traveled through the darkness, only to find themselves crashing onto a rough surface a moment later. Sun opened his eyes and was confused to find that he was inside what looked like the inside of a tree. There were two small sofas, a desk, and a tiny stove, but that was it.

"S-sun, where are we?" Lillie asked as Sun pushed himself up, looking around.

"Looks like one of those Secret Bases. Dawson told me that people make them all the time back in Hoenn. Looks like he's set up a few over here as well." Sun said, helping Lillie up. After a moment, Dawson appeared out of their shadow, walking past them and sitting down on one of the couches, a hand covering his bleeding arm.

"Now then, let's talk. I'm sure you both have some questions, like I do. If Sun answers my questions and acts nice, you can both can free and his father doesn't ever have to know." Dawson said with a small smile, gesturing to the open couch. Sun and Lillie warily exchanges glances, with Sun looking around. He couldn't find the exit to the base, and Dawson had the upper hand here. He couldn't battle him with just Finn and Brago…

Sun warily sat down, with Lillie following him. Dawson leaned back and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them, a small smile on his face.

"It is good to see you again, Sun. Looks like you're doing well for yourself." Dawson said to Sun, who looked conflicted.

"You're a member of Cipher. An Admin. Why are we even talking?" Sun asked the man, who smirked in reply.

"Simple. Because unlike Amber, I'm not a totally broken human being or a career criminal. I'm a bounty hunter-turned-mercenary. While I do believe in the good of our cause, I understand that it hurts people. I don't like it. I don't relish in it...It's just something that happens as a result of what we're trying to do. Worldwide reform of some really broken systems." Dawson said as he crossed his arms, his smile fading. "As to why I'm talking with you, I'll admit I found you by chance and no one in Cipher but me knows your exact location, though Borlath does know you're in Alola. I wanted to see what the little Prince himself had to say about everything going on. And on a personal note, I'll admit I'm kinda fond of you, Sun. I want you to understand what's going on and why we're doing it, since apparently your Dad didn't explain maybe give you a few warnings."

"I hate Cipher and everything you all are doing." Sun said as he glared at Dawson, who simply nodded.

"Understandable. After all, Cipher's done nothing but cause trouble since it was formed. Your Dad even got involved, which makes it worse. However, now that it's under the heading of your father, it's going to be causing some good in the very near future." Dawson said to the boy, who looked confused.

"Good? How could any of what you people do be good in any way?" Lillie asked, making Dawson chuckle.

"You wouldn't understand. You're just kids, after all." Dawson replied, with Lillie giving him a harsh look that Sun'd never seen her give anyone.

"I've been told that before. Oh so many times. Please...Try me." Lillie responded in a shockingly cold, with actually Dawson smiling back at her.

"Cipher has been a criminal syndicate with some of the best ideas, but terrible management. Even some of the Admins, like Olivia Santigo and Miror B. were complete disasters from a logistical standpoint. And even with Borlath secretly pulling strings later on, Greevil made some seriously bone-headed plans. And it was all for the sake of evil. For power. No greater goal in mind. That made him and Cipher no different than the other criminal organizations that seem to haunt these regions. And then your father got involved and started changing things…" Dawson said as he stood up, beginning to pace.

"You see, Cipher, since it's very beginning...has been like a parasite. It uses and uses and uses until it can use no more, and then it gets rid of the host. Except in its case, the host is anyone willing to be involved with it." Dawson explained as he moved around the room. "They team up with another criminal organization, they get along for a while and exchange assets and resources, and then they use up that group and throw them aside. Borlath saw this. Borlath saw what Cipher was doing and wanted to use that directly...That's what I'm talking about. Does that make sense?"

"No." Sun answered honestly. He had no idea what Dawson was getting at.

"Alright, I'll use an example. Team Snagem. They were Cipher's first partners. After Wes kicked their collective asses, Snagem fell apart and became a shadow of its former self. There's only a handful of them left in Orre anymore, compared to a massive team that was downright feared in Orre. Team Galactic was another example, once Borlath became involved. Cipher made them take the fall after Wes and Rui defeated them there. And now it's happening again...Cipher itself is a means to an end, Sun. I want you to understand that this is all part of the plan." Dawson said to Sun, his tone almost pleading.

Sun stared at the man before saying, "I still don't understand. Him joining Cipher makes no sense to me. Is he trying to be evil to be good? Why bother if all he's doing is hurting everyone he cares about and kills innocent people?"

"Because of the bigger picture. It's complicated, but I think in time you'll understand that the methods we're using are necessary." Dawson said, though Sun scowled at that.

"Even if millions of innocents have to die in the process?" the boy shot back, with Dawson adjusting his hat downwards, his expression becoming rather grim.

"As I've said...I'm not proud of what I've become a part of. Parts of what we do absolutely horrify me. In particular, the Umbral Project makes me seriously consider leaving Cipher...if I didn't know Amber would hunt me down and kill me first." Dawson said with a bitter laugh escaping him.

"Umbral Pokémon...Aria mentioned those before, I think." Sun muttered, trying to think about them.

"It was the story about the Hypno. The evil one that went on a rampage through Castelia City before Wes killed it. Umbral Pokémon are like Shadow Pokémon, except they're way stronger and nearly impossible to beat." Lillie recounted quietly, shivering slightly at the story.

"That's the jist of it, though I should add that you can't even catch them. If Aria tried to snag it, the attempt would fail. Something we can only do with Umbrals instead of the usual Shadows. The only one to deal with an Umbral Pokémon is to kill it in a way that mutilates the body beyond repair. Otherwise is just heals." Dawson added with a small shrug. "Well, Cipher's been making more of those things, and they succeeded with my Torkoal. Except...I can't use it." Dawson said quietly, shaking his head. "I know it's weakness on my part, but I refuse to use that Umbral Torkoal. I let Mask use it instead, because at least it'll get some use."

"You think that makes it better? And how...how could you subject your Pokémon to something like that? It's become a monster! A living weapon!" Sun shouted at the man, who stood up and scowled back at the boy.

"Because Sun...I'm mad at the world. And I'm mad enough to make sacrifices like that to get what I want. And what I want is a world where people actually stand up against evil. A world where those in power don't sit on their asses while psychopaths hunt down gods and abuse their power. My entire team agrees with me, and my Torkoal volunteered to become powerful enough for us to achieve our vengeance. We'll have our revenge on the system that screwed us, one way or another." Dawson snarled, crossing his arms.

"So basically your plan to get revenge on the system that hurt you is to become as bad, ir not worse, than the people who hurt you in the first place? Great plan." Sun retorted, making Dawson's face darken more.

"Yes, Sun. I'm willing to stoop that low, if it means future generations don't have to deal with this shit. It's a risk I'm willing to take." Dawson replied, his tone rather calm.

"Even if millions have to die in the process?" Lillie asked softly, earning a glare from Dawson.

"What are millions, when compared to the world?" Dawson asked in reply, making Lillie fall silent. Sun looked back and forth between them for a moment before turning to Dawson.

"And what I want is a world where my Dad didn't kill my Mom's Starter in cold blood and threaten to kill her and kidnap me. I want a future where my friends and me aren't attacked by crazy assassins. But here we are, kidnapped again under threat of being sent to my insane father." Sun shot back, making Lillie stare at him and Dawson jerk back in response.

"Right...I forgot just how much Borlath's done to you, even though he's done most of it for your benefit." Dawson said with a sigh, sitting back down.

"My benefit. Right. So again...Why tell me any of this? Why not just cart me back to my Dad?" Sun asked, with Dawson actually smiling at him.

"I know exactly what Borlath would do to you if he got ahold of you, and I think you've suffered enough. Call it my conscience, call it mercy, call it whatever...But I'd feel horrible involving you further, Sun. I don't know what it'll take for you to trust me on this, but I won't rat you out to Borlath. Stay away from Cipher at all costs, though. Don't get involved, and please for the love of god don't try to stop us. Your father's love for you won't stop his anger at the world." Dawson said to Sun, who remained silent.

"Would you be willing to give us information?" Lillie asked the bounty hunter, who smirked.

"Depends on what it is, little lady. I can tell you all sorts of things that wouldn't harm Cipher." Dawson remarked, leaning back in his seat.

"Why did you kidnap us?" Lillie asked.

"As I've said, I wanted to at least talk. Knowing what people think is important, little girl. And I happen to care what happens to Sun. He's a good kid and I think Borlath downplays this kid's intellect and maturity. He definitely should've let the kid be a Trainer instead of keeping him cooped up at home. What Sun thinks about Cipher means quite a bit, and might help me gain some leverage over his father in the future should it ever come up. It probably won't, but you never know." Dawson explained.

"What're my father's plans for Alola?" Sun asked.

"Classified. Though I'd recommend staying clear of the area I found you in. Ula'ul'a Island and Akala Island will be quite busy over the next few months." Dawson warned, his smile becoming slightly wider.

"Sounds ominous." Sun said with a shudder.

"I'm in charge of the next big attack, kid. Trust me when I say that it'll be very satisfying for me. You don't want to be anywhere near me when I start the party, because it'll be a very chilling display of force." Dawson said with a dark laugh that made Lillie shiver.

"Can you explain?" Lillie asked.

"No, though I have no doubt you'll know about it in due time. Anything else?" Dawson asked.

"Where's Amber?" Sun asked.

"On the beach about an hour north of where I found you two. Last I heard, she was training up her new Pokémon and was talking to her team. She's recently suffered from a case of getting mind-raped by Tapu Lele, so she temporarily gets her emotions back for short periods of time and she's not a complete bitch. She's actually pretty nice when she's being Amanda and not Amber." Dawson said to the children, earning two looks of confusion.

"Amanda?" Sun asked.

"Amber's real name. She actually told me about her past, which is absolutely horrifying. Did you know that she helped stop a Team Rocket attack on the hospital the day you were born?" Dawson said to Sun with a grin, making the boy blink twice in response.

"Wat?" Sun simply replied, too confused and surprised to form coherent thoughts.

"Yeah man. Turns out she lived with Laura and Borlath for a while. Until she decided to become an assassin to help deal with Team Rocket and help your father, who saved her from life as an insane Gothitelle's murder slave. Ask your Mom what happened to Amanda Faerun sometime and see for yourself." Dawson said to the two dumbfounded children.

"So, a few questions for you, Sun. How've you been? Seriously?" Dawson asked, with Sun staring at the man for a moment before smiling slightly.

"Better than I've been in a while. I have friends for the first time in my life. My Pokémon are awesome and I'm living my dream of being a Pokémon Trainer. I've never been happier, Dawson." Sun said truthfully, looking over at Lillie. Lillie smiled at him, which Sun returned, and when the two looked at Dawson he was smirking.

"Good to hear, kid. I'm glad you're doing better than the last time I saw you. So, are you two just friends or…?" Dawson trailed off, with Lillie blushing.

"Should we really be telling you that? You're the bad guy, remember?" Sun said to the man, who cackled with delight.

"Yep! But either way, I'm proud of you, kid. You're doing what you always said you'd do. Go on your journey, make some friends, and it looks like you're stealing hearts too!" Dawson laughed gleefully, grinning at the boy with a sort of pride. "I knew you'd take my advice. You followed your heart and you're already seeing the rewards. Keep that up, Sun. I bet you'll be as good at battling as your Dad someday."

"I'll be better. That way I can stop him." Sun said, his cheer fading. Just like that, the warmth in the room vanished, with Dawson smiling sadly at him, adjusting his hat.

"I hope so, kid. The man's getting darker by the day." Dawson said after a moment. "This world shouldn't need brave kids to keep solving all of its problems. Again and again it keeps happening. Something needs to change. I plan to force that change."

"Even if it means hurting everyone in the process." Sun said quietly, staring down Dawson. The mercenary nodded before he snapped his fingers.

"I think our time is up. I got what I wanted. Now...a warning." Dawson said as a Duskull appeared from the shadows.

"Stay away from Cipher. That means me. That means Amber. And that especially mean that creepy bastard wearing the mask." Dawson said to Sun, who nodded slowly as he and Lillie stood up. Dawson then turned to Lillie and said, "Keep on being his friend. He'll need all the friends he can get to make it through the storm."

Lillie stared at the man before walking to Sun and grabbing his hand. "I'll never let a bit of danger stop me from being Sun's friend."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate you, Lillie." Sun said quietly to the girl, making her blush bright pink. Dawson cracked a grin, barely suppressing the urge to laugh.

"Wow, that's actually pretty adorable. Take it easy you two." Dawson said as the Duskull grabbed them and pulled them into the shadows, making both children scream in surprise before they vanished.

"So...Now what?" Dawson mumbled as he leaned against the wall, deep in thought. If he broke his word to the boy that had just departed, he'd be rewarded handsomely for giving Sun to his father on a silver platter. It'd also mean Sun would be slowly brainwashed or worse…

"No. I'm not far enough down the rabbit hole to completely throw away my morals." Dawson decided, shaking his head. "I'll keep this my own little secret. Besides, I have other fish to fry."

Dawson then pulled out a Poké Ball from within his cloak, looking down at it. It was very cold to touch, and he could sense the power within. Dawson tightened his grip on the capsule, knowing the powerful beast it contained and that he only had a few more days to properly learn how to harness its powers.

When the Duskull returned, Dawson walked over to it and stepped into the shadow, vanishing from the Secret Base he had left behind.


Sun and Lillie reappeared on the same street they were taken from, which was now crowded with cops. Luckily, before any of them closed in on the two children, a certain International Police Captain spotted them. Ollie raced over to Sun with a relieved expression, though he was interrupted by two blurs tackling Sun to the ground.

"Penny! Oliver!" Sun cried out as the two birds hugged him.

"I thought that they had taken you away!" Oliver said as he looked at Sun, worry and fear in his eyes. Sun sat up and hugged his Partner back, looking at Penny.

"I tried to keep him calm, but I was really worried myself. W-where did you two go?" Penny asked as Sun pulled her into a hug.

"Dawson took us away from here and to a Secret Base he had made." Lillie said, drawing Ollie's attention. Sun and Lillie explained what had happened, including everything Dawson had told them. The Captain frowned, tapping his chin in thought as he pulled out his phone and typed a quick message. The man folded the phone after a moment, humming in thought.

"That's...interesting. I'll have to consult Laura after talking with Maiden and Looker." Ollie murmured before looking at Sun and Lillie. "I'm making sure you both have someone guarding you for the remainder of your time in Royal Avenue. Dawson may have been able to listen to his conscience this time, but next time you might be dealing with that masked weirdo or Amber Fontaine. I don't want to take chances." Ollie said to the two children, who both nodded.

"Alright then. Let's get you to the Pokémon Center then. I'll ask a mutual friend of ours to keep an eye on you. Given that he's apparently helped you in the past, Lillie, I think you'll all be fine with it." Ollie said, glancing to his left. As if on cue, Commander Jack walked out of the shadow of a nearby streetlamp, looking just as rough as ever. A cheerful Dusknoir appeared out of his shadow, flying over to Lillie and pulling the girl into a hug.

"Hello again, my friends!" Gretel said happily as Lillie giggled in the ghost's embrace. Sun quietly returned his Pokémon as he watched Lillie get cuddled by a massive specter.

"Hello Gretel! And hello, Mister Jack!" Lillie greeted the pair, with Jack smiling faintly at Lillie.

"You're a trouble magnet, aren't you?" Jack said, sounding amused as he looked down at Sun.

"Yeah, apparently. You don't mind keeping an extra eye out for us this weekend, would you?" Sun asked the man, who shook his head.

"Of course not. Not like I'm doing much else besides looking into these Cipher idiots." Jack remarked, with Gretel giggling softly in response.

"I prefer this to investigating. Besides, being around others will be good for you. You'll see!" Gretel said as she gently set Lillie on the ground, patted the girl on the head, before swooping over and hugging Jack.

"Gretel, please stop." Jack deadpanned as Gretel lifted him into the air, earning looks from all of the police on the street. Gretel cackled in response.

"I don't think I will. I'm going to love and tolerate the shit out of you, and there's nothing you can do about it." Gretel remarked cheerily, making Sun's eyes widen.

"So, your Pokémon can curse too. Interesting." Sun muttered, hiding a smile. Lillie was about to ask about that, but remembered that Oliver had picked up that habit once from Professor Kukui and Hala.

Gretel finally set Jack down on the ground, where he dusted himself off with a scowl before turning to Ollie, saying, "You best start getting ahold of your people. Me and Nanu can't do everything for you all."

"Noted, though I'll say in our defense that you two haven't done that much. I'll get word to the others and see if we can double down on things. I'm not going to chance Dawson or one another Admin causing trouble." Ollie said as he put a finger to his ear. "Patch me through to Maiden."

"What about Team Skull?" Lillie asked.

"They've scattered, so it seems. We've questioned a few of them, but they refused to talk. About par for the course, it seems." Ollie said as he looked at bent down and looked the boy in the eyes.

"You sure you're alright?" Ollie asked the boy quietly, with Sun nodding in response. Sun smiled at the man and surprised him with a hug, which the man returned after a moment. Sun separated from the man and grinned at him.

"I'll be fine. Dawson's a bad guy, but he's not a bad person. Just...lost. Like Dad, if that makes sense." Sun said to the Captain, who smiled back at Sun and put a hand on his head.

"You've got a unique outlook on things, Sun. I'm glad you're handling something like this well though. If anything happens or you need to talk, let me know." Ollie said to the boy before looking to Jack.

"I'll head out then." Jack said, grabbing both children and shepherding them forward. Lillie and Sun made their way down the sidewalk, with Jack keeping guard from behind. Gretel floated ahead of the children, keeping up a happy chatter. Jack couldn't help the small smile as his Partner talked with the children, helping keep them distracted from what they had been through. Even if it wasn't particularly harrowing, the Dusknoir was keeping their spirits up (pun intended), which was important in situations like this.

Jack wondered just why the two children had been taken by the Cipher Admin. Clearly they were lucky the man's conscience kept him from taking Sun back to their HQ or worse, to his father, but...This was still bad. If Cipher were bold enough to snatch children off of the street and attack Team Skull…

What else were they capable of doing?


The group arrived to a very packed Pokémon Center, and almost instantly Sun was snatched up by his mother in a bone-breaking hug. As soon as Sun was allowed to breathe, Lillie was given the same treatment. Lillie was then hugged by a just-arriving Kukui and Burnet, who were very grateful that the two children were safe and thanked Sun for protecting her from both Team Skull and Cipher.

The group settled in for the night, with Lana arriving later in the evening and rooming with Hau, Sun, and Lillie. The group stayed up the entire night chatting and playing around on the WiiU that Sun had brought from home. Sun quickly found out that Lillie was quite good at Super Smash Bros after she destroyed Lana and Hau without losing a single stock using King Dedede. She had a much harder time against Sun (who used Falco), but even he fell against the Princess. Nebby floated around the room happily the entire time, playing tag with Bubbles the Popplio and Kaha the Eevee. The group passed out after a night of fun and games, with Sun and Lillie almost completely forgetting about their encounter with Team Skull and Dawson.

Morning came fairly swiftly the next morning, much to the children's dismay. It was only with a bribe of freshly-cooked malasadas that got Hau out of bed, though that wasn't the only surprise the group got that morning, as Lana accidentally barged in on Hau using the bathroom, which made Lillie and Sun laugh for a solid ten minutes straight as a blushing Lana apologized to a flustered Hau.

Sun, Hau, Lillie, Jack and Laura ended up making their way to the stadium early. despite the nonsense of the morning. However, the sheer amount of people present was absolutely overwhelming regardless of their early arrival. Jack helped them make their way to the front by having Gretel Shadow Sneak them through the crowd to the front, which a lot of people didn't like, but given he gave absolutely no shits, this was ignored.

Soon enough the group arrived at their seats, where they saw Mallow and Lana waiting for them. Lana seemed to have brought her two younger twin sisters, Sarah and Harper, and was chatting with them about the tournament. Aria, Vivian, Hugh and Noah sat nearby, in talks with Professor Kukui and Clemont. Meanwhile Bonnie and Korrina were chatting while pointing at the battlefield below.

"Hey everyone." Sun greeted the group, sitting down in his seat. Lillie took the spot to his left while Laura took the spot to his right, with Hau sitting next to Lillie and Lana.

"Kiawe still hasn't show up." Mallow remarked as Lana sat next to her. Lana frowned, but shrugged after a moment.

"Maybe work called him in? He'll be here. He wouldn't miss something like this so lightly." Lana said as Hau leaned forward, looking confused.

"Maybe he had to go to the bathroom?" Harper suggested, making Sarah burst into giggles while Lana looked at her sisters with exasperation.

"How so? Is he super into tournaments?" Hau asked Lana.

"No, but he takes our hangouts very seriously." Mallow said firmly, smirking slightly. Sun didn't quite believe this, but kept his peace.

"I just can't believe the Professor helped put something like this together. The amount of people here is staggering." Laura remarked, eyeing the sold-out crowd in the Royal Dome with awe.

"Over 23,000 people are in attendance today. Not counting the crowds outside watching monitors or the millions watching from around the world." Professor Burnet chimed in from next to them, grinning with pride. "Adrian Battlestorm and Kukui worked their butts off to get this to work. I'm really proud of how things are looking."

"I just hope there's not another repeat of what happened outside." Jack remarked suddenly, earning looks from everyone.


Ten minutes earlier...


"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M TOO LATE TO SIGN UP!?" a blond-haired young man in an orange and white striped shirt yelled, almost immediately being restrained by security. Meanwhile a young woman wearing a stylish red and blue sundress with blueish hair watched with embarrassment as her friend was tackled to the ground.

"Sir, registration ended yesterday. And even then, we filled up with bookings earlier this week. Plus, the event is sold out. You're just too late." the lady at the front counter said to the struggling teen.

"Late? Late!? LATE!? Barry is never late, damn it!" the teen howled, practically foaming at the mouth. The men quickly subdued the teen and threw him out of the building, where he landed on the concrete with a groan. Barry got to his feet, glaring at the retreating backs of the security guards as his female friend calmly walked outside, wearing a disapproving expression.

"I don't need your judgement, Dawn." Barry grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Did you really have to fly off the chain like that?" Dawn asked, narrowing her eyes. Barry scowled, stomping his feet several times.

"Yes! My honor was on the line! I'm not late! I'm never late!"

"Dude, calm down."

"EVERYONE IS LATE EXCEPT FOR ME!" Barry declared as Dawn sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, you got kicked out. And I'm not going to go inside by myself, because then I'd get swarmed by people who'd recognize me and it'd suck. So I guess we can watch the matches elsewhere." Dawn said, with Barry frowning.

"You don't have to tag along with me though. I got myself kicked out, not you." Barry said, only for Dawn to glare at him.

"Someone has to keep an eye on you. Also...I'm fining you for making us late today." Dawn said as her expression became very smug. Barry's expression turned to abject horror, with the young man's face going sheet white.

"W-w-w-what!? I...I...You..." Barry rasped, only for Dawn to walk up and flick the Trainer on the nose. The young woman watched with glee as Barry fell to the ground, staring at her in confusion and fear.

"I'm fining you 100 million Pokédollars for making me late. Now get up...I want to go shopping." Dawn said as she sauntered past Barry, who began crawling pathetically after her.

"Oh come on, Dawn..."

"Nope. You're in the doghouse now, mister."

"Uuuggghhhh..."


"I guess you can't keep all the crazies out. Still, this Tournament is definitely an achievement. I can't wait to get the battling started." Sun said with a grin, with Laura smiling at her child.

"Maybe we'll have to battle in the Finals? How would you feel about that Sun?" Laura asked, making Sun laugh in response.

"Then I'll just try my best and lose with dignity. I won't go down without a fight." Sun said with a fierce glint in his eyes, making Laura pull him into a hug and a laugh.

"That's my baby boy!" Laura cried out joyfully, making the others laugh as Sun flailed in his mother's grasp for several moments, with the mother finally releasing the red-faced boy.

"S-stop it! You're embarrassing me!" Sun muttered, with Laura patting her boy on the head.

"Very well. Just know that I've always wanted to be there for your first tournament, and I'm ecstatic to see you dominate the competition." Laura said cheerily, with Lillie nodding in response.

"We should've gotten Lillie a cheerleader outfit." Mallow suggested, grinning lecherously. Lillie blushed bright red, stammering as she lowered her hat. Hau and Sun both pictured that, complete with Lillie in a mini-skirt, and both promptly began sporting nosebleeds.

"Oh brother." Lana muttered, face-palming as Laura pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed Sun's face.

"And yet I don't see Lillie opposing to it." Aria noted, gleefully pointing at the girl in question. Lillie covered her face with her hat and screamed into it, making the others laugh in response. Sun managed to get himself under control first before stammering out an apology.

"S-sorry about that. I just...don't even know what happened." Sun muttered as Lillie finally removed her hat, her face practically glowing. Hau, meanwhile, was borrowing some napkins from Noah and trying to desperately clean his face.

"I'm so proud." Laura said with a massive grin as Lillie shot the woman a scandalized look before addressing Sun.

"It's fine, Sun. I...I understand." Lillie said with a small smile, The girl leaned in close and whispered into the boy's ear, "Maybe if our date goes well, you can convince me to try it out." Sun's eyes widened in surprise as Lillie smiled shyly at him, with the boy not knowing how to respond to that. Unfortunately, Laura Smiles heard every word.

"Lillie, we're going shopping after this. I bet I can find you something amazing for your to cheer Sun on in." Laura said to the girl, who squealed in surprise and tried to hide her face in her hat again. Sadly it was swiped by Jack, who put the hat on Hau instead.

"You can't keep hiding like that. Face stuff like this head-on." Jack grumbled as Lillie looked at the man in surprise. Meanwhile, Hau was very confused as to what was going on.

"Huh. Suddenly I feel twenty percent more fancy." Hau said, poking Lillie's hat on his head. He then turned to Lana and said, "Does this hat make me look fat?"

"No, but it does make your butt look nice." Mallow chimed in, smirking like crazy.

"Stop talking like that in front of the twins." Lana reprimanded her friend.

"But why!? We want to understand what's going on!" Sarah and Harper whined in unison.

"You're not old enough to understand." Lana retorted, with Hau frowning after a moment.

"And what do you think, Lana?" Hau asked, making Lana blush.

"I will keep my peace." Lana remarked, though she was thankfully saved by the sound of an electric guitar going off. Suddenly the lights went dark and a spotlight appeared, shining down on a band positioned not too far from them as they began rocking out on their instruments. Sun spotted the white-haired girl from yesterday with the electric guitar, singing a song that Sun didn't understand, though he recognized the language of Unova.

"I was wondering when she'd show up." Aria said with a smirk, leaning back in her chair.

"Who is that?" Sun asked.

"Roxie. She's the Virbank City Gym Leader and a really good friend of mine. She's also part of a really awesome band. She mentioned something about a gig in Alola, but I didn't think she'd be the band commissioned for the Tournament." Aria said as she nodded her head to the beat. Sun had to admit, it sounded really good. Better yet, Lillie was wearing a massive smile on her face and mouthing along to the lyrics, even if she couldn't understand them. Sun had forgotten that the prim and proper girl was a rock and metal fan at heart.

All too soon, the song ended. Roxie punched the air as the crowded erupted in applause, with Roxie taking the microphone and yelling, "Hey there Alola! Let's make some noise and get these battles started!"

The lights flickered and the spotlight moved to Adrian Battlestorm standing in the center of the battlefield, which had changed since the last time Sun had seen it. Instead of being set up for the usual Battle Royal matches, the battlefield had been redesigned so that more standard one-on-one matches could take place, with the battlefield now resembling a standard stadium's battlefield. The only thing that stood out as the flickering barrier that kept the fans protected from wayward attacks. Sun couldn't almost feel the strength of whatever the shield was made of, and knew it had to be pretty strong stuff. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the master of ceremonies began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Alola Grand Royal Tournament!" Adrian Battlestorm bellowed, eyeing the crowded arena of thousands upon thousands of people. The MC for the event was decked out in his finest tuxedo as the lights shined down on him.

"Let's get the rules for the evening down, shall we?" Adrian said to the crowd, walking around the middle of the battlefield as the crowd went a bit quiet. "For today's contest, we'll be having three-on-three Pokémon battles, set to a fifteen minute time limit for the first day of contests. Substitutions will be allowed and the battle will end when one Trainer has run out of usable Pokémon."

"At the end of these contests, we're authorized to tell the audience that our competitors will be battling for a sizable cash reward of a 1,000,000 Pokédollars and...The honor of becoming a part of Alolan history." Adrian said mysteriously, his smile wide as the audience stirred at the words.

"This is a joyous occasion. A time where everyone, from all walks of life, come together for the same purpose. To share in the joy of battle. Pokémon Battles have defined our way of life for hundreds of years, and it is the very thing that Pokémon thrive on for growth." Battlestorm continued, eyeing the crowd as he suddenly pointed outward.

"And it is such here in Alola. We, who embrace the Island Challenge to this very day as a way of connecting to our prestigious heritage and showcasing the bond we share with the Pokémon who stride alongside us. And here, we showcase to all of our friends and allies across the world our strength. For three days, and perhaps even longer, we invite you all into our home. Soak up the Alolan sun, eat some malasadas, and take a walk on the tropical side. We welcome everyone with open arms!" Adrian yelled as the crowd cheered, with the man adding, "This is a tournament designed to bring in some of the world's best Trainers. We will be seeing just who out of our group of 128 Trainers just who's the best and who's deserving of our mysterious prize, which will be followed by an announcement that will shake the foundation of the world forever."

"What does he mean, Professor?" Mallow asked Kukui, who replied with a knowing smile.

"I can't say. But I will promise you it'll be exciting. It's our chance to finally show the world we mean business." Kukui said as Adrian began introducing the special guest commentators for the match. Professor Samuel Oak, who calmly waved the crowd as they went wild. Kahili Fairwind, who simply nodded serenely. And then finally the Sinnoh region Champion Cynthia, who's applause was so loud that Sun wasn't able to hear what her last name was, though he supposed he could just look it up later.

"Now that we've got everyone good and introduced...Let's see who faces who and get this show on the road!" Adrian proclaimed as he looked upwards, eyeing the massive monitor where every single participant was now on the bracket. Everyone's faces were cycling between every position, though it wasn't long before it stopped.

"And there we have it." Adrian said as he grinned at the camera, which flicked to an image of the screen. Sun saw the entirety of the tournament bracket, spotting his name next to a pink-haired woman that he didn't recognize.

"I don't know who that is." Sun stated as he looked to his mother, who frowned as she looked up at the screen. Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"You're facing Whitney, the Goldenrod City Gym Leader. She's from Johto." Clemont explained to Sun from his seat, making the boy nod after a moment. "She's a tough one from what I hear, and she specializes in Normal-type Pokémon."

"You'll have your work cut out for you, Sun. But let's focus on Hau's match, since it looks like he's up first." Laura said, pointing up at the massive screen overhead. It then showed another graphic, which showed a picture of Hau and another man that Sun didn't recognize, though that was mainly because most of the picture was obscured by a gloved hand.

"Hau Pakelaai and The Wondrous Dancer! You'll be kicking off this Tournament, so make your way down here." Adrian instructed the two Trainers as the lights around him shifted.

Hau hopped up in his seat, grinning from ear to ear. "Woohoo! I'm first up!"

"What's up with your opponent? The Wondrous Dancer?" Mallow asked, though Hau brushed off her concerns.

"No worries, I'll be fine. After all, I'm starting off this thing! My opponent won't know what hit 'em!" Hau whooped as he bounced up and down, clearly excited for what was to come.

"You'll do great." Lillie said supportively, making Hau grin wider.

"Show them how awesome you are." Lana said with a slight blush. Hau chuckled, putting his hands behind his head.

"Kick some butt." Sun replied with a wide smile. Hau gave his friends a thumbs up and made his way down the stairway, and Sun looked back to his friends. "So, thoughts?"

"I've been training with Hau ever since his battle with Olivia. He'll have several surprises for whoever his mystery opponent will be." Lana said with a small smile, leaning forward.

"Has he asked you on another date yet?" Mallow asked, making Lana blush furiously.

"T-That h-has nothing to do with the Tournament!" Lana squeaked, with the others laughing at her embarrassment. The Twins, however, grinned mischievously.

"So he IS your boyfriend!" Harper said triumphantly, turning around to point at her older sister.

"I knew it! Come on, Lana, tell us all about it!" Sarah whined, hugging her sister.

"No! Now if you two don't behave, I'll take you back home. Getting to see this is a privilege!" Lana scolded the girls, who both pouted but left their big sister alone. Meanwhile, Mallow and Laura Smiles snickered at the display.

"It'll be interesting. Mystery opponents are always a hoot in tournaments like this. Especially if they turn out to be a Champion in disguise or something." Mallow said as she saw Hau walk out onto the battlefield to a chorus of cheers.

"And coming up to start us off, we have the pride of Melemele Island! Grandson of Kahuna Hala himself and a rising star on his Island Challenge, give it up for Hau Pakelaai!" Adrian yelled as the crowd roared, with Hau waving to everyone as he arrived to his side of the battlefield. Hau was quickly suited up with a small mic, while Adrian gestured to the other side of the the battlefield. To Hau's surprise, two men suddenly burst out into the arena, both carrying microphones.

"Yooo! Wassup Alola! My name is Trudly!" one of the men shouted, sporting red shades and an odd hat.

"And I'm Folly!" the other man shouted, wearing a simple jeans and black T-shirt. Adrian Battlestorm watched nonplussed, though he was talking quickly into a ear-mic.

"And today we have the pleasure of introducing the baddest man on the planet!" Trudly yelled out, grinning ear-to-ear.

"A man whose style has no limit. Who's grace would make Arceus weep at his feet. Ladies and gentlemen...We're proud to introduce you to the man who's afro could eclipse the sun, but shines down on the world twice as bright anyway…" Folly proclaimed, with both men pointing at Hau. "And the man who'll be beating you in his first match in Alola! Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for..."

"MIROR B!" Trudly and Folly bellowed, throwing their arms apart as a third figure made their way to the battlefield. Or rather, the more accurate term would be danced their way to the battlefield.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of this…" Adrian muttered as everyone watched a man moonwalk towards his spot on the battlefield, gliding across the floor like it was ice. The man was tall and skinny, with a lanky yet tanned muscular frame. He was dressed eccentrically, wearing a glittering jacket over his bare chest, colored in a shade of neon blue and jet black with stylized stars adorned it. He wore tight leather pants of the same design, with strange boots that seemed to shimmer of their own accord. He gazed at Hau over his silver sunglasses, sporting an enormous afro that was half red and half white. The man spun around as he reached his spot and thrust a gloved hand towards Hau, grinning at the boy.

"Well, well, well! Starting off this tournament with a bang, hmm? If that's the case, then let's give them a show to sing to the heavens, shall we, darling?" Miror B. said, offering Hau a glittering smile as he waved his hands through the air, hitting several poses before finally returning to what would be called by some as a normal standing position.

"...I think I need an adult." Hau stated, with Miror B. raising an eyebrow.

"I am an adult." The dazzling man replied, snapping his fingers.

"R-right...Well, bring it on! I'm ready for ya!" Hau yelled out with a grin.

"Both competitors seem to be ready...LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!" Adrian shouted as the crowd roared in excitement, the noise almost deafening in the packed stadium. Sun and Lillie leaned forward in their seats, seeing the excited grin on Hau's face as he unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and prepared to start the show.

Miror B. did the same with a flourish, spinning around with a showman's grin on his face and pointing skyward with his other hand as he yelled out, "Let the music play!"


I have been waiting for this particular cameo for like, 50 chapters. I'm absolutely giddy I get the chance to write this.

The moment I made a Tournament, I wanted Miror B. in it. And then I decided that nothing would be better than Hau battling him, while listening to Miror B's music from XD and being confused as hell the entire time. I'm grinning as I write this note.

So yeah! Next chapter we've got Hau vs. Miror B. and Sun vs. a certain pink-haired Trainer. Plus other nonsense! Stay tuned!

Q & A

From: OragonKing

I hope a miracle happens. That Erika, Lorelei, and all the Humans and Pokemons killed by Cipher will revive. Miracles do exist in the Pokemon world, it happened twice. And will Sun use Mega Evolution? I do hope so.

I'm undecided. He'll still get a Mega Ring/Charm or whatever from Sina and Dexio post-game, but will he use it? It depends on whether or not he gets a Pokemon that can do it and can get the Mega Stone to utilize it (being vague because I know what the rest of Sun's team will be, and whether or not they can Mega Evolve).

On that note, I think it'd be really cool if in Sword and Shield, they added a bunch of new Mega Evolutions, but made you have to go on quests to get them. Like, track them down in secret places in the countryside or find them via the Underground or region-equivalent. I'd like to have to work for them, and not have them be given to you by some random people you don't even know just for talking to them. You know? These things are supposed to be insanely rare, how can people just give them away.

From: PigniteGamer29

I love this story. However, I do have two questions: Will Sun get Dusk Lycanroc? I really think that it should be shown off at some point in the story, plus Rotom's reaction to having no data on this form could be awesome.

Also, could Brendan be in the tournament? He's one of my favorite protagonists, plus him and Mega Sceptile would look amazing together.

1. I won't say whether or not he'll get it, but I'll be covering Dusk Lycanroc in some capacity, just because it's such a unique Pokémon. I'm seriously considering giving Olivia one in her rematch with Sun, just because I can easily imagine her with all three Rockruff evolutions, even if the Dusk Forme is new. That way Kukui can fangirl about it and Rotom can have a stroke about not knowing what it's looking at.

2. As for Brendan, I'm considering it. May would appear as well, too, if I went down that route. Though Brendan wouldn't be the MC, that would go to May. Brendan is a much better character as your Rival than May in OR/AS, and their scenes are much more adorable together. If I did include another MC in a cameo capacity, it would be Brendan, though I'm wary of putting any more OP characters in this tournament. It'd be pretty badass though, I will say.

Also, just because someone doesn't show up in one chapter doesn't mean they won't later. Surprises and all that. Plus, Sun won't be watching the Tournament the whole time, as there's all sorts of things happening outside of it.

That's all for now, folks. I'll be back at it next weekend with the first chapter of battles and some fun surprises, so stay tuned for more awesome.

In the meantime, please review and favorite and/or follow the story if you haven't already. This past chapter saw a lot of new reviewers coming out of the woodworks, which was absolutely wonderful to see. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter in the review section below, as well as any suggestions for cameos and questions about the story itself.

Take care and stay awesome.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!