Pokémon Radiant Sun
This has been an interesting week in regards to inspiration.
I've recently had the pleasure of marathoning like, 9 Marvel movies that I hadn't seen before so I could finally watch Avengers: Endgame last weekend. Not going into spoilers here, but I will say that all of these movies did give me a few cool ideas on how I want to execute a few things down the road and were an amazing way to spend the week.
On that note, I also want to state that I have been re-watching Pokémon Generations this previous weekend, and I've actually gotten a lot of inspiration for later scenes in the story. It's given me the idea to include three major surprise cameos down the line. All of them will be pretty out of nowhere, but will eventually make sense as they tie into some smaller threads down the line. One of them is a odd favorite of mine. I'm tempted to make a contest to see if anyone can guess any of these three characters, but we'll see about it. By the way, if you haven't seen Generations, you absolutely should. It's fantastic.
And for those interested, this is not the last we've seen of Geoff. He'll be back down the road, don't you worry. I'm only saying this because I saw a few comments about him, and decided to clear them up since it will be a while, but I'm not done with him just yet.
Shoutout to those who have reviewed since the last update, which includes snipmaster149, RC-DA, BraviaryScout, Oragonking, PigniteGamer29, JDunks809, SonicIKE, a Guest reviewer, Sai Og Sus, Ways, Boy Knight and a new reviewer known as Xim the Despot. Thanks for the support and feedback!
Big thanks to everyone who has supported this story so far, as we've just crossed over 300 follows for RS, which is fantastic. It's a huge achievement for this story, and I'm insanely grateful for everyone who has walked down this nonsensical road with me. Let's keep at it with a new update!
Enjoy.
Chapter 85: Chaos Heartbeat
"That's horrible." Lillie said quietly as Sun finished speaking. The boy had just explained everything that had happened earlier in regards to Geoff and his Riolu, including Kevin's parting remark.
Sun honestly didn't know what to make of Team Skull sometimes. They were thugs and criminals, but they were only doing that out of defiance for some of the outdated mandates of the Island Challenge and seemingly toxic culture surrounded by it. And while Sun could see where they were getting at, particularly in the case of Demi, he was confused by other aspects of them.
If they wanted to change the way things were, they could go about it in so many different ways. Why did they have to resort to harassment and crime? Why cause trouble instead of raise awareness and get support? He didn't understand…
Maybe in time, once he completed his Island Challenge, he would understand things a little better.
"I'd be surprised if the police could actually detain that young man. Pokémon abuse cases are notoriously difficult to prosecute, from what I've seen." Lana said with a small sigh. Hau chose that moment to stop out of the bathroom, shirtless and toweling off his hair with a grumble. Lana took that moment to look towards him with an interested expression. Hau ripped the towel off of his head and noticed Lana staring at him, making the girl squeak in embarrassment.
"Like what you see?" Hau remarked with a grin as he threw a shirt on. After a moment, Lana nervously nodded. "Well that's really flattering! Thanks Lana!"
"N-No p-problem." Lana said as a blush crept onto her face. Sun took that moment to gather his toiletries and snatch a towel, dipping into the bathroom himself.
"You better not have used all of the hot water!" Sun called to Hau, who rolled his eyes and scooped up Kaha in his arms.
"Blah blah blah." Hau mimicked, flopping down on Sun's bed and cuddled with his Eevee while the other Pokémon dozed. The boy tapped the TACV on the Evolution Pokémon's neck, wondering what sort of Pokémon Kaha would want to become. He had procured a Fire, Water, and Thunder Stone in advance, but Kaha didn't seem to want to evolve yet. Hau shrugged and decided that Kaha would choose his form when he was ready.
"Still...I'm surprised Team Skull was able to restrain themselves like this. It seems that characterizing all of them as awful thugs may have been too rash." Lana remarked, crossing her arms. "That doesn't change that they cause no small amount of trouble for people, but it is good to know that some of them aren't so bad."
"Sun has a similar view of them. At the end of the day they're still people. A lot of them are just wayward children. Misguided. Hurt. Angry at a system that turned their backs on them...It makes me remember how awful Demi's folks were to her when she left. I heard they didn't even let her defend her actions, and only cared about their own reputation and prestige." Lillie said quietly, with Hau sighing deeply.
"Alola isn't perfect, as much as we like to think it is. Team Skull is a problem, but it's one that our culture made. The Island Challenge is such a deep part of who we are, that sometimes we care more about that than our own people. Our lineage, our history and how much it means to Alola seeps into our very souls. All of its interconnected, you know? Anyone who doesn't fit with the system kinda just...doesn't belong, and we don't like it." Hau explained with a frown, shaking his head.
"Me either. But I don't know what to do about it, other than talk to Olivia about it." Lana said morosely, hanging her head. Hau put a hand on her shoulder, making the girl smile at him for a moment.
"The world is broken…" Lillie said quietly, making Lana and Hau look at her. Lillie looked up from Nebby, who she was holding in her arms, and sighed softly. "Sorry. Just thinking aloud."
"Don't apologize. What's on your mind?" Hau asked, leaning against the bed frame.
"There's just so many things happening nowadays. Cipher. Team Skull. Other things...Plus, over the past few years, there's been no small shortage of terrible events befalling the world, only for the day to be saved at the last minute. Something is wrong with the world." Lillie explained quietly, stroking Nebby's head as the small Cosmog sighed in contentment.
"So long as there is light...there is darkness."
The children started at the sudden voice speaking aloud, and were surprised when a massive ghost suddenly popped out of Hau's shadow and let out a gleeful cackle, terrifying all of them before they realized it was just Gretel the Dusknoir.
"Boo!" Gretel shouted out, making Hau and Lana scream in fear while Lillie giggled. Sun shouted something from the bathroom, but no one really heard him since they were focused on the Dusknoir.
"Sorry about that. Couldn't help myself." Gretel apologized, giggling as Hau and Lana tried to calm their hearts. "I just figured I should give you all an update on that Riolu, since you both knew about it from the other day and Sun was there earlier."
"How is it?" Lillie asked, fearing the worst.
"Let's just say it's a testament to how strong that poor dear was that it was even able to stand, let alone battle. The amount of internal injuries that Riolu had were absolutely disgusting. The abuse it had been going through was likely near-constant for about six months. If that Gladion boy had not stepped in and if Aria had not snagged it from Geoff, that Riolu would have been dead within two weeks." Gretel said with a notable dip of anger in her voice, the first instance of that happening to Lillie's knowledge. "Jack is pushing for Geoff to be tried on abuse crimes, but the boy seems to have vanished from the area. Considering he's a foreign Trainer, it's unlikely that he'll have charges pressed against him."
"I wonder if he knows that Riolu evolves from high friendship." Lana mused, shutting her eyes thoughtfully. "I guess from his own actions, probably not."
"What about the boy who took the Riolu to the hospital? Gladion? What happened to him?" Lillie asked, trying to keep the hopeful tone out of her voice.
"He's with the Riolu now. He did express interest in coming back to finish the Tournament, but he made it clear he'd miss it if the Riolu wasn't ready to travel by then. Thanks to Colress' Heal Pulse treatment, it was stable when we left a few hours ago. I wouldn't be surprised if that Riolu would be able to battle again after a few months." Gretel explained as Lana sighed, rubbing her temples.
"Oh…" Lillie muttered, feeling a pang of disappointment. She had been really hoping to see her brother again.
"Hopefully he'll be a better Trainer for that little pup than that deranged young man. Poor dear had to be rushed to the ER right away and could barely breathe...that Gladion child looked beside himself with worry. Now that the Riolu is no longer at death's door, I imagine it will have a much happier life." Gretel remarked, glancing at Lillie and seeing her reaction. The Dusknoir was interested at her response, and made a mental note of this.
"That actually does remind me of something that I've always wondered, but could never figure out. Since we have a Ghost-type we can talk to, this may be the best chance to answer this question." Lana piped up, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Miss Gretel, can Ghost Pokémon actually die? And how old are you?"
Gretel burst out laughing, holding two hands to her chest. "Oh my, now that's an interesting question! I can answer it, but you may find the discussion turning rather dark. Still interested?"
"Yes. Acerola refuses to tell me anything and I don't know any other Ghost-type specialists." Lana explained, with Gretel giggling again after a moment.
"Well…I've lost count of how many years, exactly, though I am at over four centuries old. Life and death are things I don't tend to worry about these, considering I have to keep an eye on Jack most of the time. You wouldn't believe how many times the poor dear has tried to kill himself since Clara and little Sonya died a few months ago." Gretel said quietly, her tone holding a note of sadness as Hau and Lana jerked back in horror. Lillie's expression became somber, already knowing of the immense pain harbored in the former Commander's heart.
"Wait, what?" Sun asked, confused as he walked out of the bathroom, slipping a shirt on as he did so. Lillie flushed pink since Sun caught her staring, though this didn't bother him since he sat down right next to her.
"Jack's wife and daughter died a few months ago in a car accident. Jack's been in an awful depression since then. It's only thanks to Nanu that he's even doing things for the International Police again, and it's only thanks to me that his subsequent attempts at suicide were foiled." Gretel explained, crossing her arms and sounding disapproving. "The poor dear has so much to live for. So much to offer the world."
"He's a good person...I wish he didn't have to suffer so much." Lillie whispered, shuddering at the thought.
"You don't know the half of it, Miss Lillie. He helped Alola through the dark days of Roran Rubinara and his Ruby Raiders, even if it cost him his career. He's lost his family and friends over the years...All he has left is me and Nanu. And if what the future I see if clear then…" Gretel trailed off, giggling to herself as she floated behind Lillie. "Well, I'm getting off-topic here, aren't I?"
"Ghost-type Pokémon are, in fact, able to die. We can be knocked out like any Pokémon, but actual death? A true demise? That occurs when our 'body' receives an amount of damage that we cannot recover from, what would likely kill any other type of Pokémon tenfold. As we begin to die, we lose our corporeal form. It worsens over time, and eventually we start to...fade. Until we return to the shadows." Gretel explained gently as she gently braided Lillie's hair, the Dusknoir's tone quiet.
"Wow...I never knew." Lana murmured, hugging her knees.
"It's not so bad. Many Ghost-type Pokémon don't even know how life and death works for us. It's a closely-guarded secret for some reason, and something we rarely disclose to humans. I see no reason to be uncomfortable about death. Like Jack, I pledged myself to the betterment of humans and Pokémon alike. Protecting others is all we have to live for, nowadays." Gretel said with a small chuckle, floating away from Lillie and admiring the girl's newly braided hair.
"You look really nice." Sun said with a smile, tossing Lillie a small hand mirror that was sitting on the dresser. The girl examined her hair with a small smile, a pang of loss echoing through her heart as she remembered her mother. She had always loved it when Lillie had her hair braided like this. Lillie gathered her strength and put on a brave face and a smile. Dwelling on the past didn't help.
"Thank you, Gretel. I love it." Lillie said gratefully, turning around and beaming at the Dusknoir. Gretel floated forward, patting Lillie's head with a happy cackle of delight.
"You're very welcome, little one." Gretel said happily, looking at Lillie with a strange sad smile. "You do bear a striking resemblance to little Sonya. I bet it hurts Jack to be reminded of his losses...But it also reminds him that he has something to fight for."
"How so?" Sun asked, curious.
"Lillie here helped remind Jack of the oath he once swore to protect others, in the way that she strives to save her little Nebby from a horrible fate. She reminded Agent Jackal that there is so much to life, even though much of his life has been filled with hardship. And Miss Lillie reminded Jack of the adventures he had long ago, where he helped protect Alola from the Ruby Raiders, along with the friends he stood by. We encounter many people in our lives that shine a bright light through our darkest moments..."
Lana looked at Hau with a small smile, remembering how he supported her when Totem Araquanid attacked Demi. His bright personality and helped her through that dark time, and his friendship had inspired her to face the rogue Totem and reclaim her fighting spirit.
"Who inspire others to be strong."
Lillie turned her gaze to Sun, a little smile on her face as she recalled the moments where he showed her the true meaning of strength in the face of adversity. With kindness and strength, he had become her hero.
"And the people who stand by our side, no matter what darkness life throws our way."
Sun looked back at Lillie, and saw her smiling back at him. The boy met her smile with one of his own as he thought about the support she had given him in his hour of need. She had braved danger time and time again to pull him back from the depths of despair, and gave him the strength to keep fighting.
"We must protect these people with everything we have, for without them...life isn't worth living."
The next morning was sunny and clear as usual, with the Alolan sun blazing overhead. Sun and co. made their way out of the Pokémon Center and headed straight for the arena, with Jack bringing up the rear. Given the conversation they had about him last night, Sun couldn't help covertly glance back at the man every now and then.
Upon arriving at the stadium, and with Sun getting hugged by Laura Smiles, the group settled into their seats and distributed snacks accordingly as Adrian arrived and began speaking to the special guest speakers. Soon enough, the Tournament was underway yet again!
The first few matches rolled by, with Hau battling some strange man named Ryuki, with the latter coming out victorious. Gladion ended up not arriving to his match, and so forfeited to Clemont. Laura battled Noah and narrowly lost to the sickly young man, which earned him a big hug from a very proud Vivian. Kiawe battled Brock and lost to him, though the two young men exchanged a friendly handshake at the end of the match.
Aria's match with Misty, the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, was definitely a highlight of the day. Sun was surprised to see that she didn't use Shadow Moltres in the contest at all, but he then quickly realized that the Snagger didn't need to.
"Lorenzo, use Aerial Ace to get away! Then Swords Dance!" Aria called out as her Leavanny danced to dodge an Aqua Tail from Misty's Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokémon snarling in response as its prey dashed away. Lorenzo stopped after it got far enough away and danced elegantly in place, its arms glowing bright red for a moment before the light faded. This was the third time the move had been used, and the Leavanny had already knocked out one of Misty's Pokémon already thanks to its speed and strength.
"Flamethrower!" Misty barked as Gyarados roared, releasing a massive blast of flames.
"Leaf Storm! Then push through and use Leaf Blade on its head" Aria shouted as the Leavanny fearlessly dashed towards the flames, throwing aside its arms and releasing a massive tornado of whirling leaves that slammed into the flames. To the audience's amazement, the attacks exploded in midair, dissipating the both of them. Lorenzo leapt through the burning leaves and delivered two powerful slashes to the face of the beast, making it cry out in pain before dropping to the ground, unconscious. Lorenzo dropped lightly to the ground, arms outstretched with a smirk on his face.
"And that's Misty's second Pokémon down! With Aria still on her first Pokémon, will Misty be able to turn the tides?" Adrian chuckled, adding, "See what I did there?"
"You're not funny, Adrian!" Kahili shouted at the man, who shrugged.
"Misty calls out, Starmie!" the redhead shouted as she called out the purple starfish Pokémon. The Mysterious Pokémon hummed as it stared down its opponent, who was smirking now.
"Lorenzo, get ready!" Aria said to her Pokémon, who bowed low to her as it placed an arm to its throat where a TACV collar rested around his neck.
"Of course...Come, if you dare!" Lorenzo shouted at the Starmie, getting into a fighting stance as he turned around.
"Starmie, use Hydro Pump!" Misty commanded, with Starmie firing off a massive torrent of water that slammed into Lorenzo and made him skid backwards as he struggled to break free from the wave of water.
"X-Scissor to break free, then String Shot to get close!" Aria yelled out as Lorenzo shouted, his arms glowing bright green and slashing them outwards, tearing apart the deluge just long enough for Lorenzo to leap into the air. The Leavanny shot out a line of web that smacked Starmie in the center, making it coo for a moment as it was suddenly yanked into the air along with Leavanny.
"Leaf Blade!" Aria shouted as Misty's eyes widened in alarm.
"Psychic!" Misty shouted desperately as Starmie was slashed by one of Lorenzo's arms, making it groan in pain. Starmie's gem glowed a harsh blue color and Lorenzo suddenly hurtled down to the ground, smashing onto it hard.
"Starmie, use Blizzard!" Misty called out as Starmie hovered in the air for a moment before releasing a massive whirlwind of snow at the Nurturing Pokémon. Lorenzo screamed as the attack slammed into him mercilessly, though it had the desired effect as the Leavanny finally collapsed onto the ground.
"And with one quick moment of improvisation, Misty comes back!" Adrian shouted as Aria recalled her Pokémon, smiling down at it.
"Lorenzo, that was great. Daruk will take it from here." Aria said to her Leavanny, feeling a warmth of affection from the Poké Ball as she put it away. She drew another, sensing no warmth whatsoever. "Just gotta warn you this one's kind of a jerk, Misty. No hard feelings!"
"Huh?" Misty questioned, confused. Aria called out her next Pokémon, which resembled a red ape of some sort with a massive mouth and blazing eyebrows. Sun was confused as to what this Pokémon was and asked Rotom to explain, which it did.
"Darmanitan. The Blazing Pokémon and the evolved form of Darumaka. When one is injured in a fierce battle, it hardens into a stone-like form. Then it meditates and sharpens its mind. Its internal fire burns at 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, making enough power that it can destroy a dump truck with one punch." Rotom explained as the Pokémon in question looked up, scowling. Sun noticed that, just like with the rest of Aria's team, it too had the TACV collar that allowed it to speak in a way that allowed humans to understand it.
"You better be up for a fight. Ever since she got that another idiot bird on her team, she's been using that instead of me." Daruk grumbled at Misty and Starmie, punching the ground. "And what do I get when you do send me out? Water-types. Yay."
"That's a complete lie, but whatever man. I just figured you wanted a challenge…" Aria drawled, putting a hand on her hip as Daruk glanced back at her. After glaring at his Trainer for a moment, the Darmanitan smirked.
"Very well." Daruk grumbled, standing upright and punching his fists together.
"And now that we've got this drama queen cooperating for once…" Aria muttered, shaking her head for a moment. "Flare Blitz!"
Misty smirked and said, "Use Hydro Pump, Starmie. End it quick."
Starmie fired off a massive blast of water towards the speeding and blazing Darmanitan. Aria grinned and called, "Slam your hands into the ground and bash right into it!"
Daruk grinned savagely as he did what his Trainer commanded, slamming two burns palms hard into the ground to suddenly launch the Blazing Pokémon into the air. Misty yelled out for Starmie to cancel its attack and hit Daruk while he was airborne, but Daruk simply rolled through the air and slammed into Starmie like a cannonball, making it go flying backwards.
"Sometimes a bit of sheer strength is what you need." Aria remarked with a chuckle, throwing out her arm and saying, "Giga Impact!"
"Starmie, get up and use Psychic!" Misty called out to the weakened Starmie as it shudder in pain. Daruk barreled towards Starmie, energy surging through its body as a swirling aura now as it slammed into Starmie, but not a moment later it suddenly blasted Daruk with Psychic, sending it crashing onto the ground. Starmie continued to attack with Psychic, painfully contorting Daruk's body as the Darmanitan growled in pain.
"Break out with your own Psychic!" Aria shouted, punching forward. "Then make it pay."
"Wait, what?" Misty said, confused. "Darmanitan is more of a physical Pokémon. Psychic's kind of hard for it. Why would you teach it something like that?"
"Because Psychic moves are kinda broken, and he wanted to win a bet. It's a long story." Aria remarked with a shrug as Daruk's eyes burned blue, allowing it to snap out of the attack. The Darmanitan then barked out a laugh.
"You cannot fell me, you red-headed witch! Now bring it!" Daruk bellowed as Misty's eye began to twitch, the woman looking down at the ground.
"Oh dear god...Not again." Brock whispered, shivering as Misty began to tremble where she stood.
"I WILL CRUSH YOU!" Misty screamed as a shockwave of raw fury pulsed from the woman, making Daruk and Aria both take a step back in fear.
"You really need to stop being such an asshat, dude." Aria remarked, shaking her head.
"I was getting worked up! I can't help such a thing, now can I?" Daruk said defensively, looking unnerved by the sheer rage of Misty.
"You didn't have to call her a witch!" Aria retorted as Daruk crossed his arms, only to hit hit by a Hydro Pump out of nowhere.
"Destroy them, Starmie. Leave them all begging for mercy." Misty hissed, clenching her fists and making even Adrian Battlestorm back away nervously. Professor Oak began to say a prayer, moving his arms in a cross gesture as Misty screamed. "Use Thunderbolt and get close! We're finishing this now with Hydro Pump!"
"I can work with that…" Aria breathed as the Starmie released a blast of lightning that Daruk took head-on with a laugh, wincing in pain as the attack struck him.
"Grass Knot! Make sure it can't escape!" Aria called out, grinning widely as Daruk mimicked her. The Darmanitan slammed both hands on the ground just as Starmie released its torrent of water, only to suddenly get yanked into the air by a series of vines.
"Yah! Starmie, break out!" Misty yelled out. Before Starmie could do anything, Aria shouted, "Slam it into the ground and then follow up with Hammer Arm!"
Daruk's grin became terrifying as Starmie suddenly smashed into the ground several times, the Mysterious Pokémon groaning in pain as it laid there on the ground. Misty tried to will Starmie to get up, but that wasn't enough time to stop Daruk from smashing into it with its arms and sending the Starmie sky-high. By the time Starmie hit the ground, it was already knocked out.
"And that's it folks! Aria will progress to the next round with that show-stopping performance against the Water-type expert!" Adrian called to the ground as Aria walked over to Misty, who wordlessly returned Starmie.
"For what it's worth, I think you're beautiful and your swimming act in Kanto is badass." Aria said as she extended a hand to the fuming Gym Leader. Misty sighed, managing a smile and finding some semblance of calm.
"You were really good. I remember you from back at the Superdome. Glad to see you've got the skill to back up that machine on your arm." Misty said as she shook Aria's hand. Aria simply shrugged in response, returning Daruk and making her way back to the stands.
"Impressive as always." Hugh said with a grin as Aria reclaimed her seat, with the crimson-eyed Trainer kissing his girlfriend on the cheek.
"Yeah. Your Leavanny was pretty great to watch, but that Darmanitan...Yeesh." Kiawe remarked, smirking a little as Aria sighed.
"Yeah, Daruk's always been a problem. He's good deep down, but it took ages to get him to listen to me. Sometimes you just gotta deal though, and he respects me enough to fight when I need him too." Aria explained, holding up a Timer Ball. "And he's not happy that I have another Fire-type in the roster. He feels like I'm replacing him."
"Reassuring your Pokémon that they matter is a crucial step in ensuring you keep a healthy relationship with them. Isn't that right, Sun?" Kukui said to the boy in question, who seemed surprised. "A lot of people, sadly, don't seem to realize that humans and Pokémon really aren't all that different when it comes down to it. We have hopes, dreams...and occasionally need reassurance that we matter."
No one really had anything to say to that, so they continued watching matches. Finally, it came time for Sun to battle. His name and picture came up alongside an unfamiliar girl with purple hair named Acerola.
"Ouch. Have fun with that." Lana winced, smiling at Sun. The boy gave her a confused look.
"You know that girl?" Sun asked the Captain. Lana's smile widened as her eyes shifted to something behind the boy.
"Aha! So it's you!" a new voice shouted, making Sun and Lillie jump in surprise. Standing behind them was a short young woman with long purple hair and wearing a rather ragged purple, light purple, and black dress with two ribbons around the back, She wore a gold armband on her left arm and a Z-Ring on her right, with purple sandals on her feet.
"Acerola!" Lana said, waving to the girl. Acerola waved back, grinning widely as she skipped over and hugged Lana and Mallow, with Kiawe offering the girl a smile and a nod. Kukui hi-fived the girl as she pranced over to him.
"How've you been? Sorry I haven't come by sooner! Making sure Uncle Nanu sticks around is hard work, you know?" Acerola said with a laugh.
"We've been good! So, you're going up against Sun?" Mallow asked, looking at the boy in question.
"Seems like it. I hope he's as good as you say he is! I haven't had a good challenge in ages!" Acerola chirped, walking over to Sun. Her gaze drifted to Lillie for a moment, who smiled at her.
"I remember you!" Acerola proclaimed, pointing at Lillie. "You're the bookworm girl who ran and hid in her room when I came to visit the Pokémon Lab with Uncle Nanu!"
Lillie blushed bright pink, looking down. "Good to see you too…"
"I mean, come on! How'd you expect me to forget that?" Acerola asked cattily, giggling to herself. She then looked at Sun and said, "So, you ready to battle?"
"Absolutely. Let's go!" Sun said with an excited grin, hopping out of his seat, hugging Laura, and then heading down to the battlefield with Acerola. The girl skipped the entire time, bemusing Sun until they arrived down below.
"Coming up next, we've got the Sunshine Smiles facing Ula'ula Island's very own Ghost-type Captain, Acerola! Can Sun overcome a Trial Captain in his impressive Tournament run? Or will Acerola's skills stop him in his tracks?" Adrian asked the crowd as they roared in excitement. Sun gulped nervously at that. He wasn't expecting to have to fight a Captain!
It was then that Sun spotted a sign in the crowd, held up by Laura and Lillie, with "GO SUN GO!" emblazoned on the front in multicolored paint. Sun grinned at that, feeling a small surge of confidence at the sight. He began waving to his friends and mother for a moment before turning to face Acerola as she swayed on her side of the battlefield, waving to someone in the crowds. And then she suddenly screamed into the mic she was wearing.
"~Cheer for me Uncle Nanu! I love youuuuuu!~" Acerola sang, with the camera panning to a very grouchy man in the crowd. The man promptly flipped off the camera, making some of the crowd gasp while others laughed. The camera quickly jerked away from the rude man, with Adrian coughing awkwardly.
"Sorry about that folks. Nanu is uh...kind of always like that." Adrian laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Now...if both of our combatants are ready?"
"Alright...You might be a Captain, but I'm not gonna let that stop me from winning!" Sun called to Acerola, drawing a Poké Ball.
"Mwehehehe! You can try!" Acerola chirped, spinning around with a giggle before bringing her hands up to her face, reminding Sun of a cat somehow.
"Begin!"
"Drifblim, come out!" Acerola said cheerily, tossing an Ultra Ball forward and releasing a strange purple balloon-like Pokémon that Sun didn't recognize. Thankfully, his friendly-neighborhood-Rotom was there to save the day.
"Drifblim. The Blimp Pokémon and the evolved form of Drifloon. There was once an incident in which a man took a trip riding a Drifblim, only to go missing. Even while under careful observation, large flocks of Drifblim flying at dusk will inexplicably disappear from view." Rotom explained as the floating Pokémon let out a soft groaning sound.
"Sounds tough...Brago, let's go!" Sun yelled, calling out the Growlithe. Brago hit the ground in a crouch, growling softly as Acerola's Drifblim cooed softly, shuddering as Intimidate struck it.
"You can have the first move." Acerola offered, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't think it'll help much, but I really do want to see what kind of strength you have!"
"Alright. Brago, use Flame Burst! Follow up with Bite!" Sun commanded, throwing a hand forward as Brago released a stream of flames that exploded outwards, striking Drifblim as it tried to float around to dodge the attack. Acerola hummed with a smile, tapping her feet against the ground.
"Shadow Ball!" Acerola called, hopping as Drifblim fired off a ball of darkness at Brago. The canine hopped to the side to dodge it, and sank his teeth into Drifblim, making it screech in pain.
"Thunderbolt!" Acerola cheered, pumping a fist into the air. The Drifblim cooed and released a massive rush of lightning, making Brago snarl in pain as he released the Ghost/Flying-type Pokémon and hit the ground, twitching.
"Shadow Ball!" Acerola sang, twirling on her feet as Drifblim floated upwards, shaking off the pain.
"Brago, duck to dodge, spin into Flame Wheel!" Sun called as Brago stood back on his feet, panting in pain as he dove forward to dodge the attack. Sun worried about that. Just how strong was Acerola?
"Gust to block! Then use Amnesia!" Acerola commanded, with Drifblim swinging its appendages to create a wicked Gust. To Sun's surprise, the wind was enough to stop Brago in his tracks, sending the flaming canine to the ground as Drifblim looked around the arena with a confused look on its face.
"Flame Burst!" Sun shouted as Brago got to his feet. The canine growled in annoyance and spat out a stream of flames, creating a massive fireball that exploded outwards. Drifblim groaned in pain, even as Acerola tried to get her Pokémon to dodge the flames.
"Follow up with Flame Charge!" Sun called out. Brago darted forward with a snarl, but Acerola grinned in response.
"Payback!" Acerola called as Brago slammed into the Drifblim, only for the Pokémon to surge forward and slam into Brago twice as hard. The Growlithe hit the ground on all fours, skidding backwards with a pained expression on his face.
"Ember!" Sun yelled out as Acerola beamed at him.
"Phantom Force!" Acerola called out as the flames smacked into her Pokémon. Drifblim winced in pain before it cooed softly, its eyes flashing purple. A small rift suddenly opened beneath it, and Drifblim sank into the portal just as Brago reached it. The confused Puppy Pokémon looked around for his opponent, teeth bared.
"I don't like this…" Brago muttered, looking around and sniffing frantically.
"Rotom, what's Phantom Force?" Sun asked the device on his shoulder.
"Bzzt! Well, it's a Ghost-type attack. The user vanishes from sight and then appears a short time later, attacking the opponent. It's a rather strong and useful move." Rotom explained to Sun, who's eyes widened in horror.
"Brago, it's coming! Get ready!" Sun called to the canine. Brago nodded, glancing all around the battlefield as Acerola giggled.
"That won't help you. But I'll stop the suspense." Acerola said cheerily as she snapped her fingers. A small rift opened behind Brago and Drifblim shot out of it, slamming into the Growlithe hard enough to send him flying back towards Sun. Brago hit the ground hard and remained still.
"And Sun's Growlithe falls victim to Drifblim's stamina and sneaky tactics! Can Sun turn the situation around?" Adrian asked as Sun recalled Brago.
"You did great. Thank you." Sun said to the canine, clipping the ball to his belt. Sun looked up to see Acerola patting her Drifblim on the head.
"That was really good! For a relative newbie, you held your own!" Acerola praised Sun, who smiled at her.
"Thanks. You're pretty tough. I wasn't expecting that last move at all." Sun said to the young woman, who giggled.
"Well, I am a Ghost-type specialist! And a Captain to boot! You weren't expecting a cakewalk, were you?" Acerola asked cheekily, putting her hands behind her back as she leaned against her Drifblim.
"Oliver, let's go!" Sun yelled out, calling out the his Dartrix. "Use Pluck!"
"Thunderbolt!" Acerola commanded, with the Drifblim releasing a rush of electricity at the speeding Dartrix. To Axerola's surprise, Oliver managed to swerve and dodge the attack, slamming into her Drifblim hard enough to send it floating backwards with a squeal.
"Razor Leaf!" Sun barked as Oliver flapped his wings hard, releasing a wave of spinning leaves that slashed into the Drifblim.
"Ominous Wind!" Acerola called out.
"Protect!" Sun retorted, with Oliver throwing up a barrier just as a wicked wind suddenly whirled around them. Acerola put down her hands to keep her dress from billowing up while Sun covered his face to keep it from being torn at by the fierce gale that had sprung up. Finally the wind ceased blowing, and Sun looked up to see Oliver casting away the shield and shooting towards Drifblim, slamming into it with Pluck.
"This one seems a bit more skilled than that Growlithe. I'll have to start being serious." Acerola said, a mischievous smile coming to her face. "Shadow Ball! Rapid fire!"
"Oliver, dodge it and use Leafage! Attack while you're moving!" Sun called to the owl as he dodged a ball of darkness with a hoot of panic. Oliver nodded and flapped his wings hard, swooping and dive to avoid the bombardment of attacks from Acerola's Pokémon while pelting the Drifblim with Leafages all the while. Sun grinned widely as he saw Oliver dash through the air, showing off his skills to the crowd.
"I can see she's improved since the last time I saw her." Kahili remarked wryly, crossing her arms.
"She didn't get to become a Captain for no reason, I'm sure. And from what I remember, she's connected to the ancient royal families of Alola." Cynthia remarked, grinning slightly.
"It's true. But Acerola's a very humble girl, and a very skilled Trainer. I bet she could give me a good challenge, if she's kept up with her training." Kahili remarked, smirking a little now.
"It is always good to see those younger than us surpass where we once stood to achieve greater heights." Professor Oak said sagely before he snapped and grinned. "I think I've come up with a Haiku that fits this situation!"
Kahili opened her mouth to protest before she saw Oliver suddenly get hit with a Shadow Ball, getting blast out of the air. Acerola grinned fiendishly, pointing at the falling owl.
"Thunderbolt!" Acerola shouted as Drifblim hummed in response, releasing a huge rush of lightning at the falling bird. Oliver screamed in pain as the attack struck him, leaving him hanging in midair before he suddenly threw out Protect to disrupt the attack, leaving him panting for a moment before he dissipated it, allowing him to soar away.
"That's one sneaky bird. Mmmm...Phantom Force!" Acerola called, doing a playful twirl as Sun's eyes widened in horror.
"Protect!" Sun called out. Oliver landed on the ground as Drifblim vanished from sight, though he cast a barrier up as Sun instructed. Acerola snapped her fingers and, to Sun's shock, Drifblim appeared from inside of the shield and slammed into Oliver, shattering the barrier and sending Oliver crashing to the ground.
"W-w-what?" Sun sputtered, completely surprised by this.
"You don't have much experience fighting ghosts, do you?" Acerola teased the boy, who sighed in response. The Captain was right, in a way. She was a very skilled opponent. A beep beside him snapped him back to attention.
"Zzzt! My bad, Sun! I should have warned you that Phantom Force is able to circumvent Protect!" Rotom Dex apologized, with Sun gritting his teeth in frustration. He needed to end this quickly.
"Oliver, use Razor Leaf!" Sun called to the owl as he painfully got back into the air. The owl hooted loudly as he swung his wings down, releasing a massive wave of leaves that burned with a green energy, which Sun realized was Oliver's Ability, Overgrow, taking effect. Drifblim shuddered and screamed as the razor-sharp leaves sliced through its body, which allowed Sun to call out a Pluck attack. Oliver shot forward and slammed into the ghost with a screech, finally knocking it to the ground where it deflated and remained still. Oliver landed next to the Pokémon, panting heavily.
"Drifblim is unable to battle and...wait, what's this?" Adrian asked suddenly.
Sun's eyes widened as Drifblim began to glow. The boy caught sight of Acerola grinning wickedly and shouted, "Oliver, move!"
Before the Dartrix could heed his words, Drifblim suddenly let out a screech and exploded, catching Oliver in the ensuing blast. When the smoke cleared, Oliver was lying on the ground with swirls in his eyes, showing he was knocked out.
"What was that!?" Sun demanded, looking at Rotom. If the device could sweat, it would have been dripping bullets.
"Umm...Bzzt. Aftermath. It's an Ability that deals major damage to the opponent if it knocks out the user with a physical move." Rotom Dex explained as Sun face-palmed.
"If it makes you feel better, I'm genuinely shocked you knocked out my Drifblim. I use her to battle Uncle Nanu when we train, so knocking her out is a huge achievement for a Trainer as green as you!" Acerola chirped as she returned her Pokémon.
"With Sun down to his last Pokémon and Acerola still having two to go, can Sun turn this one around?" Adrian asked the crowd, grinning wildly.
"Penny! Come on out!" Sun yelled, calling out his Toucannon. "Penny is a Normal/Flying-type, so she'll be immune to all of her Ghost-type attacks."
"Huh...he's got a point. Whelp, time to totally abuse a type-advantage!" Acerola hummed for a moment before grinning evilly. And yet somehow adorably at the same time.
"Froslass! It's showtime!" Acerola cheered as she called forth a rather strange Pokémon that Sun vaguely remembered seeing Lorelei use on TV once. The memory brought back a small pang when Sun remembered what happened to the woman, but Rotom's Pokédex entry helped snapped Sun out of his thoughts.
"Froslass. The Snow Land Pokémon and the evolved form of Snorunt. The soul of a woman lost on a snowy mountain possessed an icicle, becoming this Pokémon. The food it most relishes is the souls of men. When it finds humans or Pokémon it likes, it freezes them and takes them to its chilly den, where they become decorations." Rotom explained as Sun stared down the rather creepy Pokémon as it hugged Acerola.
"She's great for really hot days!" Acerola said with a grin, throwing a hand forward as Froslass separated from her. "Ice Beam!"
"Penny, dodge and use Beak Blast!" Sun yelled out. Penny shot forward with a chirp as her beak glowed white hot. Froslass cried out before firing a beam of icy energy. Penny flew high to dodge and opened her beak as she neared Froslass, blasting the Snow Land Pokémon with a rush of heat and energy.
Froslass floated back with a wail of pain as Acerola's eyes widened in surprise. The girl put a hand to her chin, musing aloud, "His Pokémon are really good...But I think I can wrap this up relatively soon. It's time we get serious and end this before he has a chance to regroup."
"That's what you think! Pluck!" Sun called out as Penny dove towards Froslass.
"Ice Shard!" Acerola replied, hopping on her feet. Froslass cried out as Penny rushed towards her, forming a ball of icy energy in her hands before throwing it forward at an alarming speed. Penny slammed into Ice Shard, flying backwards with a screech of pain and crashing onto the ground.
"Blizzard." Acerola said with an air of finality, throwing out a hand as Froslass unleashed a powerful icy gust towards the downed Penny.
"Move Penny! Get back into the air!" Sun yelled out desperately, but it was in vain. The attack struck Penny, sending her flying back towards Sun where she collapsed onto the ground, senseless.
"With...with just two attacks?" Sun whispered, eyes going wide as Acerola high-fived her Froslass, shivering from the cold.
"And with that chilling display, Acerola puts a stop to Sun's winning streak and proceeds to the next round! What an incredible battle, right folks?" Adrian yelled to the crowd as Sun returned Penny, looking down at her ball sadly.
"Thanks Penny. That was a bad matchup for you, so don't feel bad." Sun said quietly, clipping the ball to his belt. He looked up and yelped upon seeing Acerola standing very close to him.
"You did much better than I thought you would. Chin up!" Acerola chirped, extending out a hand towards Sun. The boy looked at it for a moment before shaking the girl's hand, making her giggle in response. The two walked back to the stands as the crowd cheered, with a disgruntled Nanu watching on. Hala chuckled from nearby, clapping the man on the shoulder and jostling him.
"So?" Hala asked the other Kahuna, who scowled.
"It was a match. She won. Big deal."
"You should show more pride in her triumphs. Even if their experience levels were quite different in scale, Sun is a tough Trainer. Winning against him is an accomplishment, just as him lasting so long against Acerola is a testament to his skill." Hala said sagely, making Nanu scoff in response.
"She knows how talented she is. She'll be twice the Trainer I was, and half the screw-up. Especially if the International Police don't go trying to recruit her like they did me." The man sighed, standing up. "This shit needs to end soon. I've got things that need to be doing."
"You need a vacation." Hala remarked dryly, with Nanu shrugging.
"Maybe." Nanu replied, shoving his hands in his pockets before calling out, "I'm getting a drink. Maybe several. You want anything?"
"I'll have-"
"If you say pudding, I'm castrating you with a rusty spoon."
"...A small popcorn would be nice."
Zinnia eagerly sank her teeth into her malasada, enjoying the delicious chocolate filling inside of it. She let out a moan of delight before quickly scarfing down the dessert, even licking her hands clean after finishing it, her crimson eyes twinkling with delight.
"So tasty...Why haven't I had one of these before?" The Draconid asked the pink-haired woman sulking by her side. If it wasn't for a not-so-subtle black and pink aura around the woman, she would have looked normal. As it was, all of the normal people were quite eager not to be in the same area as the furious Tapu-in-disguise…
(That sounds like an amazing TV show. Kinda like Transformers except with the Tapu...Huh.)
Anyways, Zinnia hopped off of the wall that she had been lounging on and took that moment to examine that god that was staring ahead but not seeing at all, instead choosing to silently rage within itself. And why was the Guardian Deity of Akala Island so angry?
Because Amber Fontaine had escaped its grasp.
The monster that had caused so much pain and suffering eluded it's grasp. Tapu Lele has such a wonderful time torturing that foolish woman. Yes, she had gone through an endless amount of suffering and wasn't entirely to blame for her situation, but in the other hand, she had chosen to continue down the path of death and destruction. And so Tapu Lele violated her mind and cursed her by partially healing the tears within her mind.
For short bursts of time, Amber would regain her humanity and lost emotions. She would become the person she would have been if she had never met Hazel. For all intents and purposes, she became Amanda Faerun again. And she would be completely aware of everything she had done. And that pain would be worse than anything Tapu Lele could do to her physically. Giving the assassin what she had longed for all these years, but giving it a cruel twist that made it worse than anything else was something that gave Tapu Lele immense satisfaction.
However, Tapu Lele had never inflicted her special curse upon someone with such an damaged mind. It was possible that her powers would eventually make the woman completely unstable as she flicked back and forth between a normal woman and a psychotic killer.
"You know, you're kinda being a buzzkill." Zinnia remarked, earning a glare from the god.
"I'm not in the mood for small talk. I honestly have no idea why you even wanted to meet me here. All of this is...beneath me." Tapu Lele hissed, shutting her eyes and willing away the leaking power that was escaping her. It took a calm breath before exhaling, ignoring Zinnia as she chuckled.
"You're ridiculous. A god throwing a tantrum." Zinnia remarked, crossing her legs with a smirk. Tapu Lele scowled as her eyes glowed, making Zinnia suddenly clutch her throat as a vice suddenly closed down on it. The Draconid was lifted into the air as the Guardian Deity coldly stared at her.
"You have no room to taunt me. You're nothing more than a pathetic wisp of a legend, Zinnia." Tapu Lele whispered as her eyes glowed a harsher shade of pink, slamming Zinnia into the ground. The Draconid's expression turned to fury as Tapu Lele smirked. "Oh? Not so fun having others throwing around your failings, now is it?"
Tapu Lele released Zinnia who gasped and sputtered as she got all fours, glaring at Tapu Lele as she watched impassively. When she recovered slightly, Zinnia spat out, "It's just like you...to rub salt in the wound, you stupid damn god…"
"It's not my fault your destiny got ruined. That someone else was chosen to become the world's savior, and you were not." Tapu Lele mocked the woman, even as she rose to her feet with anger in her eyes.
"You were more than happy that May saved the world alongside Rayquaza...but what of you? You, who trained ceaselessly? You, who burned the lore and history and stories of the ancient past into your very mind? And yet...When you stood before Rayquaza, it chose another." Tapu Lele whispered, making Zinnia avert her gaze. "You were not worthy. And now that you have been freed of your burden as the Lorekeeper, you wonder what to do now? You struggle to find a place to belong in a world that you do not know."
"I have found purpose. I hunt the Anomaly. You yourself said that it's a danger to the entire world!" Zinnia barked at the Guardian Deity, who nodded.
"It is the greatest sort of distortion in the very fabric of reality. An ancient evil, older than we Tapu and the Beasts from beyond our world, but even so...You lack purpose in your life. You chase the Anomaly as an excuse, Zinnia...And you will never find happiness until you find that purpose once again." Tapu Lele said, a cruel smile on her face. "But I've seen your future. I know exactly what you need to do in order to move forward. You could help so many…"
"What, by getting embroiled in the petty war between nations? Pass. I have more to offer the world than just being another Trainer in conflict that I don't care about." Zinnia grunted, crossing her arms. Tapu Lele hung its head.
"Foolish, yet understandable. The child that we have failed…He will not stop until the world he has envisioned has become reality, no matter how many innocent perish in this quest. You could help stop him, you know. You could become the hero you always wanted to be." Tapu Lele said quietly, turning around to face Zinnia, who looked confused.
"Who is this child that you speak of?" Zinnia asked, cocking her head. Tapu Lele sighed, shaking her head.
"Our greatest mistake...And now it is coming to destroy us all." Tapu Lele replied softly, reaching up and cupping Zinnia's face in its hands. "Zinnia. You have your place. And you know what it is. You run from it because Rayquaza turned its back on you."
Zinnia suddenly burst out laughing and stepped away from the god, throwing back her head as Tapu Lele scowled in response. Zinnia clutched her chest, breathless as she giggled, "Oh god...You have absolutely no room to be giving me motivational speeches. Yeah, I'm running away from my problems, but that's no excuse to get involved in someone else's personal battles. It'll sort itself out one way or another. They always do. Besides, I think it's rich that you're telling me to accept a role when you've been neglecting yours!"
"Excuse me?" Tapu Lele hissed, its eyes burning pink.
"Oh yeah. Cipher's running rampant. Team Skull are causing nonstop trouble. And that's not even going into some of the other nasty things I've heard whispers of on these islands. Oh, and the Anomaly that you refuse to do anything about. That too. Yeah, I'd say you've been pretty lax on your throne there, champ." Zinnia said as she stood up straight, staring Tapu Lele dead in the eye. The two stared at each other for a time, but Zinnia broke contact first by shutting her eyes, uttering a soft laugh under her breath.
"Why am I even wasting my time...Ancients like you don't care. You've lost the ability to care, due to how long you've been alive. It's why Legendaries shut down as often as they do, after all. Anything that's been conscious and active as long as you is bound to be totally nuts." Zinnia remarked, opening her eyes as her expression become one of contemplation. "That does explain the others. Tapu Koko is erratic and fickle, because it has also been active for all these years. Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini go through short times of inactivity, which explains why they're the more obscure Guardian Deities."
"You figured all of that out...But I still don't know whether or not I should slaughter you." Tapu Lele remarked, with Zinnia shaking her head.
"You could. But then you'd lose out on the one person who understands your bullshit, and you wouldn't give that up for the world. Especially since you consider everyone else on your island as nothing more than entertainment." Zinnia said to the god, her crimson eyes gleaming.
"They really are...the sunny days are such a dull affair. Messing with these mortals is just about the only way I get any sort of thrill. With the means to sneak around unnoticed, they are nothing more puppets dancing on a stage to me. It's no wonder we're revered as we are...I could control the entire island through my strength alone if I didn't already have their loyalty." Tapu Lele remarked smugly, though Zinnia just scoffed in disgust.
"So, you've basically proven my point. You're so old that you just stopped caring anyone other than yourself anymore. You're a goddamn blood knight so caught up in finding simple amusement that you'll find it anywhere you want to stave off the monotony of existence." Zinnia remarked, making Tapu Lele stare at her in response. "What, I'm right, aren't I?"
"Aren't you doing the same thing, in a way? You have a much greater purpose, child. You could-" Tapu Lele began to say, but Zinnia held up a hand to cut her off.
"There's a difference between joining in some ongoing showdown...and doing the duty that Arceus bestowed upon you. Doing the duty that even Tapu Koko feels you have been neglecting for your own selfish design." Zinnia said coldly, turning away from the god and spitting to the ground.
"Why do you keep rejecting my words of wisdom? There are millions who would give me endless thanks for bestowing the knowledge I have to you." Tapu Lele asked, a note of genuine fury dipping into its voice. Zinnia simply sighed, giving the god a dark look.
"Because unlike Rayquaza...You don't give a damn about the people who worship you. You see them as amusement. Nothing else. You've been a god for so long, that you've forgotten your duties as a protector...Reminds me a certain assassin that paid you a visit the other day that you neglected to finish off, doesn't it?" Zinnia said quietly, making Tapu Lele narrow its eyes. But it didn't refute Zinnia's claim.
"I am old, child. So, so old...And unlike my fellow Guardians, I remained aware throughout them all. I have saved and destroyed so many threats throughout the years. What are a few years of fun, compared to a lifetime or service to creatures so weak?" Tapu Lele asked, its eyes glowing. Zinnia wasn't swayed one bit.
"What are you going to do when your people need you the most? Will you continue to look down upon them and turn away? Or will you finally starting acting like the protector these people deserve?"
Zinnia walked away, not looking back at the Guardian Deity who stared after her with a conflicted expression. The god watched her leave, shocked and angered by such a display of rudeness.
But...
Tapu Lele stood there for a long while before vanishing in a flurry of scales, unable to come up with an answer to Zinnia's question.
"Sun, where are we going!?"
"Come on, Lillie! Just a bit further!" Sun called to his friend, grabbing her hand and pulling her alongside him as he increased his pace. Jack simply strolled behind them, shaking his head in mock dismay as Oliver and Penny soared overhead, chatting idly. Brago was taking in the sights of the crowd around them as he bounded forward, his nose sniffing the air as Finn hopped alongside them, trying desperately to keep up and huffing at the effort.
"Gaaah! Sun, you know I don't like running!" Lillie whined as Sun continued to duck and weave through the crowd, to Lillie's dismay. Nebby pewed in protest, popping his head out of the bag for a brief moment before Lillie used her other hand to push him back inside. To Lillie's relief, their flight through the crowds didn't last long, and Sun stopped in front of a food truck parked in the main food section of the carnival. The man inside of the food truck grinned at them and called, "Alola, my friends! What can I get you?"
"Alola!" Sun said with an excited grin, stepping forward and mimicking the man's hand gesture as Lillie panted beside him. "Could we get two please? One veggie and one regular?"
"Coming up!" the man called, quickly turning around and bustling around an open stove.
"Sun, what is this?" Lillie asked, leaning against the boy for support. Sun blushed as he realized Lillie was basically on top of him, coughing after a moment before answering.
"I heard about these earlier today and wanted to see what the fuss was about." Sun said with a small shrug as Brago sat down on the ground.
"It smells wonderful over here." Brago noted, glancing around.
"Do you have any food for Pokémon here?" Lillie asked the man in the food truck.
'Sadly, no."
"Awww." Finn sighed, looking a bit down at that. Oliver patted the Poliwag on the back as he and Penny landed on the ground behind him. Finally, the food was finished and the man handed Sun two tacos filled with different ingredients. One had eggs, bacon, a yellow sauce drizzled over it while the other had veggies in place of meat. The taco was, upon further inspection, some sort of pancake. There was even syrup inside of the taco itself!
"Pancake taco!" Sun declared, sinking his teeth into the taco and grinning happily. "This is even better than I thought it would be!"
"Pancake taco?" Lillie questioned, holding it up with a look of confusion. She eyed it warily before taking a tentative bite, her eyes lighting up in surprise. It was delicious!
"Mallow suggested this place the other night. Apparently pancake and waffle tacos are starting to be a thing, so I figured we could try it out." Sun said with a smile, a bit of smugness in his tone. "Heh. I knew you'd like it."
"You're lucky you're far too handsome to punch in the face." Lillie muttered as she took another bit, trying not to let it show on her face how delicious she thought it was. Sun blushed at that, though he didn't refute her claim and nommed on his taco. Jack rolled his eyes, though he bought two of said taco and handed one to Gretel as she appeared behind him. The Dusknoir cackled with delight and sank back into Jack's shadow.
"So, what do you think?" Sun asked with a massive grin as he polished off his taco after a few minutes, licking his fingers clean.
"...It's good." Lillie mumbled, embarrassed at how annoyed she had gotten. Clearly Sun was excited to show her something he thought she would like, and meant nothing by dragging her around like that.
Sun grinned and did a fist-pump in victory. "And they're vegetarian! Mallow's been pushing for her family to sell stuff like that at their restaurants."
"I wouldn't mind that. It was really tasty." Lillie replied, adjusting her hat so that the sun wasn't blinding her as much. As she did so, she caught sight of two people in the distance.
"Sun, look." Lillie pointed forward, and Sun followed her gaze and saw two familiar people sitting down in a nearby cafe. It was Laura and Ollie.
The International Police Captain was dressed in a more casual outfit. A black dress shirt and slacks, though he also wore a brown trench coat as well. Meanwhile Laura had changed out of her Trainer's outfit and into her usual dress, with Meowth eating some Pokémon food from a bowl on the ground nearby. Sun watched the two of them for a few moments, taking in the fact that they were smiling and talking animatedly.
"She seems really happy." Lillie said as they watched Laura giggle at something Ollie said, with the man leaning back into his chair with a relaxed grin on his face.
"So does he." Sun replied, grinning now as Ollie reached down to pet Meowth as he slunk around on the ground. Meowth curled around the man's touch, happily crying out. "When Dad tried to kill Mom and kidnap me that night, Ollie stayed there the entire night to make sure we were okay."
"Really?"
"Yeah...He let me play with his birds too when he heard how much I liked Flying-types." Sun said, his smile fading as he spoke. "The higher ups at his job wanted him to leave after the first day, but he fought to make sure he was there with us, surrounded by a team of agents. He wanted to make sure we were safe."
"Why would he fight so hard to do that? Is it just because he was good friends with Laura, like you've said before?" Lillie asked.
"He said it had to do with his oath as a member of the International Police. I guess some of them take the whole 'protecting others' thing seriously. Him being my mother's old friend compounded it, I think. We eventually got really close. I started to look up to him. Eventually when I came to Alola and got the chance to become a Pokémon Trainer, I decided I wanted to become strong like Ollie was and help protect people like he protected us." Sun said as he watched Ollie reached forward and put his hand over Laura's, his expression intense. Laura was blushing at whatever the man was saying.
"You kids just gonna spy on them all day, or were you planning on seeing some more booths before the main event rolls around?" Jack asked wryly, smirking as Ollie glanced their way and his face went sheet-white. Laura followed his line of sight and went bright pink upon seeing Sun and Lillie, with Ollie scrambling out of his chair and running out of the cafe before vanishing into his own shadow,thanks to Aegislash.
"Alola!" Sun called to the pair, waving his arms and drawing attention to them. Laura shot Sun a glare while Sun stuck his tongue out at his mother. Lillie took that moment to swat Sun with her hat, making the boy chuckle as the two of them walked away. Sun glanced back to see an embarrassed Ollie slipping out of Laura's shadow, his face a bright pink color now.
"You think you'll get in trouble for that?" Jack asked, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice and only partially succeeding.
"After all of the teasing me and Lillie get? I better not." Sun replied dryly, crossing his arms with a flash of annoyance. Lillie giggled at that, making Sun smile.
"That does remind me...Sun, walk ahead a bit. I need to have a short conversation with Lillie." Jack said as Gretel slipped out of his shadow, chuckling softly. Sun looked confused for a moment, but shrugged and walked ahead with his team, leaving Lillie with Gretel and Jack.
"So...What did you want to talk about, sir?" Lillie asked the Commander, who looked at her with a thoughtful expression.
"So...That boy Gladion from yesterday is your brother, huh? Gotta say, I wasn't expecting to run into both of Lusa's wayward kids separately like this." Jack said to Lillie, making her blood run cold. "I really should have pieced things together sooner."
He knew.
Lillie almost turned to run, but was stopped by Gretel extending her arms out widely, the Dusknoir giggling softly to herself. "Can you at least listen to what he has to say before running, Lillie?"
The girl whirled back around, heart pounding wildly, and saw Jack smirking at her. "She's right, kid. At least hear me out. You owe me that, at least."
"You know my mother. You know who me and Gladion are...How?" Lillie asked, her heart pounding hard enough to burst out of her chest. Jack sighed, a somber smile on his face.
"A long time ago, I was very close friends with your parents. Lusamine and Mohn. They helped me put a stop to the worst villain Alola ever knew, and I've always been welcome at the Aether Paradise, though I was too busy dealing with the fallout of my actions to ever accept their invitations." Jackal responded, crossing his arms. "We should keep walking. Don't want to make Sun suspicious, after all."
Lillie wordlessly began walking again, with Gretel hovering nearby as Jack strolled alongside them, a faraway expression on his face.
"Dealing with a populace that hated me made it hard for me to accept their help. Lusa and Mohn didn't need the bad PR for having a pariah like me around. It was a shame...I had always wanted to meet you two. But I guess I have, now." Jack said to Lillie, who looked confused.
"If you're an old friend of my family, then why don't I remember them talking about you at all? I mean, I've heard a few stories about their trips through Alola with Keo and Ash and a few others, but not you, Mister Jack." Lillie remarked, confused. Jack seemed surprised, though he smirked after a moment.
"Really? No stories about Caleb Jackson at all?" the man asked, making Lillie's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait...You're Caleb?! My parents have mentioned you before! Many times! I...never realized it before now! I tend to just call you Jack." Lillie remarked, amazed she hadn't realized the connection sooner. Then again, she wasn't sure if she had ever heard Jack's actual name before.
"It happens. But at the same time...I had a very interesting conversation with your brother. I didn't tell him where you were, don't worry, but he did recognize me from years ago and explained some things. He didn't go into detail, but I understand enough. Lusamine's up to something...Something that could result in the absolute destruction of Alola if not dealt with." Jack said roughly, looking at Lillie. "And the only thing keeping her from destroying Alola is...you. And the little puffball in your gym bag. The Pokémon central to all of Lusa's schemes. Not that Gladion knows you have that. He's under the impression someone stole it, but has no idea who."
"That's...yes." Lillie said softly, looking down at Nebby as he poked his head out of the bag. Nebby cooed softly at the girl, who patted him on the top of the head. Jack chuckled darkly, shaking his head.
"What is this world coming to...That children have to face the mistakes of their parents." Jack murmured, rubbing his face after a moment.
"If you're the Caleb my parents talked about...Then you know Ashton Aupuni, too." Lillie realized with surprise. Jack had been close friends with Lusamine and Mohn many years ago. And Mohn and Lusamine had been close friends of Sun's father, Ashton. At least before he became Borlath and joined Cipher. There was a very good chance the two knew each other, now that Lillie finally made the connection then. The small stories he parents had told her about their friends in Alola finally making sense now.
Sun's father had been the friend that Lusamine and Mohn had spoken about when she was much younger. And Jack had been the International Police member that had helped them take down the bad guys so long ago. Ashton had been a part of that as well, and after several years he had departed Alola for a new future.
"Yeah...that Ashton. I don't think I've ever met a more unhappy child in my life. But he was a good kid back then. Strong. Capable. Loyal. He wanted to save this world from the darkness within itself after our battles with the Ruby Raiders. Poor kid had it really bad growing up. Last I heard he left for Kanto and never came back...that was many years ago." Jack said with a note of sadness in his voice. "I hope he's doing okay."
"You...don't know?" Lillie asked, incredulous that Jack seemingly didn't know who Ashton had become. Jack looked at her with confusion, and Lillie looked down at the ground in horror. Jack had no idea.
"Lillie...what don't I know?" Jack asked, curious.
"Jack, I don't know how to tell you this...But Ashton is actually Sun's father. And he's the leader of Cipher. He's Borlath." Lillie explained to the man, who's eyes widened in shock. He actually stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth agape in dumbfounded confusion. It lasted for all of a few seconds before Jack regained his composure, shutting his eyes and sighing.
"Of course he is...As good of a kid as he was, Ashton also despised Alola and everything it stood for. He hated the worldwide corruption instilled within the laws and the governments, particularly the Leagues." Jack sighed raggedly, looking like he aged another twenty years then. Lillie put a hand on his arm, showing some manner of comfort to the man who just laughed bitterly. "That poor kid...It's no wonder I didn't recognize him on TV a few weeks ago. He's unrecognizable now. All of that hate just swallowed him up."
"Why does he hate everything so much, Mister Jack?" Lillie asked Jack, who looked conflicted for a moment.
"That might be a better question for your mother to answer. She was there for a lot more of it than I was." Jack said quietly, with the man running a hand over his bald head. "This is a mess...I wonder how your little friend is taking all of this. He knows, right?"
"He does. It was a shock, but I managed to help him get through it. He even sees a psychologist every other weekend to talk about his problems." Lillie explained with a proud smile.
"Good. Sun seems like a strong boy. As long as you keep supporting him, I don't doubt he'll be okay in the long run." Jack said with a nod. "But that does bring us back to the question of your mother, and what exactly is going on."
"It's...complicated. I really want as few people knowing who I am, where I am, and what's going on as possible." Lillie explained quietly, gripping her bag tightly. "The Aether Foundation is the strongest it's ever been. They have connections everywhere. The more people who know, the stronger the whispers of my whereabouts are. And my mother is very determined to succeed in her goals, even if they will spell doom for the world. And only thing keeping us from that doom is me keeping Nebby safe."
"Lusamine's kept me out of her affairs for a while now, so I have no idea what she's planning. She knows associating with me these days isn't a good look for her group, since I'm still an outcast of sorts. Alola is slow to forgive, even if you ended up saving it from a bastard like Roran. Apparently killing a bastard like him, even though everyone knows what he did, still rankled the ancient cretins in the City Counsels. Though it's not as bad these days as it used to be." Jack said roughly, a note of anger dipping into his voice for a moment.
"I appreciate you, sir. Even if I don't know the details, you've kept me safe these past few days and even saved me from the Bone Brothers once. I don't think I could ever repay you for that." Lillie said to the Commander, who sighed.
"Don't thank me for doing the right thing." Jack replied, stuffing his hands into his jeans. "I've always tried to do the right thing, kid. Even if it scared me. Even if it would get me in trouble down the line. I meant what I said when I talked to you kids about courage...Dealing with you all reminds me of what I lost, but it also reminds me of what I have to fight for. There's so many people that could get hurt by the bad guys in this world. That's why I have to gather my courage and remain strong."
"I admire that. Sun is the same way. He's such a strong person. Seeing him fight, no matter what comes his way...It inspires me. I feel just a little braver when I'm around Sun, or even thinking about what he would do for me." Lillie said quietly, making Jack chuckle softly. The girl blushed bright pink in embarrassment, not intending to go into such detail.
"He seems like a capable kid. Hell of a battler, too. Not many greenhorns can make Acerola get serious like that. I can't wait to see what he becomes with a few more months, or even years under his belt. He's like Ashton in that regard." Jack remarked as they began walking a bit faster to catch up with the boy.
"Can we...keep this discussion private?" Lillie asked Jack, who looked at her with some surprise.
"Why? It'd be best if we got this information out there. We could better protect you against Aether and Team Skull, and you could probably even see your brother more often since you both are working on the same goal." Jack remarked, confused by this. Lillie shook her head.
"Sun has enough to worry about. The past few weeks were really hard on him. I just want Sun to enjoy himself for a little while. He deserves that, at least." Lillie said as she looked ahead, seeing Sun laughing as he picked Finn up off of the ground and away from a growling Brago.
"I see...Then I'll keep quiet. You're Mohn and Lusamine's daughter, after all. I'm sure you'll handle it." Jack said, making Lillie smile in response. "If you need anything, I'll be around to help. Just be good, alright? That's all I ask." Jack said with a smirk, patting Lillie on the head and making the girl giggle with mirth. Gretel swooped up and cackled, mimicking the motion on Jack's bald head, much to his annoyance. The trio caught up to Sun, who was chatting with his team as they walked.
"I feel like I'm ready...But at the same time, I don't feel like it's the right time. Learning that new attack the other day helped quite a bit. I don't know." Brago remarked as he looked up at Sun, who scratched the canine's head, much to his pleasure.
"Don't worry about it. You'll probably know when you're ready for it." Sun said as he set Finn on the ground and pulled out a red-rish orange CD. A TM of some kind?
"This is a TM for the move Sunny Day. I bought it at the Pokémon Center this morning. I think if we teach you this, it'll help in the long run." Sun remarked as Lillie and Jack caught up to them. "Everything okay?"
"Yes. So what's this about a new move?" Lillie asked.
"Yeah, after finding out Finn knows Rain Dance, I figured being able to mess with weather conditions to get an edge in battle would be an awesome idea. It cost me way more than I would've liked, but it seems like a good investment." Sun said as he put away the TM.
"Sunny Day's definitely an effective move. It powers up Fire-type attacks, weakens Water-type attacks, and on top of that makes any moves that require solar energy work much more efficiently." Lillie remarked, smiling at Sun's thoughtfulness. "Oliver can make good use of that move as well, if he can learn it. Synthesis gets a power-up from sunny conditions, if I remember correctly."
"I was thinking more for Brago than Oliver, but yeah." Sun replied, grinning at her. "I'm definitely learning a lot from this Tournament. Even if I lost, it was a great time."
"I know I've been having fun!" Finn said with an grin, wriggling in Sun's arms.
"It has been quite the celebration." Penny remarked with a small sigh, soaring past the two of them and soaring higher into the sky. "And all of these people! I won't be sad to see this all be done with."
"You don't like the fair, Penny? It's so much fun though." Sun asked the Toucannon, catching her attention as she fluttered back towards them. Oliver answered the question, flapping over to Sun's eye-level.
"She never has been a fan of crowds. Penny was something of a loner around the time we met her, and she hasn't changed much. Being around so many people make her uncomfortable-" Oliver began to say before Penny suddenly pile-drived him into the dirt with a furious squawk.
"You don't see me blabbing your secrets to people! So shut it!" Penny screeched, flapping away angrily from Oliver as he shakily got up. The owl glared at Penny and began preening himself as Penny landed on the ground nearby. Sun, Lillie and Jack all stared at the normally well-behaved Toucannon with some shock at her display of irritation.
"That's...kinda surprising. Don't loners typically just do their own thing? And don't like to be around others?" Sun asked Penny, who seemed uncomfortable and looked away. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, Penny."
The Toucannon looked back and Sun and said, "Thank you, Trainer."
With that over with, and with Sun later recalling his team to give them a chance to rest a bit, the two children continued to make their way through the crowds, simply enjoying their time together. Sun pointed out any famous Trainers that he could see, including Brock and Misty from the other day. Sun also spotted Jasmine, the Olivine City Gym Leader, eating lunch with Volkner from Sunyshore City. They waved to Hau as he danced with a group of tourists in a cleared off area where a local band was playing music. Mallow and Lana danced with Hau while Kiawe danced with a flaming staff in his hands. They even came across Adrian Battlestorm once again, apparently taking a short break from his MC duties to walk some visiting children around the arena for a tour.
"I guess even a guy with as much energy as him needs a minute to rest his voice." Lillie remarked as they watched him pass by, with the man making some offhand comment that made the children laugh. "They seem so happy. I guess everyone's enjoying the Tournament. Even the kids." Lillie added, leaning against Sun with a little smile. Jack chuckled, drawing the gaze of the two children.
"You kids fail to realize just how big of a deal that dork is. Adrian Battlestorm is one of the biggest celebrities Alola has ever produced. He's a worldwide star and controls a big part of the media here, and has connections in entertainment across the world. He may be an idiot sometimes, but he truly does love this country more than anyone else I know. He puts his heart and soul into making people happy. These past few days have probably been like a dream for him, since he's putting so many smiles on people's faces." Jack said as they watched the media mogul sign an autograph for a little boy, all the while letting a little girl sit on top of his Dragonite's shoulders. The man wore a massive grin the entire time.
Sun and Lillie moved on, though they did take a moment to wave an "Alola!" to the man in question. Adrian gave them one in return, which made the kids all imitate him with giddy laughter following.
Their next surprise was an unwelcome one, however.
It started off well, with the group spotting Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet holding hands in the crowd, the former chatting to a gather grumpy-looking man dressed in a police officer's uniform and sandals. As soon as Kukui caught sight of them, he waved at them. The man beside him slipped out of sight with a relieved expression on his face.
"Professor Kukui!" Lillie chirped as the man approached them. Kukui gave Lillie a one-armed hug, which she returned happily. Burnet embraced the girl a moment later, fondly patting her on the head before standing upright.
"How have you two been? Enjoying your little date?" Burnet teased them, making both children blush.
"N-no! We've just been exploring a bit. That's all!" Lillie replied, not even trying to hide her embarrassment.
"I do appreciate you keeping an eye on Lillie, Commander Jackson." Kukui said gratefully, with Jack shaking his head.
"Wasn't that much of a bother. With all of the danger around, it's best to have a pair of eyes that know what to look for keeping an eye out. Case in point…"Jack nodded ahead, where everyone followed his gaze and saw two Team Skull Grunts charging through the crowd with a cash register in hand and a handful of glittering light-green jewels clenched in each fist. The duo slowed down as the crowd began to clear around them, obviously not wanting anything to do with Team Skull. Both young men glared at Kukui, drawing a Poké Ball each.
"Aww shit...Here we go again." One of the Grunts remarked as they both called out an Alolan Raticate.
"That brat's the one who was with that Cipher dick who blew us up the other day, yo!"one of the Grunts yelled, pointing at Sun. "Raticate, show these pricks who's the hardest around here!"
"Jack, take Lillie and go!" Kukui barked as Team Skull squared off against Sun, who called out Finn and Penny. Kukui called out Lycanroc, who growled softly at the duo, who looked a bit nervous after a moment. Apparently they didn't think Professor Kukui would back Sun up, for some reason Sun couldn't figure out.
"Uh...maybe we bit off a bit more than we could chew, yo." One of the Grunts remarked, his Raticate chattering beside him.
"Y-yeah...But we need this Buginium-Z, dawg. Without it…" the other Grunt trailed off, crossing his arms.
Kukui opened his mouth to speak when a Pokémon suddenly teleported onto the shoulder of one of the Grunts, fluttering its wings softly. It was a Pokémon Sun immediately recognized as a Butterfree. Rotom popped out, buzzing softly before flipping to the appropriate entry.
"Butterfree. The Butterfly Pokémon and the evolved form of Metapod. Close examination of its large eyes reveals that each eye is composed of a myriad of tiny eyes. When attacked by other Pokémon, it defends itself by scattering its poisonous scales and fluttering its wings." Rotom explained as the Pokémon in question let out a soft cry. Both Grunts seemed to stand a little straighter, their postures one of absolute relief. Sun noticed that the Butterfree had an odd collar around its neck with what looked like a camera attached.
"Thank god you're here...We might be able to handle the shrimp, but the Professor's a whole different story, yo. You can clobber 'em, right Boss?" one of the Grunts asked the Butterfree, who leaned forward slightly. Sun was surprised when a voice suddenly sounded out from the collar.
"Well, well, well, wellie, well, well, well...If it ain't ol' Johnny boy." came a rough voice from the collar, partially garbled by static. Despite that, though, Sun could clearly hear the condescending tone in the man's voice. Kukui frowned, crossing his arms.
"I should have known. This Butterfree has been causing trouble the past few days and seems far too well trained for it to be anyone but yours." Kukui said with clear disapproval. "Your boys have been stealing, Guzma. That's a crime that we can't just overlook."
"These kids are under MY protection, Kukui." The voice drawled, sounding bored. "You won't be laying a finger on them."
"Protection? Is that what you call it? Convincing them to abandon their heritage and cause nothing but trouble? Theft? Assault? Vandalism?" Kukui shot back, with the other man cackling in what seemed to be delight.
"That's right. But it didn't take much convincing. After all, their families turned their backs on them. As did everyone else. Alola's rotten to the core with it's dusty old traditions, and the way I see it, maybe a bit of trouble is just what this place needs. Besides, who else can look after these kids but me, huh? They ain't got anyone else to look out for them, after Alola tossed them aside like they were nothing!" The man snarled, his amusement suddenly gone. "And if anyone tries to hurt them...I will beat them down."
Sun was suddenly shoved backwards by Kukui as the man yelled, "Lycanroc, use Protect!"
The command was yelled just as Butterfree flapped its wings, releasing a burst of purple powder at the two of them. The powder harmlessly exploded against the shield, though this had the added effect of ensuring Sun and Kukui couldn't do anything about the two Grunts teleporting away with the Butterfree.
"Damn him…" Kukui growled as the Protect faded, with the powder drifting away by a gust of air that Penny sent their way.
"Thanks you two." Sun said to Finn and Penny, returning them. "Professor, who was that man? The one speaking through that necklace?"
"The leader of Team Skull. He's...a very interesting person. And one I hope you'll never meet, Sun. No matter what happens, though, that man must never know that I'm connected in any capacity to Lillie. Understand?" Kukui said to Sun, who nodded in response. As if on cue, Lillie and Jack stepped out from around the corner, with Lillie looking worried.
"Are you two okay?" Lillie asked.
"We're fine. Just keep close to Commander Jack. I've got some people to talk to. Guzma has to be close by, and I want to either have him kicked out of the area or at least have someone watching him." Kukui said as he walked off, a worried expression on his face.
"Guzma…" Jack murmured, crossing his arms. "An interesting man, alright."
"Sounds like he and the Professor know each other." Sun remarked, with Lillie nodding in agreement.
"Oh yeah, they know each other well. Better than perhaps anyone else in the world. For a long time, they were as close as brothers. And then…" Jack trailed off, shaking his head. "I won't go revealing other people's secrets. You want the full story? Find Kukui or Guzma. As I said before, it's not my place to give out other people's secrets."
"Zzzt. Jeez, have far into people'zz Confidantzzz do you have to through to get all of the juicy backstory?" Rotom asked, floating around Sun's head. Sun opened his mouth to respond, only for a familiar voice to speak up that made Sun shiver.
"Nonstop drama around these parts, eh?" Sun turned around and realized that he was standing right in front of the Fossil Man's booth, with the man himself giving the trio an interested look.
"You kids gonna buy something, or are you just gonna ruin my daydreaming?" the Fossil Man asked, leaning against the counter. Sun nearly gagged as he smelt the man's disgusting breath, with Lillie turning slightly green.
"Back off. These kids aren't interested." Jack growled at the Fossil Man, who smirked in reply.
"Interested is a word I would use." The Fossil Man remarked, drawing closer with a knowing smile. "Those kids are just about the right age for certain lines of work. But we don't do that here in Alola. Not anymore." Fossil Man remarked, tilting his head slightly. "Those were the old days."
"What are you talking about?" Sun asked, with the Fossil Man grinning wickedly in response.
"I'm old enough to remember the days long past. Old Jackal here does too. The days when Alola was struggling to find a place in the world. The days when crime was a lot more twisted than just some chickenshit punks running around. Drugs, smuggling, and trafficking...Now those were interesting days." The Fossil Man said with a sigh, shaking his head. "But those were the days of old. Back when I still had real teeth and two functioning lungs. Now we live in a whole new world of promise! And with technological advancements, the future and past converge."
"You really do seem to have an interest in history. Does it have anything to do with your job?" Lillie asked the man, a notable quiver in her voice. The Fossil Man beamed manically at the girl's question, raising a finger into the air.
"It's the fairly simple principle that those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. The past has so much to teach us, little princess." The Fossil Man answered, leaning forward and making Lillie take a step back. "I may be a borderline psychopath, but I am one who knows what he's talking about." The Fossil Man breathed, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Lillie shivered at the man's intense gaze, only for Jack to step in front of the Trainer and glare at him.
"Let's leave this man alone. He obviously has things to do."Jack grunted, grabbing Sun and Lillie and dragging them away from the Fossil Man as he waved farewell to them.
"That guy rubs me the wrong way. Creep." Jack muttered, looking rather uneasy. Gretel shifted in the man's shadow, her eye glowing bright red.
"Maybe he was someone you arrested years and years ago? He's a really heavy drug user." Sun suggested, with Jack nodding in agreement after a moment.
"That's likely. However if he's still doing stuff like that, then he should probably be re-arrested. Sadly I don't have that authority anymore." Jack said with a shrug as they walked away. The Fossil Man sighed as they exited his line of sight, and then gasped as he clutched his chest in alarm. A sharp pain was pulsing through his heart, cutting off his breathing.
The man dropped onto the ground, choking and gasping for air as he heart began to beat erratically, his eyes dilating as he struggled to move. The man managed to pull himself into a crawling position and moved towards an unmarked box, flipping it open to reveal a small mound of glistening pink and white berries within. The Fossil Man reached inside and grabbed one, stuffing it into his mouth and frantically chewing it for a moment before swallowing the berry. Relief flooded the man as his body slowly returned to normal, his heart rate slowing down and his breathing becoming more stable.
"Heh...almost died there. Gotta be more careful…" the Fossil Man muttered as he slowly picked himself up, bracing himself against the stand as he inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm his heart. He chuckled weakly after a few moments to recover. allowing himself a smirk and shaking his head before returning to his work organizing his wares.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the semifinals of the Alola Grand Royal Tournament!" Adrian bellowed with a wide grin to the roaring applause of the crowd. Sun was surprised to see that the sunroof to the stadium had been opened, but he welcomed it because it allowed fresh air to come into the area and filled the arena with warmth, as opposed to the harsh AC that was pumped throughout it regularly.
"We'd first of all like to thank everyone who's tuned in so far, as well thank those who have managed to make it here to the Battle Royal Dome to witness this historic spectacle firsthand!" Adrian continued, pacing along the battlefield. "All of us have come here in a historic day of unity for Alola. Friends from all walks of life have come together for a day to celebrate the art of battle under the sun and moon...and the glorious light of the Guardian Deities who protect us."
"Now...Let's wrap this thing up! With three more tournament matches to go, we'll have to kick things into overdrive! So let's get our exhibition match underway!" Adrian shouted to the crowd, earning cheers from the audience. Adrian gestured to the screen above, which showed four different Trainers. Three of which Sun recognized.
"Our four finalists are Brock, Aria, Hapu, and Ryuki!" Adrian bellowed, with pictures of each of the Trainers appearing on the screen in turn. Sun's eyes widened in surprise at seeing Hapu's face on the screen, considering the fact that he hadn't run into her in a few months. He wondered just how strong the woman really was.
"These four fantastic Trainers will be competing in just a little bit. But for now...here's our main event! A showdown to whet your appetite for the fantastic final three matches of the evening!" Adrian bellowed, gesturing to one end of the battlefield where Olivia was walking up the steps.
"First off, we present to you our wonderful Kahuna of Akala Island! The Rock-type warrior of stone and with a spirit as unshakable as Mt. Lanakila, please give it up for Olivia!" Adrian roared into the microphone, with the crowd matching his enthusiasm with a standing ovation. Olivia strutted onto the battlefield, her smile wide as she waved to the crowd, her Z-Ring glittering on her wrist. She took up position on her side of the battlefield, patiently waiting for what was likely her hardest battle in years.
"And...visiting from the region of Sinnoh...One of the most formidable and fearsome Champions in recent history and one of our wonderful Special Guest Commentators for this weekend, give a warm Alola cheer for Cynthia!" Adrian shouted as the Champion walked onto the battlefield, giving a small wave to the crowd as they screamed in excitement. Sun leaned forward in his seat, an eager grin on his face. This would be a showdown to remember!
"Each side will use three Pokémon each and substitutions are allowed." Adrian said as he looked to both competitors. "Cynthia lost the coin toss, so she'll be going first."
"If you insist." Cynthia said with a playful smile as she drew a Poké Ball from her belt, tossing it a few times. "Go, Spiritomb!" Cynthia grinned as she called out her first Pokémon, which turned out to be a small stone that didn't seem that impressive. However, Sun knew better, and a moment later a strange purple spirit with a sinister smile appeared from within the stone. Rotom beeped from Sun's shoulder, floating ahead of him.
"Zzzt! Such an intense moment! We shall document this moment with Pokédex entries!" Rotom proclaimed, switching to the appropriate entry.
"Spiritomb. The Forbidden Pokémon. A Pokémon that was formed by 108 spirits. It was bound to a fissure in an odd keystone as punishment for misdeeds 500 years ago." Rotom explained as the crowd somehow grew louder with excitement.
"Lycanroc, it's time to show this Champion the unwavering strength of Alola!" Olivia shouted, calling out her strongest Pokémon. Sun did the same as intense music blared through the stadium, led by Roxie as the stadium watched eagerly as the their Island Kahuna and the famous Champion did battle. Sun later learned this was the official battle theme of the Sinnoh Champion, which made Sun a little jealous if he was being a bit honest with himself.
"Lycanroc, use Stone Edge!" Olivia shouted, throwing out a hand as Lycanroc snarled, throwing out her arms and creating several pillars of blue rock that jutted towards the Spiritomb. Cynthia smirked, snapping her fingers. Spiritomb sank into its own shadow and vanished, appearing behind Lycanroc with a demented giggle.
"Now!" Cynthia commanded as Olivia barked out, "Behind you! Rock Slide!"
Spiritomb fired off a massive Dark Pulse as Lycanroc dropped a barrage of rocks on the Pokémon. Lycanroc snarled as it was blasted back, just as Spiritomb slipped away in the shadows, dodging the attack with a sinister grin on its face. That grin slipped away when Lycanroc suddenly slammed into it with an Rock Throw knocking it backwards.
"Stone Edge!" Olivia called out as Lycanroc snarled, punching out its fists as sending five massive pillars of rock jutting towards the stunned Spiritomb. The Forbidden Pokémon was knocked sky-high as Lycanroc kicked off of the ground.
"Use Stealth Rock to climb, then follow up with Outrage!" the Kahuna bellowed, throwing out a hand as Lycanroc let out a powerful roar, its body glowing a harsh red color.
"Outrage? But that's a Dragon-type attack!" Lillie remarked, shocked to see the Lycanroc rush forward with an unearthly howl as it began to pummel Spiritomb senseless. It only took one round of beatings to knock out the Forbidden Pokémon.
"As expected of the Kahuna. I see you used your ace...Then allow me to show you mine!" Cynthia barked, drawing a Poké Ball with a wicked grin on her face. "Garchomp! Showtime!"
Cynthia called out her signature Pokémon, a massive dragon that Sun recognized as a Garchomp. Cynthia had made herself a Champion thanks to that powerful Pokémon in particular, and Sun knew then that Olivia's chances of coming out on top had just dropped drastically. Stealth Rock suddenly smashed into Garchomp, who shoved away the attacks and looked only slightly annoyed.
This did nothing to discourage the Kahuna, however. If anything, she seemed more fired up. "Lycanroc! Crush them!"
Lycanroc howled as the aura around him continued to burn, with the wolf rushing towards Garchomp, slamming into him and assaulting him with a barrage of kicks and punches that burned with draconic energy. Garchomp roared in pain and leapt into the air, soaring high above the battlefield with a glare down below.
"Earthquake!" Cynthia shouted as Garchomp suddenly dropped like a stone to the ground in front of Lycanroc, creating a powerful shock-wave that shook the stadium. Lycanroc howled in agony as it was sent flying backwards and crashed onto the ground, shaking in pain before finally collapsing.
"This is...incredible. Their attacks are so strong..." Sun muttered, shivering slightly at the incredible display of power between the two iconic Trainers.
"Lycanroc, return!" Olivia called out, recalling her trusty wolf. "Probopass, let's go!"
The Compass Pokémon arrived onto the battlefield with a shower of applause from the audience, with Probopass humming after a few moments. Olivia shifted her stance, smiling slightly. "Alright, old friend...We're at a severe disadvantage, but we can't let that discourage us. Flash Cannon!"
Probopass groaned as it's Mini-Noses charged up three beams of energy and fired them at Garchomp. With a command from Cynthia, the Mach Pokémon leapt into the sky once again to dodge. Olivia was ready for it.
"Gravity! Follow up with Toxic!" Olivia shouted, grinning widely as Cynthia's eyes widened. The stone cap atop Probopass' head lowered slightly as a ring of black energy shot out from Probopass's nose, quickly covering the entire battlefield. Garchomp roared as it was suddenly plucked out of the air, landing harshly onto the ground before being splattered with Toxic fluids.
"Garchomp! Dragon Rush!" Cynthia called out as Garchomp rose to its feet, growling softly. The dragon rushed forward with a roar as the two appendages on its head burned with blue fire. The energy quickly surrounded Garchomp as it sped forward, smashing into Probopass and sending the Compass Pokémon hurtling backwards.
"Stone Edge! Follow up with Flash Cannon!" Olivia barked as Probopass groaned, calling forth blue pillars of stone that battered Garchomp, though he easily smashed them aside with a few slashes of Dragon Claw, landing on the ground in front of Probopass. Garchomp called forth Sand Tomb at Cynthia's command, using the attack as a shield to protect it from the Steel-type attack.
"Garchomp, use Earthquake to finish this!" Cynthia shouted as Garchomp roared in response.
"Magnetic Rise. Flash Bomb." Olivia responded sharply as Garchomp smashed both of its claws into the ground to release a massive shockwave of force. Probopass, meanwhile, began to glow yellow and floated even higher off of the ground, completely dodging the attack as it rushed by it. It retaliated by releasing a large blast of silver energy at Garchomp, sending it stumbling backwards with a roar.
"Dragon Claw!" Cynthia shouted, throwing an arm aside as Garchomp charged forward.
"Man..Olivia's really taking it to Cynthia, huh?" Hau muttered, leaning forward in his seat.
"Olivia has been preparing to battle Cynthia for quite some time. She's studied her matches and trained her team hard for this battle. Cynthia, on the other hand, has been taking vacations in Kalos instead of attending her post." Lana remarked, a frown on her face.
"Can't Champions take time off from their job?" Sun asked, with the Captains nodding.
"Of course they can. But they still have a duty to the region and any potential challenges that come to test their strength. Cynthia has been rather lax lately, and it shows." Kiawe said with some disapproval as Garchomp fell to one knee, panting hard as Olivia continued to wear it down. Cynthia finally recalled her Garchomp, realizing that despite the type-advantage it was fairing poorly against Olivia's longtime partner, and sent out a Milotic. The serpent squealed as Stealth Rock smashed into it.
"Hydro Pump!" Cynthia shouted, her eyes narrowed as her Milotic released a massive blast of water. Probopass tried to dodge, but was struck hard by the attack and sent crashing into the barrier surrounding them.
"Lock-On!" Olivia shouted as Probopass' eyes gleamed bright white. "Zap Cannon!"
"Milotic, use Blizzard!" Cynthia shouted, with the Tender Pokémon releasing a massive howling whirlwind of ice at the Compass Pokémon, even as it fired a powerful ball of lightning at Milotic.
"Use Waterfall to get away from it and attack Probopass!" Cynthia barked as Milotic shot off towards the side of the battlefield, with the Zap Cannon chasing it. Meanwhile the Blizzard attack struck Probopass, making it groan in pain but otherwise still didn't manage to knock out the powerful Rock/Steel-type Pokémon.
"Stone Edge, Probopass!" Olivia bellowed, clenching her fists. Probopass hummed as stone pillars suddenly jutted out of the ground, smashing into Milotic to send her sky-high, allowing Zap-Cannon to finally connect. Milotic screamed in agony, writhing in midair, but Olivia wasn't done.
"Finish with Discharge!" Olivia called out as Probopass released a powerful wave of electricity towards it.
"Milotic, use Hydro Pump again! Break through!" Cynthia shouted to her Pokémon, who managed to open one eye despite the pain it was in. It reared its head back and fired off a massive Hydro Pump, blasting past the water attack and striking Probopass directly. The Compass Pokémon finally dropped to the ground with a sigh as Milotic was struck by Discharge, which made it also fall to the ground unconscious.
"It's one-on-one now…" Kahili murmured with a small smile, even as Professor Oak nodded.
"Yes. Olivia has shown why she was chosen by the Tapu. Not many Trainers can go toe-to-toe with a Champion!" Professor Oak laughed, leaning back in his chair.
"Olivia isn't one to be taken lightly. I think Cynthia is realizing that now." Kahili remarked, smirking widely as she stared at the frustrated Champion. Despite her annoyance, she smiled at Olivia.
"I can't believe I haven't had the pleasure of battling you all before. I'll have to do this again sometime." Cynthia said as she called out her Garchomp again. Despite the damage it took the poison coursing through its veins, it still had plenty of fight left in it. Olivia called out her Armaldo, which slashed its claws apart with a hiss as it stared down its opponent.
"You're always welcome here, Cynthia. But just know that I plan on winning this bout. My belief in my team is strong and our wills burn white-hot! Can you stand against us and prevail?" Olivia said, her tone echoing with power as she raised her hand as the Z-Ring attached to it glistened in the light.
"Well, if that's the case...Why don't we give these fine people a real show, Olivia?" Cynthia said playfully, rolling down her coat sleeve. To everyone's surprise, a Mega Ring was clasped around her wrist, gleaming in the sunlight.
"Garchomp! Transcend and become stronger through our bond! Mega Evolve!" Cynthia barked, throwing her arm aside as her Mega Ring glowed, with Garchomp becoming encased in a ball of pink energy. The shell shattered after a moment, revealing a somehow more menacing Garchomp with many more spikes and new scythe-like wings. Rotom beeped after a moment, flying out of Sun's hands and reading aloud an entry, to Sun's surprise.
"Mega Garchomp. The Mach Pokémon and the Mega Evolution of Garchomp. Excess energy melted its arms and wings, transforming them into giant scythes. Mad with rage, it rampages on and on." Rotom explained, shuddering slightly in fear as the menacing dragon snarled, slashing its scythe-like wings experimentally. Olivia crossed her arms, her expression resolute as she prepared herself for an uphill battle-
And then the lights cut out.
The shouts of surprise started immediately, and Adrian Battlestorm quickly began speaking to the crowd to try and calm them down. Sun looked around, barely able to see as the emergency lights kicked on, and saw Lillie looking around the arena with fear in her eyes. Sun grabbed the girl's hand, which caught her attention. Sun then became aware of the fact that the temperature in the stadium was rapidly dropping, enough to make Sun's breath come out in a puff of white smoke in the dim emergency lighting.
"S-sun...What's going on?" Lillie whispered with a shiver, fear evident in her voice.
"I don't know...But we'll be okay." Sun said quietly, squeezing her hand as the lights suddenly cut back on. And what they saw shocked them to their core.
Hovering in the middle of the Battle Rome Dome was a massive blue bird, beautifully flapping its wings as snow fell into the seats of the stadium. Sun's heart stopped in surprise, as he recognized the Pokémon instantly. Articuno, the Legendary Bird of Ice, was now inside of the Battle Royal Dome.
However, something was very wrong. A dark aura surrounded the regal Legendary, and standing atop her back as a lone man wielding an infamous hand-cannon. A white cape billowed behind him in the harsh winter wind as the barrier surrounding the battlefield slowly faded away around them, leaving them open to attack from the beast and the man riding atop it.
Dawson tipped his hat upwards, eyeing the stunned crowds for a moment before turning his burning gaze to a shocked Cynthia, who had taken a step back in surprise. The Cipher Admin pointed a finger at the Sinnoh Champion and spoke, his voice lacking any of its usual amusement.
"Mind Reader." Dawson ordered Shadow Articuno, even as he glanced to the side to take aim at Olivia and fired his pistol, sending an arc of burning energy towards her. The Kahuna gasped out in horror, only for her Armaldo to shove her aside and take the hit for her. The shot blasted a hole through the Pokémon's infamous plate-like armor, making the Pokémon burn away in a shower of ash as Olivia screamed. Meanwhile, Shadow Articuno's eyes gleamed as it stared down Mega Garchomp, its hateful eyes narrowed at its next opponent. Dawson whirled back around, aiming his pistol towards Cynthia as he barked, "Sheer Cold on Garchomp!"
Shadow Articuno's entire body glowed a harsh light blue color as the temperature in the entire arena dropped by another thirty degrees, a wintery aura intermingling with the darkness surrounding the Legendary Bird. The floor around Shadow Articuno froze solid as it fired a massive beam of freezing cold energy at Mega Garchomp, who prepared to dodge the attack. Dawson distracted it by firing Justice at Cynthia, who's eyes widened in surprise as the scorching blast raced towards her. Mega Garchomp noticed this at the last moment, leaping in front of his Trainer and slashing apart the blast with his scythe-like wings, though this left him open to get hit by Sheer Cold, which soon engulfed him and Cynthia. Sun knew right then and there that the Garchomp was out for the count.
"Dawson, no! Stop it!" Sun shouted, his voice barely audible over the crowds screams and shouts of fear. Several officials leapt onto the battlefield to try and stop the man, only to be quickly frozen solid by Sheer Cold. Soon enough, Mega Garchomp and Cynthia were completely encased in ice.
"Cut the power." Dawson said to Shadow Articuno as several Cipher members dropped in from the roof, riding on Flying-type Pokémon as Shadow Articuno shut her eyes, allowing the freezing ice on the floor to shatter into nothingness. Dawson then addressed the crowd as the Cipher Peons rushed Adrian and a stunned Olivia, the former fighting back as hard as he could.
"Ladies and gentlemen! This is a takeover! If you wish to escape this place with your lives, don't attempt to be a hero...and just follow this simple word of advice." Dawson proclaimed as he dropped to the ground in a crouch, twirling his pistol as Olivia screamed at him and Adrian Battlestorm struggled in the grips of the Cipher Peons.
The both of them were suddenly swallowed by their own shadows thanks to a Duskull snatching them from below, vanishing with the Cipher Grunts and leaving Dawson alone on the battlefield with a defenseless Cynthia as the barrier around the battlefield sprang up again. But not before Shadow Articuno soared into the air, shrieking in fury and landing on top of the shield with a massive crash. Several Trainers and police officers tried to break through the shield, but their efforts yielded no results.
Dawson took all of this in for a moment, taking a deep breath before flashing the zoomed-in camera a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Shadow Atricuno let out a screech of fury that made the crowd scream in terror, and with that Dawson uttered a single word.
"Run."
I bet you all were wondering where this was all going, eh?
Well here it is! Cipher's first major attack in Alola!
It shouldn't come as a massive surprise, after all, I've been subtly teasing it for a little while. With Team Skull, the Aether Foundation, the Unova Crew, Lillie, Sun, Gladion all in the same place! These next few chapters are going to be some of my best yet!
I was tempted to tease what's in store, because there's a lot of things happening soon, but I'll leave you all to speculate. But rest assured that not everyone will escape unscathed, and there will be at least one character death! Who will that be, I wonder…?
Special shoutout to Joey for the suggestion of having Jasmine and Ryuki appear in the tournament. Honestly this is more a formality, but I have always wondered why she happened to be in Sunyshore in Gen IV. Also, the inclusion of Ryuki was done mainly because there's no reason for him not to be in something like this and I genuinely forgot about him until you mentioned him, so thanks.
Q & A
From: PigniteGamer19
Hey, do you know which Poli you will evolve Finn into? I just want to say, I think Politoed would work. Plus, less weaknesses.
I do know, actually. It took a lot of thought, but I think my choice will make sense in the end. And yeah, I'm aware of how good Politoed is. When I did a HeartGold Nuzlocke it was my strongest Pokemon. It's a shame I deleted that run, because I'll have to take another crack at it some day.
Also, to answer your question and since you don't have an actually account for me to PM this, I'll just post it here. For those interested in what the Main Character teams were, here they are. Not counting Red, since everyone knows what his team is.
For the record, the Main Characters include Ethan (HeartGold), May (AlphaSapphire), Lucas (Platinum), Hilbert (White/Black), Nate (Black 2/White 2), Calem (X), and finally Sun. Dawn was added since she's actually cameoing in the story, so I just filled in the rest of her team with something that made sense.
I'll have an official spreadsheet of every character available once the Discord is active, so that others can see it and keep track of it if they feel like it. Here's my head-cannon teams for the other MC's in my little universe!
Ethan: Typhlosion, Pidgeot, Ampharos, Gyarados (Shiny), Bellossom, Shuckle
May: Swampert, Exploud, Roserade, Altaria, Ninetales, Magnezone, Rayquaza
Lucas: Infernape, Luxray, Floatzel, Rampardos, Togekiss, Leafeon
Dawn: Torterra, Alakazam, Clefable, Gyarados, Electivire, Magmortar
Hilbert: Serperior, Stoutland, Chandelure, Simipour, Archeops, Galvantula
Nate: Emboar, Arcanine, Braviary, Lucario, Vaporeon, Zebstrika
Calem: Chesnaught, Talonflame, Blastoise, Sylveon, Aegislash, Heliolisk
Sun: Decidueye, Toucannon, Arcanine, {REDACTED}, {REDACTED}, {REDACTED}, {REDACTED}
?: {REDACTED}, {REDACTED}, {REDACTED}, {REDACTED}, {REDACTED}, {REDACTED}
Also, in response to your review about Mina and her age. I'll admit I don't count Let's GO Eevee and Let's GO Pikachu as part of my story, since they seem to be part of their own continuity and came out after US/UM. I just make sense of what I'm given.
From: Boy Knight
I just have one question and it was one I wanted to ask earlier but couldn't; do you think it's possible to include a Mother's Day chapter? I ask this because you managed to create such an awesome mother with Laura and it Would be nice to see Sun do something nice for her to show how grateful he is to have her. I'd understand if you choose not to do so, it's just a suggestion.
That's a fun idea, actually, and if I didn't have this chapter ready to roll I would've probably thrown in an omake or something. I think I even have something in mind that Sun could do for her, actually. So we'll see where it goes and if it works. Thanks for the suggestion!
That's all for now folks. I've got family visiting next weekend from the states, so I'll be likely focused on that instead of writing. I'll try and get a chapter out, but it's likely gonna be another two-week deal. I promise we'll be getting back to weekly updates just as soon as things calm down. Now that we've reached the post-tournament section of this arc, things should speed up a bit and chapters won't be nearly as long. Thanks for being patient.
Also, in regards to the Discord thing I've mentioned last chapter, the general census seems to be a few people being interested, so I'll likely be setting one up in the near future.
In the meantime, please favorite and/or follow the story if you're not already and leave a review in the section below, because feedback makes me happy and helps me improve and all that awesome stuff.
Take care and stay awesome.
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
