Pokémon Radiant Sun


Howdy folks. Let's get right into it.

After finally dealing with some intense work nonsense, I now have a brief reprieve...before more intense work nonsense. Ah well.

Either way, we're gearing up towards the end of the next act, and things are going to be picking up! So let's get things going!

Shoutout those who reviewed since the last update, which includes JDunks896, Defender31415, Oragonking, SolanaLeonhart, BraviaryScout, Anasazi Darkmoon, a Guest reviewer, Joey, SonicIKE, Ways (with their patented review bomb!), a Guest reviewers, and two new readers known as TheTrueFlame1 and zapking5. Thanks for the incredible support and feedback, folks.

Here's another long one for you!

Enjoy.


Chapter 111: Sun's Promise


Many Years Ago…

Malie City


"It just doesn't add up."

"You've said that four times now, Lusamine. You need to take a break."

"I agree with him, love. You want me to get you some wine?"

"Please?...This is such a mess."

Kahuna Roran snickered and pointed to a cabinet towards the back of his lavish office, saying, "I keep the best stuff in that one. I don't see why we shouldn't bust out the big guns for every politician's worst nightmare. Paperwork."

"Amen to that." Lusamine groaned, staring at the stack of paperwork in front of them with distaste as Mohn went to get the bottle of wine that Roran had pointed out. The Kahuna had been enlisted in their efforts to smooth over things with the Alolan Regional Council, but so far things hadn't gone to plan.

"Seems to me we need to find some manner of compromise. Sadly, even with my pull and some supporters on the Council, those idiots are stubborn as hell. They recognize how a Pokémon League will do nothing but provide benefits and stability to the region, but they hate change so much that they'd fight tooth and nail to keep it from happening." Roran mused, a crooked smile on his face.

"It's definitely annoying. Thankfully I'm no longer the Champion, so I have more free time and less obligations than I did before." Lusamine remarked, smirking somewhat. "I wonder how my replacement is handling the paperwork."

"I think I heard their screams of horror all the way from back in Kalos." Mohn joked, causing Lusamine to giggle. Roran's smirk turned into a grin as he hopped to his feet, getting a few wine glasses he kept on hand. The next few hours passed by, with the trio combating the paperwork and discussing recent events. The Ruby Raider attacks, the Alolan Regional Council, Tommy's parents' tragic deaths, and Ashton came up quite a bit.

"That kid's going places. It's so odd how someone who absolutely hates battling is so good at it." Roran mused, letting out a laugh as he drained his fourth glass. Lusamine giggled, leaning forward in her chair.

"I can absolutely see Ash leaving this place and never coming back. Or becoming a Kahuna and protecting this island for a few decades." Mohn commented as he placed an arm around Lusamine's shoulders.

"He's got the background for it. Even if his father is...eccentric to say the least, the Aupuni lineage goes back centuries here in Alola. It's not royalty or anything, but several notable Kahunas came from Ashton's bloodline and they still have good standing even in this era. And that's important in Alola." Roran replied, snorting softly and derisively. "It always comes down to blood in the end for this place, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Lusamine asked, curious.

"Let's just say that if there's any region that loves to Cheri-pick their facts. You guys are lucky...You just have an insane king who tried to end a war." Roran said almost pityingly to the couple. "Meanwhile, Alola simply covers up the history they don't like. They cast aside what doesn't belong and pretend it doesn't exist. Even in the present day they do it."

"Really?" Mohn asked, looking concerned as Roran's expression darkened.

"Alright, so you know how Ash was forced into the Island Challenge?" Roran asked them, earning nods in response. "Well, it's not unheard of for children to be cast out of their families for refusing to undergo the Trials. Ash's situation, while an extreme example, isn't that uncommon from what I've seen. Alola is a paradise of sorts, but it does have its problems."

"Why does it have to be that way, though? Can't you change things? You're a Kahuna, aren't you?" Lusamine asked the man, earning a wry smile in response.

"I have power, but I'm still only one man fighting against centuries of culture. I am trying to change the system in my own way. Alola's biggest problem is that it's mired in its own past. It refuses to move forward. I'm changing that by developing the region into a tourism powerhouse. I've already set the foundation for it up. Now all I need is a few years and those idiots on the Council will have no choice but to accept that the past is to be admired, but not adhered to." Roran explained as he crossed his arms, grinning with triumph.

"So, by showing them how profitable developing Alola is, you're going to change their minds and try to enact change. That's...quite clever, actually." Mohn admitted, smiling at the man. Roran raised his glass to the couple, beaming at them.

"For the sake of Alola's future, I have to scheme. My methods are roundabout, yeah, but in the end I love Alola for the good. I want it to be better. That's why things need to change. You know?" Roran said with a rueful smile.

Lusamine smiled at the Kahuna, raising her own glass and clanging it against the Kahuna's before drinking it all in one gulp. She then laughed softly, saying, "I remember how badly I wanted to improve the world. As a Champion I campaigned for change and to help people. Kalos is peaceful these days, so I completely understand your desire to make things better, Roran. I wish you the best of luck."

Roran Rubinara shut his eyes, his smile becoming softer as he considered the woman's words. Finally, he said in a quiet voice, "Lusamine...Mohn...Thank you. Nothing means more to me than the support of a friend."

Mohn and Lusamine departed the Kahuna's office a short time later, with Mohn half-carrying the drunk woman out of the room while Roran laughed and waved to them farewell. The Kahuna shut the door behind him and within moments, the smile he wore slipped away, replaced by a grimace. The persona of the kindly and charismatic Kahuna slipped away, revealing the man underneath.

"Thank goodness...I didn't think I'd ever get them to leave." Roran sighed, rubbing his face. He then wrapped his arms around himself, shuddering violently as he exhaled, letting out a small groan of pain.

"Withdrawal, again...I'm good at hiding the signs, but that doesn't make it easier." Roran muttered, his Ariados hissing softly from its bed beside his desk.

"No, I'll be fine. Nothing a little snack won't fix. And maybe a few lines for good measure." Roran said, laughing softly to himself in a manner that made his Pokémon shudder slightly. It knew exactly what was coming, and it wasn't brave enough to try and stop it.

Roran walked over to the rack of ancient weapons in the cabinet, eyeing them appreciatively. He reached forward and stroked the sword that looked like it was made of bone, sighing as it brushed his finger along the flat of the blade. Several strange runes were burned into the blade, which was serrated and very lethal-looking.

"I remember you fondly, Charlie. You put up so much of a struggle." Roran crooned to the sword, laughing softly as he grabbed the blade by the black leather handle and pulled it out. The Kahuna swung the sword several times experimentally, inwardly gleeful that his skill with the blade hadn't diminished any, before setting the bone-sword in its proper place. He then grabbed a serrated dagger that was jet-black and held a skull-shaped jewel in the pommel. This particular weapon had seen it's fair share of blood.

And that trend would continue tonight.

"Guard the room. I don't want to be disturbed." Roran instructed his Ariados, who nodded silently before ducking into its own shadow to watch outside the office. With that, Roran walked over to the bookshelf next to the wine cabinet, muttering to himself all the while.

"Tomorrow I need to make some kind of deal with Tommy. You'd think after I had his parents killed, he'd get the memo and just throw his support behind my development movement. I need companies like his to support me. But he needs more time...Well, if I don't have an answer by the end of the week, I'll simply deal with him. It's not skin off my bones." Roran grinned widely, as if amused greatly by something. "I can't say the same for him, though!"

The dagger-wielding man placed his hands on the side of the bookcase and shoved it, causing a mechanism to click behind the shelf and make the entire thing shift backward, and then slide into an open area that allowed the Kahuna to view into a small cave of sorts, with a stone staircase leading down into darkness.

Roran Rubinara inhaled deeply, letting out a delighted exhale at the thick scent of blood that wafted past him from down below, causing him to shiver with delight. The scent, even after all of these years since his...ceremony, never failed to excite him.

"Please...help us…"

"D-don't…"

"I'm so thirsty...p-p-please let us g-go."

Roran ignored the pleas from below, like always. They wouldn't last for much longer anyway, not with what Roran had in store for them. Today was an experiment day, and Roran had a few new ideas to test out. His latest serum was a grand success, and he was in a mood to get creative.

"Perhaps it really is time to be more...direct, in regards to my situation with Tommy and his influence. Maybe I can have Ashton convince him for me?" Roran muttered to himself, shutting his eyes for a moment as he considered it. "I'll figure it out later. It's been a long day and I'm going to unwind."

"Don't kill us! We'll be good!" one of the smaller voices down below begged Roran, earning a hearty chuckle from the Kahuna as he flipped the knife in his hand with a practiced movement.

"Don't worry, my friends...It'll only hurt for a moment. And then...you won't feel anything ever again. We'll become one." Roran purred into the darkness, his smile of kindness slowly warping into one of complete malevolence. He placed his hand on a small lever and yanked it down, causing the bookcase to move back into its proper place and seal itself.

No one heard the screams that followed.


Present Day

Malie City


Flames erupted from the large crack in the earth, pouring hot smoke into the air and creating a horrific red glow around the city. Police officials were desperately roping off the area around the crater that had opened up within the center of Malie City, tearing through the cobblestone and cracking it from the sheer heat searing through the air. The massive crowd that surrounded the spewing crater shouted and screamed, a massive throng of horrified masses that had no idea how this had come to be.

Meanwhile, in the air, a certain Lorekeeper and her Salamence sliced through the air with incredible speed, with Zinnia wobbling on the back of her trusty dragon.

"Damn him...This is not good!" Zinnia hissed as her Salamence soared through the sky, the heat nearly making Zinnia faint. She held strong and landed on the ground a short distance away from the cordoned off area, her mind racing. Zinnia glanced to her side and noticed a gaggle of Trainers she recognized, and decided to make herself scarce, hiding away as Hugh, Vivian, and Noah arrived, taking in the sight before them.

"Wha...this can't be normal…" Hugh muttered worriedly, watching the flames with concern. Noah wore an expression of contemplation while Vivian held onto his hand, her expression unreadable. Zinnia watched the trio for a few moments before slipping away, hoping to get a closer look at the flames.

"Of course it isn't natural. We know that much. Considering what we know about Roran and that Heatran of his, we can assume this is his doing. But why do this and now?" Noah asked rhetorically, knowing no one present knew the answer to that question.

"Is this the disaster that Dizz spoke of?" Hugh asked Vivian as he turned towards the violinist, earning a shake of the head.

"No, it's supposed to be in three days, remember? And be bad enough that it thinks a lot of people will die. This is a scary situation, but I don't see how people might die from a crack in the ground." Vivian noted, with Noah putting a hand to his chin in thought.

"Perhaps this is a prelude for things to come?" Noah mused, only to hear a deep chuckle that reverberated around them all.

Wouldn't you like to know?

Everyone present looked towards the voice that had spoken, and after a few moments they spotted a Heliolisk sitting on a nearby lamppost, looking amused. With a flick of its tail, the creature teleported on the ground beside them.

That masked-wearing man certainly knows how to draw a crowd.

"Apparently...that earthquake earlier wasn't anything to sneeze at either." Noah said, turning his gaze back towards the flames. "Since you're some kind of all-powerful god or something, couldn't you stop the flames and seal the earth?"

I prefer the term "Demigod", but that was a long time ago. I never had a chance to meet Riley and Spark, but I still hold some fondness for my original world.

Noah and Hugh exchanged a confused glance, but Vivian looked excited. "You haven't told me about that one yet! You change the subject every time I ask."

For good reason. We're also getting off-topic. I could seal the earth and banish the flames, but what good would it do? It's not going to stop what happens in three days.

"Hey everyone!"

All of those present towards towards a group fighting their way through the crowd. Sun emerged first, with Oliver soaring overhead with Penny. Aether President Lusamine and Aria joined him shortly after, with the three of them looking out of breath. Lusamine straightened up regally, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe her brow. Somehow not a hair was out of pace, despite having hurried quite a distance through the city.

"Thank Arceus for Ride Pokémon…" Aria huffed, as she walked over to her friends, pulling Hugh into a quick kiss before looking towards the flames.

"Looks like I can't have a break, huh?" Aria asked jokingly, shaking her head as she walked closer to the massive blaze. "What do we know?"

"Besides the fact that Roran is likely behind this and that aside from some injuries, all this is doing is scaring people." Noah informed her, glancing at the Heliolisk sitting beside them. Aria stared at the Anomaly for a few moments before she blinked twice.

"Wait a minute...You're the one who scared the crap out of me back in Driftveil City!" Aria accused the Anomaly, who shifted into another form with a flash of white light, surprising all of them. Colress chose that moment to arrive, looking as if he was about to die on his feet from the horrible act of having to run.

"W-w-w-what...on...earth?" Colress heaved, trying to remember how to breathe as Dizz formed into Nari, the male angel with the short golden hair. Gleaming white and black metal armor flashed into existence, looking more like a work of art than something designed to protect someone, with a compact design and flowing golden calligraphy streaming alongside it.

"To answer your question, yes I am. You look like you've somewhat developed as your own person since we last met. I'm glad you followed my advice." Dizz-Nari said with a satisfied nod, flashing Aria a beautiful smile.

"What...are you?" Lusamine asked, staring at the Anomaly with an expression of amazement on her face, mixed in with a little horror. Dizz-Nari bowed to the woman, his grin becoming something darker.

"It's a pleasure to meet the woman of the hour. I am many things, Aether President Lusamine Jardin. You may refer to me as the Anomaly, because I don't feel like you all deserve any of my attention." Dizz-Nari said as Lusamine's gaze became sharper with annoyance, with the angel standing back upright and offering the President a smirk.

"I see you're quite rude. Or perhaps you were never taught manners." Lusamine snapped at the creature, who burst out into laughter.

"Coming from you, that's a compliment. But I'm curious as to whether or not it's you talking or the alien venom you pumped into your veins." Dizz-Nari accused Lusamine, who jerked back in surprise.

"W-w-what?!" Lusamine stammered, completely shocked that the strange reality-defying creature knew such a fact. No one was aware of the amount of Nihilego venom running through her body right now. Branch Chief Faba and Miss Wicke knew she had been exposed to it once, but neither knew she had subjected herself to more and more of the poison over the years.

"Or the other many things you've done. Borlath has done quite a lot of evil, but you're not much better." The Anomaly accused Lusamine, who still looked bewildered. Sun stepped forward, glancing back and forth between the two before speaking up.

"I have a feeling none of what you're saying is going to make sense until later. If it's even true at all." Sun said to the creature, simply earning a shrug in response.

"That's the fun of it. You shouldn't trust any of what I have to say, really. It's not the first time I've made up lies to throw someone off." Dizz-Nari said as Vivian chuckled at the declaration, leaning against Noah as she did so.

"I do the same thing, so I totally get where it's coming from. I couldn't do it for millions of years though." Vivian admitted, with the angel's smile contorting into something that didn't fit it's handsome features.

"Astounding! I've never seen anything like this!" Colress breathed at last, drawing everyone's attention to him. The man sounded excited, typing frantically on his datapad. It seemed as though his enthusiasm had overcome his exhaustion.

Dizz glanced at the man with an expression of annoyance, causing Colress' datapad to suddenly explode in his hands, causing the man to stumble back with a surprised yelp.

"Don't try that again. Me and technology don't tend to work well together." Dizz-Nari said to the stunned scientist, who responded with a laugh to everyone's surprise.

"To think I'd have a chance to witness your power firsthand. Astounding." Colress said with a calculating grin as Dizz-Nari gave him an odd look before casually pointing to the flames pouring from the crack in the ground half a mile away.

"Shouldn't you be more preoccupied with that?" Dizz-Nari asked, tilting his head towards the flames in front of them. "It's not every day that something like this crops up."

"No kidding." Aria said darkly, crossing her arms as Sun and Lusamine exchanged a brief glance. The Aether Foundation President stepped forward, her boots clacking against the cobblestone as she admired the outpouring of fire coming from the slash in the ground.

"This reminds me of…" Lusamine trailed off, her expression conflicted before she shook her head. "Never mind."

However, inwardly Lusamine was fuming. "He's trying this mad scheme again? What's the point? Is Roran just that full of spite or is there another motive?"

Lusamine then turned her attention to the so-called "Anomaly". The creature in question sounded a bit like the creature that had attacked Faba within Ten Carat Hill, though she was unsure is that was the case. However, it was incredibly concerning that this creature knew enough about her to accuse her of being just as bad as Borlath. Lusamine was snapped out of her thoughts by a familiar shout of fury.

"YOU!"

Everyone present turned towards the approaching figure of Zinnia, who was pointing a finger towards Dizz-Nari as her Salamence fired off a Hyper Beam, much to the surprise and horror of the crowd around them. The powerful blast of raw energy surged towards the angel, who slowly looked towards the attack with an unconcerned smirk on its face. That smirk became a shark-like grin as he reached forward and swatted the beam skyward with his bare hand, much to the amazement of everyone present.

"You'd think that someone who had a Legendary offer you a partnership would have better things to do than pick a fight you can't win." Nari-Dizz remarked as Zinnia called for a Fire Blast, which the Anomaly made fizzle out with a snap of his fingers. The angel then held out a hand towards Zinnia' Salamence, causing Dragon Pokémon to suddenly scream in agony before it twitched violently, suddenly returning to its Poké Ball in a flash of red light. Zinnia gasped in surprise, glancing down at the shaking Poké Ball for a moment before returning her gaze to the Anomaly-

That suddenly clamped a hand around her throat, it's insane gaze bearing down on the Lorekeeper. Dizz's expression twisted as it shifted forms, becoming the horrifying Alexander Jacobson, the soldier with snow-white hair and gleaming crimson eyes looming over Zinnia with a predatory smile.

"You are nothing to me. And it's about time you get with the program. The rest of us have our roles...So step up. Or I'll finally just stop beating around the bush and kill you, if that's what you really want." Dizz-Jacobson hissed, his grin twisting into a terrible snarl before the Anomaly threw Zinnia backwards. To everyone's surprise, the Lorekeeper was sent hurtling backwards towards a nearby building, and would have plowed straight through if not for a swath of vines that erupted from the ground to catch Zinnia when she was ten yards away from certain death.

As the group collectively sighed in relief, Sun looked beside him and saw Zygarde glaring down Dizz, the length of its body glowing bright green. It was easy to assume that the vines were the result of the Order Pokémon's power, saving the one it had chosen to stand beside it. Even if Zinnia had refused its offer.

"You...This was not your doing. But you still shouldn't be here. Your presence only makes things worse." Zygarde intoned, crouching low on the ground. The face of Captain Jacobson flashed the Legendary a terrifying smile of insanity, a saber forming within his hand with a flash of light.

"I think you'll find me a bit more prepared to face you this time, Zygarde. Though, I feel like you have more pressing matters than me." the man replied with a soft laugh that only made those present shiver. It was at that moment that they took stock of the fact that the flames had stopped moving in front of them, and that the crowd was frozen in a state of mute horror.

"It stopped time again...what is that thing, really?" Sun wondered as Dizz and Zygarde stared each other down, with Zinnia watching the two with an expression of uncertainty.

"I am more than capable of fending you off and ending this catastrophe." Zygarde shot back, with the Anomaly's smile fading away, its form slipping away into its preferred Heliolisk state.

No...You aren't.

Dizz vanished with a flicker, causing Zinnia to swear as she untangled herself from the roots that had saved her, landing on the ground lightly. The Lorekeeper strode over to where Dizz had been, glaring down at the ground before glancing back at Zygarde, who watched her silently. Zinnia stared at the Order Pokémon for several moments before looking away. The group remained silent as time resumed, with the crowd shrieking in confusion and pandemonium beginning in earnest, though the officials present began working to restore order right away.

Zygarde slowly padded over to Zinnia, who refused to meet its gaze. After a few moments, the creature sat down on its haunches while Zinnia seemed to compose herself. It was the most uncomfortable that Sun had ever seen the woman.

"I don't want to be hurt again...Is that so much to ask?" Zinnia asked Zygarde, with the Legendary considering her question for a few moments.

"We don't choose the fate that we are given. You were dealt a harsh life, Lorekeeper. We do not know what Trials you faced, admittedly, but we know that your soul is similar to ours. We seek the means to maintain the balance in all things." Zygarde replied, its voice gentle as the creature moved its gaze to the flames spewing out from the earth beside them.

"Whether we want to or not...sometimes we must perform the role we are given. I was not chosen for my role, and neither were you." Zygarde continued, causing Zinnia to flinch. "However, you should not let that define you."

Zinnia remained quiet for nearly a minute before she responded by throwing up her hood and striding away from all of them, with Zygarde watching her depart into the crowd with a tilt of the head.

"I...really feel like I'm misjudging that woman." Hugh said quietly, crossing his arms with a guilty expression on his face. None of them had anything to say to that, and so instead they turned their attention to the flames, wondering what on earth else fate could throw at them. And what horrors awaited them in three days, when the disaster Dizz predicted would occur.


The Next Morning…

Heahea City


"It feels weird doing this, dawg…"

"I'm telling you this'll work. You want to make money? This is how you do it. We've already had a few purchases today!"

"I know that, yo! But it still feels weird."

Gladion watched on with some amusement from a nearby bench as Demi, now dressed in a bright yellow sundress, advised Bone Unit #71 on how to go about their sales pitch. The gaggle of Team Skull Grunts who made up the original members of that group were dressed in casual clothes, mainly just ripped jeans and T-shirts. To them it felt weird to be without their Team Skull gear, but to Demi it was crucial to their scheme.

"It's amazing that Team Skull hasn't pick up on better, and more legal, ways to make money like this. Especially since there tourists are so hungry for new and shiny stuff that they'll believe anything." Gladion thought, turning his eyes to the row of shiny Poké Balls on display at the stand they had set up near the airport in Heahea City. While it was smaller than the one in Hau'oli City, it still had a respectable amount of traffic. And far less security.

The amount of money they had already made today was staggering to the youths, except for Demi and Gladion, who had already tested to see if this would work and succeeded in making a respectable amount of cash. Catching exotic Alolan Pokémon that were easy to obtain if you were a skilled Trainer, like Gladion, and selling them to tourists who didn't know that obtaining one of their own in the wilds was a simple matter turned out to be aa very easy way to make money. And it was a successful one that Demi was intent on making a common practice in Team Skull, who always needed funds to survive even if they had claimed Po Town as their own.

Gladion couldn't help but reflect on how things had changed over the past few days. He and Demi had become much closer ever since that stormy night where things had exploded between them. Gladion felt more calm and less agitated than usual, which he attributed to finally being able to confide in someone that actually cared about his well-being.

That being said...He really had no idea what to do about the fact that Demi almost certainly had a crush on him.

It was something Gladion had suspected for quite some time, but he was almost convinced of it now. How protective she had been of him during their time together, especially when Team Skull harassed him. Demi forcing herself to run out into the rain to help him when the Bone Brothers were assaulting him and his Pokémon. The fact that she was constantly looking for an excuse to hug him, and her frequent blushes in his direction. Combine that with a few jokes thrown in from Bone Unit #71 and it all made sense.

"The thing is, I have no idea what to do about it." Gladion admitted to himself, sighing softly as he leaned back on the bench while Type: Null and his Riolu sat beside him. The Riolu calmly ate a Poké Bean while Type: Null kept alert for anyone that might pose a problem to them. Thankfully security was rather lax in this section of the airport, so that wasn't a problem.

"What are you talking about?" Type: Null asked Gladion, earning a shrug from the teen.

"Demi and our...relationship going forward. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy her company and she's been really helpful in training you guys up. But I don't really know how to handle someone who's actually interested in me like she is. I barely know how to handle a friend who isn't." Gladion admitted quietly, looking towards the sky and attempting to sort out a solution to this conundrum.

The monster beside him grunted in reply while the Riolu continued to munch on his berry, so the trio simply watched as Demi supervised the Team Skull Grunts and aided their efforts to sell a Yungoos to a visiting dignitary hoping to bring his daughter a Pokémon from his trip to Alola. After pocketing the money he gave them and bidding the man farewell, Demi gave Gladion a thumbs up and a cheeky grin.

"Well, it doesn't have to change." Type: Null said to Gladion, who looked at his Partner with some surprise. "She cares about you and wants us to complete our goal. She is good for both our objective, as well as your mental health. She also provides very pleasurable scratches when I ask her too."

"Shoulda known that was why you want me to keep her around." Gladion muttered, unable to stop the amused smirk on his face as he reached over the scratched Type: Null's neck, causing it to hum in delight. Gladion reached over to Riolu and scratched his head as well, causing the still-recovering Pokémon to sigh in delight.

"I mean...don't get me wrong, I like being around her. Ever since we had that talk after our fight, we've gotten along much better. Even before then, she really wasn't that bad. Plus she's kept those morons from bothering me as much. But I don't know how to deal with something like...well, romantic feelings."

"I wouldn't know either. This is your problem, Trainer. Not mine."

"I'm aware…"

Gladion heard a strange rumbling sound from the monster sitting down on the ground beside him, a sound that Gladion had come to associate with Type: Null's laughter and felt his face flush. Before he could say anything though, the topic of their conversation was suddenly standing in front of him with a wide smile.

"Looks like those dorks are raking in quite the profit for today! We sold all of the Pokémon we caught in half the time!" Demi said cheerily as she sat down beside Riolu, taking a moment to hug the Emanation Pokémon. To Gladion's surprise, Riolu returned the hug with a happy smile on his face.

"Hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day." Gladion remarked, without any real malice. Demi pouted, though she grinned a few moments later.

"I really do appreciate you helping us with this scheme though. I don't feel comfortable catching Pokémon and those guys suck at it." Demi said to Gladion, who simply waved his hand dismissively.

"It's fine. Just so long as I get a cut of the profits and we spend time later training, I don't care." Gladion responded as he crossed his arms. Type: Null chuckled during the exchange, though it stopped once Bone Unit #71 approached them.

"Yo! Check it! We made mad bank, yo!" Kevin boomed as Tim jangled their bag of money with a grin on his face.

"Yeah! Maybe with this money we can afford Bitch Therapy for Gladion over there. That or fix Incoherent Tim's voice thingy." Axen snarked, earning a middle finger from Gladion and a glare from Tim, who thwacked Axen over the head with the money.

"Drater, kcid ym kcus!" Tim growled at Axen, who backed away.

"Aww, what's that? Little Johnny fell in the well? Well, I guess we better go save him, yo!" Axen said with a wide smile before Kayla stepped in between the two.

"Moving on from this grand slam of stupidity...we seriously made some good dosh today. Guzma's already been notified and he's happy that some of Team Skull is starting to show some initiative. He said that so long as we can keep the money coming in, that we were more than free to spend what we made today however we see fit." Kayla informed them all, causing everyone except Gladion to punch the air triumphantly.

"Awesome! That means I can get wasted on good booze tonight and not hang out with losers like Gladion all day!" Axen declared, mostly trying to get a rise out of Gladion. All he earned was an annoyed look from Demi and a bored stare from Gladion.

"For just one day I'd like to not be called a loser." Gladion sighed, shaking his head. Axen frowned from the lack of fire from the Team Skull Enforcer and put his hands on his hips.

"Yeah? Well I'd like a one dollar brothel filled with nothing but naked clones of Cynthia, but we can't always get what we want in life, now can we?" Axen grumbled, not noticing the weirded out looks everyone else was giving him. Kayla in particular looked revolted, but decided to get their conversation back on track.

"Moving on...what're you guys gonna do with the money? I was thinking of meat and maybe some cheap wine. The Fossil Man knows where underage kids can get some neat stuff, if they're willing to pay." Kayla suggested, earning a sharp look from Gladion.

"That man shouldn't be trusted. I have no idea why you guys keep seeing him." Gladion grunted, earning a worried look from Demi.

"He trusts us with some respect and gives us free food. Who are we to judge if he does drugs and hides weird things in his RV?" Kayla responded, shrugging it off.

"Hides weird things?" Demi questioned, curious. To Gladion's relief, Demi was also unsettled by the Fossil Man and heeded his advice about keeping away from the lunatic.

"He always keeps the door locked, even when he's standing outside of the RV. He's probably just hiding the good stuff in there." Kevin responded with obvious want, grinning now. "I bet he's got some top quality weed in there. He showed us some of that red leafy stuff the other day that smelt amazing and made you feel really good."

"Back to the topic!" Kayla growled, casually backhanding Axen and Kevin while grabbing the money from Tim. "We should decide as a whole what to do with this."

"Well...Why don't we stash away half of this cash and blow the rest on something cool?" Demi suggested, earning a chorus of surprised looks. Demi rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. "Don't look at me like that. Shopping is fun, and I like being practical. I know I'm in the market for a new swimsuit and maybe a new TM for Scorch."

"That's...an idea." Kayla said, smiling after a moment. "I guess doing both makes sense. I really wanted to blow it on some steak and a back massage, since the wine thing is tricky. But I don't think this'll even cover that."

"Probably not. Onward, my friends! Let's roll!" Demi said as she hopped off of the bench and made her way down the road. Gladion hopped off of the bench, returned Riolu and made his way after her as the remainder of Team Skull broke down their stand and hurried after them.

Gladion returned to his thoughts on Demi, still unsure of what to do. He eventually decided to just give it time. Shutting his eyes, Gladion sighed deeply and wondered if he should just cut his losses and go train on his own while waiting for the group to do their shopping. He decided against it though, because he was sure Demi wouldn't be happy about him abandoning them.

"Hey, you good?"

Speak of the devil…

Gladion opened his eyes to see Demi watching him with a concerned look. Gladion found her to be far too close to him for his own comfort, but he nodded in response.

"Just thinking." Gladion responded shortly, not really wanting to have this conversation right now. It was times like this where he cursed his sheltered upbringing.

"What about?" Demi asked, curious as to what her friend was in such deep thought about.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Gladion responded, not unkindly. Demi rolled her eyes and walked ahead of him, her skirt billowing out slightly behind her. Gladion watched as she sauntered off, his eyes lingering on her bare legs for slightly longer than he would have liked before he tore his gaze away. However, it was a sight that didn't go unnoticed.

"Dude, you are so checking her out." Kevin remarked with a snicker, somehow appearing beside him without Gladion being any the wiser. Type: Null laughed from within its helmet and Gladion scowled angrily, especially because a bright pink flush crept into his cheeks.

"I am not. Trust me, that's the last thing on my mind." Gladion growled, annoyed that Kevin was intruding on his thinking. The other teen simply smirked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"You should give her a shot, man. Not many girls like that edgy-aloof thing you got going on, yo. She loves that shit though. Maybe it's because her dad is an uptight asshole and she wants to rebel against that?" Kevin mused, with Gladion glaring at him now. "What do I know?"

"And you're certain it's not just because of my natural good looks and stunning charisma?" Gladion retorted sarcastically, earning a deadpan look from Kevin. Type: Null was even giving Gladion a look, which made the teen's left eye twitch slightly. "Okay, I'll concede on that one."

"At least you've got a sense of humor. Seriously, though, you should give it some thought. She does actually care about you, yo. It's obvious to all of us. She doesn't really see that, though, and is probably hoping you don't either." Kevin laughed quietly, shaking his head.

Gladion snorted decisively at that. "I'm occasionally thick-headed, but even I noticed. I have no idea what to do about it. I guess I'll figure it out in time and keep being friends with her."

"It's your life, yo. I don't really give two shits. It's just amusing is all."

"Do you have any thoughts for how I should actively handle her crush on me?" Gladion asked Kevin, with the Team Skull Grunt giving him a shit-eating grin in reply.

"With a paddle."

"Alright. Any normal thoughts on how I should deal with Demi's crush on me?"

"Nope."

"Damn it."


Meanwhile...

Malie City


"You don't have to walk me there, Miss Lusamine."

"I don't have to, no. But I'm an adult who is free to do whatever she wants. Such as accompanying you to ensure that you're properly outfitted for traversing one of the most intense stretches of the Island Challenge."

Lusamine took that moment to carefully snatch away Sun's cap, patting him on the head and earning a pout before she replaced it. "I'll also have you know that the next route is one I helped your father prepare for, back when he was undergoing his Island Trials. He managed it well enough, so I must have done something right."

"I guess so…" Sun relented as Rotom Dex giggled in his backpack. Sun promptly ignored this and continued to follow the Aether President to the Alola Exploration Outpost. It was there that Sun got to fully appreciate Lusamine Jardin's experience as a Pokémon Trainer, because she helped Sun pick out several very helpful items that would be essential to mountain-climbing, such as sturdy rope and good hiking boots, as well as a book written by the National Hiker's Guild of Johto called "Hiking For Newbies!"

Along with a few other things like a large and durable tent big enough to fit Brago and the rest of his team with ease, as well as several packs of Pokémon food that were stored in item capsules, Sun was ready to go with his purchases. The pair talked about things of minor consequence on the way back, though they did stumble on an odd scene while walking to the entrance of Route 11.

A teenager a few years older than Sun with an odd accent belligerently screaming at people while holding a bottle of alcohol in her hand. This scene continued for several minutes as Sun and Lusamine watched on in awe as several people struggled to restrain the young woman. It wasn't until a rather pale and tall man with long black and white hair arrived and dragged the girl off, looking rather bored by the whole proceeding while everyone else looked baffled. Lusamine had some choice advice for Sun as they walked away from the scene.

"Remember, Sun. Everything can be good in moderation, but alcohol is dangerous even at the best of times. Don't be like her." Lusamine said sternly as Sun nodded in agreement.

"Yes ma'am...That girl was weird though. I could barely understand her screaming." Sun said with a note of confusion in his voice.

"Yes, her accent was pretty thick. She must have been from rural Galar, if I had to guess. Ah well. She's not a concern of ours, since we're here now." Lusamine said as they finally reached their destination.

"I guess so." Sun said quietly, a little bit saddened by this. He actually enjoyed being around President Lusamine, even if she was occasionally odd. Having someone who knew about his father's past and was willing to help him through some of what he was going to had been a great comfort for Sun. Lusamine had been nothing but kind and helpful to him. He'd miss her.

Lusamine surprised Sun by bending down and hugging the boy, wrapping her arms around him in a comforting embrace. Sun returned it, smiling brightly as Lusamine laughed softly.

"I'll miss you, Sun. I can't wait to see how much you flourish on your journey." Lusamine said fondly, smiling brilliantly at him. Sun beamed back at her, nodding.

"I'll make sure to visit Aether Paradise when I can. In the meantime, you guys better get that Roran guy." Sun said to Lusamine, who's eyes narrowed as her smile became more firm.

"I plan to. Roran's a plague on this world and I'll make him pay for all of the hurt he's caused. Your father is an idiot, but his boneheaded scheme is nothing compared to what Roran will do to Alola if not stopped." Lusamine said seriously, causing Sun to look away.

"What...what do you think I should do about Dad, ma'am? After what Roran did, and his offer to the Pokémon League, I just don't know anymore." Sun asked Lusamine, who closed her eyes and thought hard about it. After all, dealing with someone like Ashton in a situation like this wasn't easy at the best of times.

"Talk with him, Sun. Have an honest discussion about everything. Ask him questions and see what his plans are going forward. If he can come to an agreement with the Pokémon League and actually stops his efforts, then so much bloodshed can be prevented." Lusamine said as she put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Ashton loves you, Sun. You're his Sunshine. His light in this terrible world we live in, and his motivation for wanting to make this world a better place. His heart is in the right place, but his methods are terrible. Necessary, maybe, but terrible. You've convinced him to give peace a genuine chance. Capitalize on that." Lusamine advised the boy, who thought about it.

"I...I don't want to take advantage of him like that." Sun admitted, with Lusamine chuckling softly as she put a hand to her mouth.

"I wouldn't say it's taking advantage of him. It's guiding him towards a path everyone wants him to go down. After all, he probably doesn't want to hurt anyone else as much as you do. He just finds it necessary." Lusamine explained before giving Sun another hug and stepping away.

"Farewell for now, my dear. Feel free to contact me whenever you like. I'll be in Malie City helping with the efforts to find Cipher's base, so if you'd like to meet again it'd be no trouble at all." Lusamine said to the boy before turning on her heel and walking away, her heels clacking on the cobblestoned road beside them. Sun stared after the woman for a few moments before his gaze drifted to the massive plume of smoke still reaching into the sky from the crater that had opened as a result of the earthquake last night.

"I have to do something...People are going to get hurt because of what Roran is trying to do. Dad said he's going to stop him, but...how is he going to do that without coming to Alola himself?" Sun thought as he began his trek down the route, deep in thought. After about twenty minutes of walking, Sun was snapped out of his thoughts by someone calling for him.

"Hey, Sunshine Smiles! Over here!" came a cheerful girl's voice. Sun turned towards the voice and blinked twice, seeing that there were several ghosts floating around two young women having tea and sandwiches on a blanket on the grass nearby. Acerola waved at him while Lillie simply gave him a shy smile, with Nebby flailing happily as he zoomed around the bamboo thicket they were in.

Sun also realized Lillie had undergone a slight wardrobe change. He was very surprised to see her stockings and shoes replaced by white hiking boots, as well as Nebby's bag looking a bit more full than usual.

"Looks like you've got some company for your trek to the next Trial, Sun. Lillie was adamant on going with you. You left the Pokémon Center earlier than we thought though, so we had to find you out here!" Acerola said, her voice holding a note of teasing to it as Lillie blushed, getting to her feet.

"I figured that I've spent quite a lot of time reading and not enough time with my friends. So Acerola helped me pick out some good climbing boots and here I am!" Lillie said somewhat proudly, stepping towards Sun. The boy regarded her for a moment, smiling.

"I think you might need a bit more than boots, Lillie. The route after this one is really rough. I don't think it's the best time to be wearing a fancy dress." Sun pointed out, with Lillie giving me a disappointed look.

"B-but…" Lillie stammered, completely thrown off that Sun was shooting down her attempt to join him. Sun grinned at her then, surprising her. "Oh well. We'll figure something out!"

Lillie beamed at Sun, stepping closer to him as Acerola giggled at the pair, twirling around in a circle. "Alright, you two! Make sure to keep following the signs. There's a lot of neat stops on the way to the Aether House, and I recommend all of them! So take your time!"

"It's a shame Hau isn't around. I would've liked to travel with him for a bit." Sun remarked, sighing as Lillie frowned thoughtfully at him.

"Last I checked he was hanging out with Lana back on Akala and getting some tips on how to power up Cassy, since she's close to evolving." Lillie explained, smiling at Sun after a moment. "It'll just mean that when you two battle again it'll be even more exciting, since you haven't seen him in so long. Right?"

"Bzzzt! True! Absence doez make the heart grow fonder!" Rotom Dex chimed in, with Sun nodding in agreement.

"I just hope he's doing well. With everything going on, we kinda need every little bit of enjoyment we can get." Sun said as he glanced over at Lillie, who offered him a shy smile and move closer to him, grabbing Sun's hand with a blush. The two children set off down the road in high spirits, even as the smoke coming from Malie City continued to creep into the sky nearby. Acerola watched the pair with a fond smile before letting out a laugh and falling backwards, lying down on the blanket and grabbing the picnic basket with a sinister grin.

"More sandwiches for me! Mwehehehe!"


Meanwhile…

Brooklet Hill


"Go Lana go!"

"Get him, Sis!"

"Kick her butt Hau!"

"...What they said."

Mallow and the twins cheered on enthusiastically as two Brionne blasted each other with water attacks from across the lake. An intense battle was taking place between Bubbles, Lana's evolved Popplio, and Cassy, Hau's Starter Pokémon and Partner. The battle had waged for about twenty minutes now, and after both Pokémon were showing signs of exhaustion. Kiawe watched impassively, a faint smile on his face as he watched the two younger Trainers battle with everything they have.

Hau stood atop his Ride Lapras in his bright orange swim trunks, wearing an excited grin as Cassy dodged an Ice Beam with a back-flip through the air. "Use Acrobatics!"

Lana, simply wearing her normal swimsuit that she always wore under her regular clothes, simply crossed her arms with a coy smile as Hau's Pokémon prepared to attack. "Use Ice Beam. Stop it in its tracks!"

Bubbles opened his mouth and fired off an Ice Beam at Cassy as she glowed white and darted right at Bubbles. Lana was surprised when Hau put his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle, causing Cassy to do a flip in midair to narrowly dodge the attack and allow her to smash into Bubbles hard enough to send him back into the water.

"Not bad, Hau! You've definitely improved. Non-verbal commands or cues is a great touch! But I think it's time we both go all-out!" Lana said confidently as she held out her Z-Ring, which glowed on her wrist as Bubbles hopped out of the water, heaving with exhaustion. Cassy made her way back to Hau, likewise worn out but determined to win. After losing to Lana's much younger Brionne four times in a row, she was ready to come out on top.

"Alright then! Cassy, let's show her our real power!" Hau shouted with a wide smile, punching his fist forward, his Z-Ring glowing as well. At the same time, Hau and Lana began to strike the same series of poses, all in preparation for their strongest attack.

"So...who do you think will come out on top?" Kiawe asked Mallow as the twins cheered for their sister, with Mallow giving Kiawe a sharp grin.

"Who cares?" Mallow shot back as both Trainers on the water channeled their Z-Power into their Pokémon, all for one last move.

"HYDRO VORTEX!" both Hau and Lana bellowed as energy flowed from their bodies into their respective Brionne's. Both Cassy and Bubbles let out cries as they whipped up two massive vortexes of raging water that collided with each other, spraying water everywhere as the two forces battled for dominance. Cassy and Bubbles screamed as the attacks pressed against one another while Hau and Lana watched on, panting from the effort of using a Z-Move.

Suddenly both vortexes exploded, spraying a torrent of water all across the massive lake. Mallow whined in annoyance as water drenched her, Kiawe and the twins, the latter of which cheered as both Brionne fell into the water. Lana and Hau watched the waters for any sign of movement…

Then, Cassy surfaced from the water with a wince, looking worse for wear. Bubbles resurfaced a few moments later, though he was floating on his back with swirls in his eyes, showing that he was out cold. Cassy sighed with relief before quickly swimming back to Hau, leaping out of the water to rejoin her Trainer. Lana returned Bubbles, quietly thanking him for the hard-fought battle.

"Well...I guess that's that. Congrats Hau! You beat me!" Lana said brightly as the boy hopped up and down, picking up Cassy and hugging her tightly. Cassy hugged her Trainer back, laughing alongside her Trainer.

And then she began to glow.

"Whoa…" Hau whispered as Cassy glowed a brilliant blue, her body glowing as he set her down and took a step back. Within moments the transformation was complete, and Cassy was now in her final evolutionary form. Her body was white with a blue tail, and she had light blue hair with a tiara and a necklace of pearls decorating it, with a starfish on the side of her head.

"Cassy evolved! She looks wonderful!" Lana said happily as she walked over to Hau, who rushed forward to hug his Starter, unable to do anything but laugh with joy. Cassy happily hugged her Trainer, singing out in sheer joy at having evolved.

"You did it! Hahaha!" Hau laughed giddily, ecstatic that his Partner had finally evolved. Meanwhile, Lana smiled happily at her crush, feeling a sense of warmth enter her chest. However, when Hau suddenly let go of Cassy and tackled Lana in a hug, that heat went from her chest to her face.

"H-h-h-hau!?" Lana squeaked as Hau laughed, hugging her tightly.

"You're the best, Lana! It's thanks to you that we were able to get Cassy to evolve! You're awesome!" Hau praised the girl as he let her go, briefly noting that she was a blushing mess right now. When the duo rode Cassy back to shore, Lana had thankfully recovered.

"Aww, you lost, sissy?" Harper whined, hugging her sister.

"Cassy looks so pretty now!" Sarah cheered, looking at the newly-evolved Primarina. Lana chuckled as she ruffled Harper's hair, looking at Hau and Cassy with a smile.

"Losing is a part of life, girls. It happens to the best of us. That's why you have to learn from your losses and better yourself from them. Does that make sense?" Lana said in a sisterly tone, trying to make sure the twins understood the importance of a battle like this. Both little girls nodded in understanding before Hau walked over to them, patting them both on the heads with a grin.

"So how'd you like the battle, girls? Cool huh?" Hau asked them, making Harper and Sarah grin in excitement and hop up and down.

"Yeah yeah! It was great!"

"You and Sissy are so strong!"

"I mean, I can be awesome sometimes." Hau said modestly, putting his hands behind his head with a laugh. "Your sister is the really cool one! She's the one who helped me make so much progress with Cassy in just a few short days!"

Lana blushed fiercely at the compliment as Mallow wrapped an arm around her best friend's shoulders, grinning cheekily. Kiawe wore a smirk of his own before he suddenly snapped his fingers.

"That reminds me of something I meant to bring up earlier. There's an all-you-can-eat buffet going on back at Royal Avenue at half-price. If we're done here, why don't we get some food?" Kiawe asked them all, crossing his arms.

"Come on! Let's grab some lunch!" Hau said cheerily as he grabbed Lana's hand and pulled her along with him as he hurried off down the path. Lana blushed bright red at the contact, but didn't fight it at all. Harper and Sarah beamed at each other and high-fived as they watched her sister get dragged away by the boy that she liked. It surely meant something, even if they weren't sure what it exactly meant.

Meanwhile Kiawe and Mallow exchanged a brief glance. Mallow sighed, and then dug into her purse and pulled out a wad of bills that she then handed to the dark-skinned Captain. The young man quickly counted the bills and nodded with satisfaction.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mallow."

"Suck it, Kiawe. I can't believe I lost this bet."

"Maybe next time you shouldn't pin all your hopes on Lana kissing Hau after a battle. Seriously, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I really need to start the dating scene again. Living vicariously through Lana is getting weird."

"You are weird."

"Your face is weird!"

"Ouch, my feelings."


Several Hours Later…

Route 11


Sun and Lillie watched on from the grass as Brago spewed flames from his mouth, causing Penny and Oliver to soar higher into the air. Finn blasted a path through the flames with Scald and dashed forward, though he slid through the grass to dodge an Ember that soared his way.

"Hiya!" Finn declared as his eyes flashed bright blue. Brago yelped as his body was encased in a harsh blue glow before he was sent flying backwards and crashed onto the ground. Brago tried to rise, but was struck down by a Rock Blast from Penny, which knocked him out.

"I think that'll wrap up our session today. Especially since it's getting dark out." Sun said to his team as he revived Brago. After that, Sun proceeded to then heal his team, who began to move back to where Lillie had been watching them all with an amazed expression.

"It's so interesting watching you train. Why are you having everyone stick to three-on-one battles?" Lillie asked Sun as the boy sat down beside her on the blanket they had set down on the ground.

"Three reasons. Well, besides the obvious fact that doing this just gets them more battle experience. One is that it gets them more familiar with each other's moves. Two is that it helps everyone work together against a single opponent, which is good for teamwork. And three, it helps whoever is dodging everyone's attacks work on evading moves."

"That makes sense." Lillie hummed, moving to hug Sun with a smile on her face. Sun returned it, and for a while the two children held each other. Then a sudden rumble startled them, and both children turned towards the four Pokémon staring at them.

"What? We're hungry." Finn said defensively, crossing his arms. Lillie burst into giggles as Sun grinned sheepishly, and then set about trying to feed four ravenous Pokémon plus Nebby. After dinner, the group lounged around the small campfire Sun (with an assist from Brago) set up, with the boy in question holding an old cell phone in his hands with a contemplative look.

"So is that the phone Mo-" Lillie stopped herself, coughing for a moment. Sun looked at her oddly as she said, "I mean President Lusamine gave you? The one that'll let you contact your father?"

"Yeah. I talked with him on my way to Mount Hokulani, but it was more about my awful grandparents and making him promise some things to me. Now...I really just want to talk to him about what happens next." Sun admitted, sounding unsure. Sun felt something feathery press against him, and when he looked to see Oliver looking at him with concern, Sun hugged his Starter with a small smile.

"Don't think I haven't forgotten our talk. That's on our agenda for out trip to the Aether House." Sun said to Oliver, who looked surprised. "I need to talk to Dad though. After what he said to the League, and what he did...that's all a direct result of me talking with him the other day."

"It sounds like you both need to have an open and honest discussion with each other." Lillie said quietly, sounding almost...wistful? "At least he's willing to talk with you about this kind of stuff. My family wasn't quite so fortunate."

Sun really wanted to ask about that, but he didn't want to pry. Lillie would him when she was ready to discuss her past. Instead Sun looked down at the phone again, somehow even more unsure.

"Do you want me to give you some space for this? Or do you want me to be here with you?" Lillie asked Sun quietly, causing Sun to look at her. The boy felt a rush of affection for the girl, appreciating the fact that no matter what he wanted in this situation, she'd support him either way.

"Stay with me. I'll put him on speaker, but I'll talk to him." Sun said in reply, receiving a nod from Lillie. Sun turned to his team and returned everyone except Oliver, who simply looked at him. Sun didn't respond, and instead patted the ground beside him. Oliver's expression lightened, and the owl fluttered over to the two children.

"Ready?" Sun asked the two of them, earning two nods in reply. It was with that question Sun began to dial the number his father had given him, hoping that things would go better than they did last time, and that Sun would get some answers.


Meanwhile…

Cipher Celadon HQ


Borlath leaned forward in his chair, running his hands through his ragged hair with a sigh of irritation. The monitors that surrounded him hurt his eyes slightly in the darkness of the room, but it was the best way for him to concentrate. And he needed every bit of concentration he could get.

Breaking through the considerable defenses of a secret base on the other side of the planet was about as difficult as it sounded. Combined with the usual stress of leading an international criminal syndicate and dealing with the weight of his sins constantly bearing down on him, Borlath was about ready to simply collapse back in his hair and finally sleep after 37 hours of being awake.

However...one simple thought kept him going. Pushing for cracks against the defenses of a security system knowing full well that this would lead to yet another setback in his ambitions.

"I have to stop him. I can't let that monster hurt anyone else."

Roran Rubinara's return to the world was something out of Borlath's worst nightmares. The man had only become more insane and bloodthirsty during his time away from the limelight, and as a result had become even more dangerous. Borlath had managed to get into the Aether Paradise's security footage and saw for himself how devastating the power Roran had used against the Aether Foundation was. However, Borlath knew from experience that there were drawbacks to that power.

Borlath slapped his cheeks with his hands and reached for his coffee mug, downing the remainder of the liquid with a grimace before tapping a small device on his desk, noting with distaste that the coffee pot beside him was empty.

"Yes, Mister Aupuni?" came an older male's voice from the receiving end.

"Burts, I need another pot of coffee. Black this time." Borlath said politely, earning a pause on the other end.

"Sir, if I may speak freely?"

Borlath smirked, knowing what was coming. Burts was one of the many Aupuni Industries employees who had no affiliation with Cipher. It was interesting that so many of his former employees were still working for the company he had used to fund his efforts at changing the world.

"Of course, Burts. What's on your mind?" Borlath said as he leaned forward in his chair, cracking his fingers. Nearby, Damien snorted in his sleep, resting on a large cushion that Borlath had always kept inside of his secret room.

"You really should get out of the office and rest. Even if you're not officially in charge anymore sir, you running yourself into the ground doesn't help anyone." Burts said to the Cipher Master, earning a small smirk.

"I'll be out soon, Burts. I appreciate the concern though. How's the wife?" Borlath asked as he tapped a few keys on his keyboard with a slight frown, causing the screen to zoom in on the Z-Ring Roran wore as he obliterated the Aether Foundation with his power.

"Well enough, thanks for asking. She's talking about wanting a kid, which I don't know if I'm ready for. We've got enough on our plate right now without worrying about a baby." Burts replied with a tired sigh, earning a grin from Borlath.

"You'll change your tune in time. Kids can be a lot of trouble, but they're more than worth it in the long run. Don't have them before you and your wife are ready, though." Borlath advised the man, who simply hummed in response.

"Thank you, sir. I'll keep that in mind. I'll have someone send up some coffee to your office."

"Just leave it on my desk. I'm still...away." Borlath said vaguely, earning a snort from the other end of the line.

"Of course sir. Have a good night."

"You as well, Burts. Take care."

Borlath ended the brief call and rubbed his face, trying to force away the ache he felt. He had to keep this up! No rest for the wicked, after all.

However, he was surprised when a cell phone resting on his desk suddenly began to ring, and blinked in confusion before grabbing his phone and flipping it open, seeing that an "Unknown Caller" was attempting to contact him. Borlath's gray eyes flickered gold for a moment before he cleared his throat. He tapped the green button and said, "Hello?"

"...Hi Dad." came his son's voice from the other end of the phone, hesitant and unsure. It made Ashton's heart rend somewhat, knowing that his child was so uncomfortable contacting him, but he knew this was all his own doing. He hoped the steps he had made the other day had done something to begin restoring the relationship he shared with his only child.

"Good morning, my boy. No, wait...it's night in Alola. I forgot." Ashton muttered, shaking his head. "Sorry, I'm rambling. How are you? Is everything alright?"

"Y-yeah, as well as things can be, I guess. Everyone's still worried about this Roran guy and that big crater that opened up in Malie City." Sun said to his father, who frowned at what his son had said.

"Crater in Malie City?" Ashton muttered, reaching forward and beginning to type away on his keyboard, quickly pulling up a live feed of Malie City, where a massive plume of flames still stretched out of the earth. Ashton sighed, rubbing his face with exhaustion. Yet another thing he had to contend with, and another painful reminder of why he wanted to stay as far away from Alola as possible.

"That madman is determined to finish what he started all those years ago...But why? Is it simply insanity? Or is there another motive?" Ashton muttered, heaving a heavy sigh as he watched the flames for a few moments. "If you know about Roran, then I assume Professor Kukui filled you in on what happened with the Pokémon League and you know who Admin Mask really is."

"Yeah. Do you really not know what's going on in Malie?" Sun asked, sounding disappointed.

"I might know Roran well, but he always kept his cards close to his chest, so to speak. And even then, I knew who he pretended to be all the years I was on good terms with him. After I found out he was the leader of the Ruby Raiders, he showed his true colors as an unhinged monster who thrived off of the suffering of others. A man who was dead-set on pushing Alola, kicking and screaming, into the future. No matter how many lives it took." Ashton explained to his son as Damien padded over to him.

"I told you that something felt odd about him from the beginning. But you didn't listen." Damien grunted, causing Ashton to smirk.

"Naturally you would be the one to say I told you so." Ashton said as he rested a hand on the canine's head, using the other to put the phone on speaker. "Say hello to Sun, Damien."

"Hey Damien." Sun greeted the canine uneasily.

"Hello Sun. I'm sorry about what happened the last time we saw each other. I was just following orders." Damien apologized, sighing as he hung his head.

"You mean killing Mom's Persian and attacking her because Dad tried to kidnap me after she filed for divorce?" Sun asked harshly, causing Ashton to flinch. "Oh yeah, and you killed Nova. Don't think I've let that go."

"I'm sorry for that as well. I wasn't in my right mind at the moment and made yet another awful choice, even if my intentions were noble. And I believe I've already apologized about Nova. I wish I could take that back, but I can't, so all I can do is apologize." Ashton said to his son, who scoffed at that.

"Tell that to Mom. I honestly just called to see if you knew anything about this fire thing going on, but...I do want to talk to you about the Pokémon League." Sun said as Borlath's eyes flickered red for a moment before returning to gray.

"I was surprised by how receptive they were to my demands. I guess even they have to accept logic when it's thrown into their faces." Ashton sneered a bit as he talked, his opinion of the Pokémon League having not improved despite how well negotiations went with them.

"I can't believe you willingly killed off Neo Team Plasma just because I asked you to." Sun said quietly, with Borlath's eyes shifting to blue as the boy sighed. "I don't know whether to appreciate that you held true to your word or that you don't care about the lives you ended."

"They were criminals and generally awful people at the end of the day. I did make sure Amber recovered the body of Ghetsis, just to confirm his demise. Wouldn't want him to somehow survive like a certain Kahuna and come back to make my life hell." Ashton remarked, scowling slightly in anger. "But yes, I decided that I would heed your words, my boy."

"But why!? Why am I so special!? Are you crazy? You have all of that power, and you'd just willingly mess up your own plans and throw that away just for me? I don't...I don't understand." Sun whispered, sounding both hurt and bewildered at what his father had done. Ashton laughed softly as he leaned back in his chair, smiling softly.

"Maybe I'm just a bit insane, like everyone says. I suppose it doesn't matter in the end. The answer is simply because I love you, Sun. And I've made it my goal to make this world into a better place for the sake of your future." Ashton explained in a gentle tone, a soft smile coming to his lips. "If that means allying myself with a defunct criminal syndicate and supporting them from the shadows. Then so be it. If it means losing my wife and becoming a pariah to the world. Then so be it. If it means stabbing my allies in the back simply for the sake of mind of one single person. Then so be it."

"But why!?" Sun demanded angrily, somehow not understanding this. Ashton didn't think he'd ever understand, so to speak. He ensured that his little boy didn't grow up the same way he did.

"Because simply put, I want you to have the future I never could." Ashton responded, causing his son to fall silent.

"You won't understand this, my child, but my upbringing was one of fear and violence. I have a brand on my shoulder as a result of the abuse my father put me through. And I promised a long, long time ago that I'd do everything in my power to ensure my children were able to grow up happy and healthy, in a family that loved them." Ashton explained to the boy on the other end of the phone, who remained silent. "I have made many awful mistakes, but until recently, your life was one of happiness and love. You were sheltered, yes, but cared for and showered with love from your mother and myself."

"That...I…" Sun fell silent, unable to express his emotions. Ashton's smile faded, realizing what Sun was wanting to say.

"That being the case, I never truly allowed you to spread your wings, did I? You wanted nothing more than to be a Pokémon Trainer like your mother and father. And with my awful experience as a Trainer growing up in Alola, knew that you going such a path would lead to nothing but danger and pain for you." Ashton told Sun, who sighed angrily on the other end of the phone.

"Every Trainer goes through hardship at some point, Dad. And most of the danger and pain I've dealt with are because of you." Sun shot back, causing Ashton to flinch.

"Point taken." Ashton sighed, running a hand over his face. "It's a very hard thing, to push past your fears. I simply didn't want the same things that happened to me to occur to you as well."

"Maybe you could've done that by believing that I was strong enough to stand up on my own two feet, instead of going down the path you chose for me." Sun said in reply, which made Ashton shut his eyes for a moment. He opened them and they were black, a worn expression coming to his face. The exhaustion he had been fighting for the many hours he had been awake was catching up with him.

"If I could've hidden away with you and Laura somewhere I would have, Sun. But it wouldn't have made a difference." Ashton replied with a shake of the head, even though Damien was the only one who could have seen it. "I'll admit I made mistakes all day. I've done horrible, awful things for the sake of my ideals. I regret all of the lives I've destroyed...But unless the Pokémon League comes through and decides to start making changes, I don't believe there's another way to fix this world."

"Of course there is. And I'm sure they'll see reason. They want this insanity to end just as much as everyone else." Sun said confidently, causing Ashton to chuckle.

"It's a shame I don't share your faith in others, my boy. I'd be a hell of a lot less cynical than I am." Ashton remarked, smiling ruefully as silence reigned on the other end of the line.

"The only reason I have that faith is because of what you taught me. That despite everything, there's good in every person and every thing if you just search hard enough. That in order to protect the good in this world, you have to work hard to make the world even better. Are you saying that's a lie now?"

"Opinions change, son. I've seen what this world has become. Monsters coming out of the woodworks every few years to try and take over the world. Inept leaders who do nothing but stand by as children put themselves in harm's way...Hate me if you must, but I'll continue to fight for a better tomorrow. A world where you and children just like you can achieve your dreams. That's as far as this goes." Ashton said with a note of finality to his son, sighing as he stood up, stretching his tired limbs before exhaling softly. "Now, do you have anything else you'd like to discuss? I'm actively trying to thwart Roran's plans, at the moment. As much as I do want to talk to you, now is a really bad time."

Sun remained silent, which Ashton was expecting. After all, he had done many horrible things and was clearly in the wrong in this mess. Yes, he had noble aspirations and he was correct in many ways. But that didn't mean he was right. He was hopelessly in over his head and digging himself a bigger and bigger grave. Alongside all of the other people he had killed during his efforts.

Ashton was surprised when a voice spoke up then, after a full minute of silence. However it was not Sun's voice. And it wasn't a question he expected to be asked.

"Mr. Aupuni, what do you know about the Ultra Beasts?" came a polite female voice that sounded not much older than Sun. Ashton blinked several times in confusion before realizing that he had been on speaker the whole time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I had an audience. Who might you be, ma'am?" Ashton asked cordially, making a mental note that Sun was traveling with a girl.

"I thought I said just to listen!" Sun whispered fiercely, causing Ashton to smirk. Call it petty, but Ashton was amused all the same to see Sun's intentions here backfire.

"Sorry Sun, but I'm really curious here. Your father knows a lot about Alola and Legendaries, so maybe he knows something about the Ultra Beasts." The girl apologized to his son. "I'm...um, my name is Lillie."

Ashton's eyes widened slightly before he considered a few variables in place. He knew only one Lillie, and she was currently on the run from her mother after stealing an important asset from the Aether Foundation. Lusamine had been quite outspoken about how awful the girl was for running away from home.

"I suppose there's only one way to find out." Ashton thought to himself, smiling a little. Even if it was underhanded, tricking a child was easy to someone with his natural charisma.

"Lillie, huh? I know a girl by that name. Or rather, I believe I do. Does your mother know you're out in the wilds with her little project?" Ashton said vaguely, wondering if his theory was correct. Judging from the horrified gasp he heard from the girl, he was surprised to find it was.

"I...I don't...she was going to kill him! And I c-couldn't just let her unleash those monsters on Alola!" Lillie cried out, causing Ashton's eyes to widen in surprise. The sheer amount of terror in the girl's voice was enough to make every single one of Ashton's alarm bells starting ringing.

"Wait, she's trying to what?" Ashton asked, sitting upright and looking alarmed. Damien sat down beside Ashton as the man began to switch screen with a swipe of his hands, cutting to several video screens of the Aether Paradise.

"I...you…" Lillie trailed off, too upset to speak. Sun had no problems with this, yelling, "What's going on here?"

"Besides the fact that your friend seems to be harboring an incredibly dangerous Pokémon and is running around unchecked? However, that little outburst is making me reconsider what I was told about the situation." Ashton muttered before scoffing. "No, I can't get distracted by delving into another project. I'm already spread paper-thin, and I need my wits about me to deal with the League and Roran."

"How...did my mother talk to you, Mister Aupuni?" Lillie asked, concern evident in her tone.

"She explained her side of the story, which as I expected, wasn't the complete truth. I also know that you and your brother left after stealing top-secret assets from your mother's research. What exactly are you trying to accomplish, young lady?" Ashton said sternly, his eyes flickering to blue. "Those islands are dangerous, and with Cipher running amok the last thing we need is for some inter-dimensional monsters to wreak havoc on the islands."

"I'm so confused." Sun sighed, sounding more annoyed than anything. "Lillie, how the heck does my Dad know more about your situation than I do?"

"I don't know...I wasn't aware my mother had talked with him about any of this." Lillie admitted, causing Ashton's eyes to narrow.

"Lillie, if you're in so much trouble, why doesn't Sun know about this?" Ashton asked, a note of exasperation in his voice.

Lillie's response was halting. "At first it was to protect the...um, asset. He's still a living, breathing being that hasn't done anything wrong. I realized early on that letting people know about my situation would only put them and me in danger. I want to tell Sun more, I really do, but...I don't want him to get hurt. I suppose I'm just being stubborn about all of that."

"Not at all." Ashton disagreed, smiling slightly. "Your secrets are your own. You don't owe anyone anything, Lillie. There's a reason I've never told anyone the worst of what my father did to me, and there's a very good reason I tried to keep Laura and Sun from finding out any of the abuse I went through occurred. Sometimes there's a need for secrecy."

"I know...but I still wish I knew what to do. Mother is very powerful and I'm not too confidant that I can do this on my own." Lillie said quietly, sounding rather dejected. Ashton was about to comment on that when Sun cut him off.

"You're absolutely going to save Nebby. And who said you're alone? You've got me and everyone else cheering you on!" Sun said spiritedly, causing Lillie to yelp in surprise. Ashton imagined his son hugging the girl, which made him smile a little.

"I've got your back, Lillie!" a third voice chimed in, though it sounded as if it came through a TACV. Ashton wondered what Pokémon of Sun's was listening in on this call, if it was one in the first place.

"It sounds like you're close. Are things between you both more than just simple friendship?" Ashton asked, a teasing note creeping into his voice.

"Oh god, now my criminal mastermind Dad is getting in on the jokes. We've officially come full circle." Sun groaned, earning a giggle from Lillie at her friend's expense.

"Bzzzt! Let's be real Sun. Who DOESN'T ship you and Lillie?" a high-pitched and odd-sounding voice asked.

"Not now, Rotom Dex!" Sun yelled out, though there wasn't much anger to it. "And to answer your question...I guess since you've been so honest about everything, I can tell you this. Lillie's one of my best friends. And to answer your question...um, yes. There's a bit more going on besides friendship."

Ashton leapt out of his chair, grinning triumphantly and doing a small fist-pump before his vision swam from standing up too quickly (and the sleep deprivation rearing its ugly head) that forced him to sit right back down. Damien hung his head, lamenting the fact that his Trainer was this much of an idiot. Ashton didn't give a damn, though.

"That's my boy! You're a bit young to date, I'll admit, but that's fine. Good for you, Sun. Has your mother given you the talk yet?" Ashton asked, earning a coughing noise from the other end. "I'll take that as a yes."

"It was really awkward. I would've had that talk with you, but...You know. You had other things going on." Sun said pointedly, which Borlath acknowledged with a hum. "And yeah, that's kind of been a problem with this whole thing. Lillie and me both were really sheltered growing up, so we weren't sure how to handle having feelings for each other. We just decided to take things really slow to see if we feel the same after a while, and just being best friends for each other."

"That's a very mature way to look at your situation, Sun. Considering your...overprotective upbringing, It's no small wonder you're confused." Ashton mused, chuckling over the phone with some amusement. "Well, I have to say I'm glad that you're treating Lillie with the respect she deserves."

"Of course. She's my best friend, next to Hau. Even if I didn't feel how I do, I'd still treat her the same. And if for some reason we don't become something more than friends, nothing will change." Sun said as Ashton laughed over the phone, sounding genuinely delighted by this.

"That's exactly the kind of wholesome energy I needed right about now." Ashton admitted, grinning widely as Damien smirked beside him.

"That's exactly something Mom would say right about now." Sun said grumpily, causing Lillie to giggle. Ashton grinned at that as he rested a hand on Damien's head.

"Of course she would. She's a hopeless romantic. I bet she's teased you both a lot, huh?" Ashton asked knowingly, earning a cough from Sun.

"Quite often, yes." Lillie replied diplomatically, causing Ashton to snort.

"That's not surprising to me in the least. How did you two become friends?" Ashton asked, genuinely curious as to how his son and Lusamine's daughter came to know each other.

"Well I...um…" Sun started awkwardly.

"He was incredibly brave and saved Nebby from a flock of Spearow. He's been my knight in shining armor many times over the past few months." Lillie said with a proud note in her voice.

"Considering the fact that you've supported me through all of the crap we've been through, I think we can call it even." Sun replied, the warmth in his voice almost palpable. Damien scoffed, shaking his head.

"And you were worried he'd never find a mate without your guidance. Seems to me like he found one the moment he got to Alola." Damien grunted, causing Sun and Lillie to both let out cries of dismay.

"It sounds like you both are true friends to each other. I'm glad to hear that. I really am. After all, the greatest strength one can achieve is when they're trying to protect someone important to them." Ashton said quietly, smiling sadly to himself as he leaned back his chair, running a hand over his haggard face. "If you can hold onto that strength and use it correctly, then you'll become stronger than I ever was, Sun."

"You...you really think so?" Sun asked, sounding surprised. Ashton sighed, again wondering if it was just the exhaustion speaking, but he knew that he couldn't keep this up. Perhaps if Sun was right about the Pokémon League being able to see sense, he was correct about other things.

"Maybe. I suppose you'll just have to prove me wrong, Sun. Either way, you have my blessing, Lillie. You're more than welcome to date my son and I wish you the best of luck in your journey. If you need to get ahold of me for any reason, use Sun to reach out to me." Ashton said as Damien looked at him with surprise. "After all, I did promise your father that'd I would keep an eye out for you and your brother. He was one of my closest friends and I owe it to his memory to help out in some way."

"I-I-I...u-um, t-t-t-thank you sir." Lillie's embarrassed stammering response came through, causing Ashton to grin.

"Anytime. Sun...as much as it pains me to say, you have shown yourself more responsible than I could have ever imagined. Maybe I was wrong about more than I could have ever thought I was. So...You also have my blessing."

"Wait...do you mean-?"

"Become the greatest Trainer you can be." Ashton told his son. His precious Sunshine. The boy who, despite everything, was still his entire world. A child he loved in the way that only a father could. He wanted the world for his little boy, and he'd give it to him. "Prove my fears wrong and tear the Island Challenge apart. Become strong enough to stand against the evil in this world. So that if Roran does come for you, if he somehow kills me or advances his goals or whatever...You can look him in the eyes and make people like him pay."

"Dad...do you really mean it?" Sun asked, his voice trembling with surprise and emotion. Ashton exhaled through his nose, feeling a pain in his heart. He was going against everything his mind was telling him. His heart told him to protect his child, to make sure he didn't suffer the same fate he had on his Island Challenge.

"Yes. But on one condition." Ashton warned Sun, who remained silent for several moments.

"And...and that is?"

"Under any circumstances, do not pick a fight with Roran Rubinara." Ashton said firmly to his child, his voice becoming stern. "Do not go looking for him. Do not try to get information on him. If he tries to attack you, prioritize running away. I want a promise that you will keep away from that monster, and that you'll let me deal with him. Promise me that, and I'll leave you be."

"Dad, why would I try to pick a fight with someone who's insane and kills people?" Sun asked, confused.

"Because Roran is better at manipulating people than I am, and has been doing it for a hell of a lot longer. And I'm genuinely terrified of what he'll do to you in order to get to me. So stay out of his way...and I'll never interfere in your life again, Sun. I give you my word as a father that I'll leave Alola completely alone. Just stay out of my way as a deal with Roran, so I can make sure you're safe." Ashton said seriously to Sun, who remained silent for several moments.

"...Deal. I promise that I'll stay away from Roran and leave it to you." Sun swore as Ashton let out a sigh of relief. He was honestly more than terrified of what Roran would do to Sun, considering what the Cipher Master had seen the ex-Kahuna do. It was better if Ashton dealt with it himself. If he had to cast his fears aside and give Sun what he had always wanted in order to ensure his safety?

It was a hard choice, but Ashton had made many difficult choices in his life already. What was one more?

"I really hope you can deal with him before he finishes he plan, Mister Aupuni." Lillie said with some concern, causing the man to bark out a laugh.

"I've made some progress in the last few days. Thankfully he doesn't know how good I am with computers. Hacking isn't something I've had a chance to do recently, but it's always a little bit fun." Ashton admitted as Damien scoffed again.

"Wow, way to stay humble." Damien remarked, earning a glare from Ashton.

"You can hack computers?" Lillie asked, surprised.

"I can do a lot more than that, with the resources at my disposal. I've been attempting to make my way into the Ula'ula Island's Cipher Base systems for the past 37 straight hours with little luck. I'll see what I can find out about the Ultra Beasts in the meantime, if you still want to know more about them, Lillie." Ashton offered to the girl, smiling slightly.

"I'll...um, yes. If you could help, I'd appreciate that. But have you actually been up for the past 37 hours? That sounds incredible unhealthy." Lillie said with some concern in her voice.

"Get some sleep, Dad." Sun said tiredly, sounding worn out just from talking with him. Ashton felt his heat break a little at that, but he knew it was his own fault. He'd simply have to do better. He'd start by ending Roran's life. And if the League decided to make peace with him, then things could start going the way everyone wanted.

"Very well, then. Safe travels, Sun. Be careful on Route 12, and stay away from the Alolan Golem clan that lives there. They despise humans and won't hesitate to attack." Ashton warned the boy, frowning slightly at the memories.

"Got it. I'll be careful." Sun said seriously. Ashton assumed that his son knew about his own awful experiences with that particular group of rock monsters.

"I'll look after him, Mister Aupuni!" Lillie chimed, in, making the man smile once again.

"I'm sure you will, Lillie. Goodnight, you two. And I love you, Sun. Never forget that." Ashton said quietly, his tone gentle as he moved his hand to the keyboard once again, prepared to continue his attack on his computer.

However he was stopped dead in his tracks by Sun's next words.

"...I love you too Dad. Take care." Sun said softly, causing Ashton's eyes to wide. The man's body shook in surprise, a laugh of sorts escaping him as he ended the call himself and leaned back in his chair, whipping as his eyes with his sleeve. It came away wet, and there were still more tears in his eyes.

Losing the resources of Neo Team Plasma. Dealing with the League idiots. Even holding back Cipher from attacking Kanto and furthering his entire scheme to force the world into peace...

It was all worth it to hear those words from his little boy.

"You should really get some sleep, Ash." Damien said worriedly, with Ashton sitting back down in his chair with a determined gleam in his eyes. He then yawned loudly, causing the canine to glare at him. Ashton chuckled sheepishly, standing up again.

"Well...maybe a nap wouldn't hurt."


Route 11

The Next Day


The two children continue their trek down Route 11, with Sun's entire team and Nebby enjoying the weather. At least while it lasted, since there were storm clouds rolling in. Sun found the Technical Machine for Gyro Ball and defeated a Black Belt and a Schoolboy during their trek, though by the time they reached the bottom of Blush Mountain, and where Route 12 started, the rain began to fall.

Sun would have continued if it was just him, but since he was with Lillie he forced the group to stop for the day and decided to set up the larger tent that he purchased at the Alola Exploration Outpost. While exploring the area, he chanced upon a Zygarde Cell, which he added to the Zygarde Cube.

Soon enough, after a quick dinner of sandwiches and chips, the group settled in for the night. It was a bit of a tight fit, with Brago taking up a quarter of the tent himself, but considering he was a warm fluffy pillow of sorts, the group considered it a fair trade.

"I missed this. Being on the road. I detest being stagnant." Penny remarked from her perch on top of Brago. Oliver chuckled beside her, deeply amused by that.

"I can agree with that. I prefer being in the wilds with you all as well." Oliver agreed, beginning to preen as Penny watched him for a moment. She seemed like she wanted to say something, but she remained quiet. Her eyes lingered on the scar on Oliver's chest from the Ultra Beast they had battled, concern in her eyes.

"Well, the trip to Tapu Village is more of a marathon than a jog. We'll have a few days of roughing it before we get to another Pokémon Center. Rotom, any advice?" Sun asked the device as it floated around them.

"Zzzzt! There's plenty of fun excursions we can check out! The Geothermal Power Plant on Blush Mountain, Haina Desert, Ula'Ula Beach. Lots to see and do!" Rotom Dex replied, it's screen illuminating the tent.

"Hmm...What do you think, Lillie?" Sun asked his friend, who responded with a thoughtful hum.

"I say visit everything but Haina Desert. It's a pain to venture out to this route, so you may as well see everything you can while you're here." Lillie explained to Sun, who frowned at her in confusion.

"Why not Haina Desert?" Sun asked.

"Because Haina Desert is where the Ruins of Abundance are located, and I don't want to go to see Tapu Bulu quite yet. It's a few days trip through the desert, and I want to make sure we're well-equipped for that kind of journey." Lillie said to Sun, who grinned at her.

"You're thinking like a Pokémon Trainer, Lillie." Sun praised the girl, earning a blush as she moved closer to Sun and decided to cuddle him for his insolence.

The next morning the group approached the Trial Gate, where a Trial Guide was waiting for them with a wave. Nearby a Braviary watched them with wary eyes, causing Lillie to shiver as Sun greeted the Trial Guide with an "Alola!"

"Greetings, Trial-goer." The woman said with a friendly smile as she returned the native greeting. "Let me check your collection of Z-Crystals."

Sun did just that, showing off his impressive collection of crystals. Lillie took that moment to marvel at them all, a testament to Sun's hard work and growing strength. The woman let out a laugh upon seeing them.

"Ho! Look at that blinding yellow Electrium Z! Now I guess I'll have to open the gate for you!" the woman proclaimed, giggling as she walked over to the Trial Barrier. "What you face up ahead is the Ghost-type Trial. I hope you enjoy it!"

"I'm sure I will." Sun said with a smile as he and Lillie walked past the Trial Guide. The duo began their trek along the mountain, with Lillie being very glad she switched her usual boots for one's that could actually handle some hard travel. Oliver and Penny easily flew around them as they huffed their way up the steep incline, eyeing the distant crags and rocks ahead with wariness.

"I don't even want to think about how we'll get past those." Lillie said quietly to Sun, who hummed thoughtfully.

"We'll figure something out. I always do." Sun said, though inwardly he was also dreading having to climb such sharp, jagged rocks. He was Trainer, not a Hiker. However it was obvious that what came next would be a very hard ordeal for the children.

Thankfully, both of their prayers were answered when they heard a sharp whistle from behind them about ten minutes later. The two children turned around and saw a familiar woman riding on top of her Mudsdale, looking smugly at them. Lillie waved to Hapu as the woman hopped down from her mount with practiced ease.

"Greetings, Sun." Hapu greeted the boy, who tilted his hat to the woman with a wide grin.

"Hello Hapu!" Lillie said cheerily as the Trainer approached them along with her Mudsdale. The massive horse grunted as the two children walked over to them. Lillie reached up to pat the powerful steed on the snout, causing him to nicker gently.

"Well met, Miss Lillie! Looks like you brought your pretty little friend along for the ride, huh Sun? Not a bad idea, though you could've chosen a better route for it. This one is treacherous by most standards." Hapu remarked, eyeing the ragged trail ahead with a calculating gaze. She then turned her attention back to Sun. "I was seeking you, though."

"What's up?" Sun asked.

"If you're going to travel about Ula'Ula, you ought to do it while astride a Mudsdale. There is no call for hesitation. Consider it my thanks for Akala Island." Hapu said to a surprised Sun, holding out her hand. "With my credentials, I can authorize you to call forth Mudsdale whenever you need."

"That's incredible! If you could ride a Mudsdale just like Hapu's, even mountains like this would be a breeze!" Lillie said with a bright smile, causing Hapu to chuckle in response as she accepted Sun's Ride Pager and set it up for him. Within a minute, Sun was now registered as someone allowed to call Mudsdale.

"It was remiss of me not to register him for you when we met one another in Malie." Hapu admitted, shrugging after a moment. "I was just so taken aback by Lillie and how lovely she was that it escaped me."

That statement caused the girl in question to blush furiously in embarrassment while Sun playfully wrapped an arm around her, laughing at how adorable she was when she was flustered.

"Well, I appreciate this anyway. It'll make what comes next way easier to deal with." Sun thanked the shorter Trainer, earning a tip of the hat and a smirk.

"By no means was I just waiting for a time when you were in trouble." Hapu assured Sun, who smirked right back at her.

"Of course not." Sun said with great amusement in his voice. "You just waited for a time when Lillie was with me and you got a chance to look cool."

"I'll never admit that." Hapu said cheekily as her Mudsdale snorted in amusement, shaking its head as Hapu put her hands on her hips and gave them a bright smile. Lillie shut her eyes and wondered if it was too late to go hang out with Acerola instead. She decided it was just a matter of picking her poison, and that she'd be teased either way.

"If you seek the next Trial, go straight through here to Tapu Village. It's about a week's trek from here, and it's all treacherous goings." Hapu advised the boy, earning a nod from Sun as Lillie hummed thoughtfully.

"Surely there's rest points or something of that nature along the way?" Lillie suggested, with Hapu shaking her head.

"Aside from the wilds of Poni and Mount Lanakila, this is one of the more dangerous routes in Alola. Couple that with the earthquakes happening recently, and well...You two be safe, alright?" Hapu said to the two children, allowing herself a small smile.

"We will." Sun and Lillie said at the same time, making Hapu's smile widen.

"I'll be cheering for you on your Island Challenge!" Hapu said brightly before she turned around, glancing over her shoulder with a wide grin. "That being said, I wouldn't mind a battle the next time we meet up, Sun."

"I mean, if you're not busy, you're more than free to tag along with us. I know I wouldn't mind an experienced traveler when dealing with all of this." Sun said as he gestured to the rocks jutting from the ground up ahead. Hapu blinked twice in surprise, apparently having never considered that she'd be offered a chance to tag along.

"Well...shoot. I didn't expect an invitation." Hapu admitted, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "Usually I travel by myself, but you know what? I don't mind showing you two a thing or two about roughing it on Mount Blush. Especially with some of the more dangerous areas coming up."

Hapu joined the party!

Sort-of.

The group of three decided to have a quick lunch before beginning their trip in earnest, calling a Ride Mudsdale for Sun and Lillie while Hapu simply rode her own. Apparently her own Mudsdale was a registered Ride Pokémon himself, which Sun thought was kind of neat.

As the trio made their way through the route, Sun realized exactly why a Pokémon as sturdy and powerful as Mudsdale was necessary. The incredible rough and sharp rocks that surrounded the path would've made traveling it incredibly tedious and dangerous, more so than he thought at first. Couple the fact that Sun would be helping Lillie through this area too, and you had a recipe or disaster. He was thankful Hapu had shown up when she had. Speaking of which, during their travels, Sun asked Hapu her opinion on a debate as old as time.

"So which is better...pancakes or waffles?"

"I don't know. I guess I prefer waffles, because of how the syrup collects inside of it." Hapu said in reply, putting a finger on her chin in thought. After a moment, she ended up shrugging as Lillie giggled at her response.

"This is like hanging out with Captain Ilima, except not nearly as boring." Lillie remarked, earning a laugh from Sun. He then noticed that Finn had leapt off of the Mudsdale and had begun to battle yet another Torkoal, so he decided to pay attention to that.

Finn had a clear advantage over the Pokémon in the area, so Sun let him take the lead while everyone but Brago (who remained in his Poké Ball for this stretch of the route) hung back and observed. Sun made sure to quietly talk with Oliver about this and that, not wanting to bring up his current behavioral problems around Hapu. Lillie was different, as far as his Pokémon were concerned. Oliver had essentially known the girl as long as he had known Sun, and she could be trusted. Either way, Sun felt his talks with Oliver were helping him feel better.

"Oh? What's this?" Hapu said, catching the two children's attention. She was pointing to a nearby sign that was heavily graffitied, covered with colorful skulls and profanity. A clear sign that Team Skull was in the area, as odd as that was.

"Well, I can't make heads or tails of that sign...That's annoying." Hapu grunted, having her Mudsdale ride past it. "Ah well. No use lingering. We should make a bit more progress before sundown. We've got maybe another hour or two before dark."

"Shouldn't we set up camp sooner?" Sun asked the other Trainer, who shook her head.

"I know a good little area not too far from here. It's got a nice little overhang and is a bit more comfortable to set up camp in than anything you're likely to find on your own. We'll set up camp there." Hapu said to Sun, who nodded. The boy then spotted a glimmer of green out by a outcropping of rocks about a few hundred meters off the main path. In the fading light of day, the Cell stood out amongst the landscape.

"Hey, a Zygarde Cell!" Sun cried out, grinning. Hapu tilted her head as Oliver soared into the air with Penny, the two of them spotting it as well.

"That's some good luck. Even if Zygarde isn't really on our side right now, it'll help to keep collecting its cells." Lillie said with a smile as Sun began to ride towards the lone Cell, going past the desecrated sign. Hapu frowned and followed the boy, feeling a sense of unease.

As Sun and Lillie rode the Mudsdale towards the Zygarde Cell, Sun noticed something odd. The rocks around them seemed to change. They became rougher and more jagged, which wasn't so odd in of itself, but Sun noticed that there were no signs of travel through this section of the mountain. No footprints or signs of Pokémon movement in the area that he noticed right away.

"It's almost as if this area of the mountain doesn't get much traffic...Or that people avoid this area." Sun thought as a strange feeling crept over him. As if he was being watched. The boy brushed this feeling aside as they neared the Zygarde Cell, with Sun hopping down from his mount to pull out the Zygarde Cube and absorb the fragment of Zygarde.

"There we go! Another one down." Sun said with a smile as he looked back at Lillie, who gave him a thumbs up.

"Sun! Behind you!" Oliver screeched, swooping down in front of the boy and throwing up a Protect. Sun flinched as a rock suddenly smashed against the barrier formed around him at the last possible moment, stopping a large rock from making contact with his head. Sun shivered as the rock shattered and fell to the ground around him.

"That would have killed me...I have to be more careful." Sun thought to himself before putting a hand on Oliver's head as he landed on the ground beside him. "Thanks, Oliver."

"Don't thank me yet. There's our culprit." Oliver hooted angrily, glaring down a Pokémon that Sun recognized, albeit it looked different than he remembered.

It looked familiar to Sun because the boy thought it was a Geodude. Having seen them before in Kanto, it was a Pokémon that was almost impossible to mistake for another. However, it didn't look like any Geodude the boy had ever seen. The Pokémon in front of him resembled a Geodude in the ways that made sense, being a rather small chunk of sentient rock that had a face and two arms with fingers, but that was where the similarities ended. The Geodude in front of him was an almost silver-like color and had black eyebrows and hair sticking out of its head, almost like its Alolan Diglett counterpart.

The Pokémon in question had its right arm outstretched, looking at Sun with an expression of fury on its face. It grunted and held out its hands, releasing a blast of electricity that struck the barrier Oliver had conjured, making the bird grunt from the effort of maintaining it.

"Sun!" Lillie called out as Hapu rejoined them, watching the scene with interest. She dared not interfere though. She wanted to see Sun get himself out of this situation.

"A weird-looking Geodude with electric attacks? Rotom Dex, time for you to earn your keep!" Sun said jokingly as the device floated out of Sun's backpack, beeping for a few moments.

"Bzzt. Your words hurt me, Sun." Rotom Dex responded, its face unhappy for several moments before a wide grin appeared on its screen. "Just kidding!"

The device floated over towards the strange Geodude, who continued to glare at them all. It eyed the Pokédex with anger as it flipped to the appropriate entry.

"Geodude. The Rock Pokémon. Alolan Regional Variant. Its body is a magnetic stone. Iron sand attaches firmly to the portions of its body that are particularly magnetic. If you accidentally step on a Geodude sleeping on the ground, you'll hear a crunching sound and feel a shock ripple through your entire body." Rotom explained as the lump of rock ahead of them growled softly.

"Duuuuuude!" the Pokémon bellowed floating into the air and allowing its arms to surge with electricity.

"Oliver, Razor Leaf!" Sun called out as the Dartrix dropped his shield, releasing a barrage of leaves at the Rock Pokémon, which the Geodude dropped to the ground to avoid. However, the sound of rumbling all around them made the group take notice of the fact that several rocks around them were beginning to shift and move.

In mere moments, the trio were surrounded on all sides by angry Rock/Electric-type Pokémon, with what Sun took to be a dozen Alolan Graveler and Alolan Golem each joining the roughly fifty Alolan Geodude that included the one right in front of them.

"Looks like we walked right into a fight…" Hapu muttered as she hopped to the ground, with her Mudsdale calmly walking to the front of the group as Hapu called out her Flygon, with the Mystic Pokémon soaring into the air with a cry.

Sun gripped Brago's Poké Ball in his hands as the horde of rock Pokémon ahead of them prepared to attack. Penny and Finn took up positions around them, ready to battle. Lillie remained on the Ride Mudsdale, with Nebby peering out of the bag nervously, with even it being able to sense the hostility in the air.

Sun's eyes focused on the Alolan Geodude ahead of them, grinning nastily at their fear. Nearby, a massive Alolan Golem walked over to the Geodude in question, resting a hand on its head with a matching grin of evil before pointing at the humans assembled before them.

"GET DOWN!" Hapu bellowed as all of the Electric-types around them began to charge up, releasing a massive wave of electricity towards them all. Only it never reached its intended target, with Hapu's Flygon intercepting the attack with ease, stopping it in its tracks and taking no damage thanks to its typing.

"High Horsepower! Earth Power!" Hapu barked powerfully, stepping in front of Sun and Lillie as her two Pokémon rushed forward. Mudsdale became engulfed in an orange aura of power as it reared on its hind legs, dashing forward and smashing aside several of the Alolan Golem in front of them. Her Flygon glowed a light brown color before landing on the ground hard, sending several cracks through the mountain, which then traveled towards several Alolan Geodude and Graveler and caused them to go soaring backwards as the ground exploded beside them.

"I knew Hapu was strong...But this is insane." Sun muttered, amazed at the raw power on display from just two of Hapu's Pokémon fighting off dozens of opponents. Her Pokémon were noticeably outnumbered and taking damage from the odd Rock or Normal-type attack, but Hapu's experience was clearly giving her the edge in this showdown.

However, that didn't mean that they were in the clear just yet.

Several of the rock monsters went around Hapu and her formidable Pokémon and went for Sun and Lillie instead, which forced Sun to think quickly.

"Oliver, keep Lillie safe! Brago, use Revenge! Penny Brick Break! Finn, Scald!" Sun shouted as his Pokémon leapt into action. Oliver soared over to Lillie and hovered beside her, preparing to intervene should danger come her way.

Brago bounded forward, hitting the crowd of Pokémon with Intimidate before slamming into the nearest Alolan Golem with Revenge. The Megaton Pokémon snarled, but retaliated with a Rock Blast that the Arcanine barely dodged. Finn leapt into the fray, staying close to Sun and spraying several Alolan Geodude with Scald, knocking two of the four nearby out cold. Penny swooped past him, smacking into an Alolan Golem with her beak and making it stagger back with a cry.

And so the battle begun, with the group battling off the horde of Rock/Electric-type Pokémon that had attacked out of nowhere. Sun quickly realized that they were outnumbered and in clear danger, given how the Pokémon kept aiming attacks at not just the Pokémon in battle, but at both Sun and Hapu. Lillie was thankfully kept out of the battle thanks to Oliver's interference, but the girl still clung to Mudsdale's reins with terror in her eyes.

Sun flinched as the largest of the Golem let out a bellow, bending down low and aiming its body right at Sun. Penny let out a screech and dove right at it, just in time for an Alolan Geodude to hop onto the back of the Megaton Pokémon and become engulfed in electricity. The largest Alolan Golem, who seemed to be the leader of the group considering how the rest of the them watched the largest one with interest, aimed itself at the charging Penny and fired the Alolan Geodude at the Toucannon.

"Dodge it Penny!" Sun shouted, but Penny was too surprised by what was flying towards her and was knocked out of the sky by the Rock Pokémon-turned-ballistic missile. The bird tumbled through the air and hit the ground hard, causing Sun to gasp. One of the Alolan Graveler made a move to seemingly finish her off, but Finn fended off the approaching Pokémon with a Scald.

"Penny!" Oliver screeched as the Golem roared in fury, pointing towards Oliver. The Dartrix screeched angrily, releasing a massive wave of Razor Leaf upon the group of Rock Pokémon, causing several of them to cry out in pain.

"That thing just fired off that Geodude at Penny! Is that thing on its back a freaking canon!?" Sun yelled out, returning Penny and turning back towards the battle.

"Alolan Golem are able to do that! Zrrrt! They're much different than the Golem you're used to, Sun!" Rotom Dex called to the boy, who turned towards the Rock/Electric-types with anger in his gaze.

"All this just because we stepped on the wrong part of the mountain?" Sun muttered, adjusting his hat. "Alright then! Finn, use Rain Dance! Then Scald!"

Finn huffed and fired off the attack, causing a downpour to sudden hit the side of the mountain. Several of the Alolan Graveler and Geodude groaned at the rainfall, with several of them retreating from the area. However, there were still a few dozen surrounding them, and Sun decided to make them regret that decision.

"Scald, rapid-fire!" Sun called to Finn, with the Poliwhirl rolling to the side to avoid a Rock Throw and firing off a Scald at a much smaller Alolan Golem, which combined with the Razor Leaf Oliver hit it with easier, knocked the Megaton Pokémon out. Finn let out a battle cry, punching his fists through the air before doing the same thing to the two Alolan Geodude who floated towards him, throwing rocks at him. Finn blasted the two rocks out of the air and kicked off of the ground to dodge a Thunder Shock before shooting the two Geodude with Bubble Beam, knocking the duo out.

Sun looked back towards Hapu, who was currently holding her leg with a pained grimace as she faced off with the leader of the Alolan rock monsters, who was surrounded by a squad of other Alolan Golem. Her Mudsdale rampaged through them, calmly bashing the aside with its sheer power, though from the looks of things that Draft Horse Pokémon was noticeably slowing down, having tanked dozens of small injuries. Her Flygon was in better shape, though it was now flying protectively over Hapu, firing off misty blasts of energy.

"Hapu must have taken a hit from those jerks." Sun muttered, looking towards Lillie, who was still watching the battle with wide-eyes. Oliver was ever-alert, throwing out Razor Leaf's and Leafage's whenever anything tried to approach the girl in white. Sun noticed that Brago was nearby, breathing flames whenever he could, despite the rainfall. A trail of blood was dripping down Brago's head, which made Sun worried, but he knew that Brago was strong and wouldn't push himself too hard.

"Come on, everyone! Keep pushing!" Sun shouted as several of their opponents fled the area. Sun realized just then that they had been battling for several minutes now. Sun was snapped out of his thoughts by Rotom Dex, who popped out of Sun's backpack with a shudder and a beep.

"Bzzzt! Sun, Finn just learned Mud Shot!" Rotom Dex cried out to the boy as Finn punched his fists together, huffing slightly. Sun grinned at that, knowing that Mud Shot was a Ground-type attack that would be great against Pokémon that share a double-weakness to it.

Before Sun could do anything else, however, a blast of electricity surged through the air, causing the boy to duck. Rotom Dex wasn't that lucky and was struck by the electricity, screaming in pain before falling onto the ground.

"Rotom Dex!" Sun cried out, running over to the device and picking it up. The Pokédex buzzed weakly in Sun's hands, which only made the boy more worried for it. Sun looked up and saw the same Geodude from before that had first attacked them, grinning maliciously at him. Sun gritted his teeth as he saw more and more of the Rock/Electric-types join the fight.

"Now I get why my Dad hates them...this is crazy!" Sun thought as he watched Hapu's Mudsdale make short work of anything that came by it, with the Draft Horse Pokémon showing off its incredible power by downing three Alolan Golem at once with a Bulldoze.

Sun focused on the Alolan Geodude ahead of him though, as it was quickly joined by two Alolan Graveler. Sun wished he could have gotten more information on them, but since Rotom Dex was out cold, he'd have to do without the Dex entry.

"Finn, Mud Shot on the Alolan Graveler! Oliver, keep protecting Lillie! Brago, use Reversal!" Sun ordered his team, who leapt into action. Brago snarled as he leapt forward, his body glowing red as he slammed into an Alolan Graveler that was approaching Lillie, sending it reeling backwards with a groan. Oliver helped with a Razor Leaf, knocking it out. Meanwhile, Finn prepared himself to battle the three Pokémon approaching him and fired off a Mud Shot, which struck the Graveler on the left. To the surprise of the attacking Pokémon, the attack knocked out the Rock Pokémon with a single hit.

The Geodude growled in annoyance, throwing out its arms and lashing out with an arc of electricity. Meanwhile, the Alolan Graveler advanced, tucking in its arms as its body began to glow white. Sun's blood ran cold, because he knew exactly what that meant.

An explosion was coming his way.

"Stop it, Finn!" Sun shouted as the Poliwhirl turned his attention to the Graveler, only to be struck by the Thundershock and sent stumbling backwards, which allowed the Graveler to get even closer, tucking in its arms and preparing to detonate…

Only for nothing to happen.

Finn laughed softly as he pushed himself upright, smacking away the Alolan Graveler with a Brick Break. It rejoined the Geodude, who looked immensely confused. Sun was baffled as well, since he was convinced that he was a goner. Lillie, however, knew exactly what was going on when she noticed Sun's confusion.

"Sun, Finn's Ability is Damp! That means attacks like Explosion and Self-Destruct won't work when it's in battle!" Lillie reminded the boy as he snapped out of his surprise, instead choosing to point forward.

"Mud Shot!" Sun shouted as Finn dashed forward, dodging a Rock Throw from the Geodude and firing off a second Mud Shot, which took down the second Alolan Graveler. "One more time on the Geodude!"

Finn nodded, ducking under a Smack Down attack and firing off a stream of mud from its chest that struck the Geodude in the face. However, it didn't go down in one hit like the two other Graveler, which caught Sun off-guard. Sun snapped out of this surprise quickly when the Geodude let out a cry of anger, charging up electricity in its arms and releasing it towards Sun.

"Block with Psychic!" Sun called, with Finn's eyes glowing a harsh blue color before a wave of force erupted from the Tadpole Pokémon, blasting apart the attack. However, the Geodude somehow anticipated this and used a Rock Throw, smashing Finn in the face and knocking him to the ground. Sun's eyes widened as the Geodude glowed white and charged at Sun, attempting to smash into the boy.

Sun let out a yell and high-tailed it in the other direction, throwing himself to the ground to barely avoid the Geodude, who smashed into a nearby boulder instead. Sun glanced back at Finn, who was struggling to get to his feet. Oliver was protecting Lillie from a Graveler, Penny was knocked out, and Brago was dealing with a duo of Alolan Graveler alongside Hapu's Flygon.

Sun was on his own.

The Alolan Geodude removed itself from the rocks, letting out a soft growl of frustration as it turned towards Sun, bloodlust in its eyes. Sun had no idea why this Pokémon seemed to dislike him so much, but Sun knew that this hunk of rock would stop at nothing to take him down.

"If only I could distract it for a few more seconds!" Sun thought as the Alolan Geodude charged up another Thunder Shock, grinning cruelly as it realized it had the perfect chance to take down the human that had stepped into its territory. Sun then remembered that there was something he could do to make this Pokémon not attack him for a few moments.

Sun fell to the ground again to dodge the Thunder Shock the Alolan Geodude threw at him, but he dug frantically through his backpack as the Geodude let out a cry of indignation. Sun grinned as he felt his fingers close around something round, and the boy pulled out an Ultra Ball from his bag, staring down the Geodude, who stared at him in surprise.

"You recognized this, huh? So back off!" Sun yelled at the Geodude. This didn't have the intended effect Sun had wanted, as the Geodude simply clenched its fists and charged at Sun once again. Sun reacted instinctively, throwing the Ultra Ball at the Pokémon and running in the opposite direction towards Finn, who was running towards him.

The Alolan Geodude collided with the Ultra Ball, causing the device to open and suck the Rock Pokémon inside. The ball fell to the ground, shaking back and forth as Finn stood in front of Sun protectively, prepared to battle the Pokémon further. However, the Ultra Ball on the ground didn't open back up.

One...two...three...click.

"Um...I didn't think I'd actually catch it." Sun said quietly, surprised that it had actually worked. He was hoping that throwing a Poké Ball would keep the Alolan Geodude away from him for a few moments and let him get back to his Pokémon. And now…

"Looks like I've caught a new Pokémon. And it's a really angry Alolan Geodude who probably hates me. Fantastic." Sun thought as he walked over to the Ultra Ball and picked it up. That was when he noticed something odd. The battlefield that had been all around him had now gone dead silent.

The fighting had stopped.

Sun looked up to see the entire horde of Rock Pokémon staring at him in shock, eyeing the Ultra Ball that contained their comrade with sheer terror. Within moments, they were fleeing the area, with the largest of the Alolan Golem being the only one remaining as the rest of them fled the area. The massive Pokémon glared at Sun with an expression of absolute loathing before opening its mouth and releasing a powerful cry.

"Gooooool!" the Alolan Golem bellowed, pointing a hand at Sun before slowly turning away and stomping down the path. With that, the boy let out a sigh of relief. Finn did the same, sitting down on the ground with a huff.

"That was a really good fight! I could go for a nap though." Finn admitted with a laugh, seemingly unbothered by everything that had taken place.

"Um...what did he say?" Sun wondered aloud as Oliver landed on the ground beside him.

"That you'll pay dearly for enslaving his child to your will, and that he'll kill you himself should you come back here." Oliver said as he began to preen his feathers. Sun looked down at the Ultra Ball in his hands and sighed, rubbing his face. Lillie walked over to him with a concerned frown, taking a moment to pet Oliver and thank him for protecting her. Sun called Penny back out and revived her, healing her injuries as Hapu rejoined them.

"That was a nasty fight. I forgot all about the Golem clan up here on Route 12. I thought the Aether Foundation had warnings about the area posted around here." Hapu wondered aloud before she caught sight of the Ultra Ball in Sun's hand. "Wait, don't tell me you actually caught one of them, Sun."

"I did. One of them separated me from my team and I didn't have much of a choice. I didn't think it'd actually get captured though." Sun explained to Hapu, who face-palmed.

"It wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't one of the Pokémon from this particular clan of Alolan Golem. These things despise humans and won't hesitate to attack them on sight. They've been living in this little section of Route 12 for generations." Hapu explained to Sun as a strange buzzing sound filled the air. Sun looked into his backpack and realized it was Rotom Dex coming back online...somewhat.

"Did...zzzzzzz...someone get the number...of what hit mezzzzz?" Rotom Dex said weakly, with Sun smiling at the device.

"Don't worry, Rotom Dex. I'll take you to Professor Kukui as soon as I can and get you all fixed up." Sun said to the device, who floated weakly into the air and settled on Sun's shoulder. He then regarded the Poké Ball for a moment before saying, "Though I don't suppose you can tell me more about what I just caught."

"I'll...try. Zzzrrzz...This Alolan Geodude is male and has the Ability Sturdy. It is a Rock/Electric-type. It currently knows the moves Defense Curl, Tackle, Thundershock, Bide, Rock Throw, Smack Down, Stealth Rock, Take Down, Self-Destruct, and Thunder Punch." Rotom explained to Sun before powering off once again.

"The Pokémon in these parts are generally at a higher level then what you're used to. Sounds like a well-rounded Pokémon." Hapu remarked as Sun stared down at the Ultra Ball in his hands. He turned towards his team, who were watching him expectantly. Sun reached into his backpack, and after a moment of searching found the TACV he had acquired from Colress, which would allow him to understand the Alolan Geodude that he had just added to his team.

"It's typing does work really well for my team, and definitely allows for more coverage. Plus Sturdy is an incredibly helpful Ability." Sun thought to himself, trying to decide what he wanted to do. Eventually he said to his assembled Pokémon, "Keep on your guard. I don't know how he'll react to being caught, especially considering he was trying to attack me when I caught him." Sun warned his team before calling out the Alolan Geodude, who appeared in a flash of light.

The Rock Pokémon shuddered slightly, showing obvious signs of battle damage, but that didn't stop the glare it sent Sun. The boy shuddered at the level of animosity in the gaze of the Pokémon. Sun held up the TACV, which the Pokémon looked at warily.

"I'm going to put this on you so that we can communicate. Please don't hurt me while I do so." Sun said to the Geodude, who simply stared at him with anger. After a few moments, the Rock Pokémon sighed and shut its eyes, which Sun took as permission to go ahead. Sun affixed the TACV to the Pokémon, causing the device to emit a low hum for a few moments as it chose a voice for the Pokémon. Sun wondered briefly about that before the Geodude grunted and then spoke to him.

"I suppose this is what I get for trying to gain honor in such a manner, on my own. Now my worst fear has come to pass." The Geodude said more to himself than Sun, his gruff and annoyed voice matching the anger in his gaze. "You should've just stayed away from our home, trespasser!"

"It was an accident! You're the one who attacked us without even letting us figure out what was going on." Sun shot back, but the Geodude was having none of it.

"You stepped onto our sacred grounds. Our home. For such an insult to my clan the price is death. That is how it has been since our kind took control of this section of the mountain. Humans should know by now to stay away...And now as a result, I'm bound to you. Forever." The Goedude hissed with distaste, causing Sun's eyes to widen slightly. He wasn't sure he wanted a Pokémon on his team that outright hated humans. Especially him.

"Can't I just release you back to your tribe?" Sun asked the Geodude, who looked conflicted for a moment before sighing, rubbing his rocky face with one of his hands.

"It's too late for that...Once a Pokémon is bound by a human, they are considered tainted by those of the clan." the Geodude grunted, a note of shame in its voice. "Even if I were released from your hold, I can never return home."

"I...I'm sorry. You were attacking me and I just reacted. I didn't think that the ball would actually catch you." Sun said quietly as the Geodude stared him down, clenching his rocky fists in anger as the boy spoke. It was obvious to all of them that Sun felt guilty about what had happened to the Geodude, but the Rock-type didn't seem to care.

"You're the sorriest thing I've ever seen." the Geodude responded, turning away from Sun-

Just in time for a barrage of razor sharp leaves to slash at the Geodude, making him yell out in pain as he crashed onto the ground. Sun gaped as Oliver landed on a nearby rock, glaring down the Alolan Geodude.

"Learn your place. You might not like it, but you're on our team now. That means you treat Sun with respect." Oliver hooted at the Geodude, who was slowly rising off of the ground.

"I don't owe any kind of human scum anything!" the Geodude yelled back, wincing in pain as its injuries caught up with it, causing it to crash onto the ground again. Sun sighed, shaking his head as he dug into his bag and pulled out a Super Potion.

"Well, can you at least let me treat your injuries? And Oliver, don't instigate. I'm not going to force anyone to respect me. But I hope that we can eventually find a way to coexist. Especially since you don't have anywhere else to go now." Sun asked, with the Alolan Geodude sighing before nodding. Sun sprayed Super Potion over its injuries and then promptly returned him.

"I've encountered Pokémon that hated humans before. But never to this extent." Brago noted with some annoyance, not liking how the Alolan Geodude spoke to his Alpha.

"He's an idiot who simply needs to be put in his place. I'm sure he'll see how good of a Trainer Sun is in time." Oliver replied, causing Sun to smile at that. He may have been a humble boy, but it did make him feel a little better.

"He did have some potent strength to him, though. If he could be reigned in, he'd make a great ally." Penny remarked, earning a scandalized look from Oliver, which she noticed. "He's still an angry moron that needs to control that temper of his. Being angry at Trainer accomplishes absolutely nothing. Especially since that Geodude started this fight."

"True. Well, if he tries anything, we'll be ready for him!" Finn boomed, punching his fists forward.

"Seems to me like you're stuck with that Geodude for now." Hapu noted, not sounding the slightest bit like she envied Sun. Dealing with difficult Pokémon was never a fun task, especially for such a young Trainer.

"What are you going to name him, Sun?" Lillie asked quietly. She was concerned about her crush, but knew that he could handle a Pokémon like the one he had just caught.

"Well, I should probably name him something. Considering how this guy is so angry and threatening, maybe I should roll with that." Sun mused, tossing the Ultra Ball up and down. Lillie and Hapu sat down nearby, watching the boy as he thought. Oliver and Penny exchanged a glance and rolled their eyes in sync while Brago seemed thoughtful. Finn was about as invested as Sun, thinking seriously on what to call their newest addition to the team.

"How about...Alastor?" Sun finally suggested, which earned him a round of odd looks.

"That's kind of a creepy name." Hapu noted, resting her head against her Mudsdale. Lillie, however, smiled at it.

"I would say it's more sophisticated than creepy. I remember there being a famous psychologist in Unova named Alastor." Lillie said with an eager smile, causing Sun to look at her. "He wrote many well-regarded books on Pokémon Psychology. I've read some of his works."

"That's pretty interesting. What else do you know about him? I only remember the name in passing, and that was just because my Dad mentioned him once." Sun asked, looking down at his Ultra Ball containing the Alolan Geodude.

"Alastor McDowell was famous for his research of Pokémon Psychology and using Pokémon moves to help humans. Doctor Colress actually used his research as the basis for his Heal Pulse Treatment." Lillie explained as Sun smiled at her fondly. Lillie flushed pink at the smile her crush was giving her while Hapu grinned at the two of them.

"I think I've heard of that name myself. Didn't Doctor McDowell go missing years back with his Gothitelle in Johto?" Hapu asked, earning two surprised looks from the children. Hapu shrugged, smirking at the two of them.

"My father is a social worker of sorts back home on Poni. He helps guide wayward people down the right path in life, so he's read Alastor's books a few times." Hapu explained, shrugging after a moment. "Either way, it's a good name. Not the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"Alright then. Alastor it is." Sun registered the name on the Rotom Dex before checking over the device for more damage. It seemed as if there was something wrong with the battery, but Sun couldn't be sure. After setting up Alastor's name, he called the Alolan Geodude back out.

The battered Pokémon emerged in a flash of light, glaring at the three of them. His gaze drifted to the Pokémon that he had battled, lingering on Oliver longest of all, before returning to Sun.

"Is it alright if I call you Alastor?" Sun asked the Geodude, who simply stared at him.

"...If you must." was the stony reply he received.

"Awesome. That's a start." Sun said, smiling slightly. "Alastor, this is Oliver, Penny, Brago, and Finn. These two humans here are Hapu and Lillie." Sun gestured to each of them in turn, before gesturing towards the newly caught Alolan Geodude. "Everyone, this is Alastor. Please try and get along."

"I promise nothing!" Oliver declared stubbornly, causing Sun to face-palm. Alastor smiled grimly at Oliver, clenching his fists.

"I'll enjoy grinding you to dust." Alastor responded coldly, though Sun stepped in between the two Pokémon.

"Enough. We've had enough fighting for today. We should probably set up camp or something once we've gotten out of this area, since it's nearing nightfall." Sun said to the others.

"Naturally. I can lead us to-" Hapu began to say before a massive quake shook the entire area, sending everyone to the ground. Lillie screamed as the mountain rumbled, causing all of the Pokémon to tumble down to the ground. Alastor looked particularly alarmed, holding its arms over its head.

Sun opened his eyes in time to see the entire horizon to burn red, with the smoke that had been constantly billowing into the horizon now blanketing the sky in black. The quaking continued to rock the mountain, causing boulders to crash down around the area which, combined with the darkness around them, made for a terrifying scene. Oliver threw up a Protect to surround them, just in time for a large rock to smash into the barrier.

"Good job, Oliver! Keep it up!" Sun called as he pulled himself up by grabbing onto Brago's fur, peering out into the distance where the red glow was coming from. Sun gasped in horror, his eyes turning black as he took notice of the source of the light. The quaking around them eased up slightly, which allowed Sun to focus on the crimson light that had taken control of the night, dominating the skyline with its hateful glow. Lillie managed to get to her feet and gasped, seeing what had alarmed Sun so much.

"Malie City...it's burning." Lillie whispered, peering down the mountain to see the city that she had spent so much time in on fire. Buildings were consumed in smoke as the streets filled with flames. In the center of the city, the flames that had spewed out of the crater that had opened up just a few days ago was nothing compared to the inferno that rushed forth out of it now.

"No...What have they done?" Hapu hissed, clenching her fists in anger.

"We have to get down there! We have to help!" Sun shouted as the mountain began to quake violently once again, with Lillie clinging tightly to him for support. Alastor growled in anger, looking backwards with an even more furious expression.

"The Ancient One is furious...the island shakes with its wrath!" Alastor growled, eyeing the burning city as Sun looked down at his newest capture.

"The Ancient One?" Hapu wondered aloud snapping out of her anger to regard Alastor with confusion, though Sun felt a cold shiver run through him.

"The Pokémon that lived within our sacred mountain. It was stolen from this place long ago by someone with evil in their hearts. I have only heard stories about them, but it is one of the many reasons our clan hates humans. They do nothing but ruin everything around them." Alastor spat, glaring at the flames engulfing Malie City.

"Heatran...This is Roran's doing!" Sun cried, eyeing the burning city in the distance. "I bet that the crack in the ground just split open. I hope everyone's okay…"

"Doubtful. The stories described the figure that stole the Ancient One as a heartless monster. He slayed several of my kind that day as he cut through the mountain. He only wants one thing." Alastor growled with distaste, eyeing the burning city in the distance.

"And...what would that be?" Lillie piped up, looking towards the Alolan Geodude with concern in her eyes. The Rock Pokémon looked at her in surprise before giving her a cold smile.

"Destruction. Our leader seemed convinced that if the human that controls the Ancient One succeeds in destroying this Island with its power, then the other islands aren't far behind." Alastor replied, sounding a little amused. "The flames will consume us all. Oh well. At least the humans will go down with us."

"We won't let that happen. Everyone, let's get ready to help anyway we can." Sun said, returning everyone present. He caught the look of surprise on Alastor's face before returning the Alolan Geodude, along with the rest of his team, and then turning to Hapu and Lillie.

"We have to get down there to help. I can't just stay here, especially if these quakes get worse." Sun said to Hapu, who looked conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to help as well. But she knew it'd be dangerous down in the city. It wasn't a place for children.

That being said, Route 12 was dangerous as well. Being on a mountain in the middle of an earthquake was even more dangerous than being in Malie City. And it was likely the clan of rock-types that they had just dealt with might come back during the night for revenge. Sun and Lillie couldn't stay here alone. With that being said, Hapu sighed and adjusted her hat.

"My Flygon here can carry two at most. I'll head down the mountain on Mudsdale. You two get to the city and find your friends. I'll contact you once I'm in the city proper, alright?" Hapu said to Sun and Lillie both, reaching forward and placing a hand on both of their shoulders, giving them a squeeze. "Be safe and be smart. Okay?"

Both Sun and Lillie nodded, quickly getting on the Flygon. Within moments the children were in the air and soaring towards the burning city of Malie, where flames had begun to spread all throughout the city. Sun could barely make out several figures garbed in silver armor attacking people in the streets through the smoke with both weapons and Pokémon cloaked in darkness, causing the boy to grit his teeth in anger.

"Sun! That's Cipher!" Lillie cried out, clutching onto her bag tightly as the two of them soared through the skies, hurtling towards the city faster and faster. The boy knew exactly who was behind the recent events, and he knew that things wouldn't go back to normal until he was dealt with. The shadow that had hung over his father for nearly two decades. And the man who had returned to Alola with the intent to slaughter everything.

Sun urged the Flygon to move faster, knowing that a certain ex-Kahuna was no doubt causing more trouble down below.


NEXT TIME: Everyone dies.


And we have officially reached the climax of this Act! This is gonna be fun.

Q & A

From: JDunks896

I'm assuming Dhelmise was the Totem of the Ghost Trial before Acerola and Mimikyu took over? Also, out of curiousity, what team did Borlath have before his current-team that-includes-Greninja? All we've got is Damien, possibly a Whimsicott named Carlito, and a dead Charjabug.

You'd assume correctly. Totem Dhelmise was before Totem Mimikyu.

And his team before was Damien (Houndoom), Penelope (Toucannon), Carlito (Whimscott), and three more that will be introduced in the next chapter, actually. His current team will also be revealed within the next few chapters.

From: Solana Leonhart

I just have one question this time. What would Fossil Man think if he saw the poor abominations Cara Liss creates over in Galar?

He's quite aware of what she's been pulling in Galar. The Fossil Man thinks they're horrifying abominations, but also kinda adorable.

From: Guest

Something isn't right. The Champions are people who have dreams and love Pokémon just as much as they love world. So it makes absolute zero sense that they ignore the problems of the world. In the games and anime they do take action but it doesn't show since you only see through the eyes of the protagonist. Could there be something that's causing them to choose this without them knowing? It's the only thing that can make sense.

Or they're normal people who deal with ridiculous threats from forces they really don't know how to deal with. This is all coming from the prospective of someone who's played through every generation of Pokemon and honestly, I could have made things seem even worse for the Champions. Aside from like 3 of them, they're mostly not that great at their jobs.

From: Joey

1) I'm guessing both of Ashton's childhood friends Tommy and Hina are dead? If not will we be seeing them soon? Also, would they support Borlath's actions or be against it (whether they are both dead, both alive, or 1 dead 1 alive)?

2) How have the other Cipher admins such as Dakim and Venus reacted to Mask/Roran's betrayal and/or Dawson's death? Do they still work with Borlath or have they abandoned him and now work for Roran/Mask? It seems as if you're building up to a Cipher Civil War but I also have a crazy imagination lol.

3) You think Demi will catch anymore pokemon or is just gonna be her and Torch (and Gladion) vs. the world? I can kinda imagine her catching a water type once she is able to overcome her personal demons.

4) What has the Ultra Recon Squad been up to ever since they debuted like 30 chapters ago?

1. Spoilers for what actually happened to them, but they'd definitely be against what he's doing now and probably urge him to get mental help. Because he's certainly not all there at this point.

2. Funnily enough, that'll be coming up sooner rather than later. As of now, they're still on Borlath's side, since Roran is too much of a wild card and Borlath is the one who got Cipher running again in the first place.

3. Maybe after the adventure is over? I honestly don't have plans for her to catch anymore Pokemon, though keep in mind, Amber still does have her old Litwik in her party now.

4. That was honestly a cameo more than anything else. I did want them to have more of a role in things, because they're awesome, but the story is kinda crowded as is. I couldn't fit them into things.

That's all for now, everyone. Please make sure to review the chapter and tell me what you thought. As always, your thoughts and feedback go a long way to support the story and they motivate the hell out of me. If you haven't already, make sure to Favorite and/or Follow the story to stay updated. I also answer questions in the review section and have a Discord for this story that's happening too.

Stay safe and stay awesome.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!