Pokémon Radiant Sun


Alright, so pretty positive reaction to last chapter! So let's keep the good times a-rolling!

Shoutout to the amazing people who reviewed the previous update, which includes Oragonking, Dklett, SolanaLeonhart, Baistro334, RC-DA, Muramasa96, a Guest reviewer, BraviaryScout, ConnivingG. You all are legends!

We are now officially on the main storyline for the game! Let's do this!

Enjoy.


Chapter 142: Boneheads


Several Months Ago…

Battle Royal Dome


"I'm so sorry Gretel…" Jack hissed, ignoring the crimson streaming down his chest as he led a terrified Lillie down one of the corridors of the stadium. The dying Duksnoir on the floor had just taken far too much damage, and was slipping away from this world.

Lillie struggled to keep up with the badly-injured man, glancing back at Amber as she rounded a corner. The assassin was flying atop Avis' back, a tomahawk in hand and wearing a bloodthirsty grin.

"We need to get out of here. I'm out of ammo and without Gretel…" Jack's voice broke then, and he took a moment to steady himself. He had lost everything. Everything he ever cared about. His career. His family. His friends. And now the only thing he had left, Gretel, was gone forever.

But he still had a duty to fulfill.

Protect the innocent.

Lillie looked back once again and saw that Amber had leapt off of Avis, hurling her second tomahawk directly at her with a manic grin. Lillie gasped in horror, making Jack look back as well. The man's eyes widened before he shoved Lillie out of the way and made the tomahawk miss its target. Jack spun on his heel, growling at Amber as he faced her-

Only for a second tomahawk to hit Jack right in the chest. Lillie let out a strangled scream as Jack groaned in pain, staggering backwards before he hit the ground with a powerful thud. Lillie's body shook with horror and fear as blood streamed from Jackal's chest, spilling onto the floor.

"NO!" Lillie screamed, bending down to the ground. Jack choked in pain, staring down at the tomahawk embedded in his chest, crimson life fluid leaking from the mortal wound before looking at Lillie. The man struggled to move, to get back up and fight just like he knew he had too.

"R-run...Get away…" Jack wheezed, forcing his hands to move so he could rise. So he could keep fighting. To avenge Gretel and protect Lillie. But the Commander fell back onto the ground, his body already having lost too much blood for him to stand.

"You're welcome for humoring you. I'll admit you put up a good fight, but I'm tired of playing around. We have a job to do." Amber said with a dark chuckle as she walked forward, grinning like a demon she was. The assassin advanced towards Lillie as the girl began to silently cry.

"You know, you're lucky, kid. You've got all these people who look out for you. Who want to make sure you're safe. You've got Sun and that Professor. Plus this guy. Clearly a lot of people care about you...But now you're all alone. So that leaves one question."

"Who's going to save you now?" Amber asked maliciously as Lillie choked back a sob, taking a step back as Amber chuckled and began to stalk towards her. Lillie screamed and ran away from Amber, who stopped in front of Jack for a moment, grinning down at the helpless and dying man much as she did with Gretel. She ripped her tomahawk out of the twitching man's chest with an audible tearing sound, making him let out a strangled cry of pain.

Jack struggled to remain conscious, slipping in and out as he heard Lillie screaming as she fled down the hallway from the monster that had come for them. The Commander managed to roll onto his stomach even as his vision warped and twisted, darkening as he clung to the waking world as Amber chased after the sobbing Lillie. Jackal raised a hand towards their retreating forms, shaking at the effort.

Soon Amber was out of Jack's reach and his hand limply hit the ground, the man losing the strength to even raise his hand as more and more life fluid seeped from his injuries.

"It's amazing what kind of perspective you gain once you've been forced to relive your worst memories. I really should thank Tapu Lele…" Amber remarked, her rather monotone voice sounding somewhat amused. Her voice sounded so far away to Jackal as he tried to crawl towards the assassin. Jackal's vision and hearing dipped again as Lillie shouted something at Amber, and the assassin threw her tomahawk at the defenseless girl…

However, the little Pokémon in Lillie's hands began to glow.

Jackal's eyes flew open in surprise as a shimmering explosion of energy rippled outwards, blowing apart the hallway and blasting away Amber and her Xatu. Jackal watched in amazement as Lillie and her Pokémon suddenly shot out of the window and Amber and Avis collapsed into a smoking heap down the hallway.

"Attagirl, Lillie…You'll...Y-you'll do great, kid..." Jackal rasped, and the battered and bloodied man couldn't help a ragged grin of pride as he struggled to get into a sitting position, collapsing onto the ground again. This time without the strength to get back up.

His death had finally come. And he accepted it with pride. Because he had done his duty to the very last moment. After losing everything, he was still able to protect someone precious until he simply had nothing left.

But as Commander Jackal prepared himself to die, as his breathing grew weaker, he felt black spots surround his eyes and a comforting blanket of darkness wrap around his body. He assumed it was his body shutting down, his heartbeat slowing and his last moment on this earth finally arriving.

And then he heard her voice one final time.

"Beeee...goooood…" whispered Gretel, her voice so faint Jackal thought he was imagining it. That was when the darkness completely overtook his vision...

And then he was surrounded by screams.

Jackal managed to crack open an eye, seeing a sea of bewildered faces wearing medical scrubs staring down at him with shock. They quickly began to scream for help, and that was when Jackal realized what had happened.

With her last remaining breath, Gretel had saved her partner one last time…and Commander Jackal lived to fight another day.


Present

Malie City Maximum Security Block


Ashton Aupuni couldn't believe what he was seeing, even as Jackal walked further into the cell with a familiar scowl of frustration on his face. The former Commander's magnum was aimed directly at the former Cipher leader's skull, but Ashton didn't care about that.

The fact that his friend and old mentor, a man who he had believed to have been murdered by Amber Fontaine for months now, was standing before him once again stunned him to his core. The furious and accusatory look on the face of someone he had always admired…unsettled him.

"First thing's first. How did you survive? I thought you died." Ashton almost pleaded with the man who had fought alongside him all those years ago against the Ruby Raiders. He had to know this, at least, before the interrogation began.

"Gretel." Jackal growled softly by way of reply. "After Fontaine hit me with that tomahawk, I went down. I saw Lillie escape with that little Pokémon of hers and get the better of that assassin. My vision went dark, and I heard Gretel's voice. Next thing I know I'm in the hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses scared out of their minds."

"That sounds strange." Ashton pointed out, earning a nod from the other man.

"I thought Gretel had died by that point, but apparently she used the last dregs of her strength to Shadow Sneak me to the nearest hospital before she faded away completely. The docs barely managed to keep me alive. Eventually I recovered, and decided to re-enter the employ of the International Police. Word quietly spread that I had died in the Cipher attack." Jackal explained, his tone rough and harsh as ever. The Kecleon on his shoulder seemed unsettled as well, but remained silent.

"I mourned you…" Ashton murmured, tears stinging at his eyes. Despite that, he managed a shaky smile. "It's so good to see you again, Jackal. Even if it's like this."

"I wish I could say the same, Ash. I really do. What the hell happened to you when you left Alola? I thought you were turning over a new leaf. Becoming a businessman to help the world in Tommy's memory. You became a father, Ashton. A Champion! What the hell happened to you?" Jackal demanded again, half-angry and half-exasperated. Ashton considered the answer for several moments, debating inwardly how much he felt like truly divulging.

In the end Ashton decided to simply speak the truth.

No more lies.

"It was many things. Partly frustration at the world for how it refused to do better despite the repeated failings of those who were supposed to be in charge. Especially in the face of a hostile world that had repeatedly come to the brink of disaster. However, it was mostly because of my fear, Jackal."

"Fear?"

"Fear that Sun, my child, would suffer the same hell I endured as a boy. I was beaten, branded and raped by my own father." Ashton hissed, his voice darkening with a sinister note of hatred that genuinely took Jackal by surprise and made him step back. "I was tormented by criminals for most of my childhood and watched people that I cared about die again and again, all before I became an adult. And when I grew older, I learned that those in charge of safeguarding the regions were ineffectual politicians who wouldn't know a criminal if they were standing in front of them."

"And even when I became Champion, I learned that the world was so much more complicated and corrupted than I could have ever imagined. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't make this world change. But then…one day I was shown just what some cloak and dagger antics could do. How much better things could be if someone simply took action and dealt with the evil in the world directly. Things began to spiral after that, and I became used to the violence. Used to the lies. And soon enough I began to fund Cipher and helped them rise from the ashes. All in a plot to either make the Pokémon League improve itself or establish Cipher as the protectors of the world by absorbing and then dismantling every criminal organization known to the world, as Cipher tended to do before I took command of them."

"You tried to either force the League into cleaning up its act…or establish a monopoly on evil in the world. You really did go insane." Jackal remarked, clearly baffled by Ashton's plan. However, considering how much happened as a result of his former friend's schemes, maybe it wasn't quite so nuts after all. "But I can't help but feel things didn't go to plan.

"I lost control of the situation nearly as soon as I became involved with Cipher. I couldn't manipulate things like how I thought I could. The League was…stubborn, and refused to change for the better. And so the act became something more and more. I deluded myself into thinking that it would all be worth it. That all of the death and suffering I was causing would be eclipsed by the centuries of world-wide peace that I could bring." Ashton breathed a heavy sigh, remembering the depths of his fervor that soon spiraled into madness. But when he looked up, he saw Jackal looking down at him with a pained expression.

"I've lost everything as a result of my own narrow-minded ambition. I hurt everyone I ever cared about and lost any chance of making the world truly better because I couldn't simply let go of my own pain. I allowed that to twist me into a monster, and as each setback struck my operation, I grew deeper into my madness." Ashton breathed, gritting his teeth at his own selfishness. The clarity that the Tapu had granted him by purging him of his insanity and the mental damage he had withstood over the years had helped him see just how deluded and evil he had become.

"Thankfully justice isn't dead. And neither is irony." Ashton's expression brightened somewhat, a rueful smile coming to his lips. "My son, Sunshine, and Lillie Jardin infiltrated my battleship and defeated me. I was at death's door by that point, and Sun asked the Tapu to spare my life. They obliged, cursed me, and now here I am."

"That's a lot to take in." Jackal remarked, tapping his pistol against his side as he tried to process that. Especially considering how straightforward and honest the answers he was getting from Ashton were. He had expected more evasion and lies.

Somehow this was far worse than that.

A silence lapsed between the two men as Jackal ignored Ashton and began to pace back and forth in the cell. Ashton continued to watch the man who had seemingly come back from the dead, knowing that the interrogation was not over. After about ten minutes of waiting, it continued again as Jackal turned to face his former friend once more.

"Now then, I believe you owe me some different kind of answers, Ash." Jackal spoke up, breaking the silence that had enveloped the cell.

"What…what answers do you want?" Ashton asked, licking his lips nervously. He had an idea of what exactly the older man was hoping to get answered, but Ashton wasn't sure if he was ready to discuss that quite yet.

"Take a fucking guess." Jackal snapped at the man, causing Ashton to flinch. "That news report about Ano…You've got some explaining to do."

"Father was an insane and vile son of a bitch who I should have killed years ago. I don't regret killing him." Ashton said without hesitation, his tone firm. "I could have gotten away without killing Mother, but in the end I remembered how much of the abuse she allowed. I was so far gone at that point I simply wanted them both gone."

"I'm not asking about why you killed your awful parents." Jackal replied, his tone softening as he rubbed his temple, as if warding off a headache. "I'm talking about the abuse. Did Roran or Mohn or Lusa ever know?"

"Lusamine and Mohn didn't know, but they asked repeatedly about it. I never told them the truth. Roran…suspected. He cornered me one day when we were training and asked some pointed questions. I didn't answer them directly, but…my silence was enough of an answer for him. Sometimes I wonder if the reason Roran despised my father so much was because he was furious at what Ano did to me." Ashton remarked, leaning against the wall. At those words, Jackal sighed heavily and finally lowered his weapon. "Maybe in his own way, Roran cared about me. At least before that warehouse showdown."

"About that…Ash, why the fuck did you never tell us that Ano was treating you like that?" Jackal demanded, even as Ashton looked away. "I saw that report from Battlestorm. Even if Ano was as protected as he was thanks to the Council, certain evidence couldn't be overlooked. And-"

"Who would have believed me?" Ashton asked, his voice soft as he leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes. There was no anger in his voice, only acceptance and resignation. "Back then, it was the word of an unruly child against one of Alola's most prominent politicians. I didn't have a chance in hell to actually send my father to jail for what he did to me or any of the other children. And it would've only made things worse…"

Jackal sighed raggedly, rubbing his forehead for several moments before nodding. "Alright. Fair enough. Guess I can't grill you over awful shit like that from when you were a kid. But what about when you were older, and had a bit more influence? People would've listened to you. Lusa, Mohn and I would've helped you make that man pay for what he had done."

"Not a chance. Ano was still too powerful politically. That bastard and the Alolan Regional Council ruined your career and made you a pariah in this region. They used you as a scapegoat for the people Roran killed and for causing Ula'ula to lose its Kahuna. Ano would do worse to me. I knew the safest thing to do was leave it all behind…The good and the bad." Ashton shook his head, shrugging off the ghosts of the past. "That's basically everything in a nutshell, Jack. I did what I felt was best for my own peace of mind. Call it cowardice. Call it whatever you want. But I wanted away from my demons. You cannot begrudge me that. And I eventually got my revenge, so the point is moot anyway."

"No. Guess I can't really judge you for that." Jackal agreed, nodding as he let out a ragged sigh. He felt so old, discussing such heavy topics like this. But after finally getting the answers he desired…he found that he only felt angrier at the world and more frustrated with his younger friend.

Jackal then realized that particular statement and couldn't help another sigh. Even though Ashton had become a villain and threw the world into chaos, the former Commander still considered Ashton Aupuni a friend.

"Despite everything, Ashton…I think I still have it in me to give you a chance to redeem yourself. The Tapu saw fit to spare you, and so did those kids. I trust their judgment more than my own. But you're gonna pay one way or another for what you've done." Jackal said to the other man, who barked out a laugh.

"I am paying. The Tapu have cursed me with immortality, and I can never leave these islands again. I'm happy to spend some time in prison reflecting on things and allowing what's left of my family to seek out their own happiness without my shadow looming over them. Laura and Sun deserve the world, and I deserve this cell." Ashton said with a wistful smile, looking down at the ground.

"I'm surprised that Sun forgave you. And the report Agent Quill gave me says that you had Lillie in your clutches for a while too when you came to find your parents, but you let her go safe and sound."

"Because I was protecting her from a worse threat than me." Ashton responded offhandedly, his mind reflecting on the Aether Foundation. "Say what you want of me, but I still care for my friends. I couldn't allow that girl to come to harm."

"Uh huh. Still, if I were Lillie or Sun, I'd be pretty pissed at you."

"I wouldn't blame them in the slightest if they were still angry. However, those kids are better than you and I ever were, Jackal." Ashton remarked fondly with a genuine smile, leaning back against the wall as another laugh escaped his lips. "Thankfully Laura gave Sun the talk a few months ago, according to Captain Ollie. Otherwise I'd be worried about getting grandchildren sooner than I expected."

Jackal snorted with amusement at that. "You know, I ran into your kid a few times. I also caught up with Lillie and explained some stuff to her. Turns out there's a lot she and Gladion didn't know about Lusa and Mohn's past."

"I know. I found out later that you had met him. The fact that my child became friends with both Lusamine and you are not lost on me. I bet he probably met Mohn too somewhere." Ashton remarked ruefully. "Seems much like how I neglected to mention any of my past to my son, Lusa did the same with her children. Just like you wanted."

Jackal nodded at that, still smiling, even if it took on a more somber twist. He could sense how much that fact displeased Ashton, even all these years later. "After the Council ruined my name, I couldn't risk them damaging the reputation of Aupuni Industries or the Aether Foundation. It was safer for everyone this way."

"It still didn't sit right with me. You didn't deserve to be slandered by those bastards. Your family deserved a hero's glory. To be totally honest, I only played along because I also didn't want my new family to know about my past." Ashton muttered with a pained grimace. "It was left behind for a reason."

Jackal nodded in agreement. "Plus, part of me was always worried Roran never died. They never did find his body…for obvious reasons."

"Because he was still alive. Thankfully he's dead now, and will continue to go unmourned." Ashton remarked, grinning darkly at his former mentor's demise. His smile faded as he considered something else, his expression becoming more serious.

"Does the International Police know of what the Aether Foundation…no, what Lusamine is planning?" Ashton asked his friend, who's smile vanished instantly.

"You know I can't tell you anything, Ash." Jackal responded, causing Ashton's eyes to widen in shock. The fact that Jackal didn't respond with shock or outrage told him that the International Police did know about Aether. And that they were looking into things further.

"Well…Since you can't tell me about it, how about I detail my most recent excursion to the Aether Paradise?" Ashton said with a very deliberate emphasis. Jackal's eyes widened at that, but he reached into a pocket and pulled out an old-fashioned tape-recorder.


Three Days Later…

Alola Route 9


Sun whooped with glee as the Ride Charizard swooped through the sky, letting out a roar as it drew closer to the ground. After hopping off of the Ride Pokémon, the boy looked over at the large gate that led to Konikoni City, and considered it for a few moments before unclipping the Luxury Ball at his waist and calling out his newest capture.

Tetra appeared in a flash of light, beaming at Sun. She then glanced around at her surroundings and noticed that she was the only one who had been called out. The Gabite looked back at Sun with a confused expression, even as the boy pulled out a black collar. After taking a few minutes to set up the TACV and letting the device get programmed, Sun explained to the young Gabite that he could now understand her if she spoke.

"Where's everyone else?" Tetra asked in a rather quiet and childish female voice, noticeably concerned. The boy calmed the dragon by putting a comforting hand on her head. This made Tetra beam happily at Sun again, which in turn caused Sun to smile at his newest Pokémon.

"Today it's going to be just us two. I want to get to know the latest member of my team. We're going to be meeting a friend of mine a little later for lunch, but we've got some time to kill before that." Sun said as pointed to the city right ahead of them. "Let's do some shopping and go for a walk. Just stay by me, okay?"

"Yes, Master!" Tetra cried out, causing Sun to frown and cross his arms.

"Alright, so first off. Please don't call me that." Sun said to the dragon, who tilted her head again in confusion. Sun wondered if the young Pokémon realized she was doing it.

"...But aren't you the master of all of us?" Tetra asked, not understanding the issue with it.

"Yeah, in a way. I'm your Trainer. You're my Pokémon." Sun explained kneeling down a little bit so he was at eye level with Tetra. "Trainers and Pokémon can have a lot of different kinds of relationships. Family, friends, master and servant, employees and so on. You're a part of my family now, Tetra. You can call me whatever you want, but I want you to be comfortable with us."

"Umm...Your name is Sun, right? That's what the others said." Tetra asked, receiving a smile and a nod from her Trainer. After a few moments the dragon offered the boy a nervous smile, though her eyes shined with triumph.

"Sunny!" Tetra cried out joyfully, deciding on what she wanted to call her Trainer. Sun chuckled lightly, patting the Gabite on the head.

"Sure, you can call me that." Sun said lightly, causing the dragon to grin joyfully, proud of herself. Sun laughed as he and Tetra walked through the entrance of Konikoni City, entering the hustle and bustle of lunch rush in-progress.

"Whoa…So many people." Tetra said with an awed voice, sidling closer to Sun as the boy rested a comforting hand on the dragon's head.

"Yup. Don't worry about it though, they're mostly cool. We've got some time to kill before we have lunch, so let's take care of some shopping." Sun explained to Tetra, keeping up a running commentary as he walked through the city. "I've got a lot of friends here in this city. But they're busy today, so we can meet them another time."

"Friends…" Tetra spoke the word quietly, a small note of wonder in her voice.

"You know, me and my team are your friends now. We'll support you no matter what, okay?" Sun said to the Gabite, who's smile faded as she frowned in concentration, growling softly as Sun looked at her with concern.

"I think…I had a friend once. He was kind to me. Even when…things were bad. He never thought I was strange. I wonder how he's doing." Tetra said quietly to herself, her gaze becoming distant. Sun rested a hand on her head again, scratching it for a moment as he considered that statement.

"You keep calling yourself strange, Tetra. Why do you think that?" Sun asked the dragon, who looked to Sun with that same frown of concentration.

"Because I hear things. See things. Things that I don't think are actually there. It's scary." Tetra admitted to a bewildered Sun, who had no idea how to take this. "I can ignore it sometimes. But other times, it's too much."

"That's interesting. But I wouldn't worry about it too much." Sun said gently, hoping to soothe the agitated dragon. "Let's just focus on enjoying the day. Okay?"

Tetra sighed with relief at those words, offering Sun another bright smile. And with that, the duo ventured deeper into Konikoni City. It was during this time Sun learned several more interesting things about his newest capture.

The first of which was that the observations that his team had made upon meeting the dragon were accurate. Tetra was by far the youngest member of the team, and was only a handful of months old at most. While the first five members of his team were considerably more mature than they were a few months ago after Sun caught them, Tetra was very much a child and would be that way for a while no matter how strong she got in the near future.

The second observation was that Tetra was very distracted by shiny objects. Sun chalked that up to her current evolutionary state as a Gabite, but that was very hard to explain to the vendor that Tetra had wandered over to in order to fawn over the evolutionary stones he was selling.

The third thing Sun learned about Tetra was that she had a sweet tooth. Which was how Sun found himself feeding a shark-dragon a candied apple as they made their way down the road.

"It's so good!" Tetra cried out, candied apple glistening in her sharp teeth as she beamed at Sun. The boy laughed as he tossed the stick of the treat into a nearby garbage can and walking over to a vendor he had been eyeing for a little while now.

The TM Vendor.

"Alola! How can I help you?" the man at the stall asked cheerfully.

"I can buy the TM's Shadow Claw, Low Sweep and Dragon Tail please." Sun asked the vendor, who reached into the large bin beneath the counter and pulled out TM65, TM47, TM82 respectively. Sun handed the man a large stack of bills and after wincing internally at the expensive purchase, stowed the TM's into a case.

"What are those?" Tetra asked curiously, sniffing one of the TM's.

"Those are Technical Machines. You can use them to teach Pokémon new moves. Now that I've got a full team and most of them are fully evolved, I can teach everyone some new moves that I couldn't before."

"So I can use those shiny things to get stronger?"

"Basically. It's really cool when you think about it."

"What does 'cool' mean?"

"It means really good."

"Whoa…that's cool!"

Sun eventually made his way to the fanciest restaurant in Konikoni City, his bewildered dragon walking alongside him as she struggled to take in the sights and sounds of the city. As they entered the restaurant, the duo remained still for several moments.

"This is really fancy. I feel kinda out of my depth." Sun remarked, glancing down at a nervous Tetra as she stared at the packed restaurant filled with patrons. Sun cast his gaze out over the restaurant before giving up and walking over to the man standing behind a podium-like structure.

"Um, hi. I'm supposed to be meeting Aether President Lusamine Jardin for lunch at noon?" Sun said uncertainly to the man, who smirked at the boy's nervousness.

"Yes, she did tell us she was waiting for the boy who saved us all from Cipher's madness. Come right this way, sir." The waiter said with a nod as he walked down a nearby path, with Sun following him alongside Tetra. Within a minute Sun was being escorted towards a large booth in the back of the restaurant, where Lusamine was waiting for him.

"Hey Miss Lusamine! How's it going?" Sun asked as he walked up to the table, even as the Aether President stood out of her seat and pulled the boy into a warm hug.

"Quite well, Sun. How are…" Lusamine trailed off, surprised at the Gabite standing beside Sun. "Oh? Who is this?

"Tetra, this is Miss Lusamine. Lusamine, this is Tetra, my newest Pokémon." Sun introduced the two of them, who stared up at Lusamine not really knowing how to react.

"It's very nice to meet you!" Lusamine said kindly to the dragon, reaching over and patting Tetra on the head much like Sun had earlier. Tetra tensed for a moment, but then relaxed when Lusamine began to stroke the dragon's head. "Aww, look at that smile."

"Yeah, she's a sweetheart. Me and the team are still getting to know her, but I think we're going to have to work through some issues first. I'm focusing on making her feel welcome in the group first." Sun explained as he sat down.

"Well, before we delve into that topic, how have you been? We haven't had much of a chance to talk since that interview we had a few weeks ago." Lusamine asked Sun, who shrugged.

"Pretty well. My team's been acting a little better and Oliver's completely over the issues he's had since the Ultra Beast attack at Aether Paradise. We've been preparing to take on the Grand Trial for Ula'ula Island, but we're willing to wait a bit for that to get Tetra up to everyone else's level."

"Everyone's really nice! I like this team!" Tetra cried out, grinning up at Lusamine. Sun smiled down at his Pokémon before pulling out his phone, pulling up some of the pictures that Colress had taken the other day of Tetra when she was a Gible and showing them to the older woman. Lusamine gasped audibly at the state that Tetra had been in, covered head to toe in brutal injuries and burns.

"You poor thing! What happened?" Lusamine asked Sun and Tetra, the latter of whom looked very uneasy.

"My team asked her about this and she couldn't give us a straight answer. So I'm not going to push her. She'll tell us if and when she's ready." Sun said to Lusamine, who nodded understandingly. "Her injuries healed thanks to her evolving and Nurse Joy gave her a clean bill of health the other day."

"Hmm…These don't look like the kind of injuries a Gible would get in the desert. These were definitely caused by a high-level fire-type Pokémon." Lusamine remarked, pointing at the dark marks.

Sun nodded, even as Tetra became more uncomfortable, shivering slightly in response to Lusamine's words. Sun decided to change the conversation for the comfort of his newest Pokémon, but he was going to try and get more answers of some kind later.

"Thankfully she's made a full recovery and we got her out of that desert. Tetra actually saved us from a rogue Golbat that attacked us." Sun said as he looked down at Tetra, who smiled at her new Trainer again. "After that, I asked if she wanted to join us. She's going to be a great part of the team."

"I'm surprised you went for a dragon as your sixth party member. Dragons are notoriously difficult to train, despite how strong many of them eventually become. However, I believe you're an experienced enough Trainer to handle it." Lusamine remarked, grinning at Sun. "I think she'll blossom under your care and be a strong asset for you." Lusamine praised the boy, who blushed slightly in response. "As for you training for your Grand Trial, what are you planning?"

"We already did some solid training in the desert. I'll be spending some time getting Penny, Brago, Alastor and Tetra a bit stronger and then focusing on getting them some new moves. I've actually bought a few TM's from the vendor down the road here in Konikoni City." Sun explained, causing Lusamine to nod with approval.

"I believe that the Pokémon Center in Malie City also has some useful TM's. You may wish to look into that if you're hoping to improve your team's versatility." Lusamine advised Sun, smiling indulgently at the boy. "Take it from a former Champion. Diversity is the name of the game."

"Yeah, my Dad was of the same mind. It's something I've always agreed with on teams. I'm really lucky that my team ended up becoming so different. But I love all of them, even with their different quirks." Sun said brightly, reaching down to pat Tetra on the head. The Gabite seemed to glow at the positive attention, making Lusamine chuckle.

"I can see that. It's so good to see that you not only treat your Pokémon with respect and affection, but such love. It's a thing lacking from the world, in my opinion." Lusamine mused, taking a sip of her water. "Love is the single strongest emotion of them all. It can motivate us against all odds, all hardships, and keep us going even when all seems lost."

"Mmhmm…It was what kept me going a lot of times. There's so many people who've become important to me since I came to Alola. It's why I want to beat the Island Challenge and become the Alola League Champion!" Sun proclaimed to Lusamine, who started in surprise.

"The Alola League Champion? This is the first I've heard of you desiring such a thing." Lusamine remarked, leaning closer to Sun with interest.

Sun laughed sheepishly in response. "Well, Professor Kukui is still setting it up, but he showed me the spot the League is getting built at on Mt. Lanakila. That really motivated me, and got me thinking about the future. And after everything that's happened with my Dad and Cipher, I realized that being a strong Trainer isn't good enough. I have to become strong enough to protect everyone and help bring others hope. That's when I realized…" Sun trailed off, his smile fading away as his expression became serious. "Alola doesn't need just an Island Challenge Champion. It needs a Regional Champion that can protect all of the precious people and Pokémon in Alola, and even beyond."

Lusamine smiled fondly at Sun's speech. "You're a wonderful boy, Sun. If there's anything that I can do to assist you, please don't hesitate to ask."

Sun nodded, and then a thought occurred to him. Sun reached down to his backpack and opened it up, pulling out a small binder. He then handed it to Lusamine, who opened it. Within were neatly detailed lists of moves and descriptions, along with crude drawings of Pokémon.

"What is this?" Lusamine asked, confused.

"After defeating my Dad, I started making a training book about my Pokémon. Just notes and strategies, combo moves and stuff. But I was wondering if you could give me some feedback on it. You're a former Champion and you work with all kinds of Pokémon, so I was hoping you could give me a few pointers?" Sun suggested hopefully, causing Lusamine to giggle despite herself.

"Of course, dear. I can peruse this while we eat. My time is rather short today, unfortunately. After our lunch, I'll have to depart to Melemele Island to investigate some of the Poké Ride outages in person. They're causing serious issues and I'm worried it may be Team Skull-related, or something equally nefarious." Lusamine said to Sun, who frowned at the name of the gang.

"They've been a problem more and more recently. Acerola's been worried about them." Sun remarked, crossing his arms. "You really think they're behind the Poké Ride outages?"

"As well as several other attacks on important locations within the islands. Their attacks on Alola have become more and more violent. I'm worried they'll do something drastic sooner rather than later. While I sympathize with their plight, I cannot abide by such violence. I have several members of the Aether Foundation working to help maintain stability in the effected areas." Lusamine explained to a concerned Sun, who looked irritated.

"I really want to give those guys the benefit of the doubt. They got such a bad hand in life…But I can't let that slide. Crimes are crimes." Sun muttered, frustrated that Team Skull was causing so many issues. The boy still remembered very clearly how Guzma had almost murdered his father in cold blood.

"It's up to people like us to make a stand against evil, Sun. Good will always conquer bad so long as we continue to do our best." Lusamine said with a bright smile, reaching down to pat Tetra on the head and causing Sun to smile back.

The trio enjoyed their lunch together, with Lusamine reading over Sun's book and learning that Sun had been very hard at work coming up with new strategies and movesets for his Pokémon. It was clear that the boy's skills were that of a prodigy, and that his victory over Borlath was no fluke.

Lusamine was very careful to commit these notes to memory.

The Aether President reminded Sun to check out other places in Alola to buy TM's and offered several insightful critiques of his strategies, detailing several old stories with Ashton, Jackal and her deceased husband where such maneuvers paid off. All too soon, however, they had finished their meal and Lusamine informed Sun that she was to depart soon for Melemele Island.

"Well, it's good that I got to see you again! I'm glad you've been doing well." Sun said as Lusamine pulled him into a warm hug. Lusamine snatched the boy's hat off of his hat and ruffled his hair with motherly affection before she replaced the hat and sat back down.

"And you as well, Sun. Take care of yourself out there. And it was very nice to meet you, Tetra!" Lusamine said kindly to the Gabite, who beamed up at the woman.

"Thank you! You're very nice!" Tetra said brightly, making both Sun and Lusamine laugh at her exuberance.

"Come on, Tetra. Let's get going." Sun said to the Gabite, returning the dragon and departing from the table.

"Sun." Lusamine spoke again, causing Sun to turn around and face the Aether President. Her lips were pressed tightly, as if she was debating on whether or not to say anything.

"Never mind, dear. Just please be careful out there. I'm worried about Team Skull's recent activity, and I'd hate for you to get hurt." Lusamine said to the boy, who responded with a grin.

"No worries. I can handle those boneheads any day of the week." Sun responded confidently, causing Lusamine to chuckle.

"Of course you can. That was never in doubt. Now please, go on your way. I'll talk to you soon." Lusamine said as she bid Sun farewell, a fond smile on her face as the boy turned back around and left.

"Bye, Nice Lady! It was good meeting you!" Tetra said goodbye to Lusamine, who offered a small wave to the dragon as the duo departed.

Lusamine's smile twisted into something darker as she watched Sun and Tetra exited the restaurant, grabbing her glass of water and downing the remainder of the glass. After daintily wiping her mouth with a napkin, she asked for the check.

After all, she had business to attend to.


Sun ended up taking the Aether President's advice, heading to the Pokémon Center in Malie City and picking up a handful of new TM's. This included Swords Dance, Aerial Ace and Bulldoze. He grabbed a few snacks for his team at one of the stores in the city before flying back to the Aether House.

Or rather, that's what he would've done. However, he ran into the issue of his Ride Pager not connecting to the servers. Inwardly he cursed Team Skull for the inconvenience and decided to just stay patient.

However, after over an hour of struggling with the device, he eventually just walked over to the Poké Ride Office in Malie City and paid a small fee to get a Charizard Ride to come pick him up and drop him off at the Tapu Village. As Sun swooped down from the skies, he spotted a familiar head of purple hair departing from the Pokémon Center.

"Acerola? What are you doing here?" Sun asked as he dismounted from the Ride Charizard, patting it on the head before sending it on its way.

"Grabbing some stuff from the Pokémon Center. We were running low on medicine and I like to keep the Aether House stocked." Acerola said as she pointed to the backpack she was carrying. "The real question is where you've been, Sun! You just vanished this morning!"

Sun laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I kinda got called by Miss Lusamine to Konikoni City and spent the afternoon getting to know my new Gabite. After that I went shopping for a bunch of TM's. Gotta make sure I'm prepared for my Grand Trial."

Acerola's eyes lit up with excitement as she did a little hop. "Really? That sounds really fun! Tell me what you got on the way back to the Aether House!"

"Fair enough. Plus we are kinda getting rained on."

Acerola and Sun made their way back to the Aether House, discussing what moves Sun had taught his team and explaining how he hoped to get Tetra some training soon. Acerola, for her part, talked about how she was hoping to do more research on her family's history and how she wanted to get more active in her community. She was in the middle of asking Sun about Professor Kukui's Pokémon League when the girl went pale and suddenly sprinted ahead, drawing Sun's gaze.

The boy's eyes went wide as he saw Hau get pushed down the flight of stairs leading up to the Aether House, with three Team Skull members emerging from the building.

"Seriously, you guys are absolute buzzkills. Now let me back into that house!" Hau said heatedly to the Team Skull Grunt that was blocking his way, a Vikavolt buzzing behind him. The other Team Skull Grunt held a burlap sack over his shoulder, an Umbreon crouched low beside him.

"Not a chance, yo. And why would I listen to the grandson of a Kahuna? That's mad wack." The Team Skull Grunt shot back, crossing his arms. Sun and Acerola ran up beside Hau, backing him up against a three-on-one confrontation. Sun then recognized the woman standing at the front of the group as Plumeria, the lone Admin of Team Skull.

"Back so soon, hmm? I wasn't expecting you just yet." Plumeria said with a hint of annoyance in her voice as she turned to face Sun.

"Just yet…?" Sun asked, finding the wording of that statement strange.

"What are you creeps doing here?" Acerola demanded, stepping up to the Team Skull Grunt that had suddenly got in her face. "I swear if you hurt those children, I'll make you regret it!"

"What's it to you, yo? Little scamps like them need to be taught fear at a young age, yo!" the Team Skull Grunt shot back, laughing at Acerola as the Captain scowled furiously.

"It takes these dumb Grunts way too long to deal with you kids…" Plumeria said with a sigh, her fierce gaze leveled at Sun. The boy met her glare with one of his own, not backing down.

"So I guess it's my turn now!" Plumeria said as she drew a Poké Ball from her belt. Meanwhile both of the Grunts rushed forward, shoving Acerola backwards while Hau kept the second one from attacking Sun, grabbing him around the waist and hurling him backwards with a yell of effort.

"Hey! That's mean!" Acerola said as she scampered to her feet, pulling out an Ultra Ball. Hau stared down the Team Skull Grunt, who was openly laughing at them.

"What? I told you before." Plumeria said as she gestured to the two Grunts, flashing a dark smile. "Next time you get in our way, I'm not holding anything back!"

"Fair enough…" Sun responded as he pulled out a Poké Ball, calling out his Poliwrath with a grin. "I'll stop holding back too! Finn, let's thrash them!"

"With pleasure, buddy!" Finn boomed, punching his fists together as he landed on the ground, striking a pose as Plumeria grinned savagely.

"Golbat, deal with him!" Plumeria called, sending out a large bat Pokémon. However, Sun realized the Bat Pokémon looked somewhat familiar. Then he noticed that the Golbat's right wing looked slightly weird…as if it had been recently injured.

"Air Cutter!" Plumeria shouted as her Golbat swooped forward, releasing a slicing wave of wind that blasted Finn back, causing him to grunt in pain at the super-effective hit.

"Finn, use Scald!" Sun called as the Poliwrath braved the harsh winds and kicked off of the ground into the air, spraying a boiling gush of water into the face of the Golbat. As the Bat Pokémon recoiled in agony, Plumeria's mouth twitched into a smirk.

"Confuse Ray." Plumeria said calmly, as Golbat flared its wings, causing several purple orbs of energy to flicker into life around it. Those orbs then hurtled towards Finn as he fell back down to the ground, striking him before he could even try to dodge.

"Finn!" Sun shouted out, despite knowing it was pointless. The Poliwrath staggered backwards, his eyes glazed as he tried to process what was going on despite his confusion. "Focus, Finn! Use Psychic!"

Finn nodded slowly, looking towards Golbat as his eyes and stomach began to glow…only for him to suddenly punch himself hard in the face. Plumeria chuckled at the sight as her Golbat hovered back her side, hissing softly.

"Air Cutter! Finish him off!" Plumeria called out as Golbat flew forward with a snarl, sending another wave of razor-sharp discs of pure wind towards Finn. To their surprise, Finn stumbled and fell onto the ground, causing the attack to miss completely. Sun grinned as Finn staggered upright, groaning as his hands covered his face.

"Finn! Fight through it! Body Slam!" Sun called out as Finn put up both of his fists, seemingly ready to get back into the fight properly. Instead, the Poliwrath suddenly began punching himself in the face.

"Air Cutter again!" Plumeria commanded sharply, with Golbat releasing yet another wave of sharp wind at Poliwrath and blowing him backwards with a pained cry. However, as Finn looked up from the ground, his expression seemed to become more aware and his gaze sharpened with clarity.

"You're gonna pay for that…agh…" Finn huffed as he pushed himself upright. Sun adjusted his hat, grinning now that Finn had snapped out of his confusion.

"Confuse Ray, one more time!" Plumeria called, snapping her fingers as Golbat summoned another wave of orbs that went flying towards the Poliwrath.

Sun punched forward with his fist, yelling, "Use Psychic! Blow them away!"

Finn threw apart his arms as his chest and eyes burned with blue energy, a harsh glow coming to them both as the Confuse Ray was blasted apart by the wave of force that erupted through the air and slammed hard into Golbat, knocking it into the dirt.

"Finn, finish it off! Water Gun into Body Slam!" Sun called as Finn struck a pose, quickly blasting himself into the air with a Water Gun shot from his chest. However, as he flipped in midair, Plumeria grinned with amusement.

"You're something else. Air Cutter!" Plumeria ordered Golbat as it shakily got to its feet, flapping hard into the air. The Golbat released another wave of razor-sharp wind at Finn as he fell through the air, glowing with the power of Body Slam. As the Poliwrath plummeted through the air, he cried out in pain as the spinning discs of air slashed at him, nearly knocking him out of the attack.

But not quite.

Finn slammed hard into Golbat and made it crash into the ground, where Finn had it pinned down. When the Poliwrath stood, the Golbat was unconscious.

"Damn it. You're good." Plumeria admitted with a sigh, returning her Golbat and clipping the Poké Ball to her belt. She pulled off another and regarded it for a moment. "Salazzle, deal with him!"

As Plumeria sent out her second Pokémon, Sun was faced with another moment of deja vu as he stared down a large feminine lizard Pokémon that hissed softly at him, standing tall on two feet as its tail swished behind it. And that's when it clicked for Sun.

"That Salazzle and Golbat…They were the Pokémon that attacked us the other day at the beach and then in Haina Desert, weren't they?" Sun asked Plumeria sharply, causing the Team Skull Admin to wince at the accusation. Hau and Acerola looked over at Sun in surprise, and then turned their attention to Plumeria.

"I won't deny it. Guzma said we should try whatever it takes, and said you wouldn't be expecting it. That's when we learned how difficult it would be to try and take you on with all of your friends around…hence why we're doing this." Plumeria explained as she held out a hand, snapping her fingers. "Toxic."

Salazzle snarled and opened her mouth, releasing a deluge of purple fluid that struck a surprised Finn directly. The Poliwrath staggered backwards, shaking violently as the poison took hold.

"Scald! Beat it back!" Sun called to Finn as he cast an intense glare at the Salazzle, firing off a stream of boiling hot water at the Toxic Lizard Pokémon. Salazzle screamed in pain as the water struck her, causing her to topple onto the ground, though she soon scuttled to all-fours and hissed furiously.

Finn grimaced in pain as the poison began to whittle away at his strength, and Sun knew it wouldn't be much longer until the Poliwrath succumbed to all of the damage he had taken. That being said, he also knew that Finn was more than enough to take down Plumeria on his own.

"Flame Burst! Keep your distance!" Plumeria called out to her Pokémon, causing the Salazzle to rise to its full height and fire off a massive fireball towards Finn that exploded outwards, sending several streaks of flame towards him that battered the Poliwrath from all sides.

"Psychic! Full-power!" Sun yelled out, thrusting out his hand as Finn pumped his fists, letting out a scream of effort as his eyes and stomach exploded with a harsh blue aura. A shockwave of psychic energy erupted from the Poliwrath, washing over the battlefield and striking Salazzle hard enough to send it flying into the side of the nearby Aether House sign, knocking it over…and knocking Salazzle out cold.

"Hmmph! I can't even stand myself right now!" Plumeria grumbled as she returned her Salazzle, obviously frustrated at her second loss. She then looked to Sun, sighing as she crossed her arms. "Guess you are pretty tough. Now I understand why my Grunts waste so much time battling kids."

"Why did you attack us? Why are you attacking the Aether House?" Sun demanded as he walked forward, returning Finn and calling out Alastor. "I want answers."

"Ooh, look at you. Just because you beat your insane Dad doesn't mean you're hot shit, kid." Plumeria said with a taunting grin, causing Sun to scowl at that comment. "But if you want us to return the Pokémon, then you'll have to come to us. Alone."

"Wait, what? Return what Pokémon? " Sun asked, not understanding what Plumeria was talking about.

"The boss is dying to meet you! See you at our base in Po Town!" Plumeria said with a single wave of her hand as she and the Grunts walked off down the path, past the bewildered Trainers.

"Wait, stop!" Sun called out, with Alastor preparing to attack the retreating gangsters. That was when the trio suddenly were swallowed by their shadows and vanished into the nearby trees, escaping before any answers could be gleaned.

"Well, that's irritating." Alastor remarked, huffing slightly. "I hope the next time we deal with them you'll call on me. I've been itching for a fight that isn't a battle to the death or against…you know what."

"Bzzzt! You mean Ghosts, right?" Rotom Dex asked, causing Alastor to cringe. Partly because that still wasn't something he was proud of, and partly because technically Rotom Dex was a Pokémon that was part Ghost-type.

"Ugh…" Hau groaned, looking down at the ground. "Battles you can't afford to lose aren't any fun…"

"Hey! Are you guys OK!?" Acerola yelled, sprinting up the steps to check on the children inside. Sun and Hau exchanged a quick look and returned their Pokémon, hurrying inside after the Captain. Inside of the Aether House Lillie was consoling Hunter and Kylee, who were both crying.

"What happened!?" Acerola cried out, fearing the worst. Kylee looked over to Acerola, running to the Captain and throwing her arms around the young woman and bursting into brokenhearted sobs.

"M-my Yungoos…they took it!" Kylee bawled as Hunter ran over and hugged Kylee, sobbing as well. Lillie hurried into the kitchen while the Sun, Hau and Acerola focused their attention on the children.

Acerola released the girl as she considered the implications of what happened, and Acerola's expression became one of disgusted shock as she put her hands on her hips. "We can't forgive this!"

"What happened?" Sun asked, looking over at Lillie as she brought in two mugs of steaming hot cocoa, handing one to Hunter and murmuring something to him. She then gave one to Kylee, putting a comforting hand on the little girl's shoulder.

"I was fishing outside on the beach when I heard a commotion from the Aether House." Hau explained, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. "By the time I got back to the house, Team Skull was already there. They knocked out Elekid and then grabbed Yungoos, throwing it into a sack. I tried to get it back, but…that didn't happen."

"And I was in the middle of cooking something for the Pokémon and the kids. When I heard the commotion, I went to hide Nebby." Lillie admitted, sighing softly at the admission. Sun didn't blame her for that though. She wasn't able to deal with Team Skull in any way since she wasn't a Trainer.

"Darn it, those numskulls actually did something pretty clever for once!" Acerola remarked, her expression one of genuine shock. Sun grit his teeth in anger at the audacity of Team Skull to steal from a little girl like that. "I wonder if they waited until the Aether House was less-guarded to make their move."

"But…why steal a Yungoos?" Sun asked, realizing that this scheme made absolutely no sense to him. "They could easily catch dozens of them in the grass on any island…they're not even that rare of a Pokémon."

"I don't know. But we have to get it back. Team Skull may be a bunch of dorks, but they're thieves and don't care who gets hurt if they can get their way. I fear for Yungoos' safety in their hands." Acerola said quietly as she tried to figure out what to do.

"If we want to get the Pokémon back…then Sun has to go to Po Town…All alone? With no backup?" Hau asked, the seriousness of the situation now dawning on all of them. "That's what they said, but…that's not fair!"

"Team Skull has taken over Po Town…It's basically their private playground now." Acerola sighed, shaking her head. "Even if Team Skull individually aren't that big of a threat, going into their stronghold is something even I wouldn't do on my own. Especially with Guzma lurking somewhere in that big house. And if they want Sun to come alone, that means my own hands are tied. I'd never forgive myself if a Pokémon got hurt because of my own actions."

"They're doing this specifically to draw me out…It's probably because I beat Guzma in Malie Garden. He seems like the kind of guy to not take a loss like that well." Sun remarked, putting a hand to his chin as he considered it.

"No, he's got a long history of violence and defying the law. He's strong enough to fight any of the Kahunas on even footing at their strongest, but after his battle with Amber Fontaine a few months ago, his team was mostly injured to the point where they couldn't battle." Acerola explained to Sun, who considered that fact.

"Well then…what better way than to shut their mouths than to walk right into their trap and beat each of those boneheads down?" Sun said with a fierce grin, crossing his arms. He looked at the two scared children, their eyes full of tears. "Don't worry you two, I'll teach those jerks a lesson they won't forget and get Yungoos back."

"If you're gonna go, though, try to find this guy on Route 15 who's wearing a kimono…He might be able to help you get to Po Town." Acerola said to Sun, who gave her a confused look. "He sometimes comes to the beach. You can't miss him."

"If the situation wasn't so serious, I'd make a joke about how vague that was." Sun said with a sigh, though he started as Kylee walked over to him with a teary expression.

"H-here. Take this…Just…just get my Yungoos back for me!" Kylee said as she handed Sun a small candy-shaped object wrapped in a bright blue wrapper. "I feel so alone and scared without my Pokémon….I can't sleep at night without her…"

"Thank you." Sun said with a small smile, tucking the Rare Candy into his pocket and kneeling down so that he could look the scared little girl in the eyes. He gave her a warm smile, patting her on the head. "Don't you worry. I'll be back before you know it with your Yungoos safe and sound. I promise."

"O-okay…" Kylee whispered as Hunter wiped the girl's eyes. Sun looked back at Acerola, considering the situation further.

"Tell me more about Po Town, Acerola." Sun said as he began to think about just what he needed to do. "How far away is it?"

"You won't make it there before the end of the night. It's about a two-day trek from here on foot. It rains there about 10 months out of the year pretty heavily, and there's not much on the way there besides a Pokémon Center and an old Police Station. Not many people besides the odd Trainer that way either." Acerola said to Sun, racking her brain for more useful information.

"Right…With the recent outages, the chances of getting to use any of the Ride Pokémon I normally would use to get there quicker are basically out of the question." Sun muttered, inwardly cursing their bad luck. "I'll figure something out."

"Wait, are you leaving right now?" Lillie asked worriedly, receiving a nod from Sun.

"The sooner I take care of this the sooner Kylee gets her Pokémon back." Sun responded, stepping forward and pulling Lillie into a hug. Lillie flushed at the sudden public display of affection, but melted into the embrace.

"Be careful." Lillie whispered into Sun's ear before she pulled away, smiling sadly at him. "Pokémon being abducted like that…Maybe even hurt…I just can't stand the idea! Sun! Please…help them!"

"Of course. While I'm gone, keep an eye on the kids and help Hau out. I'm counting on you, Lillie." Sun said to his best friend, surprising her. Lillie then smiled weakly at Sun, offering him a silly salute in response. Sun turned around and made for the exit, determined to give Team Skull a battle they wouldn't forget.

"I-I'm sorry, Sun." Sun stepped in his tracks at Hau's words, murmured almost too softly for the boy to hear. "It's my fault…Now you've got to put yourself in danger because…I couldn't stop them…"

Sun slowed to a stop beside his other best friend, several comments floating around in his head that the gray-eyed boy could respond with. Sun knew that Hau hadn't been taking his Pokémon training seriously as of late, and just like Sun had thought, it came back to bite them. But instead…Sun simply smiled at his friend.

"This is why I'm so focused on training and getting better Hau." Sun said as he looked back at his friend, smiling at him. His gaze shifted to Lillie, who's worried expression made his own will more resolute. "Because when the time comes…I want to be strong enough to protect those precious to me. Maybe you should do some thinking on what you want to be fighting for."

Sun then put a hand on Hau's shoulder. "Protect them, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Of course. I promise you, they won't get through me!" Hau proclaimed, pumping his fists with a fierce grin. Sun grinned back at his other best friend, pulling him into a tight hug before he departed out of the Aether House.

"Izzz Yungoos gonna be okay? My circuitzzz are going haywire! I wasn't built for this kind of stress!" Rotom Dex cried out from Sun's backpack before the door closed behind him.

The atmosphere within the Aether House became tense the moment Sun departed. Kylee quietly sobbed while Hunter patted her on the shoulder. Hau looked troubled and Acerola seemed frustrated…and Lillie couldn't help but worry.

Between Plumeria's Pokémon attacking them twice, Team Skull staking out the Aether House and Yungoos getting stolen…

"Sun…please be safe." Lillie thought to herself as she looked down at Nebby, who was peering up at her with a concerned expression on his face. Lillie gently patted the Cosmog on his head before clapping her hands together, drawing everyone's attention.

"Sun's going to be just fine. Let's make some lunch, okay?" Lillie said with a smile to the others, with the kids perking up and Acerola smiling at Lillie's attempt to put on a brave face for the children. Hau laughed softly under his breath, walking over to his friend.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. We can also think about what kind of yummy food we can make for Yungoos once Sun brings them back! That sound good?" Hau asked Kylee, who offered the boy a watery smile. Hau and Lillie grabbed the children's hands and led them into the kitchen. Acerola stared after them, her expression troubled.

The Captain swiftly pulled out her cell phone and went through her contacts, selecting one and calling it. After going to voicemail twice, Acerola finally got ahold of who she intended.

"What is it?" a tired voice grunted through the phone. Acerola inwardly pouted at the tone of the man, but decidedly didn't point it out.

"Uncle Nanu, it's urgent. One of the kids at Aether House had her Pokémon stolen by Team Skull. They said that Sun has to go to Po Town alone to get it back."

"That's the most obvious trap I've ever heard."

"I know. Can you help Sun out? Me and Hau have to keep an eye on the kids and Lillie, and I'm worried. Something doesn't feel right, Uncle." Acerola admitted, earning a snort of amusement from the other end of the line.

"You're finally learning something from me, huh?" the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island remarked dryly. "Fine. I'll make sure they don't kill the kid. Just keep an eye out. There's been some weird rumblings and you're not the only one with a bad feeling. Jackal's got the team looking into some things and there's all sorts of weird incidents cropping up across Alola over the past few days. Stay alert."

Nanu disconnected the call then, leaving Acerola standing in the Aether House with a sinking feeling in her heart. She looked towards the kitchen for a few moments before allowing a cheery smile to return to her face. The kids needed to see her being strong, after all.


NEXT TIME: Sun becomes Sharkboy, Lillie has an important conversation with Hau, and Faba embraces the dark side.


We are officially on the road to Po Town! Sun's got a full team and the main story plot is officially underway! Woo!

No Q & A this time, since there weren't any questions! Please leave a review, Favorite and/or Follow the story to show your support and stay updated with all things RS. I also have a Discord set up for the story and I answer questions in the review section just down below!

Stay safe and stay awesome.

Until next time, FlygonNick out!