Pokémon Radiant Sun
Alright, so I got my hands on Pokémon Violet.
I'm only about a quarter through the game (just beat the third Gym), but I can confidently say this is a really fun generation. I can't offer any definitive takes or opinions yet, but my impressions so far are positive. Despite the glitches and bugs, and some rather meh graphics even by Pokémon standards, this game is fun and I'm having a great time. I should be finished with it by the time I post the next update.
But that aside, I've got a shiny new chapter for you all! We're barreling towards a very long-awaited arc of the story and I'm stoked to finally get to this part of our tale.
Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes SolanaLeonhart, Anasazi Darkmoon, Oragonking, RC-DA and Muramasa96. Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Enjoy.
Chapter 147: End of the Line
Mt. Lanakila
"You've got to be kidding me." Gladion muttered as he shivered in the howling snow, looking down at the Sneasel that was looking up at him with a wide smile.
"You both know that I wouldn't lie about something like this." Type: Null responded as Demi snickered in the background. Gladion glanced over at the massive Crabominable that had been chasing the Sneasel in question, now knocked-out cold (pun-intended) thanks to Gladion's intervention.
"He's grateful that you saved his life and wishes to become stronger." Type: Null reiterated as the Sneasel nodded in agreement. "Trainer, I believe we should allow him to join us. The Pokémon in this area are quite powerful."
Gladion swore internally and debated whether or not to do what made sense. Capture the grateful Sneasel and add a new member to his team and improve his chances of stopping the end of the world. Or continue being stubborn.
"Sometimes it really does suck being me." Gladion thought to himself as he pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it at the Sneasel, who didn't put up a fight and was easily captured by the teen. Gladion scooped the ball out of the snow and clipped it to his belt.
"Never wanted to be a damn Trainer…now I've got five damn Pokémon." Gladion grumbled as he turned around and began to stomp through the snow, with Type: Null and Demi walking behind him.
"So, are you just going to keep ignoring me or are you going to keep training until you catch frostbite?" Demi asked Gladion, who continued ignoring her. "I know where you sleep, Gladion! You can't ignore me forever!"
"Of course you know where I sleep. We share a room together." Gladion finally remarked, glancing back at her with an annoyed expression. It was odd that this particular fact still held true, even now.
Demi had convinced her father to book them a lengthy stay at a hotel in Malie City for the purposes of their investigation into Lusamine and as a way to keep them safe from Team Skull and Guzma. Councilman Palena footed the bill, hoping to begin making amends to Demi for his treatment of her over the past few months. Weirdly enough, Palena even seemed supportive of Demi's friendship with Gladion, which was unexpected but a welcome surprise.
"My point still stands. You should recruit some help. Maybe try reaching out to one of those Unova guys or Colress?" Demi suggested to Gladion, who shook his head.
"Communication has been down, remember? I can't even call a Ride Pokémon, let alone make a call to anyone on this mountain." Gladion pointed out to Demi. "Besides, I don't want to draw attention to Lillie. Especially with whatever Guzma has planned."
"Or, you know…you could tell Lillie straight-up? She's your sister and you miss her. Just team up with her and share information." Demi said to Gladion, who whirled around in surprise. "Seriously. Enough lying. You both know that Lusamine's up to no good. Get together with Lillie and figure out a plan. Hell, you could probably rope a few Trainers into helping you. Sun and Hau are Lillie's closest friends, and they'd be willing to listen to her on anything. Even believing that your mother is a monster who needs to be stopped. They both adore that girl and Sun would believe her no matter what."
Gladion looked out over the snowy cliffs with a resigned expression on his face. In truth, he was hesitant over telling his sister anything that he knew because he knew that she should be angry with him for abandoning her at the Paradise with their Mother. She deserved to be upset with him for what he did. And that was something Gladion wasn't sure he could face. He had already lost Mother and Father…he didn't want to lose Lillie.
But on the other hand, the world hung in the balance. Mother couldn't be allowed to reacquire Cosmog or things would become nothing short of a nightmare. Untold chaos that the world had never seen before.
"Fine." Gladion said with a reluctant sigh, crossing his arms. "I've got some reservations, but I can't argue against your logic. Something is about to happen and I can't afford to keep playing things safe. Better that me and Lillie face whatever is coming as a family than continue to fight this thing by ourselves."
"You're never alone, Gladion." Demi said quietly, reaching forward and grabbing the teen's hand, squeezing it gently. The blond-haired boy regarded Demi for a few moments, looking down at her earnest expression with several conflicting emotions. He opened his mouth, unspoken words on his lips, but he closed it a few moments later as Demi gave him a confused look.
"Come on…it'll take a while to get down this mountain without a Ride Pokémon. Let's start heading there now." Demi said as she walked over to Gladion and grabbed his hand, leading him down the path. He didn't put up a fight, though he did grumble just quietly enough to where Demi couldn't hear him over the icy wind whirling across the mountainside.
Type: Null could, however, and quietly laughed the entire time at his Trainer.
Meanwhile…
Po Town, The Shady House
"Bring me a beat!" Guzma bellowed to the Team Skull Grunt standing guard over Yungoos. The teen yelped with fear, but kicked the nearby boombox on the floor that suddenly began to play the battle theme Sun had heard the last time he had battled the Team Skull Boss. The Grunt began to beatbox as Guzma turned his attention back to Sun and his Pokémon.
"Oliver, use Pluck!" Sun shouted as the Decidueye flapped his wings hard, launching himself directly at Goliath with a shining beak.
"Tch! Use Liquidation!" Gumza shouted as Goliath snarled, summoning a watery blade and slashing out at Oliver. The owl flapped his wings at the last second, dodging the attack and striking Goliath directly, causing him to stagger back a step. However the Golisopod retaliated by slashing Oliver with Liquidation, forcing him to back off.
Guzma cracked a smirk, pointing a finger forward. "Poison Jab!"
"Shadow Claw!" Sun called as Oliver's talons suddenly glowed purple. The Decidueye leapt into the air and swept his talons at Goliath as he rushed forward, swiping at the owl with a brutal roar. The attacks collided with one another, with a ripple of force rippling across the room.
"You've grown." Goliath grunted as he stared down Oliver.
"I'm better now than I've ever been…allow me to show you!" Oliver said as he suddenly shifted his weight, throwing himself skyward and causing Goliath to suddenly swipe at empty air. Oliver dove at the Golisopod with Pluck and struck him directly in the chest.
Goliath roared in pain, wildly backhanding Oliver with his mighty claw and knocking him to the ground. The owl rolled to his feet, laughing softly as Goliath looked down at its chest before looking at Oliver. The Golisopod then slowly nodded, gesturing with its claw for Oliver…to bring it on.
"X-Scissor!" Guzma bellowed to his ace, who's entire arms began to glow bright green before it charged forward.
"Protect!" Sun called as Oliver held out a wing, summoning his barrier for the second time. The attack struck the field, and despite the power behind the move, the Protect held.
"Always hiding behind your barriers. Ya gotta quit hiding, yo." Guzma said mockingly, shaking his head with disappointment as Sun just glared at him with irritation. After everything the man had said and done, the boy was unfortunately getting extremely frustrated with the Team Skull Boss.
"I don't get you. You hurt everyone and everything around you. Why? Was whatever happened between you and Professor Kukui so bad that you had to resort to all of this?" Sun asked Guzma, who suddenly gave the boy a broad smile and threw apart his arms.
"BEHOLD, the field in which I grow my fucks! Lay thine eyes upon it, and thou shalt see that it is barren!" Guzma bellowed, his grin widening as Sun scowled at him angrily. "I don't care, kid. Because this world is broken. So why not burn it down and make a new one? One where we can be accepted for who we are. No culture or traditions weighing us down. We can simply be free. Your dear old Daddy had the right idea, but the wrong execution. Now then…speaking of execution!"
Guzma's expression hardened as he snapped his fingers, causing Goliath to laugh softly before suddenly charging at Oliver, causing the Decidueye to leap back to avoid the X-Scissor from the Golisopod. He wasn't quite as successful as before, with Goliath delivering a brutal strike that sent Oliver tumbling backwards with a pained screech.
"You're hot shit, kid. But don't think you can handle me at my full power. I'm still toying with you." Guzma said with a chuckle as Sun and Oliver glared at the Team Skull Boss.
"He's gotten leagues better in just the matter of weeks. If I had my full team back at full power, it'd be a slam dunk. But with just Ariados and Goliath, who's still bouncing back…It'll be close." Guzma thought with an inward wince before he crouched on the ground, his mind racing. "Pin Missile!"
Goliath let out a roar as he hunched over, firing off a barrage of Pin Missile towards the owl, who flipped in midair and swooped across the room, dodging the bombardment even as the room shook from the force of the attack.
"Razor Leaf!" Sun called as Oliver suddenly spun around in midair, throwing apart his wings to release a massive wave of spinning leaves that struck the Pin Missiles in midair, slicing them apart and causing a wave of explosions to erupt throughout the room.
"Ice Beam!" Goliath charged up the attack and fired directly at Oliver, who shrieked in agony as the attack hit him directly. The Decidueye was thrown backwards, landing on the ground in a crumpled heap with ice coating his wings.
Guzma laughed softly, delight dancing in his eyes. "And that's a wrap. Goliath, finish him with-"
"Spirit Shackle!" Sun called as Oliver rolled onto his side, taking aim with another arrow that ignited with ghostly fire before it shot off towards Goliath, who didn't have time to defend himself before the arrow struck his forehead and exploded, causing the beast to roar in agony. Goliath staggered backwards, covering its face, clearly disoriented from the attack.
"Oliver, now's our chance! Use Pluck!" Sun called as the Decidueye rose to his feet, trembling in pain for a moment before sharply nodding and speeding towards Goliath with a shining beak, slamming hard into the chest of the enormous bug. The Golisopod was forced back several steps, his body shaking for several moments as his vision slowly returned.
"Not good…" Goliath rumbled softly, its voice holding a note of unease as it considered the battle so far. "Perhaps it's time for a…tactical retreat."
Guzma scowled then as Goliath turned towards him and morphed into pure light, returning to his Poké Ball much to the bewilderment of Sun.
"That's Golisopod's Ability, right? But…Wait. I thought Spirit Shackle keeps Pokémon stuck in battle." Sun remarked with some confusion as Guzma smirked at the boy.
"Emergency Exit seems to be able to override the power of the move, Sun. Zzzzrt!" Rotom Dex warned the boy as he frowned, knowing full well that allowed Guzma to use First Impressions again whenever he sent back out Golisopod.
"Yeah, it's a fun Ability like that, huh?" Guzma remarked, laughing under his breath as he shrugged helplessly. "Oh well. I don't make the rules. I just negatively reinforce them, boyo."
"COWARD!" Oliver screeched, surprising everyone in the room with the raw fury pounding in his voice. The owl seemed beside himself with anger at the Golisopod ending their battle prematurely. "Come out and face me!"
Guzma snickered at Oliver's righteous fury, drawing the owl's fury to the Trainer. "Wow. Looks like Goliath just didn't think you were strong enough for him to bother sticking around. Oh well."
"Why you little…" Oliver hissed, notching an arrow in anger before catching himself, breathing softly calming himself down and standing upright. "No matter. When that weakling shows his face again, I'll simply crush him in my talons."
"Weakling!? Ha! That's rich coming from the bird who got knocked out in a single friggin' hit last time we fought! Ariados, deal with these clowns, yo!" Guzma barked as he sent out his Ariados, with the insect softly chittering at the battered Decidueye standing across from it. "Sucker Punch!"
"Protect!" Sun shouted as Oliver threw apart his wings, summoning a barrier just in time for Oliver to block the underhanded strike from the spider. Guzma scowled in annoyance at Sun's accurate prediction of his plans for a second time.
"Shadow Sneak!" Guzma ordered the spider as it dove into the shadows, only to reappear behind Oliver as his shield faded and slammed hard into the back of the bird, causing super-effective damage. Oliver tumbled forward and notched an arrow, which ignited with ghostly energy.
"Spirit Shackle!" Sun called as Oliver fired his shot, which bounced around the room wildly before embedding itself on the floor next to Ariados and exploding, knocking the spider forward and trapping it in battle.
"No more running away…hah." Oliver panted, grinning at Guzma who just grinned back.
"Wouldn't have it any other way! Fell Stinger!" Guzma ordered as Ariados lunged forward, its pincers shining bright blue. The spider struck Oliver hard, causing the owl to shriek in pain at the super-effective move and retaliate with a Pluck that knocked Ariados to the other side of the room.
"Pluck!" Sun called as Oliver soared forward, his beak shining brightly as Ariados struggled to its feet, only to be struck by the super-effective attack and sent hurtling into the wall by Guzma, where it hung for a few moments before glaring at the bird and leaping away.
"Shadow Sneak!" Guzma shouted as Ariados dove into Guzma's shadow and slammed into Oliver from behind, causing the owl to hoot with annoyance and pain as the battered spider reappeared.
"Spider Web!" Guzma bellowed as his Ariados leapt back, shaking slightly from the pain it was in. Sun was ready, however, and shouted, "Get airborne and dodge it!"
Ariados hissed as it fired off a massive web from its mouth as Oliver kicked off of the ground, flapping his wings hard to barely avoid the webbing that would've spelled disaster for the owl. As Oliver hovered above the floor, Guzma looked at Oliver with a crooked grin.
"Huh. Well, I wasn't expecting that." Guzma remarked, raising an eyebrow. "But you're not gonna expect this either. Snom, use Icy Wind!"
"Huh?" Sun asked, blinking in confusion. That was when a whirling blast of ice-cold wind suddenly erupted from behind the boy, causing Sun to turn around in time to see an Icy Wind attack rushing right towards him. Penny let out a cry and threw herself in front of the attack, shielding Sun with her body. As the Toucannon screamed in pain, Sun realized that Guzma had just tried to attack him in the middle of a battle.
"Penny!" Oliver screeched in distress, whirling around to see a small white worm hiding behind the globe on the side of the room.
"Yay! I'm helping!" Snom cried out in a tiny voice.
"I'm so proud!" Guzma said in a teary voice, flipping Sun and his team the middle finger before saying, "Eat shit, nerds. Ariados, use Sludge Bomb!"
Oliver turned back around to face Ariados, only to get struck with the powerful Poison-type move that sent him crashing down to the ground with a pained scream. Sun grit his teeth in fury at the cheap double-pronged attack.
"Zzzzrt! Of all the lowdown scummy tricks!" Rotom Dex beeped furiously above Sun's head.
"Control, Alt, go fuck yourself. Ariados, end this! X-Scissor!" Guzma ordered the spider as it rushed forward, its legs glowing as it prepared to deal the final blow to an injured opponent. Oliver's body began to glow with an emerald-colored aura as he glared at Guzma with fury in his eyes.
"Counter it with Shadow Claw!" Sun shouted as Oliver's talons became cloaked in shadows, and to the amazement of the two Trainers and spider and owl began to exchange a flurry of strikes back and forth. However, Oliver managed to get the upper hand when he flapped his wings hard enough to flip over in midair and deliver a finishing blow to the Ariados, knocking it out cold.
"Some days the supply of curse words is insufficient to meet my demands." Guzma murmured as he returned his Ariados, clipping the ball to his belt. "Snom, come to Daddy. Can't risk this twerp getting any ideas and hurting you."
"Okay!" the little bug said happily, slowly squirming its way to the other side of the room where it slid up Guzma's back and went inside of his hair.
"If I wasn't so mad at this jerk, I'd think that was adorable." Sun muttered to himself before looking forward and realizing that Guzma was readying himself to continue their battle.
"Goliath! Let's end this farce!" Guzma shouted as he sent his Golisopod once again. The enormous bug rumbled as it rose to its full height, laughing darkly as it beheld his battered opponent. Indeed, by this point Oliver was barely able to stand upright, with the burning emerald glow of Overgrow in effect right now showing just how close Oliver was to fainting right then and there.
Sun knew what he had to do.
"Penny, swap out! Oliver, watch our backs!" Sun called to the surprised owl, who looked ready to object. However as Penny fluttered forward, she looked at the Decidueye meaningfully.
"Let me take care of this. You've done wonderfully." Penny said warmly to the owl, who went silent for a moment before laughing softly and pressed his head against Penny's.
""Well, I can't argue with that. Show those morons your strength." Oliver said encouragingly to his mate, with Penny nodding in response.
"Awww, what's wrong? You were so mad Goliath went away before. Now that he's back, you're the one who's chickening out? What kinda shit is this? You gotta send in your girlfriend to take care of business?" Guzma barked out with a laugh, causing Oliver to laugh in response.
"Yes, actually. Because Penny's strong enough to tear through your whole team just on her own!" Oliver hooted in reply, causing Guzma's grin to slip into a scowl.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Sun asked the Toucannon, who was certainly smiling without any attempt to hide her pleasure.
"Of course." Penny said matter-of-factly. She was very much enjoying her mate praising her in the heat of battle. "Now, to back up those words with action. Trainer, let's go!"
Sun grinned and adjusted his hat, pointing forward. "Charge up!"
"Not falling for that! Use Aqua Jet!" Guzma shouted as Goliath surged forward, consumed in a torrent of water that he used to slam hard into Penny, sending her toppling to the ground. Penny's beak unleashed the explosion of force, however to Sun's dismay the attack completely went skyward and blew a hole in the ceiling.
"How did he avoid getting burned by Blast Beak? Or hurt by it?" Sun wondered as Goliath returned to Guzma's side, crouching low with a soft snarl.
"Skill, of course." Guzma scoffed, looking smug. "I grew up with a guy who specialized in Pokémon moves. You seriously think I didn't have a counter to a move that is literally the perfect counter to my second-favorite move?"
"Can you just shut up and battle? Rock Blast!" Sun shouted as Penny opened her beak, firing off four waves of rocky bullet-like pellets at Golisopod.
"Iron Defense! Block it!" Guzma ordered Goliath, who held out his large armored arms and shined silver, shielding himself from Penny's attacks and buffing his defense. "Now Swords Dance!"
Goliath threw apart his arms and stomped his legs, roaring defiantly with such a volume it actually shook the entire building. Sun and Penny weren't phased, however and the boy pointed a finger right at Goliath.
"Go right for him!" Sun shouted as Penny flapped her wings hard and flew forward, screeching loudly.
"Liquidation!"
"Fly!"
Penny soared high to avoid the watery sword that Goliath tried to slash at her with, doing a loop in midair before slamming hard into the chest of the Golisopod and sending him skidding backwards with a groan. Goliath snorted softly, shaking his claw and dispelling the sword as Penny flew away.
"Ice Beam!" Guzma bellowed as Goliath snarled and fired off an icy beam of energy at Penny, but Guzma's eyes widened in confusion when he saw Sun grin.
"Use Drill Peck!" Sun commanded his bird as she dove right into the super-effective attack, spinning rapidly as the attack struck her. Everyone could hear Penny screaming in pain, but also became aware of the fact that the bird was now becoming a spinning drill of ice…that was barreling right towards Goliath and Guzma.
"Well shit." Guzma remarked blandly as the icy drill slammed into Goliath, sending him crashing to the ground. It was then that something occurred to Guzma as he watched Penny fly into the air, coated in frost but still raring to go. "Wait a sec…It's the same trick you keep using with your stupid owl!"
Sun smirked at Guzma, crossing his arms as Goliath slowly rose to his feet, heaving with exhaustion. "What, you think I didn't have a counter to Ice Beam with Penny? Oliver's not the only one with a few fancy tricks that kick butt. Besides, unlike Team Skull, I can actually battle."
"Oh boy, you are really starting to piss me off with your trash-talk." Guzma hissed as Goliath rumbled with displeasure.
"Let us end this before they get lucky again." Goliath said softly, with Guzma nodding in agreement.
"Aqua Jet into Liquidation!" Guzma shouted as Goliath immersed itself in a flume of water, summoning two watery blades within the attack and launching himself right at Penny.
"Penny, intercept with Drill Peck!" Sun shouted as the enormous beast charged at Penny, who spun wildly around again and charged at the Golisopod. The two struck one another in midair, canceling out their attacks, but Goliath followed up with a wicked slash of Liquidation that sent Penny crashing onto the ground.
"Now's our chance! Razor Shell! Go for the kill!" Guzma bellowed, manic glee in his eyes as Goliath landed heavily on the ground and charged forward, his claws glowing bright blue.
"Penny, charge up! Brace yourself!" Sun shouted as Goliath drew closer, his deadly claws shining with power as Penny forced herself upright, her beak glowing white-hot with heat.
Goliath slashed the Toucannon with an almighty roar, spattering the carpet with crimson as Penny staggered back with a pained screech…only for her eyes to narrow with barely restrained anger and her beak to open, releasing an enormous blast of pent-up energy that struck Goliath directly. The Golisopod was sent flying backwards across the room, coated in burns as it fell onto the ground.
"I'm…sorry." Goliath hissed to his Trainer, shaking violently as he tried to get back to his feet. The Golisopod then fainted, going limp and collapsing onto the floor right beside his Trainer.
"Well, well, well... if it isn't my old friend: the dawning realization that I fucked up bad." Guzma remarked quietly, scowling to himself as he returned Goliath. He then clipped the ball to his belt, his anger spiking wildly as he realized that once again he had lost to a child.
"Had enough?" Sun asked as Penny flared her wings, ready to fight despite being barely able to stand and coated in her own blood. Oliver slowly moved beside his mate, likewise exhausted and injured but more than ready to continue to battle.
"Yeah, yeah. I gotta admit, that was great!" Guzma muttered, mostly to himself but it was audible enough for Sun to hear. The Team Skull Boss then went still, closing his eyes and not saying anything, which struck everyone as odd.
"Uh…Boss?" the Team Skull Grunt asked, concerned at his leader suddenly going quiet.
"Guzma! What is wrong with you?!" Guzma howled furiously, swinging around and punching a nearby bottle of whisky that was on the table. The bottle went hurtling across the room and struck the wall, shattering on impact and coating the wall and floor with alcohol. It now occured to Sun that Guzma was probably drunk during the entire battle.
"Bzzzzt. Just what is that guy's problem?" Rotom Dex asked quietly, disconnecting itself from Sun and floating beside the boy.
"Yo! Give the Pokémon back to the kid. NOW!" Guzma bellowed to the Grunt, who screamed in horror and frantically took the muzzle and leash off of Yungoos, who scurried over to Sun and ran into the arms of the boy.
"It's okay…you're safe." Sun muttered to the shaking Pokémon, who nuzzled his chest appreciatively.
"Tch!" Guzma snarled softly, causing his Grunt to flee the room in fear of his Boss. Guzma then turned his attention back to the boy who had defeated him for the second time in a row.
"Stay away from me and my friends, and I'll be more than happy to give you a rematch." Sun offered, smirking at the Team Skull Boss as he slowly walked towards the boy. Sun walked past the protection of his two birds and fearlessly stared up at the adult who had caused all of this trouble.
For a moment, it looked like Guzma was seriously considering striking the boy. But instead he simply leaned down until he was almost nose-to-nose with Sun.
"I'm gonna beat you down one of these days!" Guzma promised Sun before walking past the boy and his birds.
"No matter whose help I need to do it…" Guzma muttered under his breath, so quietly Sun almost didn't catch it. The Boss of Team Skull stalked out of the room, leaving Sun alone with his Pokémon and Kylee's Yungoos.
"Huzzah! You beat the grody goon Guzma! Now, let'zzzzz get out of thizzz place!" Rotom Dex said to Sun as the boy walked over to the nearby treasure chest filled with Z-Crystals. He plucked one out of the chest and admired it before slipping it into his backpack.
"Hold on a sec…I've got an idea." Sun said as he walked right over to the throne that Guzma had been standing in front of. It was little more than an armchair, heavily weathered and looking particularly beat up around the armrests, but it was still the seat of Guzma's power in Po Town.
Sun plopped right down on the chair and threw up his hands.
"Yo, yo, yo! Check it, dawgs! It's ya boi, Guzma!" Sun said in a rough voice, pretending to be the leader of Team Skull. "My ego is so big I needed an entire town to hold it! Also, I'm a big sore loser who can't handle getting beaten by a twelve-year old!"
Oliver and Penny smiled at their Trainer having a little fun at the villainous man's expense. However, everyone was completely surprised when a Team Skull Grunt suddenly burst into the room and ran straight up to Sun.
"'Scuze me, B…" the Grunt stopped speaking and stared at Sun for a full ten seconds. Sun simply responded by giving the Grunt a shit-eating grin and then leaning back lazily in the chair.
"Well? I'm waiting." Sun said to the Grunt, trying and failing not to laugh. Needless to say the Team Skull Grunt was not impressed.
"B-b-but you're not the boss?! What's the deal, homie?! You're not the boss of me?!" the Grunt yelped as Sun stuck his tongue out at the teen.
"Hmph!" the Grunt responded before strutting out of the room, ignoring Sun snickering behind him. Sun burst into laughter, and took several moments to regain his composure again.
The boy made sure to take several pictures of himself on the throne, intending to post them on Festival Plaza later. Sun wondered if Guzma had an account on the social media site. In any case, Sun left Guzma's room and made his way out of the Shady House, his two battered birds on the lookout for more trouble. To their surprise, their exit from the building was as simple as walking right on out of it.
Outside of the Shady House, Sun was surprised to see Nanu standing in front of the Team Skull HQ with a bored look on his face, not looking even remotely bothered by the whirling rainstorm rampaging through Po Town.
"Have I got you to thank for this?" Nanu asked, gesturing to Yungoos, who was currently nuzzling the old man's leg affectionately.
"Mission accomplished." Sun responded with a grin as Oliver covered Penny in his wings to protect her from the rainstorm. The Toucannon didn't object, instead choosing to tiredly shut her eyes and rest her head against Oliver's chest.
"Thing must've been scared half to death if it's glad to see a wretch like me. What a lot of hassle…" Nanu muttered, putting his hands on his hips as Yungoos chittered softly. The old man then looked at Sun, noticing the Trial Amulet dangling from his backpack. "A Trial-goer, huh? Figures."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sun asked, understandably taking some offense to that statement.
"Look, I'm not gonna fight someone who is taking on Team Skull. I'll heal your Pokémon up so…go. Just go." Nanu said as he pulled out a few Max Potions. Sun looked at the man with a confused expression, but allowed the officer to heal his team.
"Though…looking around now…It seems like there're fewer Team Skull folks around today than usual. Huh." Nanu noticed, seeing that Po Town itself seemed relatively empty. "I guess some of 'em might have run off after seeing their boss get beat."
"Uncle Nanu!"
Sun and Nanu looked up and saw Acerola hanging onto her Drifblim and floating over the far wall and heading in their direction. Sun gaped at the sight while Nanu snorted softly, as if half-expecting the extremely odd sight.
"And here comes the noise again…" Nanu muttered as Acerola landed on the ground and ran towards the two of them. Yungoos let out a joyful cry upon seeing Acerola, who bent down to hug the Pokémon.
"Aue! I'm so sorry…You must've been so scared, huh?" Acerola said quietly as the Yungoos nuzzled her cheek happily. The Captain set the Yungoos back down on the ground and then turned to Sun with a bright smile, her eyes watering with emotion.
"Thanks, Sun! Really! You're really something!" Acerola said gratefully as her friend smiled bashfully in reply.
"Just helping out where I can." Sun said to the girl, causing Nanu to roll his eyes. Acerola turned her attention to the man, smiling still.
"Uncle, you're a great police officer, aren't you?" Acerola said as she put her hands on her hips. "I really hope that you're keeping a good eye on things here! What else do you stay here for, if you're not putting a stop to Team Skull's shenanigans?"
"The rent's real cheap." Nanu responded with a shrug, not missing a beat. "No one else is crazy enough to stay this close to Team Skull, after all."
"That's what you say. But it's all really for the Pokémon, isn't it?" Acerola said quietly, her smile becoming something softer. "You could depend on the Aether Foundation to look after the Pokémon that Team Skull hurts, but you stay here to look out for them, huh?"
Nanu stared at her with no change in his facial expression. "No comment."
Acerola's face crumpled at that, and Sun felt a flicker of anger come to him seeing how the man was rudely brushing off Acerola's praise of him. It was obvious she was upset by the man's dismissive attitude, but she put on a brave face and smiled again, picking Yungoos back up. "Come on, Yungoos. Let's get you back to Aether House!
Acerola began to run off towards the exit to Po Town, but spun around and called back, "I'll come back to see you again soon, Uncle!"
"No one's asking you to…" Nanu muttered grumpily, ignoring the heated glare Sun was sending him. Acerola seemingly ignored the man's response, because she looked to Sun instead.
"Come by the Aether House when you're done! Alola!" Acerola said as she hurried off, with Sun wondering why she was even there in the first place. Hadn't the plan been for Hau and Acerola to protect Aether House while he was gone?
"Pokémon tucked up in their Poké Balls, Team Skull locked up in their little town…I wonder if either enjoys the experience?" Nanu muttered under his breath, walking away from Sun and slowly heading out of the stormy town.
"Let'zzzz go after Acerola! We need to get back to Aether House!" Rotom Dex urged Sun, who nodded and ran off after Nanu, who was casually walking through the storm. Sun ran past the man and began his trek back to the Aether House.
Meanwhile…
Aether House
"What the heck are you guys doing here!?" Hau yelled out in surprise as Plumeria entered the Aether House, smirking at the boy's confusion. The confusion turned to horror as the Bone Brothers walked in behind Plumeria, and the boy's expression became serious as Cassy and Duke leapt in front of their Trainer protectively.
"The girl. Where is she?" Plumeria asked politely, with Hau shaking his head.
"She's not here." Hau responded, with Plumeria rolling her eyes. The boy wasn't a very good liar, and she had been staking out the Aether House long enough to know that her target was definitely still in the building.
"It's a shame you're not going to cooperate. Boys?" Plumeria said as she called out her Salazzle, which hissed menacingly at Hau. The Bone Brothers slowly spread out, calling out a Scyther, Murkow, and a Drapion.
"Cassy, use Ice Beam on Murkow! Duke, Thunderbolt on Scyther!" Hau shouted as he called out Kaha and Haimoe to back up his team. The Bone Brothers were surprised when both lashed out at their two Pokémon, knocking them both out with relative ease.
"Drapion, use X-Scissor!" Bone Brother A shouted as it lunged forward, the massive Pokémon slammed hard into Duke and sent him crashing hard into the wall. That was when Plumeria got in on the action too.
"Sludge Bomb on Primarina!" Plumeria barked as the lizard hissed softly and fired off the attack, blasting Cassy to the ground with a pained squeal. Hau winced as the children screamed out in distress, and the boy's expression turned fierce as he suddenly punched a fist forward.
"Cassy, use Scald on Salazzle! Duke, Thunderbolt on Drapion!" Hau called out as his Pokémon recovered from the two super-effective attacks and went back on the offensive.
Meanwhile, Lillie was currently observing from a nearby closet, watching as Hau battled the four Trainers on his own. Somewhere in her heart, she knew the boy was fighting a losing battle, but she admired the fact that just like Sun, her friend wasn't going to give up.
The Bone Brothers sent out a Torracat and a Gumshoos, which began to overwhelm Cassy and Duke and push them back.
"Haimoe, use Shadow Claw on Torracat! Kaha, Flame Charge!" Hau yelled out as his two other Pokémon darted forward, lashing out and knocking away the two new entrants to what had become an all-out brawl. Hau's four Pokémon darted around the room, attacking ferociously as the Bone Brothers and Plumeria battled back just as hard. However, the numbers game began to slowly whittle away Hau's team. First Haimoe went down, and then Kaha, but not before taking out the Bone Brother's Torracat, Gumshoos, and Trumbeak.
"Cassy, take on that Drapion! Duke, use Thunderbolt on Salazzle!" Hau shouted as exhausted Pokémon fired off attacks that blasted back to the two powerful Poison-type Pokémon. Salazzle shuddered in pain, trying desperately to stay upright while Drapion panted heavily.
"He's putting up more of a fight than I expected." Plumeria murmured softly, prepared to call out her Golbat to continue the battle. However, Bone Brother A shook his head at her.
"I've got a plan, Plumes. Don't you worry." The man said with a hidden grin, looking towards Hunter and Kylee standing on the other side of the room.
"Night Slash…on the kids!" Bone Brother A commanded his Drapion as Plumeria gave him a surprised look. The Drapion let out a harsh laugh before scuttling towards the terrified children with glowing claws.
"What? No! Duke, save them!" Hau yelled out as Duke quickly floated in front of the kids to protect them, taking the Night Slash directly and getting knocked out.
"Awwww, look at that! He still thinks he can protect the little shits. Adorable." Bone Brother A laughed as his Drapion turned around and rushed at Cassy, who was continuing to furiously blast it with boiling hot water. Drapion tanked the Scald attack and snarled as he clamped his claws onto the Primarina. "Finish this with Poison Jab!"
Drapion drew back a claw that suddenly glowed bright purple and punched Cassy as hard as he could in her stomach, causing the Primarina to slump over and collapse onto the ground and faint. Hau quickly returned his Starter, only to be surprised when he was pulled into a full-nelson by Bone Brother C and was completely immobilized.
"You lose." Bone Brother B said with a cocky laugh, cracking his knuckles as he walked forward. The oldest of the three Brothers, A, simply watched with a cold smile and used his one arm to give a thumbs up…and then drew it across his throat.
The children then cried out in distress as the two men began to beat down Hau, who was completely unable to do anything to stop the ruthless attack. Plumeria watched on with her face an impassive mask, waiting for either Hau to break or for something else to happen. Then finally, when Bone Brother B punched Hau right in the face, a nearby closet door burst open and Lillie tumbled out.
"Wait! Please stop!" Lillie pleaded with the Bone Brothers and Plumeria, the latter of whom smiled softly and held up a hand to stall the beatdown taking place.
"Lillie…run." Hau rasped, barely able to see out of his two black eyes. Lillie trembled at the gleeful gaze of the Bone Brothers, but stood her ground as Plumeria turned her attention to Lillie.
"And so our lost little girl finally takes the stage." Plumeria said as she snapped her fingers, with Bone Brother C releasing Hau and letting the battered teen drop to the ground in a broken heap, blood oozing from his mouth.
"You people…" Lillie muttered, stepping further out into the room and standing protectively in front of Hau, even as Nebby floated behind her looking terrified. Hau tried to get back up, but collapsed back onto the floor with a pained cry.
"Lillie…run!" Hau pleaded with the girl, who looked at her friend sadly before turning to face Team Skull, her expression determined. She knew full well that if she used Nebby to Teleport to safety, Hau and the children would suffer because of her. So she did the only thing she could to protect them.
"Not gonna disappear this time, huh?" Plumeria asked Lillie, her tone almost mocking. "Seems like maybe the tall tales we heard about you were wrong."
The blonde-haired teen shook her head. "That was different. Nebby and I were both in trouble…That was the only reason why I used its power. So we both could escape with our lives…"
"Not much of a power now, is it? Can't save you or him from what comes next." Bone Brother C remarked, chuckling darkly as he stepped forward.
"I know that I'm not capable of much myself, but I will not make it use that power again! I'm determined to not let that happen. That's why…" Lillie's voice trembled as she looked over at Hau, who slowly shook his head at Lillie, his eyes silently pleading with her. She turned back to Plumeria and the Bone Brothers with a resolute expression.
"This time I'll do whatever I can on my own even if I do find myself in trouble again." Lillie finished speaking, causing Plumeria to sigh and the Bone Brothers to roll their eyes at the girl.
"Yo, girl, you know you're in trouble right now, right? Dumb spoiled little princess!" Bone Brother B laughed, throwing his arms apart. Plumeria raised a hand and silenced the man.
"It's fine." Plumeria said in an even tone. "There's nothing more for us to take from you. Which reminds me…"
Plumeria gave Lillie a cold smile. "Maybe we're not the only ones around here who could be called Pokémon thieves. Is that what you are, huh? A thief?"
"I did what I had to do. Isn't that what you're doing?" Lillie asked Plumeria, who's smile faded away completely. Lillie glanced back at Hau, Hunter and Kylee and smiled at them. But it wasn't a reassuring smile or anything that made them feel better.
It was the smile of someone who knew they were marching towards the gallows.
"I promised that I would protect the children while Acerola was helping Sun. And after all of the times my friends have protected me…" Lillie trailed off, looking back towards Plumeria. "Please…there is no need to hurt anyone else here. I will go with you willingly. Wherever you want."
Plumeria nodded after considering it for a moment, snapping her fingers. The Bone Brothers moved forward and grabbed Nebby, stuffing him into the bag and grabbing Lillie by the arms and leading her out of the room.
"Lillie! No!" Hau yelled out, rolling onto his stomach and attempting to crawl after Lillie.
"Don't bother coming after her. Or else what happened just now will seem like a lovely massage in comparison." Plumeria warned Hau, with her Salazzle hissing a warning to cement the threat. As Plumeria departed the building, one of the Bone Brothers lingered behind, a sadistic smile hidden behind his bandanna.
"One last lick for the road…" Bone Brother A muttered before suddenly running at Hau as he struggled to stand up again, kicking the boy hard enough in the chest for a loud snap to be heard as the children shouted out Hau's name. The boy crumpled to the ground again, screaming in pain and clutching his ribs as the Bone Brother spat down onto the boy's face.
"Don't mess with Team Skull, bitch. Now learn your place." The man growled at Hau before following his cohorts out of the building, his Drapion scuttling behind him.
Hau groaned softly before passing out from the pain as the children tried to desperately rouse him. He wouldn't wake for several hours, by which Lillie and Cosmog would be long gone.
Several Hours Later…
"We're home! We brought Yungoos with us, too!" Acerola cheered as she and Sun walked through the front door, snacks on one arm and Yungoos curled up in the other. It was at that moment Sun and Acerola both realized something was wrong.
The main lobby of the Aether House was an absolute wreck. The floor was torn apart and burn marks covered the walls, showing clear signs of a battle taking place. Hau was currently sitting on the floor cradling his chest, covered in scraps and bruises as both Kylee and Hunter cried beside him. The boy looked dazed, as if he had just woken up from a long sleep.
"Wha…What's going on in here?!" Acerola nearly screamed, eyeing the scene of chaos before them.
"Sun…" Hau groaned, looking up at his closest friend with an expression of guilt. "I'm sorry! I…I can't even make myself smile right now…"
"But why? What happened?" Acerola asked, putting her hands on her hips. Sun looked around at the destroyed room with a growing sense of horror, especially because a new terrifying question leapt to the forefront of Sun's mind.
"Hau, where's Lillie?" the boy asked his friend, who looked down at the ground in shame.
"Miss Lillie…" Hunter whimpered, fresh tears in his eyes.
"She's gone!" Kylee wailed, burying her face into Hau's shirt.
"WHAT!?" Sun shouted, causing the children to flinch at the noise. But Sun didn't care. Instead he walked over to the person who should have been able to protect their friend, the one who was currently bloodied and covered in bruises currently wearing an expression of absolute misery.
Hau looked up at his closest friend, tears in his eyes. "That Plumeria lady came back as soon as Acerola had left…"
"What!?" Acerola shrieked, her face going pale. "No way. Was she waiting for me and Sun to leave the Aether House? Was it all a trick?"
"Of course…" Sun breathed, trying desperately to keep himself calm but unable to help that his eyes had just shifted to a terrifying crimson gleam. Hau and Acerola looked at the boy and shivered at the tranquil rage that they knew Sun was barely holding back. "It was all a trick."
"B-but…how?" Hau asked his friend, who gave him a scathing look that made Hau fall silent.
"Hau, no offense, but Team Skull regards me as a bigger threat to their plan than you. So they kidnapped Yungoos and specifically called me out to their hideout on the other side of the island to keep me away from here." Sun said quietly, his voice shaking with anger. "And while we were distracted, Team Skull brought their strongest members to the Aether House to get to their real target. Cosmog and Lillie."
"I'm so stupid… I should've known something else was at work here." Acerola said tearfully, wiping her eyes.
"Why did you leave Lillie alone?" Sun asked Acerola, his tone cold as the Captain looked away in shame, unable to meet the boy's gaze.
"Me and Lillie were worried about you. I didn't want to leave the Aether House, but…she convinced me to go back you up. She said that she and Hau would be enough to protect the kids while we were gone." Acerola whispered, her voice shaking with distress.
"And that's when Team Skull struck. If their plan to lead me to Po Town didn't work, they probably would've tried something else." Sun said as he began to pace the room, trying to find some way to do…anything!
The boy was angry. It was an anger that flooded his entire being because he knew that they had all been deceived by Team Skull. And now they had one of his most precious friends. They had Lillie, and Sun had no idea where she was now. He felt guilt, fear, and an unrelenting anger at those who had taken the girl away from them all.
Sun then went still as he considered all of the girl's vague warnings about protecting Nebby and running away from home. The implications of mental and verbal abuse from her Mother, and other various remarks the girl had made over the course of the time Sun had known her. Dread filled the boy as he realized what was going on.
"I wonder…Team Skull might be taking Lillie home." Sun thought to himself, shivering at the thought. Unfortunately he had no idea where that was for Lillie, and so he had no idea where she was going to be taken to. But he was now filled with equal measures of fury…and fear.
"I'm supposed to be a Trainer! But when it came down to it, Lillie had to protect me…" Hau hissed, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Lillie, who's not even a Trainer to begin with!"
Sun trembled with rage at those words, because he knew full well this exact scenario was something he was always worried about with Hau. The boy never took his training seriously and considered it all fun and games. He had admitted it himself several times now, and Sun had warned him that something like this would happen. And he was right.
But as Sun looked down at Hau, who was openly crying and covered in injuries at the hands of Team Skull, he didn't have it in him to drive the knife further in. Hau knew he had let Lillie down. Now wasn't the time for Sun to waste his anger on his best friend. Team Skull seemed to have taught him that lesson quite thoroughly.
"Stop groveling." Sun muttered at Hau, who looked up at his best friend in surprise. Sun was glaring down at Hau, trembling with anger, but he didn't act on that. Not after everything Sun had been through on his journey.
Not after showing mercy to his father despite his sins.
"You want to make it up to Lillie? Focus on helping me find our friend and Cosmog before something awful happens. Then you can apologize to her for letting her down." Sun said firmly to Hau, who's expression crumpled as he looked away. The boy then nodded slowly, looking back to Sun.
"Jeez…Who would've thought Sun could dish out the hurt with words, too?" Acerola muttered as Sun began to pace back and forth, trying to focus through the haze of anger. Because now was the time where he needed to bring all of his skills and knowledge to bear.
Team Skull had taken the person most precious to him. And they were the true targets of his anger, not Hau. And when Sun got his hands on them…they would pay dearly for taking Lillie.
It was at that moment the doors to the Aether House opened and everyone turned around in surprise to see Gladion standing there, his face white as a sheet and his body shaking with anger. Demi was right behind him, looking terrified and concerned at the same time.
"Did I hear that right?" Gladion panted, looking at the startled people in the room with a wild look. "It was Lillie who took Cosmog?!"
"Geh! You know who Lillie is?!" Hau yelped, both surprised that Gladion was here and that he apparently knew their friend.
Gladion placed his hand over his eye, his gaze becoming sharp as a knife. His words were even more jagged as he hissed out, "And you all are so useless and weak that now Cosmog is…Lillie is…"
"Please, calm down! We can figure this out! We can-" Demi tried to console the teen, but Gladion had completely lost control of himself and stomped towards Hau, only for Sun to step in front of him with a determined glare.
Gladion responded by punching Sun right in the face.
"Whoa!" Acerola yelled out as Sun hit the ground, clutching his cheek and tasting blood on the inside of his mouth. The boy's eyes darkened with further fury, and the Kanto-native scrambled to his feet and shoved Gladion hard enough back to make him nearly fall onto the floor.
"Calm down or I'll make you calm down. Fighting here won't bring back Lillie, you jackass!" Sun growled at Gladion, who's scowl twisted into a horrible grimace of abject fury and grabbed Sun by the arm, hurling him to the ground hard before leveling Hau with a feral look of raw anger.
"Arghhh! I'll show you how angry you make me!" Gladion howled as he ripped off a Poké Ball from his belt and sent out his Partner, the monstrous Type: Null. The creature groaned softly as it stepped towards Hau, glancing back towards its Trainer for a brief moment. Sun silently unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt, tapping the ball to call out the Pokémon within as he stood back up.
"I'll fucking kill you!" Gladion roared, pointing a finger at Hau. "Null, Attack Protocol!"
"Acknowledged." Type: Null intoned, crouching low as a red flicker of light leapt into its eyes. Sun let out a shout as Type: Null lunged at Hau with a snarl, ready to tear the boy apart limb from limb.
NEXT TIME: The heroes scramble to figure out a plan, and two members of our main cast have a very unpleasant family reunion.
Q & A:
From: SolanaLeonhart
Personally, I'm thrilled that Ash won. That last episode was awesome, loved every part or it. I'm really curious about what they're going to do from here on but that battle was so worth the wait. What do you think?
I greatly enjoyed the tournament and think it was a great crowning achievement for Ash and his team. The final slash with Pikachu and Leon's Charizard was a work of art. As for where the series goes from here? I wish it would end, to be totally honest, since this is a peak I'm unsure the series can hit again.
However, it's going to probably be something related to Scarlet and Violet, so maybe Ash goes to the Paldea University as a guest or something? They can't make him a student there so maybe as World Champion he goes there? I'd have to finish my game before I can offer an actual prediction.
From: Anasazi Darkmoon
I'm looking forward to the fight with Guzma, but I do have a question. Is Hope actively influencing Faba, or is she just cheering him on?
That's a plot point I'll be expanding on later, but I'm happy that you asked that question because it's something readers should be speculating on. Faba's actually going to have a character arc here, unlike him just being a twat villain like in the main games.
That's it for now everyone. I hope my fellow Americans have a very happy Thanksgiving and that you enjoy yourselves. I myself am extremely grateful for the support I get from my readers and supporters from the fanfiction community. Seriously, you guys make this as fun as it is, and I can't thank you enough for it.
As for everyone else? I hope you have an amazing Thursday and that your weekend is even better.
Please be sure to review the chapter to show your support, and Favorite/Follow the story if you're not already. We're winding up for the biggest arc in the story and you don't want to miss what surprises I've got in store.
Take care and stay awesome.
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
