Pokémon Radiant Sun
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!
Another year in the books. It's been a wild one for sure, with lots of exciting things to look back on. Next year promises to be even better (or so I hope), with more awesome Pokémon news to hopefully come from both me (hint hint) and from Game Freak. I'd like to think between Legends: Arceus and Scarlet/Violet this has been one of the best years ever for Pokémon and I'm so pumped to see what next year brings.
It's also the six-year anniversary of Pokémon Radiant Sun! Holy moly, where did the time go? I can't believe we finally finished the Cipher Arc and have finally arrived at the Aether Arc! I've been looking forward to it for so long, and it's finally here. Wow. Just…wow. It's been a wild ride and I can't thank all of you enough.
Shoutout to the homies who reviewed since the last update, which includes Oragonking, Muramasa96, a Guest reviewer and two new reviewers known as Ant0nius and Gilgamesh50. Thank you so much for the support everyone!
Enjoy.
Chapter 149: Kahuna Battle! Relenting Shadows?
Alola Route 12
Sun watched as his newest Pokémon threw herself at the enormous Golem that had struck down his own child with not even an ounce of remorse. Alastor lay motionless on the ground, horribly wounded by his father and clan for the crime of not betraying his team. And now the normally kind-hearted and child-like smile of Tetra the Gabite was gone, replaced with a snarl of absolute fury at the deeds committed by the terrible Pokémon before her.
Tetra sped forward with Aerial Ace once again, and she drew back a burning claw and slammed it hard into Nizbel's chin as hard as she could, sending him staggering back. The collective clan gasped in surprise as Tetra roared furiously, attacking again by raking her burning claws across the chest of the Golem Clan Leader before Nizbel lashed out, sweeping his arms outwards and blasting Tetra back with a wave of electricity. The Gabite cried out as she was sent crashing to the ground from the sheer force of the move, but rose to her feet quickly.
Meanwhile Nizbel was wiping the blood from his mouth, staring down at it in surprise. He then noticed the clan members staring at him, with some of the younger ones drawing closer to Tetra and preparing to attack. This could not stand.
"No! This one has challenged me! This one is mine!" Nizbel bellowed, causing the entire clan to go still. "Kill the humans and their puppets. But leave the dragon to me. She dies by my hand."
"Tetra!" Sun called to the Gabite, moving forward only to get struck with a Thunder Shock directly by a Alolan Graveler. The boy screamed in agony, his entire body convulsing as Oliver swiftly fired a Spirit Shackle at the Alolan Graveler, knocking it out in a single shot. Sun collapsed to his knees, shaking slightly as he lay on the ground. Hau limped over to the boy to check on him while Sun's team continued to fend off the horde of furious hordes of Pokémon. Tetra turned around in surprise, horrified at the thought of Sun being hurt too, only for a rock to suddenly slam into her head and knock her to the ground. Tetra staggered upright, clutching her bleeding head and turning to face the cruel Pokémon who stood before her.
"Die, little one. Die by the claws of those who are pure." Nizbel breathed as his body crackled with electricity, his demented smile returning.
"You hurt them all…Simply by being you. Worthless little dragon-"
"SHUT UP!" Tetra roared at the voices as she threw herself forward, firing off a Dragon Rage that Nizbel blasted apart with a wicked Discharge that swept through the air. Tetra endured the blast, grateful that electrical attacks did nothing to her and slammed into Nizbel with Bulldoze, throwing him backwards. Nizbel regained his footing, grinning at Tetra with a smile that was cold as ice.
"Tch! Not bad! You've got some fight in you, hatchling. But my wrath upon those filthy humans will not be denied!" Nizbel bellowed as he lowered his claws, blasting Tetra with Discharge as the ominous hum filled the air. The dragon grunted in pain from the force of the attack rather than any damage she would have taken, but she knew that she was far weaker than her opponent. That Nizbel was clearly trying to kill them all. That Tetra should have been terrified.
But she wasn't. Not after what had been done to Alastor. And not when all of their lives were on the line. Her team…no.
Her family was counting on her.
Sun was helped to his feet by Hau, who supported the boy despite the pain he himself was in. Sun saw his team frantically firing off attack after attack holding off the horde of Pokémon while Tetra dueled with the leader of the clan himself. Sun saw Tetra coated in blood, his heart clenched with fear…but he also saw the determination in her eyes. The determination the rest of his team had shown time and time again when facing danger.
"RAAAAAH!" Tetra screamed as she got back to her feet, kicking off of the ground with Aerial Ace to speed towards Nizbel, who grinned cruelly and stomped on the ground, sending a Stone Edge directly at the dragon. But Tetra dodged to the side at the last moment, barely avoiding the deadly spire and continuing to rush towards Nizbel, drawing back a burning claw and raking it over the Clan Leader's chest. The Alolan Golem grunted in pain before suddenly retaliating with a Thunder Punch, hitting Tetra directly in the chest and sending her hurtling across the mountain with a pained squeal. Tetra rolled to a stop, panting slightly as she put her claws on the ground and pushed herself upright.
"Does my worthless son mean that much to you?" Nizbel chuckled as Tetra got back to her feet, growling softly with a rage she never knew she had. "Foolishness. The camaraderie that you tainted idiots feel while shackled to your newfound masters makes me sick. Away with you all!"
Tetra charged forward with Aerial Ace and engaged the Clan Leader once again, locking claws with the enormous Golem and getting tossed aside with ease, with Nizbel opening his mouth and firing off a Rock Blast that blasted her into a nearby crag. Sun looked up with concern, too busy directing his team to really keep focusing on her.
"She's got spirit, but even alone she can't beat that thing." Penny remarked worriedly, landing on the ground and using Roost to recover her strength.
"What makes you say that?" Sun asked his Toucannon, but it was Brago who answered.
"Nizbel the Bold is old. Old and powerful with many years of experience to work from. It's no small wonder how it's managed to cling to a position of power over these Pokémon for years. Tetra is strong and motivated by her anger, but that's not much for an opponent like him." Brago grunted as he eyed the wall of furious rocks barring their way. "We have to help her."
Sun nodded and limped forward, only for a lance of lightning to strike the ground next to him. He looked up to see three smaller Alolan Golem glaring him down. Sun growled with annoyance, but started as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sun glanced behind himself and saw Gladion looking at him with a serious expression.
"Thanks for taking point. Now it's our turn." Gladion said with a small smirk, with his Golbat, Riolu, Zoroark and Type: Null standing beside him. Demi had Torch and Aou out of their Poké Balls, and despite looking somewhat dazed she seemed determined. Hau was calling out his team behind them, explaining the situation…
Sun grinned as he turned back around to his team, who were waiting for the order.
Tetra screamed as the rocks pelted her, scraping off her rough and powerful scales ease. She was dodging and evading as much as she could, but she had only been a trained Pokémon for a short time. She wasn't any match for a Pokémon who had seen countless battles and was fueled by a hatred she knew very well. After all, it was that sort of hatred that had left her to die in the desert.
Finally one of the rocks struck Penny in the stomach, causing her to collapse onto the ground with a pained cry as she struggled to breathe. Nizbel grinned evilly, raising his hands into the air with an air of finality to the gesture.
"Die by the might of my clan, little dragon!" Nizbel roared as he flung down his hands, summoning two jagged spires of blue rock out of the ground to impale the dragon-
Who was currently being protected by a shimmering green barrier that held back the Stone Edge.
Nizbel snarled with irritation as Oliver hooted with amusement, resting a wing on Penny's back. The Gabite looked up at Oliver, smiling up at the Decidueye as he winked at her before looking back up at the monster standing before them. With a sweep of his wing Oliver dispelled the shield, fired off a spirit
"You really think we'd let you get away with killing her?" Oliver hooted merrily as Nizbel tried to force the rocks through Oliver's barrier. By this time the others had broken through the ranks of the clan and now surrounded the Clan Leader, who looked furious at the team.
"Tetra, look how far you've come. I barely recognize the timid little thing you were just yesterday." Penny said gently to the dragon as she slowly got to her feet, panting hard. "Alastor's words really did resonate with you, didn't they?"
"He made me realize that I was scared for nothing. You won't abandon me like He did. Alastor helped me see the part of myself that was strong." Tetra explained breathlessly, glaring at Nizbel as the Alolan Golem glared them down. "And seeing him get hurt by his father…it made me so mad! It feels like my body is on fire and I want to explode!"
Brago nodded, understanding the child's words. "It's incredible what a little self-worth can do. This was what we all knew lay within you. A Pokémon with the heart of a warrior. You fought and held your own against a Pokémon with years upon years of experience over you. That is no small feat!"
"But I couldn't beat him! I'm just…urf." Tetra grit her teeth, trying not to let the voices convince her that she was indeed worthless. That she wasn't strong enough and that she would doom them all to early deaths. The Gabite then felt two hands on her shoulder, and saw that Sun and Finn were beside her.
"You're overthinking things." Finn said with a small laugh, stepping in front of Tetra and getting into a fighting stance. "Now let's finish this together! This jerk deserves what's coming to him for hurting Alastor."
"Cowards! You blindly follow the humans as they lead us all to our doom! We will not stand for this insult!" Nizbel shouted, only for Oliver to sweep his wing aside and dispel the shield.
"I gave all of them a choice. Even your son. They all chose to follow me after I captured them." Sun said to Nizbel, whose expression twisted into absolute loathing. Sun returned Alastor, who still hadn't moved, and glared down Nizbel with an equally furious glare.
"Our bonds with humans have helped us grow into the best versions of ourselves. How about we show you just how powerful a Trained Pokémon can be?" Oliver said as he fired off a shadowy arrow while speaking, the Spirit Shackle pinging off of nothing in the air and exploding behind the Clan Leader, pinning him to the ground for the moment.
"No! No! Blasted ghost! I won't stand for this!" Nizbel roared as he slowly rose to his feet, fighting off the ghostly energy weighing him down. But by that point, the team that Alastor had chose over the family that had betrayed him was now upon the Clan Leader and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Everyone! Razor Leaf! Brick Break! Flame Burst! Scald! Dragon Rage! All-out attack!" Sun yelled to his team as they rushed Nizbel, who's eyes went wide with horror. Penny soared forward and smash hard into the Golem with Brick Break before swooping away to let Oliver bombard the Clan Leader with Razor Leaf, the owl hooting merrily as the Golem roared in pain.
Finn and Brago bathed the Clan Leader in flames and boiling hot water while Tetra charged up a ball of draconic energy and fired it from her mouth, blasting the Alolan Golem in the chest and causing him to topple off of the crag and collapse into a heap on the ground. And for several long moments, there was silence. The entirety of the clan watched as their leader lay there on the ground, overwhelmed by the might of the Pokémon that they despised above all others.
And then the sound of laughter filled the mountainside. Demented, cold laughter as the battered Alolan Golem slowly rolled onto his stomach, shaking from the damage that he had accumulated over the battle. And then Nizbel smiled, seeing that many members of his great clan still stood, ready to crush the humans.
"That's one tough Pokémon." Gladion whispered, gritting his teeth.
"You won't stop us…You won't…" Nizbel laughed softly, trying to get to his feet…Only to freeze at the sudden feeling of danger that crept into his old rocky bones.
"ENOUGH!"
The sudden mental shout was powerful enough that it forced everyone present to go still, unable to move from the sudden overwhelming feeling of danger that now filled them completely. Sun slowly looked up into the air…and screamed.
Descending from the night sky was an orange and aqua-colored Pokémon that Sun recognized immediately, considering the last time he had seen it was during one of the worst nights of his life. It was a Pokémon that certainly didn't seem like anything else that could be described. It was an alien of sorts, with a strange body that matched it.
The Pokémon's eyes then suddenly exploded with a fiery blue aura and every single one of them was clutched within the harsh hold of Psychic.
"What the hell is that?!" Gladion shouted, horrified by whatever was strong enough to hold everything around him in place at the same time. Sun simply stared up at the familiar creature with some horror, because the last time he had seen it was in Iki Town when his father unleashed Perfect Kyurem upon them.
"Deoxys…" Sun said quietly to the DNA Pokémon, who floated over to Sun with narrowed eyes. A tendril of thought touched Sun's mind, connecting his thoughts to that of the extraterrestrial Pokémon.
"What is this!?" Nizbel bellowed from his place on the ground, snarling furiously as he tried and failed to stand up thanks to the pressure from Deoxys.
"Did I say you could speak?" Deoxys asked quietly yet furiously within the voice that projected into all of their minds. The creature shifted into its Attack Forme and stared at the Alolan Golem, who felt the cold chill of fear creep into its bones. To the surprise of his clan, the Alolan Golem fell silent, scowling angrily at the strange Pokémon that dared to interfere in this battle.
Deoxy slowly turned its head towards Sun, seeing the open fear on the boy's face. It understood why. Just a few short weeks ago, Deoxys had served at Borlath's side as an instrument of his will for the sake of a new world. And now?
Well that was why it was here now.
"Sun…Where is your father?" Deoxys asked calmly, crossing its arms behind its back, floating gently off of the ground. Sun wondered why the gesture seemed familiar, but shrugged off the feeling.
"I…I don't know. Last I heard he was in prison, but there was a breakout the other day. I have no idea where Dad is right now." Sun said honestly to the Legendary Pokémon that he knew full-well was strong enough to kill all of them, especially as hurt and tired as they were now. After several moments, Deoxys hummed softly.
"What the hell is this? Sun, we don't have time for this!" Gladion said to the boy, who gave Gladion a sharp look.
"We won't have any time if Deoxys kills all of us. It's a friend of my Dad. And it wants to know where he is now." Sun shot back, though Hau chimed in.
"No one knows where your Dad is Sun. Borlath broke out of jail, it's been all over the news." Hau remarked, confused at the statement.
"I know that, but I get the feeling Deoxys doesn't. And it's something I want to find out too." Sun responded, turning to the Legendary Pokémon who had them completely at its mercy. Deoxys floated there, humming softly as it thought to itself. Finally after a full minute of silence, the alien spoke.
"I sense you are being truthful. But I also sense that you are in danger. Allow me to access your memories, and I will determine what to do." Deoxys spoke slowly to the boy, who didn't even have a chance to put up a fight before he felt something press into his head and then-
A whirlwind of memories and impressions flashed in front of Sun, including his showdown against Borlath onboard the Absolution and the Tapu cursing him. After several moments, Deoxys ceased its efforts.
"Astounding. Truly remarkable. So now he lives forever…" Deoxys retracted its tentacles, floating lightly off of the ground and sighing mentally. "But that does not answer my question of what to do now. At least in regards to Ashton. However, I can assist you children, since it seems as if you are in an unfavorable situation."
"That…" Sun trailed off, considering the offer. He didn't know what sort of angle Deoxys was playing at, but they were in a bad way right now and he'd be stupid to not take the Legendary's help. It had seen from its memories that Ashton had gone willingly to jail and had no reason to be angry at Sun…right?
"How the hell do we know we can trust you!?" Gladion barked, struggling in the Psychic grip of the DNA Pokémon. Deoxys slowly turned to Gladion, crossing its arms behind its back again in a gesture that Sun recognized as something his Dad did when explaining something to him. The boy realized that Deoxys must have learned it from his father.
"Because if I wanted to kill you…I would have done so already." Deoxys said softly, not even deigning to look at Gladion in response. "I want to see my friend again. And I will rejoin his side and speak with him. I cannot find him on my own. However, I also learned that the girl child named Lillie that Borlath was fond of was taken. You are attempting to rescue her before disaster happens…I will assist you in reaching her, if you will agree to a bargain." Deoxys said to the boy, who remained silent for several moments.
"Name it." Sun immediately said to the Legendary, who hummed in response.
"I wish to see your father. Ashton Aupuni, known as Borlath to the world. If he is free, I wish to rejoin his side. If he is not, then I ask to at least speak to him one final time. And if he is in danger…" Deoxys narrowed its eyes, tightening the grip it held everyone in. "I will eliminate those who harmed my friend."
"Why? What…what did he do that earned your loyalty?" asked Hau wondering how the world a monster like Borlath had earned the favor of such a strange and powerful creature.
"Borlath saved my life. When I had fallen to this planet, I was injured grievously. Ashton Aupuni was the first to find me. He helped me recover and offered a hand of friendship to a lost soul…And I could ever thank him enough for his kindness. It was enough for me to help him commit countless acts of evil upon a planet that would not change for the sake of their own futures. If Borlath lost the fight he was seeking, then I will accept that. But I will only listen to my friend as to how to proceed from here." Deoxys explained uncrossing its tentacles and floating closer to Sun. The boy looked the Legendary in the eyes, fighting the urge to shiver.
"I'll take the deal. Get us out of here." Sun asked the Legendary, who nodded. Deoxys then released everyone from its psychic grasp. Nearly everyone collapsed onto the ground save for Brago and Oliver, who barely managed to keep their footing. Deoxys gently lifted the humans to their feet, looking over them.
"Borlath visited the hospital in the city of Malie personally to acquire some information regarding his father. That will suffice for the Teleport. Are you ready?" Deoxys asked the children, though after a moment it suddenly whirled around with a loud hum to catch a Stone Edge to the chest, which tore out large chunk of its shoulder and arm.
"How dare you!?" Nizbel snarled, staggering to his feet with a furious scowl. "These humans will not escape us! They die tonight! After everything they did to my son and my family, they deserve to suffer!"
Deoxys shifted its form and groaned softly, its body mangled after the direct hit from the power Golem. Nizbel grinned maliciously as he turned his attention to the humans, thrusting his hands forward and calling forth a mighty Discharge. As the air cracked with electricity that surged towards the children, an enormous wave of sheer force blasted apart the electricity and cleared the air. Nizbel turned its gaze to Deoxys, who was floating towards him and slowly recovering the parts of its body that were torn away when the Clan Leader attacked it.
Deoxys shifted into its Attack Forme with a furious shout, swiftly charging up a glowing sphere of pulsating energy before firing Psycho Boost at the Alolan Golem who had caused them all so much trouble tonight. Nizbel managed to let out a harsh scream of fear before the attack connected, resulting in a explosion of force erupting across the mountain that knocked everyone to the ground.
Deoxys gently floated to the ground as its body finished healing, staring at Nizbel through the smoke with an annoyed glare as the smoke slowly began to clear. After a full minute, it saw that the Clan Leader was lying motionless on the ground and likely wouldn't be moving again.
"Whoa, that was crazy." Demi muttered, clutching her head as Gladion slowly got to his feet, wincing.
"I said…Stay down." Deoxys mentally commanded the Alolan Golem, who remained completely still this time. Sun could see the brackish blood stream from its chest, much like how Alastor had been injured. "The next time you defy me, I will end you and your entire clan. Do not try my patience."
Deoxys turned to the horrified humans and extended its powers around to all of them, focusing on the memory of a hospital it had been to a few weeks ago. "Now, please brace yourselves." Deoxys warned the children, who had less than a moment to process that statement before they were gone.
And suddenly, with a pop, the group arrived in the middle of a hospital hallway.
All of a sudden, around them there were screams of surprise and several nearby nurses swore in shock. Sun collapsed to his knees, shaken from the Teleport but also everything else that had happened. Gladion took charge of the situation, explaining to a nearby nurse that they were attacked while flying to Malie City and that they needed medical care as soon as possible.
"Do not forget, child. Find Ashton and speak my name aloud and with your mind. I will hear you. Even with that device on your wrist clouding your mind from my thoughts, I will be listening to your call." Deoxys said as it extended a tentacle to Sun, placing it against his forehead. Deoxys retracted its tentacle and teleported out of the hospital, leaving Sun with his thoughts.
To the teen's collective frustration, they had to spend more than an hour explaining what had happened to them while getting medically evaluated. Gladion and Sun had escaped with just some scraps and bruises. Hau and Demi were a different story, with the boy suffering from several cracked ribs and sporting a myriad of bruises across his stomach, chest and arms. His face had also taken quite a bit of damage, though he was informed that with some rest and medication, as well as some liberal application of ice, it would heal up in time.
Demi, however was evaluated and determined to have a concussion as a result of how she landed in the crash, and while the concussion itself wasn't serious, it did mean that Demi would definitely be putting herself at risk joining them in pursuing Team Skull. Things got even more complicated when Councilman Palena himself barged into the room where the children were being talked to, demanding to know what's going on and even pulling Demi into a relieved hug.
Sun and Gladion explained the best that they could. That Team Skull had kidnapped a close friend and that Gladion had a lead on where she was taken. Councilman Palena took statements from them and explained that Nanu was looking into things and couldn't be reached right now. However, Palena was firm on having the boys and Demi stay at the hospital overnight for observation and to explain themselves. Palena wouldn't hear their arguments, and left them in the nurses care while he went off to sort out things with the hospital.
Needless to say, the children weren't best pleased about things. But sadly they had no choice but to stay in the hospital overnight and recover from their injuries and get some much needed rest.
By the time morning rolled around, Sun, Hau Gladion were given some painkillers and otherwise granted a clean bill of health. Hau had to be treated using Heal Pulse, and was still incredibly sore from the beating he took and internally would be in rather rough shape, so he was advised to take things easy.
Demi however was a complicated matter due to the fact that she had a concussion, which was something the Heal Pulse Treatment couldn't do anything about due to the complexity of the brain. Demi was released from the hospital but urged to keep relatively calm and to, again, take things easy. An order she heartily ignored much like Hau because they were on a mission to save their friend.
As far as injuries to the Pokémon went, most of them got off scot-free. Even the Ride Charizard was given a clean bill of health after several X-Rays and many berries.
Alastor was another story. The Alolan Golem had suffered serious internal injuries and would require surgery to ever be able to battle again. Things got worse from there because Nurse Joy informed Sun that Alastor was completely unresponsive to anything the nurses or their Pokémon said or did to him as a result of falling into a severe depression. He wouldn't even eat.
It was as if Alastor had lost the will to live. Sun had punched a wall when he had heard the state his Pokémon was left in, and inwardly cursed the clan of cruel Pokémon that had done something so heinous to one of their own.
Sun was informed that the hospital would take care of Alastor in the meantime, and that he would be released from surgery in about 12 hours or so. Sun asked if he could see Alastor, but he was informed that the Golem was being prepped for surgery right then and there, so the boy was shooed away and promised that everything would be fine.
"But it's not fine…I feel like I failed him." Sun thought to himself as he walked to the front desk, where his friends were waiting for him. They were signing the release forms from the hospital, with Councilman Palena arguing quietly with his daughter.
"Problem?" Sun asked Demi as he approached, with Demi glaring at the boy in response.
"Yeah. Dad says we should leave this to the police and not go save our friend. Even though the police are dealing with Cipher attacks, plus the blackouts and communication network outages. I'm telling him that I'm going anyway, and he doesn't like that." Demi said with an annoyed huff, much to Palena's frustration.
"Because you're just kids. Whatever Team Skull has done, let the adults handle it." Palena practically pleaded with them, not understanding why they were fighting him on this.
"If I stood back and let the adults handle everything, none of us would be speaking right now. Because Borlath would have erased all of this for the sake of his perfect little world." Sun pointed out as he signed the release form and thanked the receptionist, who informed him that they would reach out to Sun and his mother when Alastor was out of surgery or if there were any complications. Sun turned around and said, "I'm going to grab some lunch and then head to the docks. Everyone will meet me there around Noon."
The Kanto-native then turned to look at Palena, his eyes flickering crimson. "Whether or not you're really going to stand in our way and let Team Skull do whatever they want to a teenage girl, or man the hell up and do your job, remains to be seen."
And with that said, Sun stormed out of the hospital, ignoring the calls of Hau as he walked down the road, called out Brago and dashed off into the city atop his Arcanine. Sun enjoyed a quiet lunch (a BBQ pork bento box with steamed rice and veggies) in the park with his team, quietly discussing the entire situation with Lillie, Gladion, Hau and Demi. As well as what had happened with Alastor, drawing concerned looks from the rest of the team. While he spoke, he told everyone how proud he was of them and thanked Tetra for pushing through her fear and fighting back how she did.
"I did what you all would do for me. We're family. We should fight like one." Tetra responded with a big smile, causing the others to smile back at the dragon. "And once Alastor feels better, we'll get even stronger together! That way nothing can hurt any of us!"
"We'll keep pushing ourselves…Just like always." Sun said quietly, patting his Gabite on the head affectionately and receiving a happy sigh in response.
Sun finished his lunch and made his way down to the docks, stopping briefly at the Pokémon Center to make sure he had everything he would need for whatever came next with Team Skull. He arrived at the dock just after Noon, and spotted Gladion down at the end of the docks standing beside Type: Null. The teen looked deep in thought.
"I wonder what he's thinking about. Probably something really serious…" Sun wondered quietly, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he approached the other boy.
"I wonder how many times I could punch Faba in the face before I stop doing it out of fun and continue to do it out of a sense of duty to the world?" Gladion wondered to himself, debating this all-important question and not paying any attention to the approaching boy behind him.
"Approximately 147 times." Type: Null answered, much to Gladion's surprise. "You asked a question. I wanted to answer."
The blond-haired teen considered that and smirked at his Partner. "I'm kind of surprised you got an exact number out of that. Out of curiosity, why would I stop punching him so that I arrive at that number?"
"Because by that point Faba's brain would cease to function or you would shatter your hands to the point where you couldn't punch him any longer even if you wanted to. The point is moot, anyway. I'm going to tear that man limb from limb for what he's done." Type: Null responded, it's voice practically a growl by the end of its statement.
"Hrmph…let's get back around to that topic once we're there." Gladion grumbled under his breath, hearing someone approach. He turned around and saw that it was Sun, much to his pleasant surprise. If it had just been Hau, Gladion might not have been able to stop himself from saying something impolite.
"So, we're waiting on Hau?" Gladion asked Sun, raising an eyebrow. The Kanto-native nodded at the blond-haired teen.
"He'll come." Was all that Sun said, leaning against the wall with a pained wince. After everything that had happened, he was nowhere near one hundred-percent and neither was his team, especially since Alastor was currently undergoing surgery, but even then he was in no mental state to battle anyone. Sun had to ignore the aches and pains and focus on the matter at hand, and hope the rest of his team was ready for what was to come.
Gladion hummed at that. "Yeah, I guess so…He's a pretty interesting kid. I'll give you that."
"He's one of my closest friends and a lot stronger than people give him credit for." Sun said firmly to Gladion, who looked at him for several seconds before turning away.
"He's got some skill. But he's not a serious Trainer. Not like me or you, and it's frustrating. If it had been you with Lillie and Hau went off to stop Team Skull, would she have been forced to sacrifice herself to keep the Bone Brothers from hurting those kids?" Gladion asked Sun pointedly, and the boy thought about it for a few moments before shaking his head. Somehow, someway he would've made sure Lillie and those kids stayed safe at all costs.
"That's why I'm hard on him. He's endlessly frustrating. Although…" Gladion's speech trailed off with a grimace, the teen shifting his footing on the wall. "Growing up in the great Kahuna's shadow and still trying to stand up to Hala as an equal? I couldn't do it."
"Hau has some growing to do, like we all do. People make mistakes. Let him have a chance to make it right." Sun said quietly, walking forward and putting an hand on Gladion's shoulder. "We're going to save Lillie and Nebby."
It was at that moment that the sound of someone else approaching alerted the two boys, who looked towards the entrance of the pier. What they saw wasn't Hau, but actually…
"Officer Nanu?" Gladion asked, confused as to why the surly old man was standing before them.
"If only Team Skull could've just kept themselves and their troublemaking to Po Town…" Nanu grumbled under his breath, his sharp gaze looking at the two boys in front of him. "Why'd they have to make all this fuss, huh?"
"I could go into all of the reasons, but it'd only bore you and cause you to change the subject-" Gladion began to say, only for Nanu to turn away from him and begin speaking to Sun. "Just like that, actually…you asshole."
"You there, boy." Nanu said to Sun, who tilted his head in confusion. "I'm the Island Kahuna, you know. Battle against me."
…
"Wait, WHAT!?" Sun yelled out, completely baffled by this sudden development. "You're the Kahuna!?"
"It'll be a good experience for you if you're really hoping to master the Island Challenge." Nanu went on, ignoring Sun's surprise and the horrified expression on his face.
"You're the freaking Kahuna!? The guy who's been treating Acerola like crap and looks like the lead character on a crappy cop drama is the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island!?" Sun interjected again, causing Nanu to stare at him with a deadpan glare. Sun wasn't sure if he was annoyed at the insult or for being ignored. Gladion coughed several times, trying to cover up his laughter.
"Yes. I'm the Kahuna. Now, do you want to do the Ula'ula Grand Trial, or are you going to keep flapping that trap of yours?" Nanu asked dully, making Sun shut up and genuinely consider the matter.
"Bzzzz. I feel this strange, overwhelming power coming from Nanu. Be careful if you take him on." Rotom Dex warned Sun, causing Nanu to tilt his head at the device.
"Overwhelming power? I'm not that impressive." Nanu muttered, quirking an eyebrow. Sun considered the issue and, considered the fact that they were still waiting on Hau, a battle to see if his team was 100% after the attack from Alastor's clan was probably wise.
"Okay, I will. You're on, Kahuna Nanu!" Sun said with a grin, causing the officer to snort derisively.
Nanu put his hands on his hips. "Don't take it too serious, now."
"I'd be careful if I were you. Nanu plays it cool, but he's been through a lot of really tough battles over the years. He's no slouch." Gladion warned Sun, who nodded as he adjusted his hat.
"Kid, you can be our referee." Nanu said to Gladion, to which the boy nodded and walked off to the side of the dock. The group moved into their positions, since the docks were easily large enough to accommodate a Pokémon Battle. By the time Sun reached his side of the battlefield and turned around, he was dismayed to see that Nanu was sitting on the ground and yawning. Sun narrowed his eyes, which flashed red for a brief moment before he restrained his frustration with the surly man.
"You both alright with a three-on-three battle?" Gladion asked the two Trainers, receiving nods from the two of them. "Sun can make substitutions while the Kahuna cannot. Trainers, call out your Pokémon!"
"Brago, let's go!"
"Princess, come out!"
As Rotom Dex fired up the Kahuna Battle music that Sun had almost become used to, the Kanto-native sent out his Arcanine. Brago landed on the ground with a soft growl and glanced back at Sun, who nodded at him. Brago turned back around and was faced with a strange-looking Pokémon. It was small and purple, with gemstone-like eyes and a bright red gemstone in its chest. It wore a menacing smile as it twitched slightly, as if unable to keep itself still.
Sun looked at the Pokémon, faintly recognizing it. "Rotom, you're up!"
The device floated forward and flipped to the appropriate entry. "Sableye. The Darkness Pokémon. This Pokémon is feared. When its gemstone eyes begin to glow with a sinister shine, it's believed that Sableye will steal people's spirits away. It's a fiend for gemstones, so it stalks Carbink. Unfortunately, Gabite almost always grabs them first."
"Alright…Brago, use-" Sun began to say, but Nanu's voice cut him off. "Fake Out."
The Sableye sped forward quicker than any of them could follow, colliding with Brago and causing the massive canine to flinch in pain. The Sableye giggled maliciously as Brago growled with annoyance, and Sun frowned at the sudden turn the battle had taken. Already Nanu had scored a hit.
"A Trainer should be prepared for anything. Your friend Hau learned that the hard way. Will you follow his example?" Nanu asked in a bored tone as he stood up, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"No way! Brago, use Flame Burst!" Sun called to his Arcanine as Brago breathed out streaks of flames towards the Sableye, who shrieked in pain as the flames rushed past her.
"Power Gem." Nanu said calmly, his ruby red eyes narrowing slightly as his Sableye fired off beams of energy from her eyes, blasting through the flames and striking Brago directly. Brago howled as he was sent flying backwards, crashing down hard on the ground.
"Brago! Are you okay?" Sun asked his Arcanine, concerned at how hard that attack seemed to hit him. Nanu snorted derisively at the boy's concern and pointed a finger forward.
"Shadow Sneak into Fury Swipes." Nanu said as Princess fell backwards into her own shadow, reappearing underneath Brago just as he began to get up, viciously slashing at his belly with her razor-sharp claws. Princess slipped back into her shadow as Brago leapt away, snarling with irritation as the Sableye giggled around him. Finally it emerged from the shadow of Nanu, walking towards Brago while laughing all the while.
"Brago, use Flame Burst!" Sun called to his Arcanine, who nodded and breathed out the fiery attack, but Nanu was quick to respond.
"Counter with Shadow Ball." Nanu said dully as Brago fired off Flame Burst, with Princess quickly charging up and sending out her Shadow Ball. The two attacks met in midair, and after several seconds of struggling against one another, the two moves imploded, filling the air with flames and wisps of darkness.
"Surely you can do better than this." Nanu sighed as he snapped his fingers, causing Princess to fire off yet another Power Gem. Brago barely dodged the attack by weaving to the side, and fired off another Flame Burst at the Sableye at Sun's command.
"We're just getting started! Brago, Flame Charge!" Sun yelled out as Brago sped forward, cloaked in a mane of flames as he slammed into Princess, causing her to go flying backwards with a pained squeal. However, the Sableye righted herself in midair and flipped once, landing lightly on the ground with a sinister grin.
"Shadow Ball." Nanu ordered, holding out both hands and snapping them at the same time, which confused Sun. He was even more confused when instead of using Shadow Ball, the Sableye sped forward faster than any of them could follow and struck with Fake Out again, causing Brago to flinch.
"What the hell was that?" Sun asked, completely caught off-guard.
"A trick. Now get with the program, because right now you ain't saving anyone. Shadow Claw." Nanu ordered as his Sableye rushed forward, slashing at Brago and causing the hound to grunt in pain as he tried to move away from the Darkness Pokémon. "Follow up with Power Gem."
Princess laughed as more lasers fired from her eyes, blasting Brago in the side and sending the canine flying across the dock. The Arcanine managed to land on his feet and, at Sun's command, dodged the next wave of lasers with Extreme Speed.
"You can't dodge forever!" Nanu called to Sun, who grit his teeth in frustration. The boy then took a calming breath and focused, trying to see what he could possibly do.
"Aerial Ace!" Sun barked as Brago suddenly veered towards Princess, who let out a startled yelp as the massive Arcanine slammed hard into her with a wicked burst of speed. The Sableye dug its claws into the concrete to stop itself from being flung back, cackling softly as its eyes gleamed.
"You're a worthy adversary." Brago panted, grinning at the Darkness Pokémon who likewise was fairly battered at this point. The Arcanine was certainly worse off, but Sun knew that if he could just get one more solid hit on the Sableye, then it would go down.
"You've got to keep up, kid. Princess, use Power Gem until that dog is out cold." Nanu instructed the Sableye, whose giggle became full-blown laughter as Brago crouched low, preparing to move.
"Flame Charge to dodge! Try to get close!" Sun called to Brago as the Arcanine's body erupted in flames, allowing the Arcanine to speed away from the wave after wave of lasers. Brago managed to ram into the Sableye a single time before getting struck with Power Gem, getting flung to the ground yet again by the super-effective move.
"This is boring. You're boring me." Nanu grumbled as he looked down at the ground, shaking his head. "I should've known better than to think Borlath's boy could provide a challenge. He did get his ass kicked by a 12-year old after all."
"You really think you can beat us?" Sun challenged the Kahuna, who didn't respond to the taunt. "Then hit us with everything you got!"
"Take the bait…I just need that thing to attack directly one more time. It's risky, but I've got a move that'll end this in one shot." Sun thought to himself as Nanu considered the boy's comment.
"Alright. I'll bite, kid. Princess, use Fake Out!" Nanu called to the Sableye, causing the Darkness Pokémon to tilt its head sharp before crouching low and lunging forward faster than anyone could follow. But that was what Sun was counting on.
"Brago, now! Use Wild Charge!" Sun shouted as Brago howled in response, an explosion of electrical force erupting from the Arcanine. The canine then dashed forward, surprising Princess as she tried to attack with Fake Out yet again, only to be met with an enormous dog that brought her attack to a screeching halt.
Brago crashed into the Darkness Pokémon with hellacious force, sending her hurtling clear off of the docks and into the ocean. Nanu blinked in surprise before slowly walking over to the water, seeing that Princess was floating face-down on the water's surface. After several seconds of staring at his unconscious Pokémon he returned her, rolling his eyes.
"Sableye is unable to battle. The winner is Arcanine!" Gladion announced, raising a hand in Sun's direction. Sun smiled faintly, but was inwardly worried.
"That was Nanu's first Pokémon. Usually with these Kahunas they send out their weakest Pokémon first. Meaning that was a taste of what's to come. And Brago's barely able to stand. Sun thought as he watched a red crackle of energy around Brago, who whined softly at the pain of recoil.
"Nomnom, it's your turn." Nanu said in a bored tone, unclipping an Ultra Ball from his belt and tossing it forward. In a flash of light, a light-brown crocodile-like Pokémon appeared, growling softly and snapping its jaw a few times. Rotom Dex was quick to pull up its entry.
"Krokorok. The Desert Croc Pokémon and the evolved form of Sandile. They move in groups of a few individuals. A female is often the leader of the group, and the males will gather food. Thanks to the special membrane covering its eyes, it can see its surroundings clearly, even in the middle of the night." Rotom Dex explained as the croc glared down Brago, who tensed as the other Pokémon's Intimidate lowered the strength of his attack.
"Brago's on his last legs from battling that Sableye…Better at least get some damage in." Sun thought ruefully as he considered his options. "Brago, use Aerial Ace!"
Brago rushed forward, a trail of white energy trailing behind him as he slammed hard into Nomnom the Krokorok. The Desert Croc Pokémon snarled softly, swishing its tail angrily behind it.
"Earthquake." Nanu muttered as Krokorok grinned at Brago, leaping into the air and stomping down hard onto the ground, causing the entire dock to shake violently as an enormous shockwave erupted outwards, blasting Brago into the air. After several seconds the Arcanine crash-landed onto the ground, completely unconscious.
"Arcanine is unable to battle. Krokorok wins!" Gladion announced, raising a hand towards Nanu. Sun returned his Arcanine, smiling at Brago and quietly thanking him for his hard work. He then clipped the Poké Ball to his belt and sent out his next Pokémon.
Tetra appeared in a flash of light, beaming with joy and letting out a small cry. She then looked at her opponent and then back to Sun, who nodded at her.
"Tetra, we're in a really important battle. I'm counting on you to do your best." Sun said to the young dragon, causing her smile to widen as she nodded in acknowledgment before turning around and crouching low, preparing herself for combat.
"Nomnom, use Swagger." Nanu ordered his Krokorok, who grinned and puffed up its chest, sauntering towards Tetra…who simply stared blankly back at it, completely baffled.
"Is that supposed to…do something?" Tetra asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Dragon Claw, Tetra!" Sun shouted suddenly, with the dragon shrugging in response before rushing forward, her claws igniting with draconic fire. The Krokorok had time to look absolutely dumbfounded before Tetra swiped both claws across the chest of the Krokorok, causing him to snarl loudly in pain before staggering backwards.
"Hit her back with Earthqua…huh?" Nanu said as Nomnom dropped to the ground like a stone, swirls in his eyes as he fainted right there and there.
"Um…Krokorok is unable to battle. Gabite is the winner!" Gladion announced as Nanu continued to process that his Pokémon had been knocked out in a single hit by the Gabite.
"Tetra, that was great! You got him in a single hit!" Sun laughed as he jogged towards Tetra as she turned around and grinned back at him. Sun hugged the dragon tightly as she returned the embrace, happy that she had done so well.
"Yay! More hugs!" Tetra cheered as Sun laughed giddily at the dragon's success. She had come such a long way in such a short time, and the boy was very proud of his Gabite.
"Wait, what the fuck?" Nanu asked, sounding genuinely taken aback as his Krokorok twitched once on the ground. "Did that actually just happen or did Acerola sneak weed in my breakfast again? I don't know which is worse."
After swearing softly under his breath, he returned his Pokémon and looked at Sun and his Gabite. "That was a damn good hit. But I guess a broken clock is right twice a day."
"Keep it up, old timer. My team has faced way bigger threats than you!" Sun said with a proud grin.
Nanu nodded as he clipped the Ultra Ball to his belt and drew another one, holding it out. "This is my ace. My Partner, who serves alongside me as both an officer of the law and when I was a member of the International Police. And together we'll see if you're the real deal, or just another would-be hero."
"Madame Meow, it's showtime." Nanu said as he hurled the Ultra Ball forward, causing a large gray cat with a pudgy face and a bright blue gem in its forehead to appear in a flash of light. The cat yawned lazily, its tail swishing behind it. Tetra released her Trainer and Sun returned to his former place on the battlefield. This wasn't over, not by a long shot. Rotom Dex opened to the entry on the Pokémon in front of them.
"Persian. The Classy Cat Pokémon and the final evolved form of Meowth. Alola Regional Variant. Its round face and smooth coat—softer than the most high-class velvet—have made this a very popular Pokémon in Alola. It looks down on everyone other than itself. Its preferred tactics are sucker punches and blindside attacks." Rotom Dex explained as Sun stared down the chubby-faced cat, knowing full-well that it was far stronger than it looked. This Pokémon was one with decades of experience and was not something to be trifled with.
"Tetra, use-" Sun began to say, only for Nanu to cut him off yet again.
"Fake out."
The Alolan Perian's body flickered as it moved quicker than the human eye could track, colliding hard into Tetra and sending her skidding backwards. Tetra growled with annoyance, baring her teeth at the large cat.
"Tetra, let's focus! Use Bulldoze!" Sun called as Tetra nodded sharply, running forward and stomping down hard on the ground and releasing a large shockwave on the ground that blasted the Alolan Persian backwards a few steps.
"She's got guts. Too bad you can't save the world with a can-do attitude." Nanu groused as he tilted his head. "Dark Pulse."
"Tetra counter with Dragon Rage!" Sun shouted as Tetra swiftly charged up a ball of blue flames in her mouth and fired it towards the Alolan Persian, who swiftly dodged the attack. Tetra couldn't manage the same thing, however, and was blasted to the ground by the swirling beam of darkness.
"Tetra! Are you okay?" Sun asked the Gabite as she groaned on the ground, rolling onto her stomach and glaring painfully at the Alolan Persian.
"She's very strong…" Tetra whined quietly, getting to her feet with a wince. Tetra then heard a loud whistle from Nanu, and was surprised when the Alolan Persian lowered its head and fired off a Power Gem beam from its forehead, blasting Tetra to the ground yet again.
"Go for the kill! Play Rough!" Nanu commanded Madame Meow as the Alolan Persian rushed forward, glowing bright pink. Sun's blood ran cold at the sound of that move, knowing full-well it would knock Tetra out if it hit. The Gabite was currently prone on the ground, shaking in pain from the damage she had taken from the Kahuna's ace Pokémon.
"Dragon Rage!" Sun shouted desperately as Tetra looked up and fired off an orb of blue flames, blasting Madame Meow in the chest and causing her to yowl in pain as she was sent flying backwards. The Alolan Persian skid across the docks on her side, snarling softly in annoyance as she rose to her feet.
"Good work, Tetra. Keep it up!" Sun called to the dragon, causing the Gabite to beam at the praise as she got back up. Nanu was not amused whatsoever, scoffing loudly.
"You think a lucky shot like that is gonna save your friend? Think again. Double Team." Nanu said as Madame Meow suddenly split into dozens of copies of herself, surrounding Tetra completely.
"Bulldoze!" Sun shouted as Tetra grinned, jumping up and then landing hard on the ground, causing most of the copies to vanish completely. However, the one that hadn't was currently bounding towards Tetra and glowing bright pink. Sun didn't even see her dodge the Bulldoze, but realized that question didn't matter right now.
"Tetra, use Dragon Claw!" Sun shouted as Tetra pivoted to the side, nearly falling over herself to dodge the lunge from the mighty cat, but managed to swipe a claw against the face of Madame Meow and slashing her with Dragon Claw. The Alolan Persian tumbled onto the ground, growling with frustration and pain as blood gently dripped down its face.
"I'm not scared of you! I can do anything!" Tetra growled back, standing her ground against the Classy Cat Pokémon. The Alolan Persian grinned at Tetra, who matched the smile of the older and more experienced Pokémon.
"Looks like Meow thinks that your Gabite has some talent. Maybe it's time to bust out my trump card." Nanu remarked, thrusting out his arm as his Z-ring gleamed in the morning light. "Now, stand still and let the darkness consume your souls."
"Bzzzt! Sun, watch out! He's up…" Rotom Dex trailed off, bewildered as Nanu began to strike a series of movements that looked absolutely ridiculous to the boy and Rotom Dex, ending with a pose where he thrusted his butt back and leaned forward, as if imitating a cat ready to pounce.
"What the heck is he doing?" Sun asked, smirking with amusement. He then saw Nanu's Z-Ring begin to glow, and realized with horror that the Kahuna had just activated a Z-Move. "Tetra, brace yourself!"
"Channel Dark Pulse…into Never-Ending Nightmare." Nanu said calmly, not giving away a trace of the emotion he was funneling into the move. As it was, Madame Meow hissed as the gem on its forehead erupted with darkness, sending tendrils of inky black vapor forward to coalesce into an enormous ball of raw shadows about twenty feet wide in diameter and about as tall. The sky above them slowly began to darken, and a feeling of absolute dread filled Sun as the temperature around him plummeted.
"Sunny, what's going on?" Tetra asked, unable to help the fear in her voice. Before Sun could answer Nanu thrust out an open palm and the sphere of darkness suddenly shot forward, hitting Tetra directly…and consuming her. The last thing Sun saw before the Gabite was swallowed by the shadows was her terrified face.
And for a solid twenty seconds, there was nothing but silence on the battlefield.
"That never stops being satisfying." Nanu remarked under his breath, allowing a weary sigh to escape past his lips.
"Tetra?" Sun asked in a small voice, his eyes wide with terror and shock at what just happened.
"Maybe I should end the charade. Don't want to scar the kid." Nanu muttered as he closed his open hand into a fist, causing the sphere of darkness to implode, releasing an enormous shockwave of darkness that blasted Sun to the ground several feet away with a pained shout. The boy looked up several seconds later to see Tetra slowly, almost gently, fall onto the ground unconscious covered with scratches and burns.
"Gabite is unable to battle. Persian is the winner!" Gladion called as he gestured towards the Kahuna, who shook his head with dismay. Sun returned his Gabite, a concerned expression on his face.
"Pathetic. I was really hoping for more of a challenge. With your current strength, you won't save her." Nanu said to Sun, who's eyes flared bright red with anger as he staggered to his feet, his already battered body screaming in protest.
Sun's rage withered slightly as he watched Nanu sigh, shaking his head with a haunted expression that broke through the facade of aloofness and made his anger fade away. "That's why it's easier to not care about anyone or anything. Makes things so much simpler. Now fall before the darkness, kid. It's the only thing you can count on."
"Shut up already! Finn, let's go!" Sun shouted as he sent out his final Pokémon, a Poliwrath who flexed as soon as he was sent out. The Alolan Persian and Nanu both narrowed their eyes at the boisterous Poliwrath.
"You want me to shut up? Then show me that you're strong enough to stand against them. The ones who walk around in broad daylight, cloaked in their schemes." Nanu said to Sun, removing his hands from his pockets and holding out a hand, showing his Z-Ring to the boy. "Prove to me your worth as the Chosen of the God of Conflict! Did Tapu Koko make a mistake granting you that Sparking Stone?"
"I said shut up! Rain Dance, Finn!" Sun shouted as Finn charged up a misty ball of energy and fired it into the sky. Within seconds, storm clouds surrounded the docks and a gentle rainfall poured down onto the battlefield.
"Jokes on you, I live near Po Town. We're used to the rain." Nanu remarked, not even making a move to shield himself from the downpour. Gladion meanwhile grumbled quietly with annoyance, throwing up his hood while Type: Null laughed quietly beside him.
"Finn, use Scald!" Sun shouted as Finn fired off a powered-up torrent of boiling hot water. Madame Meow leapt to the side to dodge it, using Double Team without needing to be told to and forcing Finn to blast the swarm of cats that now rushed at him from all directions.
"Shadow Claw." Nanu directed his Persian, causing one of the copies to suddenly dart at Finn and rush forward with glowing purple claws.
"Counter it with Submission!" Sun shouted as Finn spun on his heel, ducking low to dodge the Shadow Claw before leaning back and grabbing the Classy Cat Pokémon around the middle and slamming it onto the ground with a belly-to-belly suplex. The two rolled onto the ground and when they separated, the Alolan Persian was wincing in pain while Finn grunted softly, the red static of recoil manifesting around him.
"Not a bad counter. But it's not enough to win this fight." Nanu remarked casually, putting a hand on his hip and yawning after a moment.
"I thought I said to shut up and battle me." Sun huffed as he crossed his arms, causing Nanu to consider the matter for a few moments.
"And I say…use Thunder." Nanu said as Madame Meow threw her head to the sky, the gem on her forehead sparkling wildly as her body suddenly was engulfed in electricity. Sun's eyes went wide in horror, realizing that he had accidentally set Nanu up for an easy knockout if he couldn't figure something out quick.
The move Thunder wasn't supposed to miss in rainy weather, just like the kind induced when Rain Dance was used. And as strong as Madame Meow was, the attack would knock Finn out with ease if it connected.
Sun thought of a tactic that had a chance of working, but he wasn't hopeful. "Finn, use Psychic to block!"
Finn let out a harsh yell as his stomach glowed a dark blue color, a powerful ripple of psychic energy then lashed outward, intercepting the enormous rush of electricity that erupted from Madame Meow with a fearsome snarl.
The attack was halted in its tracks, with the arc of lightning hungrily extending around the Psychic wall that was holding it at bay. Finn was forced to crouch due to the sheer force of the move, and after ten full seconds was dropped to a knee. Madame Meow growled softly in frustration at Finn, who simply laughed at the cat and redoubled his efforts to hold the lightning at bay.
After what felt like an eternity, the Classy Cat Pokémon stopped its assault, panting softly as Finn cut off his Psychic.
"That is one tough Pokémon. Wooo…This is great! Hahaha!" Finn laughed as he got back into a fighting stance, putting his fists up and preparing himself for another round. The Alolan Persian laughed softly while Nanu re-evaluated the current state of the battle.
"Huh. So you managed to block that. Interesting…But can you block this? Use Return on them." Nanu said as the Alolan Persian shut her eyes, focusing as her entire body began to shine bright white. It was then that Madame Meow bounded forward, quickly crossing the distance across the battlefield and colliding with Finn before Sun could issue a command.
Sun was horrified when Finn let out an agonized scream upon the move making contact, getting thrown back from the incredible impact the move had. Finn hit the ground hard, bouncing off of it twice before rolling to a painful stop. The Poliwrath groaned in pain, twitching several times as Sun looked down at his Pokémon.
"Whoa…what a brutal attack." Sun whispered as he watched Finn struggle to get back up to his feet, clutching his chest with a pained groan. Rotom Dex beeped on Sun's shoulder, waving its arms.
"Return is a move that growzzz in power in relation to the friendship you build with a certain Pokémon. It'zz known in some circles as one of the best Normal-type moves around. Zzzzrrrt!" Rotom Dex explained to Sun, who turned to look at Nanu and Madame Meow.
"And that move was strong enough to send Finn flying like that… His Persian must care for him more than anything else in the world if a move based on friendship hits that hard." Sun said quietly, taking in the information and re-evaluating his opinion of the surly cop.
"With such a pitiful display…You'll never save her." Nanu said as Finn slowly got to his feet, shaking slightly from the pain of getting hit with Return. Sun's eyes narrowed with annoyance at the insult. "I thought you cared about that girl. I guess heroes really are dead, huh?"
"I will save her. No matter what it takes, I'm going to bring her back home!" Sun practically growled, though he kept his focus on the battle. He knew that Nanu was just trying to make him angry. The Kahuna would soon learn the mistake of pulling such a tactic again and again, because Sun was not in the mood for more tricks.
"Is that so? Well, then…Prove it. Use Dark Pulse." Nanu said casually to his Alolan Persian, who yowled before firing off the swirling beam of raw darkness. Finn braced himself for another attack, but Sun was done playing around.
"Water Gun on the ground and slide!" Sun called to Finn, who quickly blasted the dock with water from his chest before diving forward, barely ducking under the Dark Pulse and sliding on his belly towards the Alolan Persian.
"Well, that's something different." Nanu remarked, quirked an eyebrow. "Dark Pulse again."
"Brick Break!" Sun barked as Finn slid along the ground and waiting until the last second before punching the ground with his left fist. This knocked him into the air to dodge the Dark Pulse and allowed him to deliver a brutal Brick Break to the face of the Alolan Persian, sending Madame Meow skidding backwards with a pained yelp. Nanu nodded slowly, leaning forward with interest.
"That's it. Show me every last ounce of your power. The power that let you save the world from your father." Nanu said as his Persian slowly got back to his feet, grinning nastily at Finn and Sun. "Show me that you and the team that stands by you are strong enough to face the odds again. Make me believe in your power. Stand against the dark and show me your resolve, little hero!"
"Finn, let's do this! Water Gun into Body Slam!" Sun roared as Finn let out a small laugh, feeling the fierce resolve of his Trainer behind him. Finn sprinted towards the Alolan Persian who fired off a barrage of Power Gem that the Poliwrath dodged by blasting himself into the air and swiftly doing a flip, slamming hard into Madame Meow as he came crashing back down to earth.
Madame Meow got back to her feet slowly, and to Nanu's irritation suddenly seized as a crackle of electricity surged around its body, revealing that Body Slam had paralyzed it.
"Now's our chance! Finn, let's finish this!" Sun shouted as he held up his Z-Ring, which gleamed in the sunlight a bright brown color. Z-Power flowed between Sun and his Pokémon as Sun began to strike a series of poses. Nanu scowled with annoyance, knowing full well what move was coming and what it would mean for the outcome of this battle.
"Get up! Stop that thing! Use Thunder!" Nanu barked to his ace Pokémon, who made a move to lunge forward to try and stop the Z-Move…only for the paralysis to kick in once again. Madame Meow growled softly as it seized up, remaining totally still. Sun and Finn finished their poses, and Finn leapt high into the air.
"Finn, channel Brick Break…and use All-Out Pummeling!" Sun bellowed, a fierce expression on his face that Nanu regarded with quiet amusement as he watched the boy unleash his Z-Move.
As was the way of Pokémon Trainers, Nanu felt a connection of understanding with the boy who had saved the world from Cipher and what Nanu's insight told him was more than enough to satisfy the old Kahuna.
Endless kindness, a fierce determination, and a sense of justice that would never waver.
"I suppose that's the end of that. Well played, kid." Nanu said under his breath as Finn's Z-Move struck Madame Meow at full-force, a barrage of ethereal fists repeatedly bombarding the Alolan Persian again and again and again. The old Kahuna closed his eyes as a massive shockwave of force erupted from the final fist that Finn sent into the Persian, and was knocked a step back by the raw force of the Z-Move.
Nanu opened his eyes a few moments later when the dock stopped trembling and saw an expected sight. His ace was knocked out and lying in a heap in the middle of a crater, and Finn the Poliwrath was standing tall above her, exhausted but triumphant.
"Persian is unable to battle. The winner of the Grand Trial is Sun!" Gladion shouted, unable to hide a slight smirk as he gestured towards Sun, who let out a shaky sigh of relief. The boy broke into a smile as Finn limped over to him, raising a hand into the air that Sun high-fived as hard as he could with a laugh. Sun then noticed Kahuna Nanu standing rather still, looking down at Madame Meow with an unreadable expression.
"Hmph…" Nanu grunted as he returned his Alolan Persian. Sun was surprised when he saw the old man offer the boy a lopsided smile of satisfaction. Sun was even more surprised when the Kahuna suddenly burst into laughter, his entire body shaking with giggles as Sun watched on with shock. Even Gladion was completely caught off-guard.
"Well, shoot…" Nanu said breathlessly, grinning at Sun still. There was a gleam in his eyes that wasn't there before the battle, as if something within the old man was set aflame. It was so bizarre seeing the man express something like genuine joy. "Of course I already knew you had the heart and strength to storm Team Skull's stronghold, but I didn't know you were this good."
"Thanks. That was a really tough fight. And…thank you for everything you said. I think I needed something like this to see if I really have what it takes to stand against Team Skull and save Lillie." Sun said to the Kahuna, who walked over to the boy and held out a hand. Sun extended his own and shook the Kahuna's hand firmly, offering the older man a smile. Nanu shook his head, still filled with mirth.
After stamping Sun's Trainer Passport to provide proof of his victory over the Kahuna of Ula'ula Island, Nanu glanced at the exhausted Poliwrath standing beside Sun. "You fought well. You and the others will do just fine. And your Pokémon worked real hard for you. Let me fix your team up for you." Nanu offered, still smiling at the boy who graciously took the Kahuna's offer. Nanu healed all of Sun's Pokémon, ensuring that they were totally ready for whatever came next.
"That was a pretty impressive battle. I've never managed to beat old Nanu." Gladion remarked as he joined them, causing Nanu's smirk to fade away as he glanced at Gladion.
"Did I ask for your opinion?" Nanu groused, causing Gladion to cross his arms and look away. Nanu looked back at Sun, digging into his pocket and pulling something out a moment later.
"Here. This is yours." Nanu held out his hand, turning it over to reveal a jet-black Z-Crystal within the officer's palm. Sun took the gemstone and grinned with triumph, spinning around and thrusting the gem into the air as it burst into rainbow flames like usual.
"Wow, that's super lame." Gladion deadpanned, causing Sun to glare at him.
"With that haircut, boy, you can't be throwing stones." Nanu responded to Gladion, who blushed bright pink but didn't respond to Nanu's remark. It's not like he had a comeback for that.
"If you want to use the Dark-type Z-Power, you've gotta do it like this." Nanu said to Sun before suddenly moving into the sequence for the Z-Move, which almost defies explanation but ended with Nanu thrusting his rear backwards and looking as if he was about to pounce forward like a cat. Needless to say, Sun and Gladion were staring at the Kahuna in absolute bafflement for several moments before either one of them could gather the resolve to break the deafening silence.
"I stand corrected: That's super lame." Gladion remarked as Nanu looked over at the boy and gave him a middle finger salute and turned away.
"There. Congratulations or whatever. You've officially finished your Ula'ula Trials." Nanu murmured, ignoring the stunned expressions of Gladion and Sun. "You've got somewhere else to be, don't you? Try not to destroy the whole place."
"I promise nothing." Gladion responded, crossing his arms and scoffing at the statement as Nanu walked away from them. "She's had this coming for years. Even if I'm not strong enough, I'll at least save Lillie and do some damage"
"Oh…and you, boy. Gladion." Nanu didn't even glance back at Gladion, who looked surprised that he was being addressed. "Tell me…If you're really trying to get stronger as you say, then what're you depending on Team Skull for?"
"Isn't there any way you can come with us?" Sun asked the Kahuna, who gave the child a dull look. Meanwhile Gladion was staring down at the ground, thinking about Nanu's question.
"As much as I hate to say it, I have obligations here, kid. If shit really hits the fan as bad as Gladion and Acerola thinks it will, then I'll need to be on hand. Good luck though. I'll try and send some help your way if I'm able to." Nanu said in a somewhat sincere tone, shrugging his shoulders. Demi took that moment to announce her presence by sighing loudly, walking past the Kahuna to join her friends.
"To be totally honest, I'm not sure I want to depend on a guy who has the poise and charisma of an unassembled shelving unit." Demi remarked, causing Nanu's normally bland expression to shift into annoyance for a brief moment before masking itself into blandness once more. "Ha! Gotcha!"
"Whatever. I'm going to take a dump. Try not to die." Nanu said before walking off in the other direction, brushing past Hau as he hurried across the dock to rejoin his friends.
"Sun!" Hau called out, panting for breath as he screeched to a halt beside the boy in question.
"Don't you dare say a word about this being fun." Gladion growled at the Hau, whose expression looked stricken as he shook his head.
"I won't…" Hau said quietly, shame thick in his voice. "If I'd been stronger, then Lillie wouldn't have…"
"It's past the time for regrets, Hau. We're going to save her no matter who we have to go through." Sun said firmly, smiling at his friend and extending a hand. Hau reached forward and clasped his best friend's hand.
"I'm ready to do whatever it takes so that we can take back our smiles and our fun adventure!" Hau said as he took a shaky breath…and then the boy offered the two other teens a cheery grin as he put his hands behind his head.
"That's a better attitude to have." Gladion remarked, nodding in approval. Demi smiled as well, pumping her hands.
"I told my Dad about what's going on. I think he believed me. Anyways, I told him where we were going, and he promised he'd try to help somehow with some police presence. He also warned me not to go, but I wasn't going to just stand by while my friend was in danger." Demi explained to the others. Gladion nodded, grateful for Demi's help.
"But where was Lillie taken?" Hau asked Gladion and Sun, his smile slipping away. "It couldn't have been Po Town. Sun was there the whole time."
"Hmph…So you're not quite as dumb as you are naive." Gladion remarked, causing Sun and Hau to both scowl at him. Their angry expressions faded away when they noticed Gladion's expression shift into something more complicated.
Gladion remained silent for several moments, instead choosing to look out over the ocean as he absent-mindedly went into his usual pose, covering his eye and crossing his arms. His gaze went past the ocean and towards the horizon, where untold horror awaited him.
"It'll be Aether Paradise."
NEXT TIME: Infiltration
And here we are at long last. The beginning of the Aether Arc. I'm pretty excited for what comes next.
Q & A
From: Muramasa96
What I don't understand is Tetra, is she evolving? Or is she utilizing her full power because she is so angry?
More or less, what happened was Tetra finally pushing through the mental barrier that kept her from fighting with everything she had. Even with Alastor's coaching and the support of her team, she was still doubting herself and hesitant.
Nizbel's actions against a member of her "family" made her finally snap from anger and ignore everything that told her to not fight and finally unleash the side of her that's wanted to battle all along. She's still a cinnamon roll to be sure, but she's not scared to fight anymore and knows to not pay attention to the voices in her head.
Also, because I have a feeling someone's going to ask. No, I am not shipping Tetra with Alastor. He's way older than she is (I believe the oldest member of the team) and I actually have ideas for a potential ship with Tetra. It's pretty heckin' adorable, but won't happen until later down the line. But yeah, Tetra/Alastor isn't a thing, he's basically filling a big brother role and helped her find her fighting spirit. That's as far as it goes.
That's all for now, everyone. I've got another update lined up for New Year's Eve to close the year out, so stay tuned for more awesome. In the meantime, please Review, Favorite and/or Follow the story to show your support and stay updated with the story. I also have a Discord server and I answer questions in the review section below.
Take care and stay awesome! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
