Pokémon Radiant Sun


Jeez…February and March have put me through the wringer.

Not gonna expand on that in depth, just that IRL stuff has had me very busy. However, things are settling down and I'm hoping to return to a somewhat more consistent update schedule, especially since we're on the final stretch of this Act of the story.

Honestly, this chapter would've been out sooner, but I realized I needed to divide things up due to the sheer volume of things happening all at the same time. You'll see what I mean in a few updates, but adding another chapter to the arc and rearranging things was an absolute must.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Sondragon66, BraviaryScout, a Guest reviewer and Oragonking. Thanks for the support and feedback everyone!

Trigger Warning: The following chapter portrays scenes of physical abuse on a minor.


Chapter 154: Wings of Rebellion


"Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime." - Mineko Iwasaki.


Aether Paradise Mansion Path


Type: Null snarled as it slammed hard into Goliath, sending the mighty Golisopod skidding backwards with a pained hiss. Guzma sneered at the display, crouched low on the ground and hiding the fact that he was secretly impressed.

The prodigal son had come a long, long way as a Trainer in the time that Guzma had known him. Gladion was skilled and tenacious, and Guzma respected that. It reminded him so much of himself, and it was why he had allowed Gladion to join Team Skull as an Enforcer. It was his own way of showing mercy to a child who had been through hell, something Guzma saw far too much of in his time as the Boss of Team Skull.

But to step to Guzma now? On the eve of all of their dreams coming true? Respect wasn't enough to stop the beatdown that was coming.

Gladion's Sneasel, Golabat and Zoroark were all knocked out. Despite that, Gladion's team had managed to knock out all of Guzma's Pokémon except for Goliath, his Partner and ace.

Guzma's smirk of confidence had never left his face, with the Team Skull leader crouched down on the ground as Goliath unleashed a bombardment of Pin Missile upon Type: Null, who tanked the attacks and lashed out with Crush Claw, forcing Goliath to block the blow with its armored claws, hissing softly.

"You still don't get it, kid…You don't have the right to beat Guzma. Not after what I've been through! Not after Alola turned on Team Skull!" Guzma called to Gladion as he snapped his fingers, causing Goliath to push forward, throwing Type: Null backwards before suddenly stabbing it with Liquidation, blasting the monster across the courtyard and tumbling onto the ground.

"And Team Skull has never had the right to menace everyone! No wonder you were willing to team up with the President!" Gladion barked as Type: Null slowly rose to its feet, shaking in pain. "Null, Aerial Ace!"

"Hold your attack…And then finish it." Guzma spoke calmly to his Partner, receiving a small nod in response. Type: Null sped towards the enormous bug, snarling furiously as a trail of light shined behind it. The monster crashed hard into Goliath, causing the bigger Pokémon to stagger back as the super-effective attack struck. But despite the power of the move, Goliath refused to fall.

"Liquidation!" Guzma bellowed as Goliath held out a claw behind its back, summoning a watery sword within its grip before delivering a single brutal slash to Type: Null before Gladion could try and retaliate or issue a command. The blow caused Type: Null to go limp, collapsing onto the ground with a pained groan. Goliath roared in triumph, picking up the limp form of the monster and hurling it across the pavilion, with Type: Null landing next to Gladion with a harsh thud.

"And that's game." Guzma sneered, grinning in delight as Gladion looked at Type: Null's unmoving and broken form.

"Ngh! So I'm still not strong enough." Gladion muttered, looking down at his clenched fists with a completely broken expression as he returned Type: Null. "All the days that I struggled alone and lonely…it was all for nothing? Is that it?"

Guzma shut his eyes, thinking of how exactly he could answer that question. Part of him was eager to rub salt in Gladion's wounds, but another part of him that had been suppressed violently over the years felt sympathy for the kid.

He knew what it was like to give it everything you had…only to be met with abject failure.


Iki Town

Many Years Ago…


"Rocko, use Rock Throw!"

"Struggle Bug, Goliath!"

Kahuna Hala watched on intently as two of his students battled in the clearing, with Johnny Kukui and Guzma Kahale standing opposite of one another with matching grins on their faces. Standing beside Guzma was a rather battered and terrified Wimpod who was panting heavily. Beside Johnny was a Rockruff who looked very unhappy, mostly due to the copious amounts of sand in its eyes.

Goliath easily dodged the Rock Throw and lashed out with Struggle Bug, which didn't do very much damage, but it did enough to cause the canine to whine in pain. Johnny hummed as he tried to brainstorm a way out of this, since Guzma had really gone all-out this time.

"Rocko, come on! Let's go for a Tackle!" Johnny called to his mostly blind Rockruff, who growled and then charged forward.

"Scald!" Guzma shouted to his cowering Wimpod, who hesitated for a moment before spitting out a stream of hot water that made Rockruff howl in pain. It was then that Kukui realized something important.

"Wait a sec. Follow the sound of Goliath! Listen for him!" Johnny called to his Pokémon, who did just as it charged forward with Tackle. Goliath scuttled away from the dog, but to Guzma's horror it was now following his Pokémon based on sound alone. The rock dog managed to slam hard into Goliath, flinging through the air and knocking him out cold.

"Hmph. Johnny, you win yet again." Hala rumbled upon seeing that the Wimpod had fainted. Johnny let out a whoop of delight while Guzma sighed, returning his Partner.

"Yet another loss…" Guzma muttered under his breath before shoving down the feelings of disappointment and slapping an easy grin on his face as Johnny walked over to him.

"You really stepped up your game! I can't believe you almost beat me!" Johnny gushed excitedly, clapping his closest friend on his back.

"Heh. Next time we're winning for sure." Guzma responded with a laugh that fooled his friend. In all honesty, Guzma wouldn't have minded just winning over his friend just once. But he was patient, and knew that it would come in time. Besides, no one liked a sore loser.

"You both battled well. However, the hour grows late and you both should be on your way home. I sense a storm on the horizon." Hala rumbled, causing both boys to turn towards their teacher and bow to the Kahuna. However, Guzma looked conflicted and after a moment spoke up.

"Do I have to go home? Can't I just chill in Iki Town for the night?" Guzma asked the Kahuna, who's stern expression faltered for a moment. He wasn't blind to Guzma's home life, and knew that the boy was going through some difficulties. Unfortunately there was little he could do to actively help aside from being positive reinforcement for the boy. And then an idea came to Hala as he clasped his hands with a warm smile.

"I don't see why not. I will call you parents and inform them that you will be in my care tonight to assist me in some Kahuna matters." Hala responded, glancing back towards the forest as he considered how exactly he'd break the news to the boy's father without him losing his infamous temper. Guzma's father had been a Trial Captain when he was younger, but seemingly hadn't grown up as much as he should have over the years.

"Heck yeah! Sleepover time, dude!" Johnny laughed, exchanging a fist-bump with his friend.

"Since you'll be staying in town for the night, perhaps we should go and pay our respects to the Tapu at the Ruins of Conflict. I believe some time quietly meditating will be good for us all. Especially you two, after such an intense battle." Hala said as he turned around and began walking towards Mahalo Trail.

Guzma sighed with relief before falling into step alongside his best friend. Johnny looked at Guzma with concern, offering him a wan smile.

"Sorry about the battle, dude. I could see it bothered you, but, um you nearly had me!" Johnny said apologetically, but Guzma laughed and waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm the guy who battled you knowing Goliath would have a rough time. Don't worry about it! Just means that my bug is gonna be super duper tough when he evolves!" Guzma said as he placed his hands behind his head, grinning wolfishly. Johnny laughed and fist-pumped, grinning just as wide as his friend as they followed their teacher into the forest.


Guzma snapped out of his memories in time to see that damned kid, Sunshine Smiles, walk past Gladion with a determined smirk on his face, putting a hand on Gladion's shoulder. Guzma spotted Demi and Hala's grandson still battling his Grunts, and so he turned his attention to the child of Borlath who had made a fool of him twice now. Guzma called out his full team and healed each of them with a Max Revive, taking time to slowly apply the Full Restore to Goliath as the Golisopod stared down Sun with a soft growl of agitation, shifting its watery sword upwards and leveling it at the boy.

Guzma returned his team except for Goliath while Sun stared down the Boss of Team Skull, who sneered at the boy's expression. Both Trainer and Pokémon shared the roiling fury that bubbled underneath their skin, and they were both ready to clash with the gray-eyed child for a third and final time in a showdown of dominance and skill.

"The hated boss who beats you down and beats you down and never lets up…Yeah. Big bad Guzma is here!" the Team Skull Boss declared to Sun, a bark of laughter escaping the gangster.

"I can see that." Sun replied quietly, not impressed by Guzma's attempts at intimidation.

"I did that spoiled little brat a favor and crushed him. Yeah, that was me." Guzma remarked, grinning wider at Gladion as the boy grit his teeth in frustration.

"Y'know, I kinda liked you, kid. Leaving home like that and wanting to get stronger and stronger. You had some real guts. Going so far as coming over to Team Skull. And rejecting your own mother!? That was impressive." Guzma admitted, chuckling darkly under his breath. "Reminded me of myself. After Kukui turned his back on me and my family decided I was never going to be good enough for them. I know the feeling…I'd say you earned my respect, Gladion, but that'd make me a liar. And Guzma doesn't lie. He just spits the truth. So let me tell you this…"

The Team Skull Boss' smile widened with sheer malice. "Your Mother is gonna change everything. Wipe the slate clean. And Guzma's gonna be standing alongside her when she finally breaks that little Pokémon down and makes it work its magic! Bwahahahaha!"

Gladion looked away, and Sun's eyes widened as his suspicions were confirmed. Guzma crossed his arms and as his laughter calmed down, looked to the boy now standing in his way. "And now it's your turn!"

"Is that so?" Sun said as he returned his team, calling out Oliver who visibly hissed with anger as Goliath the Golisopod snarled in anger, raising its claws and beckoning Oliver to come get him. Oliver summoned a Leaf Blade without saying a word, only narrowing his eyes and awaiting Sun's command.

"You little misfits keep getting up in my grill, like a cloud of smoke that I can't brush away. It's about time I put out your fire at the source!" Guzma bellowed as Sun grinned right back at the Boss of Team Skull.

"Bring it on! I'm sick of Team Skull's crap! So hit me with your best shot…Yo!" Sun yelled back, grinning as he thrust his Z-Ring out. Guzma's eyes widened at the absolute disrespect being thrown his way and clenched his teeth in abject fury.

"Don't let that little shit mock us. First Impression!" Guzma bellowed as Goliath flickered for a brief moment…and then rushed forward to attack Oliver, who took a single step back and raised a wing, summoning a Protect to block the move that they all knew was coming. Goliath struck the shield with the force of a speeding truck, hissing furiously at the owl who had countered its signature move.

"I'm going to enjoy showing you both just how weak you truly are." Oliver hooted as the shield around him slowly began to crack, but he wasn't worried. Sun had led them to victory twice before against Guzma and his Pokémon lackeys…and this would be no different.


Many Years Ago…

Route 2, just outside of Verdant Cave


"Still not good enough…Will I ever be good enough?" Guzma wondered aloud, holding Goliath in his arms as he sat down on a rock just outside one of the Pokémon Centers. Sitting on the boy's shoulder was a Butterfree who weakly cried out to its Trainer as he angrily stuffed a cell phone into his pocket.

They had just finished battling the Normal-type Trial and while Guzma had won, it had been a close thing. The boy had called his father to tell him the great news, and to his non-surprise but extreme dismay, the man had nothing but nasty things to say to him.

"You barely won!? How!? You had two Pokémon! Do you want to make our family look bad!?" Guzma's father had shouted before hanging up the phone angrily. Worst part of it was that today was actually Guzma's birthday, and the least the boy was hoping for was a word of encouragement or praise for once in his damned life. He had been a fool to hope for anything less than the usual dismissive attitude of his father.

"Guzma! Happy Birthday, brah!" came a familiar shout from down the road. Guzma perked up as Johnny Kukui, his best friend, ran down the path with a wide smile. In his hands was a Net Ball. The boy came to a stop a few steps away from Guzma, panting hard but still wearing a wide grin.

"Jeez dude, you gotta work on your cardio." Guzma teased Johnny, who laughed and straightened up before holding out the Net Ball.

"Caught you a birthday present, buddy! Had to take a detour to Route 1, but it was totally worth it." Kukui remarked, grinning widely as he handed the Net Ball to the other boy. Guzma looked at the gift with surprise, but he was touched that his friend had gotten him something. Guzma tossed the ball into the air, and in a flash of light appeared a Pokémon that Guzma recognized. A rather large Grubbin, which looked up at him expectantly.

"You've been wanting a third Pokémon and I realized that a Vikavolt would be great for your team! So I got the biggest Grubbin I could find! Pretty cool, right?" Johnny said excitedly, seeing Guzma suddenly break out into a massive grin.

"You're the freaking best, Johnny! Thank you!" Guzma laughed, stepping forward and pulling his friend into a bear hug. He set the other boy down and kneeled down to the Grubbin, who chittered happily at him. Goliath and Butterfree greeted their newest addition with joyful cries.

"Well hi there! I'm Guzma, and I'll be your new Trainer. We're gonna be the best team ever!" Guzma laughed, patting the bug on the head and earning a mirthful chittering sound from the Grubbin in response.

"I'm glad you liked it! Wish I could've caught her in time for you to take on the Normal Trial, but hey, better late than never!" Johnny remarked with a shrug. "By the way, you gotta tell me how you smoked the Totem!"

"How would you know if I beat that furball?" Guzma asked, fighting back a smirk as he showed his friend the Normalium-Z that he had won an hour ago.

"Pffft. Like there was any doubt, dude. You're the only person around who gives me a fun battle anymore." Johnny remarked, causing Guzma to laugh.

"One of these days, I'll get you Johnny Boy! You can't win forever!" Guzma said as he raised a fist threateningly, unable to stop the wide grin on his face. Guzma then suddenly winced instinctively grabbed his side, causing Johnny's smile to fade instantly.

"Guzma? You good?" Johnny asked, concerned as Guzma nodded almost frantically. Kukui frowned and stepped close, quickly lifting up the boys's shirt before Guzma could react. Johnny Kukui was horrified to see a splotch of dark purple bruises on the side of the boy's chest.

"E maikaʻi. Don't worry about it. It doesn't hurt anymore." Guzma lied effortlessly, even though Kukui looked skeptical as Guzma stepped away and lowered his shirt.

"You could tell Teacher." Johnny said quietly, looking away from his best friend. The one he knew was being hit by his father and was hurting in more ways than one.

"At least Mom cares. Even if she doesn't do anything to stop Dad from being an asshole." Guzma remarked with a rueful smile.

"That doesn't mean you deserve to suffer." Johnny said in a quiet, almost pleading tone.

Guzma stayed silent for a good while, thinking about his relationship with his parents. The pressure. The resentment. Never being good enough to meet their standards. While he knew his Mother loved him, she was disappointed that he wasn't as good as Molayne and Johnny. And as for Father, the man seemed to always be furious whenever Guzma was around. The drinking didn't help matters, as the bruises that Guzma hid as much as possible attested.

Guzma finally said in a small voice. "I don't want Father to go away. I just…have to do better. That's all. So don't tell Teacher. Okay?"

"Okay…" Kukui muttered, not liking the situation but not having a choice in the matter. He respected his best friend's feelings and would drop it. "Someday they'll realize how dumb they're being and how awesome you are dude. I promise you."

"Of course. They will. Your boi Guzma is gonna be the best damn Trainer in Alola!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Both boys glared dramatically at one another before bursting into giggles, clapping each other on the shoulder as Goliath, Butterfree and Grubbin all chatted with one another. Guzma and Kukui had a lunch of sandwiches and a small blueberry cake that Johnny had bought just for his best friend's birthday.

After that, the conversation turned to several different things. Hala's new haircut, the Flying Trial Captain getting into a shouting match with the Fire Trial Captain the other day, and about how some of their friends were doing.

"Captain Skyler is a total prick, though. No sympathy for Trainers who fail his Trial." Johnny remarked, crossing his arms.

"You're telling me. Teacher's had to tell the guy to calm down twice now. He even got the police involved after telling someone they weren't allowed to rematch Totem Toucannon until they beat all of the other Trials in Alola." Guzma said with a roll of the eyes.

"Oh boy, don't remind me. That birdbrain Totem of his is gonna be a nightmare to fight." Johnny grimaced with distaste.

"A shit Captain and an even worse Totem. Plus my whole team is weak to it. Hooray." Guzma deadpanned, flopping onto the grass with a groan.

"Yeah…Poor Lilo got thrown out of her house after she lost to the Flying Totem. No one's heard from her in over a week." Johnny said quietly, crossing his arms as his Rockruff whined softly.

Lilo had been a girl from Iki Town who had departed on her Island Challenge about five months ahead of Guzma and Johnny, except she had an arguably worse home life than Guzma did. Knowing what he knew, Guzma considered that fact with a grim expression, inwardly wondering if their friend was even alive anymore.

The shame alone in failing the Island Challenge was more than anyone could bear. And it wasn't unheard of for children in Alola to make the terrible choice of ending their own lives rather than continue living with the burden of being labeled a failure in the tropical region.

Guzma wondered if there would ever be a time when the Island Challenge wasn't held to such a high standard for everyone. And he dreaded what would happen to him if he brought shame upon his household for failing in the Island Challenge like so many others had.


Present Day


Demi winced at the roaring inferno her Pokémon were unleashing upon the horde of gangsters, keeping the veritable army of Pokémon at bay. The Bone Brothers glared hatefully at the girl through the flames while Bone Unit 71's expression seemed…resigned.

Gladion had run ahead, leaving Demi, Sun and Hau to battle through the wave of Team Skull Grunts who never seemed to stop coming. The girl remembered Guzma's warning to her not to get involved, and she was now seeing what the Team Skull Boss meant.

Several Team Skull Grunts tried to fly above the inferno, but several Shadow Balls from Aou quickly dissuaded them from continuing that trick. However, she knew that this was simply her stalling for time. Team Skull had the luxury of being able to wait things out, whereas Demi and her friends were in a time crunch.

Demi then heard a shout of fury as several attacks suddenly struck the wave of flames, causing them to dissipate just enough for the Bone Brothers and about twenty other Grunts to leap through the small hole in the flames. Demi ordered her Pokémon to stop the flames immediately and braced herself for a confrontation, though she did note that there were a few dozen unconscious Pokémon on the ground from Team Skull's attempts to breach the literal firewall and more than a few Grunts sporting burns, which Demi actually felt bad about. She also noted that Bone Uni1 71 had teleported to a spot just behind the Bone Brothers, looking worriedly at Demi.

"Demi! Great to see you again!" Bone Brother A, the tallest and oldest of the brothers greeted Demi with a false cheer, even as he called out his Drapion, Trumbeak and a Magnezone.

"Oh yeah, absolutely. We've got all kinds of things to catch up on." Bone Brother B, the one who had his arm blasted off by Cipher Admin Dawson months ago, remarked with a casual shrug before slowly sending out his team of Scizor, Torracat, and a Golbat.

"After we beat you up and kill your Pokémon. Maybe let some of the guys have some fun with you." Bone Brother C, youngest and shortest of the trio said with a twisted chuckle, causing Demi to shiver despite herself. The man walked in front of his brothers and sent out a Gumhoos, Shelgon, Tentacruel, and a Honchkrow.

"Looks like they spent some time tweaking their teams. Looks like A evolved his Magneton, B evolved his Scyther and C evolved his Bagon and his Murkow….I wish I had actual names for these pricks. I guess it adds to the scare-factor of the Bone Brothers." Demi thought with some dread. Her eyes went to her friends, who were standing behind the Bone Brothers with conflicted expressions hidden behind their bandannas.

"So, hot shot…You regret turning your back on Team Skull yet?" Bone Brother A asked, crossing his arms and leveling the girl with a cold glare. "We're gonna hurt you. And we're gonna hurt those friends of yours. Gladion especially. Guzma's already beaten down his team from what it looks like, so we'll happily pick the bones."

"What? No!" Demi chanced a glance backwards, and she saw that Sun was now battling the Boss of Team Skull. Gladion was sitting on the ground with a despondent expression, watching the battle with a frown.

However, this was also the chance that the Bone Brothers were waiting for because that was when they sent their horde of Pokémon upon Demi, who turned back around with a startled gasp as several attacks were sent directly at her, Torch and Aou.

"Ice Beam, Cassy! Make a big wall!"

Demi's eyes went wide as a powerful icy beam struck the ground in front of her, creating an enormous wall of ice that intercepted the barrage of attacks. The wall crumpled and exploded, but it was enough to stop the Bone Brothers from seriously hurting Demi and her team.

"Hey! Don't start the party without me!" shouted a familiar voice from behind Demi. She whirled around and was shocked to see Hau running back over to her, grinning as he and Cassy stood beside Demi. It was now obvious that Hau had been the one to save her from the sneak attack.

"The hell are you doing? Go back up Sun and Gladion!" Demi yelled to Hau, who shook his head.

"Sun can handle Guzma. And I'm not turning my back on you again, Demi." Hau said seriously, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "You don't deserve to face them on your own. Besides, I owe the Bone Brothers for what they pulled back at the Aether House."

"Hau…" Demi said quietly, touched by the boy's words. However she heard a scoff from behind her and turned around to see that the Bone Brothers were not impressed. She did note that Kevin and Axen both looked relieved and that Kayla had turned around, running her hands through her hair.

"So much for Demi's final stand. Can't even do that on your own, huh?" Bone Brother A remarked, shrugging his shoulders with a dark chuckle.

"She doesn't need my help to beat you assclowns! I just don't want to miss out!" Hau shouted as he sent out Kaha, who joined Cassy as the Bone Brothers advanced towards them.

"Looks like the Kahuna's grandson is back for round two!" Bone Brother B leered, grinning underneath his bandanna.

"You bet! Now that you don't have hostages to distract me with, let's see if you dorks can win again." Hau said with a smirk, standing his ground.

"No hostages, eh? Then what do you call the little bitch standing by you? Poor little thing can't even deal with a little bit of rainfall these days." Bone Brother B remarked, chuckling darkly before pointing forward. "Rush 'em!"

"Surf!" Hau shouted with a wide grin as Cassy stood on her tail and swept her fins apart, summoning a massive wave of water that slammed into the three Pokémon rushing towards Hau. "Now follow up with Lava Plume!"

Kaha cried out as it released a wave of fire and lava, downing both Torracat and Golbat while Scizor barely managed to dodge the Lava Plume.

"You know, when I can actually focus on you dorks and not get distracted by cheapshots and sneak attacks, you're really not that bad. Why is Team Skull scared of you?" Hau remarked with a smirk as Cassy grinned at the three Trainers. The Bone Brothers bristled at the implied insult, and glanced around, seeing that many of their crew had been taken down by Demi's fiery onslaught. They then looked at Hau with cold expressions of anger and stepped forward.

"Y'all should fear us because of what we can do. We're the Bone Brothers. The terrors of Team Skull. And once the Boss and our beautiful financial backer are done doing their thing ain't no one gonna be able to step to Team Skull!" Bone Brother A chuckled as his Drapion scuttled forward, snarling softly.

"Put up or shut up." Hau snapped back, his smile fading as he took a step forward. "You ain't hurting anyone else any more!"

And for several moments, nothing happened. Team Skull stared at Hau in surprise while the Bone Brothers seethed with rage at having been called out by the boy.

"Get the traitor! We'll take care of the Kahuna's grandson!" Bone Brother A roared to the horde of thugs behind them as the Bone Brothers were suddenly teleported away to the other side of the pathway, blocking their way to the President's Mansion.

"Drapion, use Cross Poison!" Bone Brother A shouted as Drapion gave Hau a cruel grin and lunged forward, delivering a brutal strike to Cassy and sending her flying backwards with a pained cry. Kaha retaliated with a Flamethrower, only for Magnezone to lash out with a Thunderbolt that sent the Flareon reeling back.

"You dirty cowards! It ain't a Team Skull fight unless you outnumber the other side!" Hau protested with annoyance, even as the men laughed at his distress. Meanwhile Demi was ordering her team to fire off Flamethrowers into the crowd of thugs, who were restricted to the odd pot-shot attack that struck her two Fire-types.

However, that changed once a Hypno teleported behind her and lashed out with Psychic, knocking her two Pokémon to the ground. Demi looked over to Bone Unit 71 and saw Axen's Hypno return to his side. To Demi's surprise, the Hypno then teleported Bone Unit 71 to the other side of the battlefield, getting in-between herself and Hau who was still fighting off the Bone Brothers.

"Sorry Demi…orders are orders." Axen remarked dully, even as his Hypno sighed deeply beside him. Demi looked down as her exhausted Pokémon slowly forced themselves to stand, despite Psychic forcing them downwards, before looking up at her friends.

Demi saw the fear in their eyes and knew right away that the Bone Brothers had probably threatened them again. She also knew that they were still her friends, despite that.

"Flamethrowers together! Shoot past them and hit the Bone Brothers Pokémon!" Demi shouted as Aou and Torch fired off Flamethrowers that shot past Bone Unit 71 and their teams and into the horde attacking Hau's team, blasting them all with flames and knocking out Scizor and Shelgon and burning Honchkrow. This distraction allowed Hau's team to start fighting back in earnest against the horde.

"Dammit, how is she that tough!?" Bone Brother C hissed, returning his Pokémon alongside his Brother as they tried to fend off Kaha and Cassy. Thankfully Drapion had rushed forward with Cross Poison to knock out the Primarina, but it was still a close thing.

"Come on, you worthless morons! Deal with that traitorous bitch!" The Bone Brother A demanded as Kayla, Axen and Kevin stared down their friend with conflicted expressions hidden behind their bandannas.

"Demi…I'm so sorry." Kayla whispered before pointing at her friend. "Fearow, use Aerial Ace!"

The Fearow hesitated for a brief moment before flapping its wings hard and speeding towards Demi and her two Pokémon. Demi sighed deeply, knowing that a fight like this was inevitable. Even after the talk she had with the group regarding Guzma's plans, it seemed as though the group was forced to go along with things regardless. And that meant Demi had to battle the group that had become a family to her.

"Thunder Punch!" Demi shouted as Torch lunged forward, tanking the Aerial Ace before punching the bird with a crackling fist of electricity, causing it to tumble to the ground with a pained cry. "Aou, use Psychic!"

"Chaaaan!" Aou cried out as it lashed out with Psychic, knocking out Fearow and sending it flying limply back to its Trainer where it crumpled into a heap. Kayla knelt down to use a Revive on her Fearow while Axen and Kevin stepped forward.

"Tirtouga, use Brine!" Kevin shouted as his Pokémon cried out and fired off a sphere of water towards Aou, who blocked it with Psychic at Demi's command. However, that left the Chandelure open to getting hit by a Shadow Ball from Hypno after it teleported to the side out of Demi's line of sight.

"Ancient Power!" Kevin shouted as Tirtouga slapped the ground, causing a series of glowing rocks to break free from the path and get sent flying towards Torch and Aou, who were pelted with the super-effective attack. Torch retaliated with a Lava Plume that blasted all three of Bone Unit 71's Pokémon away from Demi and her two Fire-types. But even so…

"They're slowing down. Even if they're stronger than us, they've been battling a lot." Kayla said in an almost-whisper, unable to keep the dread out of her voice.

"You know what those assholes will do to us if we don't fight…we have to finish them off." Axen responded in a low voice, shivering as he clenched his fists.

"This is wrong. Demi doesn't deserve this. We don't even know what we're doing here." Kevin said to his friends, who remained silent for several seconds. Axen then swore under his breath before stepping forward.

"Stop fighting us and just submit!" Axen shouted as Hypno staggered to his feet, only for Demi to have Aou send another Shadow Ball out and knock out the Hypnosis Pokémon.

"Aerial Ace again!" Kayla shouted as he Fearow shot forward with a screech, slamming hard into Torch and sending him stumbling backwards with a pained growl.

"Rock Slide!" Kevin shouted to his Tirtouga as a pile of boulders dropped from a portal above the two Fire-types and pelted them, doing massive damage.

"Flamethrower and Psychic!" Demi shouted as Torch fired off a Flamethrower that suddenly glowed blue and sped towards Fearow and Tirtouga faster than they expected, slamming hard into the both of them and knocking both Pokémon out cold.

"Heh…You were always the best of the group." Kevin remarked with a weak laugh, shrugging his shoulders as he used a Revive on his Tirtouga. That was when Demi saw Kevin look at something behind her with a horrified expression.

"If you can't do anything right…just do it yourself!" spoke a familiar voice from behind Demi.

"Demi, look out!" Kayla shouted to the girl, who turned around but was too slow to react to what was coming.

That was all the warning Demi had before a snarling hiss erupted from beside her and a rush of purple slammed into Aou, causing the Chandelure to cry out before finally collapsing onto the ground with a groan. Torch whirled around in surprise to see a furious Drapion standing beside him, but couldn't react in time to dodge the second Night Slash from the Ogre Scorp Pokémon and was knocked out.

"No! Aou! Torch!" Demi screamed as Drapion chuckled darkly, its arms and teeth glowing brightly with power. Demi stumbled back just in time to avoid a third deadly swipe of the Pokémon's claws, but fell to the ground and could only look up in horror at the Drapion glaring murderously down at her.

"No! Haimoe, Duke, help her out!" Hau urged his team, only for a Thunderbolt to rip past his team and strike him directly. Hau screamed in agony and collapsed onto the ground, convulsing in pain as Bone Brother A's Magnezone pumped more power into the attack. Meanwhile the remaining Pokémon on the teams of the other two Bone Brothers attacked Duke and Haimoe, who frantically tried to dodge the onslaught of moves while not being directed by Hau.

Bone Brother A laughed cruelly under his breath before turning to address Bone Unit 71, who were watching Demi with open horror on their faces.

"Heh, good work you clowns. Managed to wear down her Pokémon enough for Drapion to finish them off." Bone Brother A remarked as he walked past a stunned Hau and his team. "Now then…Ready to face the music, Demi?"

"Are you actually going to kill me? Just because we tried to save our friend?" Demi asked the man in a small voice. Bone Brother A remained silent for a few moments.

He then glanced back at his brothers before lowering his bandanna just enough for Demi to see him wearing a malicious grin, and then he whispered softly, "You wouldn't be the first person I've killed for the sake of Team Skull. And you won't be the last."

Demi's blood ran cold as the Bone Brother raised his bandanna and threw apart his hands. "We do what we gotta do in order to keep the show running. Guzma's our boss, but he doesn't have a body count like us. That's because we don't let him handle that part of the job. The Boss doesn't even know what we really do to protect Team Skull! And that's strike down the fuckers who stand in our way!"

"Do you do it for Team Skull…or do you use that as an excuse to act like the monsters you really are?" Demi asked the man, who blinked at the question before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"A little of column A and B. Anyways, you know our little secret, so time to die." Bone Brother A said as he snapped his fingers, causing Drapion to scuttle forward and raise to claws that shined brightly. "This poison won't kill you right away, but that just means it'll hurt more. Consider that your lesson for-"

"That's enough!"

Bone Brother A stopped at the sound of a furious voice and turned to Bone Unit 71 to see Kevin striding towards him, his Tirtouga sliding along the path beside him. The man rolled his eyes and crossed his arms with a hidden scowl.

"You guys are really asking for it. Stop distracting me, or I'll be dealing with you next!" Bone Brother A snarled with frustration, with Drapion lowering its claws and coming to join his Trainer's side. Demi simply watched her friend approach the older gangster, hate and anger burning in his eyes.

"I've had to watch you jerks steamroll over Team Skull for ages. And now you want to kill one of the few true friends I've ever had?" Kevin breathed, his body shaking with anger. "Demi's one of us! What the hell does this have to do with making Alola pay for turning its back on us!?"

"Are you seriously doing this now?" Bone Brother A asked, his tone one of disbelief.

"Answer the question!" Axen demanded, with the man barking out a laugh in response.

"I was about to praise you morons for following orders and battling Demi despite your friendship. Glad I didn't waste my breath. Stand back and let me end her miserable life, or I'll be taking you down next." Bone Brother A said coldly before turning to Drapion. "Use Cross Poison on Demi. End it."

Demi shrank back as Drapion turned towards her, snarling gleefully as its arms shined a bright purple color. The light illuminated the face of the Bone Brother, and Demi saw the open delight in his eyes at the thought of killing her.

"...If Team Skull is going to force us to turn our backs on our friends, then to hell with Team Skull! Use Rock Slide on that stupid Drapion!" The sudden shout from Kevin caused Bone Brother A to go still and then look towards the furious teen in surprise, even as Kevin's Tirtouga cried out and its eyes shined brightly.

Drapion looked upwards and barely leapt out of the way as a deluge of boulders rained down on it from above. Kevin took that moment to grab his bandanna and rip it off his face, throwing it to the ground before sending the Bone Brothers two perfect middle fingers.

Demi's face broke out into a wide smile as Kayla did the same thing as her friend, tearing the face-mask off and revealing a furious scowl as her Fearow cawed at the Bone Brothers. "Screw you guys! I'm with Demi, and if that means turning my back on you douchebags then so be it! Fearow, Aerial Ace!"

The Beak Pokémon sped forward with a fearsome cry, slamming hard into Drapion and causing it to stagger backwards with a snarl into a Thunderbolt from Hau, bringing it to the ground. One of the Bone Brothers quickly applied a Full Restore to Drapion, restoring it to full health and making it even more pissed at its opponents.

"What she said. I'm done listening to you twits! Demi and the other guy, we've got your back!" Axen shouted, ripping off his bandanna to reveal a wide grin. "Hypno, use Hyper Beam!"

Hypno chuckled softly in response, holding up his pendulum and allowing it to swing back and forth three times.

The Bone Brothers barely had time to throw themselves to the ground before the Pokémon attacked, with Hypno sweeping a Hyper Beam across the bridge and obliterating the resistance behind them, sending a dozen Team Skull Grunts crashing to the ground alongside their Pokémon.

Bone Unit 71 moved forward as one, hefting Demi to her feet and helping Hau stand before turning around to face the Bone Brothers and the two dozen or so Team Skull Grunts that were left standing after the brutal war that had gone on already.

"Now what, assholes?" Demi shouted to the Bone Brothers, who looked rather annoyed now.

"So? It's five of you against all of us? We've got the numbers on our side in case you haven't noticed." One of the Bone Brothers pointed out, crossing his arms.

"Maybe, but I've been through way too much to let you jerks have your way." Hau remarked, grinning at them. "Besides, you don't look nearly as confident as you did the other day."

The Bone Brothers tensed at being called out like that, stepping forward as their Pokémon bristled, sensing a return to the fighting. Demi and Hau stood tall, flanked by Bone Unit 71 as they glared down the strongest members of Team Skull and countless flunkies who watched on with visible awe on their faces.

And then suddenly a fearsome screech rang out in the distance, drawing their attention.

"Whoa…what was that?" Hau asked as he looked off into the distance, with Demi followed it and gasped. Hau's eyes widened as he spotted a familiar figure speeding through the skies atop a massive orange bird and felt a small shred of hope leap into his heart. Hau's feeling of hope grew exponentially as the bird and its Trainer swooped past the path, with the Pokémon releasing a massive plume of white-hot flames and knocking out scores of Team Skull's Pokémon. Demi and Bone Unit 71 looked up in surprise as the bird and its Trainer soared back around, dropping to the ground beside Demi and Hau.

The bird was a familiar one to Demi. An enormous Talonflame that was older than she was, with beautiful orange, black, pale blue and yellow plumage. The raptor chirped softly and nuzzled the girl's cheek, causing her to let out a small laugh.

"Way to make an entrance! But what are you doing here?" Hau asked the Trainer excitedly, grinning widely now. The Trainer smirked at Hau's response, with the man shrugging his shoulders helplessly.

"My apologies for not arriving earlier. I had some loose ends to tie up back home. However, I am here to give you kids a helping hand." The dark-skinned man said as he adjusted his tie, stepping forward and taking stock of the situation. He spotted Sun battling Guzma and then looked towards the squad of Team Skull members still watching them with mixed expressions on their faces, as well as the infamous Bone Brothers who were currently wanted for violent crimes all across the Alola region and were considered to be the strongest members of Team Skull next to Guzma himself.

All the while, Demi stared at the man in awe as a single tear ran down her cheek before the girl's smile widened with relieved joy. The man took a moment to put a hand on the girl's head, offering her a smirk before looking at the Bone Brothers, his expression melting into one of smoldering fury.

"So what's this? Some old bastard wanting to come and take a shot at us?" Bone Brother C shouted at the man angrily.

Councilman Palena calmly stepped towards the Bone Brothers and Team Skull, his mighty Talonflame glaring murderously at them. Palena stepped in front of Demi protectively, taking a moment to roll up his sleeves and carefully slip on a rather old Z-Ring that he had pulled out of his suit pocket.

"Now that I'm finally here, I have one simple demand for Team Skull." Palena's words were calm and polite, but the underlying steel beneath them was undeniable. "Get the hell away from my daughter."


Many Years Ago…

Route 2


"Loser! You're nothing but a pathetic little loser!"

Guzma flinched at the words, turning away from his father and clutching the shiny 2nd Place trophy he had received just that day even tighter.

"I'm not a loser! We fought our hearts out, and in the end that's all that-" Guzma tried to say before he felt an all-too-familiar force collide with the side of his head, sending him to the ground. Guzma saw nothing but stars for several moments, vaguely aware of the fact that his head was bleeding profusely and that he was in total agony.

"Well…looks like Father grabbed his trusty 9-Iron again. I wonder if he can actually still use it to golf, as much as he's beaten me with the damn thing." Guzma thought dazedly as he rolled onto his back, only for the pain in his head to finally break through the haze of delirium and cause him to scream out.

"And now you're talking back to me? Guzma! What is wrong with you!?" Father bellowed, lowering the bloody golf club with a ragged growl before he raised his boot and introduced it to the boy's rib cage. Guzma cried out again, even as Father scowled and staggered forward, kicking aside one of the empty bottles of beer that littered the floor.

"You're a failure…Why did I ever think you'd amount to anything? Sticking with bug-types, defying me every chance you get, and coming up short whenever you get the chance." Father sighed, putting a hand to his head to try and vainly block out the headache he felt. He tightened his grip on his golf club, feeling angry again. The drunken man stepped forward, raising his club to deliver another blow to his child, but to his surprise Guzma had swiftly gotten to his feet and closed the distance between them-

BAM!

Father went crashing to the ground as Guzma suddenly dropped him with an uppercut. Guzma staggered backwards, tears and blood coating his face as he suddenly called out Goliath, who roared at the man who was now watching his child finally lose control and fight back. Guzma glared down at the man, even as fresh blood dripped down the side of his head and onto the floor.

"So that's how it's gonna be, eh!? Blazer, get 'em!" Father snarled as he staggered upright and fumbled with a Poké Ball on his belt, sending out a massive Incineroar. The Heel Pokémon looked confused upon seeing Guzma and Goliath standing across from them with terrified expressions.

"That little shit attacked me. So show them some respect!" Father bellowed at his Pokémon, who flinched before turning back to the boy and his bug and charging at them. Guzma's breath caught…but Goliath stepped in front of his Trainer, a rumble escaping its throat as its claws shined bright blue.

"Blazer, use Flamethrower on-" Father began to say, but Guzma screamed and cut him off.

"First Impression!"

Goliath's body blurred as he charged forward and slammed into Blazer hard enough to send him crashing over the couch. The Incineroar hopped to its feet, snarling softly before firing off a Flamethrower from its mouth that Goliath tanked with a low growl.

"Fire Punch!" Father barked as Blazer began to pummel Goliath with burning jabs, which Goliath returned using Razor Shell. The two Pokémon began to batter each other brutally, snarling as they tried to overcome the other. Meanwhile Guzma simply stared down at his father, tears still in his eyes and blood coating his face and arms.

"You should've never been born…Don't know what your momma sees in you." Father hissed at his child, who returned his scorn without flinching.

"Funny. I wonder the same thing." Guzma breathed raggedly, his body shaking as he fought the urge to cry. Meanwhile Blazer and Goliath continued to brawl, locking arms and roaring furiously at one another. Blazer then laughed as its fists ignited brightly, punching Goliath hard in the face, only for the Golisopod to retaliate with two wicked slashes of Razor Shell that knocked away the Incineroar with a pained yowl.

"Brick Break!" Guzma shouted as Goliath drew back a claw and curled it into a fist, punching Blazer hard enough to send it crashing into the wall. Blazer was slow to rise, panting hard now. Goliath wasn't much better off, and it was only through sheer force of will that it was resisting the urge to use Emergency Exit and swap out with another Pokémon.

He needed to protect his Trainer.

"Darkest Lariat!" Father shouted as the Incineroar staggered forward, kicking off of the ground and whirling towards Goliath.

"Iron Defense!"

Goliath tanked the hit, even as Blazer leapt back and chuckled darkly. Goliath swayed on its feet, shaking its head slightly in a desperate attempt to stay awake.

"See? Both you and that worthless bug don't stand a chance! Why do you have to be this way, Guzma?" Father snarled, his eyes narrowed with fury. "What is wrong with you!?"

"SHUT UP!" Guzma screamed back as Goliath suddenly roared, ducking under a Fire Punch and delivering two brutal Razor Shell swipes that struck Blazer hard, sending the Incineroar to the ground with a pained yowl. The Heel Pokémon twitched for a few moments before fainting.

"Guzma…" Father whispered in shock, staring down at his fallen Pokémon with amazement. Guzma collapsed to his knees, struggling to keep himself focused through the haze of the concussion as Goliath looked down at his Trainer worriedly.

Goliath then looked up at Father and leveled a massive claw at the man who had beaten and abused his Trainer for years. A menacing growl of raw hatred filled the room from the Golisopod, a threat that the boy's Father would never harm Guzma again should he wish to continue breathing. Meanwhile Guzma had shakily gotten to his feet, gritting his teeth as hot tears dripped down his face, mingling with the blood.

"I'm done. No more. I'm leaving this stupid house. But I'll keep training. Become way stronger than you could ever dream." Guzma muttered, staring down at his Father with a determined glare. "I'll become a Trial Captain…And then I'll become an Island Challenge Champion. The strongest Trainer in Alola! I'll show you and everyone else just how good I really am!"

"You really think a third-class Trainer like you has what it takes?" Father remarked, sneering at his child while Guzma flashed a hollow grin at the man who had raised him.

"Yeah. I'll beat the Island Challenge. I'll beat it down, and beat it down, and beat it down and never let up. Just like you." Guzma responded as he spit a globule of blood into the face of his father, who flinched at the vitriol in the boy's voice.

"You…You can't just run away! You'll be an outcast! You think you're strong enough to become a Champion on your own, Guzma!?" Father demanded of Guzma, trying to get to his feet only for Goliath to halt his actions with a deep growl of anger.

"Yeah. And you know what? I'm gonna tear apart the mere concept of the Island Challenge. Just watch me…Someday, kids won't have to be forced to walk down a path they don't want to! They won't have to face Alola's scorn because they want to follow their dreams! They can be whatever they want to be! And old pricks like you will have no choice but to acknowledge us!" Guzma shouted before turning on his heel and striding out of the house, not seeing the horrified expression on the face of Father.

The injured teen stumbled outside, his vision blurry from the beating he had taken but also the tears in his eyes. And so he ran away from the house of nightmares he had lived in for far too long, even as the rainstorm pounded down on Guzma's back and his worried Partner ran alongside him.

Guzma kept running until he couldn't run anymore. Finally the teen collapsed into a heap on the muddy path right outside the Berry Farm and broke down into sobs. Goliath rumbled softly and picked up his fallen Trainer, carrying Guzma in his arms and heading down the path where he knew there was shelter.

Goliath knew the boy's heart had been broken, but he also knew that Guzma was strong and would bounce back. And even if he couldn't, the boy still had his friends and his aspirations of becoming a Trial Captain and making those who believed in him proud.

Little did the boy and his bug know that their misfortunes had only just begun.


Next Time: Sun vs. Guzma Round III. The Palenas and Bone Unit 71 vs. The Bone Brothers and Team Skull! All this plus Ashton takes his stand against Faba and the Aether Foundation…and a true name is revealed.


God, I'm so pumped for these next few chapters.

Q & A

From: Sondragon666

If we are assuming the gang is going to stay at Aether paradise after Lusimane escapes with the Ultra beast, then would there be a heartfelt moment between Sun and Lillie before Lillie's Original Glow up? such small moments i feel hit the best with this story,

You would be correct. There's definitely going to be some expansion on what happens after the big confrontation.

From: Guest

Is there a grunt in-game that says "I don't pick fights I can't win," or is that you sneaking in an Ephraim reference?

Nope, the Grunt in-game straight up tells you that and moves out of your way. Most of the Grunt dialogue I have in the story is verbatim what they say and it's wacky, but hilarious.

That's all for now, folks. I'm gonna jump right back into writing, since I've got big things coming up in the next few weeks and I wanna keep the updates coming.

Please Review, Favorite and/or Follow the story to show your support and stay updated with the story and my nonsense. I also have a Discord server and I answer questions in the review section below!

Take care and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!