Pokémon Radiant Sun


Welcome back to more nonsense, everyone! I hope you had a great summer!

Mine was…a mixed bag, honestly. Had some fun taking a break from things to focus on other writing projects, as you can probably tell from the multiple uploads from today.

Yes, I'm happy to announce that not only am I beginning a new Pokémon Scarlet-based story done in a similar style as this one, I am also cross-posting on Archive of Our Own now. Both Pokémon Radiant Sun and Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet are now going to be regularly uploaded onto that website as well.

It's a move I've wanted to do for years but never quite found the right moment for. The new uploads of Radiant Sun will have grammar and spelling tweaks to them, but should for the most part not be changed from the versions uploaded here onto this site. I'll still be swapping the OG versions for the edited versions here when the corresponding chapter is uploaded.

If you feel like supporting a new story of mine, then please check out Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet. Below is the official story description. Let me know what you all think.

A fresh start. That was what going to Naranja Academy was supposed to be for Florian "Milo" Caballero. However, a second chance at making friends and a hopeful future has a terrible price. Can our new hero tackle Titans, conquer Pokémon Gyms and confront the mystery of a gang of delinquents…while being forced to win every battle, under penalty of death? Cue the Nuzlocke Challenge.

Please check it out if you're interested and support this latest adventure! Now, back to what you came here for.

Shoutout to those who reviewed since the last update, which includes Oragonking, SolanaLeonhart, a Guest reviewer, BraviaryScout, a Guest reviewer and two new reviewers that go by hearthyguy and . Thank you so much for the feedback and support!

Enjoy.


Chapter 161: A Hero Blooms


The Next Morning

Kanto Region: Indigo Plateau


"And that's about what I was able to determine from the reports. Comments, questions and concerns?" Blue asked the room full of horrified Champions and veteran Trainers who had heard information they hadn't been expecting that evening.

"Of course we do! How…what!? You're saying on top of all of the Cipher attacks in Alola, there was an alien invasion yesterday!?" Diantha demanded of Blue, who offered a bored shrug.

"Yeah, I know right? Poor place can't catch a break." Blue remarked, with Diantha taking a second to regain her composure. However, she was interrupted by another female voice.

"It's pretty crazy alright." Rika remarked, leaning back in her chair. The newly-minted Paldean Elite Four member tapped her chin thoughtfully for several seconds before shaking her head. "An alien attack. Genuine aliens from other worlds attacking Alola. It's nuts!"

"Does every region have some kind of crazy threat hidden away?" Leaf asked, leaning back in her chair with a worried frown. "Because this kind of thing happens way too often for it to be a coincidence."

"I can tell you for a fact that Kanto and Johto don't…And no, I don't count Mewtwo." Blue added after a moment, spotting Silver raising his hand with a knowing smirk on his face.

Cynthia sighed tiredly, rubbing her face. "It's profoundly troubling because, once again, Alola has been the target of what seems to be a coordinated attack. Professor Kukui is currently helping run damage control, but we've been in contact with Kahuna Hala and Councilman Palena and its absolute pandemonium for the past 24 hours. They'll be sending someone to our meeting at the end of the week to give an assessment on what's going on across the board and whether or not humanitarian aid is needed."

"Please keep us in the loop. There's a very good chance this may bleed over into other regions, and that's something I imagine we'd all like to avoid." Chairman Rose remarked, with some of the others nodding in agreement.

"More pressing than that is this sudden surge in Cipher activity. I was under the impression that they were scattered to the winds." Drake rumbled, with there being several nods at the words of the Hoenn Elite Four member.

His fellow counterpart, Glacia, hummed in agreement and asked, "Bouncing off of what Drake said, we should also ask if Cipher was responsible for this alien attack? And if so, what are we going to do about it?"

"We suspect it was a group of renegade Cipher members who didn't get the memo that the group was disbanded upon Borlath's arrest and were making a final break to reclaim power." Blue responded as he crossed his arms. "We have had some strange rumblings coming from the Aether Paradise as well. Which is especially concerning since that's where the Absolution, the warship that Borlath operated from, is currently docked. I've attempted to reach out to President Lusamine, but received no response from the Paradise."

"Hmm. Rather odd, that." Chairman Rose commented, with several others humming thoughtfully.

"We'll look into it. Councilman Palena is supposed to give us an update in a few hours once he's had a chance to figure out the situation himself." Leaf said to the others, kicking her feet a few times as Red nodded beside her. "I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to ask if everything's okay at the Paradise."

"Please keep us updated." Oleana asked Leaf, who looked at the woman in surprise. "It's vexing to not receive important updates during a crisis like this."

"What's more vexing is the number of absences today. We're missing Lance, Geeta, Iris and Alder." Steven murmured, tapping his chin. "It's rather frustrating to have this gap in representation during such an important meeting."

The Hoenn Champion glanced at the two Elite Four members who were representing Paldea at this meeting. Risk had already spoken up a few times. She was a slender woman with dark green hair and wore a tasteful gray suit. Then there was a rather unassuming businessman in a more standard suit that was silently observing proceedings with a tired expression simply known as Larry. Rita glanced at Larry, hoping her superior would respond to the comment, but upon seeing that he wasn't going to Rika took the lead.

"Yeah, La Primera is skipping this one. She's been really sick this past week, and then apparently someone decided to take her to pound town…So now me and Larry are stuck writing the minutes for this thing." Rika bluntly responded, causing just about everyone to stare at her in stunned surprise at the extremely vulgar thing Rika just implied about the Paldean Champion.

"It's about damn time. That woman needed to get laid more than Wallace does." Blue remarked with a smirk, earning an annoyed look from the man in question. Raihan and Leon both started choking on their coffees while Oleana glared daggers at everyone who dared to show amusement.

"I politely demand you go to hell, Blue." Wallace responded cordially, flipping him off with a dainty hand.

Blue snorted with amusement at Wallace's polite demand and retorted, "I would, but a flight to Pacifidlog Town costs more than I'm willing to spend. Does that place even have an airport?

"Getting back on track!" Steven said loudly before looking to Larry and Rika. "So, when do we expect Geeta to be back in the official meetings?"

"That depends on whether or not Larry here doesn't-" Rika began to say, only to stop mid-sentence as she realized she was telling a room full of people things that weren't their business. "You know what, I'll shut up now."

"Wait…Larry!? You were the one who…" Cynthia began to say, standing up, only to realize the time and place before sitting down. "Alright, well I'm gonna need some mind-soap for that one."

"So our Larry is secretly a ladies man?" Raihan asked, leaning forward with a smirk. "Guess you can't judge a book by its cover."

"What I do off the clock is of no one's concern. I'm just Larry." The Elite Four member responded flatly, giving no indication as to what he thought of proceedings. "I also believe we're getting off-track here. La Primera will be back in time for the next meeting we'll be having."

"So, you know how you're known as the Exceptional Everyman? Can we just nickname you something like Long Schlong Larry instead?" Raihan asked, causing half the room to erupt into laughter while everyone else glared at those who were amused. Larry shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"Don't call me that. And I'm not apologizing." Larry said quietly as he sipped his coffee. "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell. Besides, you don't need to hear anything about it from me…There's plenty of people in this room who can give you a first-hand account of things."

The room went dead silent at that revelation. Rika was currently smirking, amused at how things have devolved during this very serious meeting with very serious people. Even better were the blushing faces of several women in the room that made it clear that they had shared a bed with the Exceptional Everyman. Even Oleana was refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

"Holy shit, Larry. Is there anyone in this room you haven't slept with?" Steven demanded incredulously, standing up from his chair in surprise. Larry didn't immediately respond, his eyes slowly panning over the room of surprised faces.

"I didn't choose the thug life, Steven. The thug life chose me." Larry remarked placidly, offering the Hoenn Champion a half-hearted shrug in response. Rika openly cackled with delight as the room exploded into an uproar.

All the while Larry continued to sip his coffee with a bland expression that perfectly concealed his own amusement at the proceedings.


Alola Region

Aether Paradise: President's Mansion


Sun awoke with a groan, taking several long minutes to wake himself up properly and get ready to face the day. His body was feeling rather rough after the damage it took yesterday, and while a full night's rest did make him feel better, the boy knew he was nowhere near fighting fit at the moment.

Regardless, Sun got dressed and left his room, closing the door behind him before making his way down the eerily white halls of the mansion. It was such a cold and strange place, Sun realized. The boy wondered what it would have been like to be raised here. He'd have to ask Gladion and Lillie more, but from what he knew Lusamine had been a terrible mother to the two Jardin children after she was exposed to the venom of the Nihilego.

Eventually Sun arrived at the room where Lillie had been staying inside of and found the door to the room slightly ajar. Inside Brago was napping on the floor, and curiously no Lillie was within. Brago's eyes snapped open and he smiled at his Alpha as he walked into the room.

"Brago? Where's Lillie?" Sun asked the yawning Arcanine as he hopped to his feet. Sun ruffled the fur of the massive hound and pet him as the Arcanine looked at the bed Lillie had been in during the night. Sun noticed the dress that Lillie had been wearing last night was lying crumpled on the floor, feeling a pang of worry.

"She was having trouble sleeping. However, I feel that she's doing much better now. She's still out and about. I can assist in helping track her down." Brago offered, but that was when the door creaked open behind them and the duo looked to see Wicke peering into the room.

"Sun? Miss Lillie is waiting outside…if you're ready to meet her." Wicke said with a pleasant smile, much to Sun's confusion.

"Um…okay." Sun replied as Wicke nodded and departed from the room, leaving a perplexed Sun behind. Rotom Dex chirped from Sun's shoulder, catching his attention.

"Zzzzrt! Feeling refreshed and ready for more, pal? Let's head outside and see what awaitzzz uzzz!" Rotom Dex said cheerfully as Sun made his way outside, returning Brago as he did so.

The boy opened the front door of the President's Mansion and winced at the bright sunlight streaming into his eyes, and took a moment to adjust before walking outside. It was another sunny day in Alola, without a cloud in the sky.

Sun spotted someone in white clothes standing a few feet away, but didn't recognize them so he ignored them for a moment and simply admired the morning sun rising over the ocean. However several moments later, he glanced to his right and saw that the other person was a girl about his age wearing a white dress and also watching the sea. She was shielding her eyes from the bright sunshine…and then Sun's breath caught as he realized who he was looking at.

The boy hadn't recognized her at first, but after a few moments Sun's brain registered that it was Lillie who was standing there. However, his best friend was wearing a completely new outfit, rather than the elegant dress he had become accustomed to seeing her wear.

The young Jardin girl was now wearing a short white skirt and a comfortable-looking white shirt with two bright blue ribbons on it, complete with a pink Pokémon Trainer backpack. Her hair was styled into a simple braided ponytail as well.

But the most important change was in how the girl carried herself. For as long as Sun knew Lillie, she had always had a hesitant and restrained demeanor about her and was fairly timid overall. Now that Sun knew about the girl's past, he realized it had always been the shadow of Lusamine's insanity looming over her and holding her back.

The girl standing before him seemed to be almost a completely different person. She seemed relaxed and there was a sparkle to her eyes that wasn't there before. She seemed…happier. It was a hard feeling for Sun to place. But despite the haze of shock that had struck Sun, he found himself smiling back at her.

"You…Lillie?" Sun whispered in surprise as the girl closed her eyes, offering a coy smile to her friend.

"I picked these clothes up in Malie…Do you think they suit me?" Lillie asked Sun, looking at him with a hopeful expression. Sun looked the girl up and down, amazed at the transformation the girl had undergone overnight. The outfit she was wearing showed more skin than he was used to normally seeing from the girl, she seemed comfortable in it.

Sun grinned at her and nodded. "Sure do. It's practical, but also something totally different. You look wonderful."

"Oh, Sun…Thank you!" Lillie said happily as she walked over to Sun, hugging him tightly. Sun happily returned the hug, and for a moment the two children held one another. Lillie separated from Sun, still smiling with joy.

"I feel like there's so much I have to do now…to save Nebby…to save my mother…" Lillie looked Sun in the eyes, a gentle but determined expression on her face. "I…I want to be like you, Sun. I want to be strong enough to face any trial. But I also want to discover who I really am."

"Lillie…" Sun whispered as the girl nodded, looking away from her friend and crush for a brief moment.

"That's why I'm going to try my hardest!" Lillie promised, looking at the boy who had been her hero ever since she had met him. "This is my Z-Powered form!"

Lillie then began to strike a series of poses, much like a Pokémon Trainer preparing to use a Z-Move would. Lillie's movements were a little clumsy and not the sharp movements Sun was used to seeing, but he watched as Lillie finished her posing with a completely straight face…before bursting into giggles along with Sun.

"Well, this is a surprise, but I'm happy to see you're doing well. After how rough yesterday was, I was worried about you this morning." Sun said to the girl, who nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Sun. But I'm feeling great, thanks to the Tapu and a few pep talks I got from them, your father and Brago." Lillie said to the surprised boy before explaining some of what went down the previous night. She left out her conversation regarding her feelings for Sun, as that was something she didn't want to talk about directly to the boy she was smitten with, but nevertheless Sun was smiling at the end of it.

"So, you finally understand that you're an amazing person and totally deserving of the love your friends give you?" Sun asked Lillie, who stuck her tongue out at Sun before chuckling.

"Yes, I had a breakthrough of sorts last night. I feel…free. It's going to take some time to rediscover who I truly am, but I know the kind of person I want to be. Are you okay with that, Sun?" Lillie asked, her expression uncertain.

Sun gave her a look of confusion. "Okay with what?"

"The person I am now and where I go from here…may not be the same girl you've been friends with all this time. Does that change anything between us?" Lillie asked, looking into Sun's eyes. Before she would have been unable to meet them, but now she had the strength to confront her fears head on.

Sun responded by leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. Lillie blushed furiously, as did Sun, but she responded by hugging her friend tightly. Sun patted her back several times, laughing softly.

"You're still the amazing person I've known all these months. If you're wanting to grow and figure out some stuff, then I'll be right beside you the whole way." Sun said warmly to the girl as she looked at him, her eyes watering. "You're still Lillie…but you're also blossoming into your true self now. And I can't wait to learn more about that side of you."

Lillie burst into giggles, separating from Sun as the boy grinned at her. "You just had to make a flower pun on my name, huh?"

Sun responded with a smug grin. "I don't just enjoy puns, you know. Seriously though, just let me know if you need anything from me. Keep figuring things out, and I'll support you no matter what. Okay?"

"Sun…" Lillie's eyes watered a bit at the unwavering support Sun had just offered her, and for a moment she considered it. Considering telling him the conclusions she had reached over the course of the night regarding how she truly felt about the boy who meant so much to her.

But as the girl opened her mouth, a familiar voice cut her off. "So this is where you were."

Sun and Lillie whirled around to see Gladion walking towards them, a surly expression on his face. Sun flushed at being caught red-handed with the boy's sister, but Lillie took that moment to grab Sun's hand and move closer to him with a daring smile on her face. Gladion's face soured at that, but he shook his head and reached into his hoodie pocket and handed something to Lillie.

"I found this downstairs." Gladion remarked, going into his signature pose as Lillie and Sun examined object that they had been given. It was a bluish-white colored flute with a moon-like symbol on the side of it. The flute also appeared to be made of some strange material that the two children couldn't identify right then. Glass of some kind? "It's the Moon Flute. It's apparently an artifact from Alola's past."

"They say it's to be played under the moon's light." Gladion explained as Lillie traced a hand across the mystical relic. "The Sun Flute and the Moon Flute. When sounded together, it's said that they can call the Legendary Pokémon…That is, if you believe in old myths, anyway."

"Which we do, so this is fantastic news. Good find, Gladion." Sun said to the teen, who shrugged his shoulders.

"Faba, Wicke and Ashton were up for most of the night going through mother's things. After consulting with the Tapu, Ashton explained the significance of the flutes to me and how they can be used to help us." Gladion responded, lowering his hands and scowling in irritation. "Looks to me like that woman was even planning to add the Legendary Pokémon to her little collection here."

"Sounds about right." Lillie muttered under her breath. "She always did like things that were unique."

"That she does." Gladion responded, but his attention was focused on Sun instead of his sister. Gladion stared at Sun for several long seconds before walking right up to Sun. Sun stared up at him fearlessly, and after a moment Gladion scoffed.

"If it wasn't for the fact that you've protected Lillie all this time and been such a good friend to her…I'd kick your ass." Gladion muttered to Sun before he sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. "But you're a good guy. And I actually respect you a lot, Sun. It's clear that you two have a thing for one another, so who am I to stand in the way? Keep her safe, you got it?"

Before Sun could even reply, Gladion reached into another pocket and handed Sun a purple Poké Ball with an M emblazoned on the front of it. The boy's eyes widened in shock at what he was being offered. "Here. Take this with you."

"Is that what I think it is?" Lillie chimed in, likewise surprised at the sudden gift Gladion was giving Sun. Her older brother nodded and explained after a moment's thought.

"It's a Master Ball. It can catch any Pokémon without fail." Gladion said to Sun accepted the ultimate Poké Ball, smiling faintly at the priceless capsule in his hand. While more and more of this costly device were being manufactured in this day and age, they were still exceedingly rare. You had to have connections or be extremely lucky to get your hands on something so valuable.

"Thank you, Gladion. I'll make good use of this." Sun promised the teen, putting it into his backpack.

Gladion nodded and remained silent for a moment before glancing at his sister. "I'm counting on you to help Lillie. It's the least I can do."

Lillie's expression became one of confusion. "But…what are you going to do, Gladion?"

"Deal with this mess. I've got to clean up Aether Paradise." Gladion turned around, sighing with annoyance as he walked several steps away. "I'd wanted to get as far away from this place as I could, together with Null…but in the end it looks like I ended up right back here again…"

Sun and Lillie didn't have anything to say about that, but they did see the irony in the situation. Thankfully a distraction came in the form of someone shouting Sun's name, and the trio looked towards the direction of the voice and saw it was Hau waving at them all. Hau jogged over to them with an excited grin on his face before suddenly stopping in his tracks, staring at Lillie with an amazed expression on her face.

"Hey, and it's Lillie…isn't it?" Hau asked, looking the girl up and down. "What happened to you?!"

Lillie nodded happily, seemingly pleased at Hau's reaction to her overnight transformation. "Yes, it's me! Now I'm ready to use my full force, too!"

"You look…fantastic!" Hau whooped, bouncing up and down on his feet before he felt a wave of cold fury radiating from where Gladion was standing.

"What was that?" Gladion growled with irritation, with Hau shrugging his shoulders.

"I call it like I see it. She looks great and I think that outfit does a lot for her." Hau responded, causing Gladion to scowl harder and Lillie to beam at her friend.

"I'm surprised you're not annoyed with him, Sun? Zzzzzrt!" Rotom Dex chimed in unhelpfully from Sun's shoulder, drawing everyone's attention to the boy.

"What? He's right. Lillie looks fantastic. If anything, we should be complimenting her more." Sun responded calmly, causing the girl in question to flush at the support her friends were giving her new look. Gladion sighed with annoyance, but thankfully Hau managed to pull the conversation in a different direction.

"Anyways, I'm going to train even harder! I've gotta do more!" Hau said to them all, his expression determined. "I keep getting saved by Sun and his Pokémon, don't I?"

"Hau, you beat Guzma in a fair battle during that mess. I think you redeemed yourself in everyone's eyes." Sun pointed out to his friend, but Hau shook his head.

"That's not enough." Hau said, shutting his eyes and offering them all an easy smile as he put his hands behind his head. "I've gotta be able to save Pokémon on my own! If I can't do that, I'll never be an Island Kahuna. I'll never be able to make people really smile!"

"I can respect that." Sun said to his friend. "You do what you have to, Hau. But what's next for you?"

"Check in with some of the Captains and make sure our friends are good. And I still haven't even done Acerola's Trial or anything. I've got a lot of catching up to do, so I'll be busy for a while!" Hau added, with the others nodding in understanding. Gladion in particular seemed to be looking at Hau with what almost seemed like respect.

"Sorry for dragging you into our family mess." Gladion apologized, with Hau looking at him with a relaxed smile in response.

"Yeah…But we got to see things that almost no one would ever get the chance to see! Maybe if I set out to train harder, I'll get to see more amazing things like that again!" Hau said excitedly, causing Lillie to giggle and Sun to smile at the other boy's positive attitude despite the horrors that they had all witnessed yesterday.

Gladion scowled, but not at Hau's words. "Yeah, Our mother does like to do things on an…extravagant scale."

Lillie nodded in agreement at that, but her expression was still cheery. "I was really glad you came, too, Hau."

Hau responded with a wide smile. "Happy to help, Princess. I'm glad you're doing better."

"I can get you to the next Island at least. Poni Island. I'll wait for you at the docks." Gladion spoke up, looking at Sun and Lillie. Gladion walked off down the Mansion Path without another word.

Lillie beamed, doing a rather adorable fist pump with both arms. "Come on, Sun! Let's show the world what we can really do!"

The girl hurried after her older brother, leaving Hau and Sun alone, smiling after their friend. "She's incredible, isn't she?" Sun said fondly to Hau, who nodded in agreement.

"Even after everything that's happened to her, she tries so hard to do better. She was holding onto all that pain for so long and was still such a good friend to us. We're pretty blessed, I think." Hau remarked lightly, laughing softly to him before turning towards Sun.

"Guess I should wish you guys a good trip, huh?" Hau said with a smirk, pulling Sun into a bear hug that the boy reciprocated. "I'm gonna train myself and my team real good before I see you again, Sun. Be ready for the shock of a lifetime!"

Sun separated from his other best friend and extended a hand out to Hau, who took it and shook it. The Kanto-native grinned at Hau and said, "I'm looking forward to it, buddy. Bring your A-game, alright?"

With that, Sun hurried after Lillie as Hau watched the other boy depart before heading back into the President's Mansion. Several minutes later, Sun found himself at the docks and walking over to where Gladion and Lillie were talking to Miss Wicke, who was standing beside Colress and Jackal.

Sun wondered what was going on, and walked forward just in time to hear Gladion say, "Why can't they mind their own business!?"

"It's the reality of the situation, Master Gladion. I'm afraid this may delay our efforts, at least for a little while." Wicke responded ruefully to the annoyed boy.

"What's going on?" Gladion asked as Jackal and Colress glanced at one another.

"What's happening is that we're being actively hounded by the Pokémon League and they're sending someone out here to investigate what's going on in a few hours. We need you here to assist in damage control." Colress said apologetically, causing Gladion to scowl with annoyance.

"Isn't that what Professor Kukui is for?" Gladion asked hotly, crossing his arms.

"Yes, but he can't provide all of the answers because there's things we are not telling him. We need to keep control of the narrative. That is, unless we want to lose control of the Aether Paradise and have it be shut down." Wicke pointed out to the boy, who growled for a moment before sighing as he struck his signature pose.

"Fine. I'll deal with these idiots." Gladion relented before gesturing to his sister and Sun. "How are we going to get Sun and Lillie to Poni Island? The Poké Ride system is practically shot right now. I wanted to see them off personally."

"We can always take a few days to get a handle on things here before sending Lillie and Sun out to Poni Island." Colress said to the teen, looking at Sun. "Besides, your team is still recovering here, Sun. Poni Island is home to some of the strongest Pokémon in the entire region. Using only Brago, Finn and Penny for this stretch of your journey is rather risky don't you think?"

Sun sighed, but recognized that point as well. "If we're waiting for things to calm down here, as well as wait for Tetra and Oliver to recover, it sounds like we've got a few free days before we set out on our next journey."

Lillie put a hand to her chin, considering that fact now. Sun turned to his friend and asked "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Go on a date with you." Lillie said brightly with a wide grin, causing Sun to grin back even as he flushed pink. Lillie was blushing as well, but her smile never wavered. Colress and Wicke smiled at the exchange while Gladion grimaced.

"Sounds like a plan. If we're waiting on my team to get the all-clear anyway, we can head to Malie City and spend the day there." Sun said to the girl, who nodded excitedly.

"We can check in on Acerola, too!" Lillie reminded Sun, causing the boy to pause for a few moments as he realized something before looking at Wicke.

"Is there any way I can get Alastor transferred from the hospital to here at the Aether Paradise? I don't doubt that the doctors were able to help him, but he was in really bad shape when I saw him last." Sun asked Wicke, earning a nod in response.

"Of course. Just contact me when you're ready to send him over to us from the hospital, or just bring him with you when you two return." Wicke said to Sun, smiling at the two children. "The ferry should be able to take you to Ula'ula Island with ease, so feel free to hop on whenever you're ready."

"You two be safe. Alright?" Gladion said to the two children, giving Sun a glare that promised retribution if Lillie was harmed under his watch. Sun rolled his eyes as Lillie sighed, stepping forward and hugging her brother and Wicke before stepping onto the boat with Sun and heading towards Ula'ula Island.

"It bothers you that-" Colress began to say, only for Gladion to turn around said, "Yes, it bothers me, dammit! That's my little sister and if it wasn't for the fact that it's Sun, I'd be staunchly opposed to this crap. Now let's get on with this shit."

Gladion stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed Colress as he led them into the backrooms of the Paradise, through hallway after hallway where more of the administration went on behind the scenes. Eventually they reached a room that Wicke opened with a swipe of her keycard, and the trio entered the room and met the eyes of those already assembled within.

"Looks like we have the whole gang here. This is gonna be a pain in the ass." Gladion muttered darkly as he took a seat.

"Now that everyone's here…What's our story?" Ashton asked with a resigned sigh as Ollie, Jackal, Nanu, Anabel and Looker exchanged glances with one another. Faba cringed inwardly in the corner of the room, knowing that this was going to be a very long conversation.


Ula'ula Island

Malie City Hospital


Sun looked down at Alastor's Ultra Ball with a pang, frustrated with himself as Lillie chatted happily with Acerola on the other side of the room.

Most of their day in Malie City had been delightful. The children had enjoyed a delicious curry lunch at a restaurant in Malie that Lillie had enjoyed in the past with Hapu and Acerola, with Sun especially enjoying their garlic and cheese naan bread. After that they had the chance to walk around the city and explore the sections that weren't currently being rebuilt. Malie Garden was sadly out of the question for a daytime walk, so the two of them simply enjoyed the scenery of the many other scenic spots in Malie City.

It was during this time that Sun realized just how different this version of Lillie was to the one that he had known for so long. She was more open to smiling and laughing, and expressed herself much more often than she did before. She was also far more affectionate, unafraid to hug Sun or grab his hand whenever she felt like doing so. She may have been embarrassed when doing so in public but she was no longer holding herself back. She was being true to herself, now that she was no longer scared of her mother's terrible wrath.

And Sun loved seeing this side of her. Unrestrained and able to be the person she wanted to be all these years. Discovering who she really was and able to simply be free. Sun was grateful that he was able to be here to watch his closest friend grow into her true self.

The day did take a bit of a dip when the two of them visited Malie Hospital to visit Acerola and retrieve Alastor. According to the doctors, while the Alolan Golem was recovering physically well enough, his mental state was another story.

Alastor was still in the grips of a severe depression as a result of what his clan, in particular his own father, had done to him. Indeed, the doctors were unsure if Alastor would ever emotionally recover from the mental scars such an encounter left on him.

Sun was advised to continue offering the Golem moral support and patience during this difficult period of his life. The doctors assured the boy that Alastor couldn't be rushed during the healing process, and urged the boy to make sure that the Golem knew he was cared for during this time.

Sun was silent the entire time he and Lillie had walked to Acerola's hospital room. Lillie had said nothing, but held Sun's hand to offer her own support. The girl had known how dearly Sun cared for all of his Pokémon, even one as prickly as Alastor, who recently made efforts to truly become a part of the team.

And in the end, Alastor had chosen his team over his former family. He had shown that, despite his cold nature, Alastor did actually care for the comrades he had begun to bond with. And Lillie understood how badly it hurt Sun to have any of his Pokémon suffer so much.

"Hey Sun! Stop lurking in the corner ya big dork!" Acerola said to the boy, grinning up at him. Sun was stunned that the girl had so much energy, as she was briefly comatose as a result of the damage the Ultra Beast had inflicted upon her.

Acerola was being hailed as a hero for sacrificing her own safety to save Hunter and Kylee within Malie Garden, and had a number of gifts and flowers on her bedside from well-wishers and supporters. The Captain confided to her friends that she didn't feel like a hero, and was just glad the children were safe. With any luck, the Ghost Captain would be released within a few days and be able to resume her duties, but she would have to take it slow for a little while.

Sun and Lillie departed the hospital in the late afternoon, with the Alolan sun dipping lower over the horizon. Lillie was smiling softly, relieved that her friend was okay and happy about how the day had gone while being able to enjoy this time with Sun. However, upon glancing at her crush, Lillie could see he had a troubled frown on his face as if he was deep in thought.

"Sun? Are you okay?" Lillie asked quietly, snapping the boy out of his thoughts and causing him to give the girl a guilty look.

"I'm sorry Lillie. I'm distracted…and that's ruining today for us." Sun sighed with annoyance at his own selfishness, but was surprised when Lillie pulled him into a tight hug.

"You're fine. You've been worrying about me, your friends and your Pokémon. You're a little distracted because you care so much about others. It's why you're so dependable." Lillie said quietly, pulling away from Sun with a kind smile that bespoke nothing but understanding. "How about we get a snack to go and head back to the Paradise? I feel kind of bad that I made you walk so much, as roughed up as you are from yesterday."

Sun smiled wanly at that and said, "Thanks, Lillie. I'm just hoping that things can calm down and we can focus on getting everything on track again with my team…Anyways, what snacks were you thinking of us picking up?"

"How about malasadas? We can enjoy some now and take some to go. If Hau's still at the Paradise, he'll be pretty happy about getting his favorite food." Lillie suggested, grinning at Sun. The boy simply looked at the girl's smiling face, stunned for a moment before nodding.

Several minutes later, the duo were standing outside a familiar store with a Slurpuff mascot on the front of the shop. As they walked in, a cheery voice spoke up to greet them.

"It's the miraculous munchie born in Alola! Welcome to your neighborhood Malasada Shop!" the cashier said brightly to the two of them. "Which kind of Malasada would you like today?

Sun ended up buying a round of Spicy and Sour Malasadas for his team, with humorous results. Tetra ended up loving the Spicy Malasada, happily chowing down on the dessert with an adorable grin of sheer joy on her face. Meanwhile, Penny and Finn both enjoyed the Sour Malasadas quite a bit, with Finn excitedly proclaiming it to be delicious to the entire store. Oliver and Brago didn't have any strong feelings for either kind, so they ended up eating some of the Malasadas that Sun and Lillie were eating. This included banana and guava-flavored malasadas, with an extra bag of mixed flavors of malasadas that Lillie bought for those back at the Aether Paradise to enjoy.

"I know that we have our own little bakery that makes them at Aether Paradise, but I always found this store makes better malasadas." Lillie admitted with a sheepish grin. "Hau used to bring me to the one in Hau'oli City quite often."

"He's a malasada fiend, that guy." Sun said fondly, reaching for another treat and chowing down on another treat. All in all, the two children had enjoyed a pretty fun day. It was a much-needed reprieve after the horrors that yesterday had unleashed.

However, as Sun and Lillie hopped up from their seats they noticed an Oranguru standing in the corner, looking at them intensely. Sun met the Pokémon eyes and it hummed something before stepping up to Sun.

…Ora?" the Oranguru grunted, tilting its head at Sun and Lillie before extending a hand out to Sun, who considered whether or not to accept the item being offered. Sun decided to take the item and realized it was a familiar-looking disc. Specifically, it was TM21 Frustration, which struck Sun as an odd thing to be given.

"Oh. Um, thank you." Sun said to the Pokémon, who nodded stoically at him. Sun's team exchanged a series of confused glances with one another, completely unsure as to why the Oranguru had given Sun a valuable TM out of the blue. The two humans were likewise lost, at least until a police officer burst into the Malasada Shop with a panicked expression, completely out of breath.

The officer spotted the two children and the Oranguru and sighed with relief, dashing over to where they were at. "There you are!"

"...Mmm." The Oranguru grunted as he turned towards the officer. The man wiped his brow for a moment with his cap before turning to face Sun and Lillie with a friendly smile.

"I'm Officer Daniels. This fellow here's my Partner, Gru the Oranguru. But he just hasn't really taken a liking to me. Maybe he hasn't known me for long enough yet." The officer sighed ruefully, with Sun nodding in understanding.

"I didn't get off on the best foot with my Decidueye or my Golem, but we ended up making things work. Give it some time." Sun advised the officer, who surprisingly enough nodded in agreement with the boy.

"I'll keep at it. I want Gru to feel comfortable with me, but he can also be a bit of a hassle. He often gets out on his own like this. I don't know, maybe he feels stressed?" Gru the Oranguru took that moment to turn away from Officer Daniels, grunting sullenly. The policeman then noticed the TM in Sun's hand and asked, "Did he maybe give you something?"

"Yes, this TM here." Sun said as he showed the officer the disc in his hand. Officer Daniels grimaced in annoyance, apparently recognizing the TM, before turning to his Partner.

"Ohhh, Gru…! That was locked up in our safe!" Officer Daniels grumbled before turning to Sun and Lillie with a rueful smile. "Oranguru are clever Pokémon, so I'm sure Gru here had no problem getting the safe open."

Gru grunted in apparent agreement, causing the cop to sigh before muttering. "...Fine. You take it then, kid. Use it however you'd like."

"Are you sure, sir?" Lillie asked the cop, who nodded.

"May as well. Gru here obviously felt compelled to give it away for some reason." Officer Daniels shrugged, putting a hand on his hip. "I guess Gru must've gotten this nasty habit of lifting things from his old Trainer. Smart as a whip, but real sticky fingers. It makes him a handful to control, but it's not like I can just ignore him till his old Trainer gets out of jail and comes back for him, right?"

"No, that makes sense. It'd be kinda messed up to leave him in PC Storage or something. Besides, Pokémon learn and pick up a lot of things from their Trainer. It isn't really his fault." Sun responded, noticing that Gru was looking away from them all. The boy did notice the small smile on the Oranguru's face.

"You're right. That's why I'm staying patient with Gru. While it may be hard at times, I don't want to give up on him." Officer Daniels agreed with a nod before chuckling to himself. "Sorry for complaining to you kids about my problems. Here, take this and be on your way."

Officer Daniels reached into his pack and pulled out a TM that resembled the one that Sun had received from Gru before handing it to Sun. The boy realized it was TM27 Return, and the sister TM for Frustration.

"And don't feel like you've got to pay me back in kind for that Return. Favors don't always need returning. That's not why I'm doing any of this." Officer Daniels responded to Sun and Lillie, smiling back at them before glancing at Gru affectionately. "I just hope this fellow here can straighten out before his old Trainer gets back. He's got so much potential."

Lillie smiled at that. "It sounds like you're in good hands, Gru. Thank you for everything!"

"Yeah, no kidding." Sun remarked with a small laugh as he pocketed the TM. "You both have a good night! Stay out of trouble, Gru!"

The Oranguru actually did smile at them now, nodding at the children before looking away. Sun and Lillie departed from the store as Officer Daniels waved at them, and as Sun left his thoughts turned back to his own Pokémon. Specifically, the state that Alastor was in.

Not only had he been cast out by his own family, but the terrible things his father had said to him had left him devastated. Sun realized now the impact of being raised in such a hateful and negative environment had on Alastor if his clan was like that towards humans. It was up to him and the other Pokémon on his team to help support the Golem. Just like how Officer Daniels was supporting Gru during his own rough patch.

"No matter what…None of my Pokémon are ever going to feel alone." Sun muttered to himself, as Rotom Dex beeped and hopped onto Sun's shoulder.

"And he's not gonna be alone! Remember how you supported Oliver? Brago? They went through their own funks and are stronger now because you helped them! Don't worry too much about Alastor. Give him time to figure stuff out. Zzz-zzrt!" Rotom Dex advised Sun, who considered that for several long moments.

"I hate the idea of any Pokémon suffering like that…Especially one of my own." Sun responded quietly, shutting his eyes. "He was abandoned and hurt so badly by his own Dad. I know what that's like…but his Dad never saw how wrong he was. And made Alastor choose between his family and us. It's so terrible, Rotom…No wonder he's traumatized."

Much like Officer Daniels and Gru, himself and Alastor had started off on a poor note. But things had gotten better in time as Alastor realized that not all humans were evil and that he was with a group that cared for him despite his surly disposition. Alastor returned the effort he had given them, and had become an integral part of the team. He had been the one to ultimately defeat Roran Rubinara and had battled Borlath alongside them onboard the Absolution to save the world.

It was hard to accept that Alastor, someone who was so proud and confident, had simply given up on life as a result of what had happened the other day.

"Sun! Come on, we're burning daylight!" Lillie called to the boy from a short ways down the main road. Sun jogged after Lillie and then continued his way towards the docks. Sun noticed that the girl was looking at him with an expression of concern. Sun sighed and offered her a sad smile, but before he could say anything Lillie kissed Sun on the cheek, surprising him.

"You don't need to apologize." Lillie said knowingly, smiling at Sun's surprised expression. He was indeed about to apologize, and was stunned the girl had predicted that. "I had a wonderful time with you today, and we'll have more wonderful times ahead. If there's any way I can help your team, you just let me know. Okay?"

Sun stared at Lillie for several long moments before stepping forward and hugging her close. Lillie sighed, melting into the embrace as Sun held her.

"Thank you. It's…hard sometimes. But we'll get through this. We'll recover. We'll figure out how to reach Lusamine and help Nebby…I promise" Sun murmured as Lillie smiled at Sun's words. She was reminded of how selfless the boy was, constantly worrying about the welfare of others before his own.

However, Lillie also recognized that someone had to look out for him, and she was more than happy to take that role.

"Come on. We should get back before it gets too late." Lillie said with a soft smile as she grabbed his hand, squeezing it. Sun smiled back at her before squeezing her hand back, and with that the two of them walked towards the ferry that was already waiting for them as the sun began to set over the horizon.


NEXT TIME: A Pokémon reunion, health updates on more of the cast, and Sun and Lillie head to Poni Island!


First chapter of the final Act! Woo! I am so freaking pumped to finally be getting to this point in the story! Be ready for a bunch of fluff, character development and a freaky alien fight out of nowhere that represents Pokémon at its best.

Q & A

From: Oragonking

By the way, Sun forgave Borlath, but does he forgives Damien?

That's a good question. Sun understands that Damien was acting under Borlath's orders, but he had every chance to refuse those orders and he didn't. I may actually bring that up sometime to clarify things. But the short answer is yes. Sun doesn't want to hold onto grudges like that.

Also, in response to some of your other messages and reviews, I'd like to say this.

I have the liberty of not responding to questions and PM's that I either don't feel like responding to or genuinely make me feel uncomfortable. I am actually really busy these days, and don't have enough hours in the day to respond to every idea sent my way. This is partly why I did the Q & A thing in the first place.

And in response to some of your reviews, I genuinely considered removing the throwaway line about Lusamine using her Pokemon to enforce obedience because of how uncomfortable those reviews made me, but decided ultimately not to.

I don't ask much of my readers. But I will ask that if you're going to leave a review…Keep it chill.

So yeah, that's the first chapter of this final act in the books. Like I said before, these chapters are going to be much shorter in length due to the fact that the Cipher storyline is all wrapped up and the main storyline at this point is essentially a victory lap and doesn't have a whole lot happening. I'm hoping I can keep updates going pretty easily, shooting for a 10ish-day window in between posts, but as always we'll see what happens.

That's all for now. Please be sure to review in the section below to let me know what you thought, and to Favorite and/or Follow the story to stay updated. I also have a Discord you can access by reaching out to me via PM.

I'm also posting another story! Please check it out and support Pokemon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet!

Take care and stay awesome!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!