Pokémon Radiant Sun
So that was a thing! Apologies for the delays, folks.
October was a month of extreme writer's block and absolutely zero motivation, mostly because this site is half-operational right now and I doubt most of my readers will even see this update go up. But I've got a story to finish, so I'm gonna continue on despite that.
On a related note, updates on AO3 will likely continue to go up on a weekly basis, whether that be for RS re-uploads or for Ancient Scarlet.
Big shoutout to Oragonking, spoonyazul1, and BraviaryScout for reviewing since the last update. Considering how much this site is acting up, I appreciate you all still took the time to give your thoughts. So thank you!
Enjoy.
Chapter 165: Da Capo al Fine
Poni Breaker Coast
The sun was beginning to lower in the sky as Sun and Lillie arrived at the strange area known as the Poni Breaker Coast. As Grandma Kai had described, the rocky coast that surrounded the area was jet black, with white foam spraying into the air as rough waves crashed against the surface. Sun returned his team except for Finn and carefully made his way along the rocks with Lillie holding his hand firmly. Finn helped them safely get through the area, due to not being bothered by the conditions and being able to lift Sun and Lillie with Psychic when he needed to.
Sun had a surprise battle against a tourist that used all Kanto Pokémon that had Regional Variants in Alola. During the battle, Tetra took down most of the tourist's team and ended up learning Dig, which was a huge improvement over using Bulldoze, though after the battle Sun returned the exhausted dragon and gave her a long-deserved rest.
Eventually two small totems became visible, which gave the group a clear sign of where the ruins were. Sun and Lillie entered a small tucked away grotto and came to a stop, eyeing the surrounding area with interest. The temperature was several degrees cooler than the open coast, with small trickles of seawater seeping into the grotto from small cracks within the rocky walls that surrounded them. A large hole full of seawater was in the center of the grotto, surrounded by coral of different shapes and colors.
Lillie and Sun carefully made their way down the sloping path, with Finn helping keep the two of them steady as they descended down. Lillie spotted Rolf the Mudsdale outside of the entrance to the Ruins of Hope, which made Lillie's expression brighten for several moments before she shuddered.
"The Ruins of Hope…" Lillie muttered quietly, shaking her head as Sun looked at her with concern. "What is this place…? The air feels so oppressive…"
"It does feel weird…I know the Tapu here has a bunch of weird legends about it. We should've done more research on it. I only remember that it's tied strongly to the ocean and gains strength from the ocean currents, and has the power to generate fog and mist that can make you hallucinate." Sun remarked as he thought about it.
"What's the difference between fog and mist?" Finn asked, genuinely curious.
"Fog is thicker than mist, and you can see through it less." Sun responded, with Finn nodding after a moment.
"Tapu Fini is also said to have a connection to that which lies beyond, and can create a bridge between the world of the living and the dead using its fog powers." Lillie said in an almost whisper, closing her eyes. "But…but if we go inside there…maybe Nebby will return to normal."
Rolf neighed loudly, nuzzling Lillie's face reassuringly as the girl stroked his face with a faint smile. She then turned to Sun, her expression determined. "The people believe that the Guardian Deity of the Ruins, Tapu Fini, can wash away any impurities with its mystic water…"
"That sounds promising." Sun remarked, grinning at Lillie. The girl smiled brightly, grabbing her backpack straps tightly.
"That's right it does, Sun!" Lillie stepped next to Sun, her eyes twinkling brightly. "I'm going to give it my all so that we can return Nebby to normal!"
"I've got your back the entire way, Princess." Sun said as Lillie nodded, glancing towards her backpack where Nebby continued to slumber.
"So just you wait Nebby! This time I'm going to be the one who saves you!" Lillie called out, turning towards the ruins and clenching her fists, a determined gleam leaping into her eyes. Sun walked over to her, causing the girl to glance at him with a fierce smile. "Come on, Sun! Let's go!"
And with that the duo delved into the ruins, eager to see what lay within.
"Zzzzt. I'm kinda wondering something." Rotom Dex chimed in, hovering above the two children. "The Ruinzz of Hope. Are they hopeful ruinzz? Or are they where hope ends?"
"Considering what we know of the Tapu and based on what we've seen interacting with them directly? Both." Sun replied before wincing, seeing that the area in front of them was more brightly illuminated than it was outside. He noticed that several bioluminescent plants were growing on the ceiling, allowing them to see pretty well despite being inside the ruins. Sun returned Finn as Lillie walked over to a nearby stone cube that was twice as big as he was. Sun spotted several more blocks further down the path, as well as a door that seemed to lead deeper into the Ruins.
"If we're going to break a path, we'll need to move these huge rocks! That's what Hapu's grandmother said, isn't it?" Lillie said as she marched confidently over to the nearest block and began pushing on it.
"Lillie, I don't think that's going to work."
"Unnngghh!"
"Come on, Lillie, there's no way any human can push that thing."
"Unnnnggh!"
"Lillie used Strength! It wasn't very effective."
"Come on! Hrrrrrrgh!"
"Princess, that thing weighs like five tons. If you can move that, then I'm a Yungoos." Sun remarked as he crossed his arms, watching with a small smirk as Lillie continued to push the massive stone block with absolutely no results. After about another minute of shoving, Lillie staggered away from the blocks towards Sun, sweating and panting from the effort. The boy casually handed her a water bottle from his backpack, wearing a big smirk.
"I don't think I can do this…I-it's heavier than words can even express…" Lillie wheezed as Sun walked over, patting her on the back as she panted hard. "You want to try, Sun?"
"No way, I'm not about to throw my back out." Sun responded, causing Lillie to pout adorably before she realized something rather important.
"I totally forgot, there's a way better method. We'll need to borrow the Ride Machamp's formidable strength for this task." Lillie said to Sun, who was already pulling out the Ride Pager and had contacted the nearest Ride Machamp in the area.
"Look away, I need to change into the Ride Gear real quick." Sun said as he dropped his backpack on the ground and pulled out his Ride Gear. Lillie nodded and turned around, choosing to instead look at the strange room that they were in.
Sun quickly got changed, but soon had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. He hoped that it wasn't a certain Tapu that may or may not have been lurking around the ruins, and so he quickly got dressed in his Ride Gear and put the helmet on before turning towards Lillie. "Okay, I'm…Why are you blushing?"
"N-n-no reason!" Lillie squeaked, looking away from Sun in a way as to hide her bright red face. Sun stared at her for several moments before shrugging his shoulders. Rotom Dex took that moment to pop out from Sun's backpack.
"Bzzzt! Am I gonna need to get a water bottle to spritz Lillie to make her behave?" Rotom Dex asked, wearing a big smirk that informed everyone present how amused it was. "Our dear Mallow taught her well!"
"I-I resent that! I'm not nearly as bad as her…or Lana for that matter!" Lillie shot back, crossing her arms and huffing at the accusation.
"Let's just do this and move on." Sun said as he walked forward to properly look at the stone cubes in front of them with an appraising eye.
"Remember Sun. If we run into trouble and find ourselves getting frustrated, we should probably remember to step outside again for a bit of perspective." Lillie said as she regained a bit of her composure, watching as the Ride Machamp that Sun had called in jogged into the ruins. It stopped before them and saluted with its two right arms.
"Look at thozzze muscles! Push! Shove! Fight! Win! Machamp'zzz gonna get us through these ruinzz!" Rotom Dex cheered as Sun hopped into the arms of the Ride Machamp as Lillie watched on, smirking at the sight of her friend being carried bridal-style. "It's so macho!"
Fortunately, the block puzzle that they were confronted with was actually fairly simple, and with Machamp's help, a path was open to them within five minutes. Sun felt a little bad for Lillie, but comforted himself with the fact that she looked adorable when she was pouting.
Which she was doing the entire time Sun breezed through the puzzle.
"There we go!" Sun said as he hopped out of Machamp's arms, grinning at the clear path before him. Sun thanked Machamp and tossed it a Poké Bean, earning four thumbs up from the Ride Pokémon as it departed the ruins. Lillie rejoined Sun, drinking the last of the water he had given her before stashing the bottle in her backpack.
"Well, that's that. Come on, let's find…Hapu?" Sun trailed off as he noticed that the room was slowly filling up with a cool mist. Within seconds it had coalesced into a thick fog that no completely engulfed the room.
"Where did this fog come from?" Lillie asked quietly, her eyes darting around. She couldn't see anything more than a few inches in front of her.
"Just stay close Lillie." Sun instructed the girl as he glanced warily around, unable to see more than a few inches ahead of him. He felt a warm hand grasp his as Lillie exhaled softly, trying to keep her nerves steady. Sun could feel how nervous she was, and didn't want to admit that he was nervous too.
"You look unsettled, Champion of Conflict." spoke a familiar voice that made both of their eyes widen in shock. Sun and Lillie whirled around to see who had spoken to them, and both took a step back as they tried to process this sudden development.
A young woman now stood before them, cloaked in the mist. Her black hair hung down to her knees and her sapphire-colored eyes gleamed with mischievous delight. Grasped in her hands was a violin and a bow. Sun and Lillie realized after several long moments that they were staring at someone they knew full well died in the attack on Hau'oli City by Cipher two months prior.
"Vivian…?" Lillie whispered to the violinist, who beamed at the girl in response.
"So you do remember! Good, good! That speeds things up." Vivian responded with a catty grin, placing the bow to her violin and beginning to play a gentle song. "So, look at you both! You've been through some shit! Especially you, Princess! You went through a wardrobe change and everything!"
Lillie and Sun exchanged a brief look of confusion before looking at Vivian again. Lillie finally spoke up by asking, "Are you a ghost?"
"Not really?" Vivian said as she tilted her head, thinking about it.
"...Can I hug you?" Lillie whispered, her voice hitching slightly. Vivian gave the girl a gentle smile, wagging her finger.
"Sorry Princess, but I'm just a phantom dancing to Tapu Fini's tune. Once you both get to the Sanctum, I'm gone. But I am happy to see you both again." Vivian answered, winking at the two of them. "And it's more like my spirit was summoned by Tapu Fini, since I'm a familiar face and someone you both trusted a lot, despite all evidence that I showed that you shouldn't trust me."
"Why wouldn't I trust you?" Sun asked the violinist. "You saved all of us in Malie City with MissingNo's help, and undid the deaths of a lot of people. Including me! I'd still be dead if it wasn't for you turning back time! On top of just being our friend!"
"And then you sacrificed your own life to stall Amber Fontaine at the hospital so we could escape to safety during the big fight in Hau'oli City." Lillie said quietly, her eyes becoming watery. "Vivian, you're a hero. And I'm so sorry you had to die like that."
"I made a deal with MissingNo." Vivian explained quietly, a bitter laugh escaping her despite the smile. "It can't use its powers without some kind of terrible price. It offered me the chance to rewind time and undo the deaths of my friends and give them another shot at saving the world."
"The price was you dying. Right?" Sun asked the phantom, who shook her head.
"The price was being stuck in a timeline where I would end up dying at the hands of the person I feared more than anyone else in the world. Amber Fontaine." Vivian explained to the two of them, her voice holding a faint note of sorrow. "Even worse, a timeline where my Noah would be slain at her hands too…But I knew the choice I had to make. Doing nothing and letting MissingNo. take me and Noah to safety was the coward's way out. I couldn't just abandon my friends like that. MissingNo. pleaded with me to run and live, but I was stubborn."
"And MissingNo. faded away…it's gone now." Sun continued softly, with Vivian nodding in response.
"It knew that the price it had to pay was terrible as well. It wasn't stable enough to turn back time and continue living in that form. I can only hope someday it's able to reform or pull itself back together…But I'm not allowed to have nice things." Vivian said as she gestured to herself before cracking a smile at her two morose friends. "I wish I could hug you squirts right now. And don't cry for me. I was terrified at the time, but that's life. Not everyone gets their happy ending. And thanks to Tapu Fini, I can help you two little heroes one last time!"
"So, is there an afterlife? Or a heaven?" Sun asked his friend, who simply chuckled at him.
"You know I can't tell you about that, silly. Tapu Fini figured you'd want a familiar face to guide you through the mist. Unless of course you fail its test, in which case you lose your mind and wander the ruins until you starve to death. But I don't think that'll happen." Vivian thought about it for a few moments and shrugged. "It probably won't happen. You kids are too adorable to fail now."
"So what do we do?" Lillie asked. The phantom grinned as her violin and bow faded, and she snapped her fingers.
The mist shifted around them, and soon Sun and Lillie were standing beside a rickety bridge at Mahalo Trail. They could see the pale forms of Lillie standing at the ledge with a terrified look as Sun crouched over Nebby, shielding him from Spearow with a nervous smile on his face.
"Let's start at the beginning. Where your journeys truly began. Your meeting at Mahalo Trail." Vivian said as Sun and Lillie looked around in amazement.
Vivian allowed them both a few moments to marvel at the flashback now playing out before them before Vivian turned to Sun, gesturing towards the phantom of the same boy who wore a smile on his face that was somewhat forced.
"You started so small. So weak. So broken inside. Torn apart by the sins of your father and so very eager to prove yourself. To spread your wings and fly." Vivian remarked, as she sauntered forward, floating over the imaginary chasm. "You lived by a motto, Sun…Smile always. It makes others smile, so smile no matter what. How silly that must seem now."
"I did notice that in the beginning. I asked you about it. I didn't really notice how hard it was for you to smile. It's amazing that you were able to do in the first place, with Borlath's actions so fresh in your mind." Lillie said to Sun, who's eyes flickered blue as he considered it.
"I was coping with everything my Dad did…I remember telling Lillie how I tried to smile no matter what. I learned pretty quickly that just trying to be happy all of the time was unrealistic." Sun replied as Vivian nodded once before looking at Lillie. "It made sense at the time, but it's stupid now."
"And as for you, you were so timid back then, Princess. Of course, after what you've been through, I can't blame you. But this was a chance meeting of a lifetime, where your paths intertwined and connected to countless more paths." Vivian said as several images flickered in rapid succession. Sun being chosen by Tapu Koko, Oliver attacking Sun and the boy choosing the owl as his Starter, meeting Vivian herself by the oceanside cliff next to Sun's house, and catching Penny, and then an image of Sun, Lillie, and Hau walking down the road towards the Trainer School. "And so your journey began. Three friends following different paths in life, bound by tentative bonds of friendship."
The fog shifted around them and cut to a Pokémon Center. On the TV screen was a scene of fire and carnage, with Celadon City being out to the torch by Cipher. Shown on the screen was Amber Fontaine murdering Erika, and Sun's expression darkened.
"This was Cipher's worldwide debut. Nimbasa City was taken down as a show of power to the world. Celadon City was more…personal. It was what made that little smiling mask of yours break in two, didn't it Sun?" Vivian asked Sun with a knowing smile.
"I was devastated…I admired Erika a lot growing up. She was kind and gentle, but really strong. I always wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer." Sun admitted quietly, looking away from the grisly act of violence.
"And seeing that made you run off into the storm…and Lillie followed you." Vivian remarked, glancing at the girl.
Lillie nodded in response. "I was worried. Sun was someone who had already done several brave things by that point and I was growing a bit closer to him. I felt like…I had to be there for him."
"That was also the night you became my very first friend." Sun replied with a smile, grabbing Lillie's hand. She smiled back at him as Vivian clapped her hands together.
"The first of many examples of how your hardships have changed you. But also how you were able to weather the storm and endure thanks to the support of your friends and allies." Vivian said as the world shifted around, revealing the hospital where Sun had met Noah. Vivian glanced down at her own sleeping form on a nearby bench, her head in Noah's lap as he explained the Cipher situation to them.
"You were told about the true nature of Cipher, and even then you had an inkling that your father was more involved. But didn't want to say anything. Why, Sun?" Vivian asked.
Sun sighed and answered a few moments later after thinking about it. "Honestly, I didn't even know how deep into Cipher my Dad was. I thought he just financed them. And since I came to Alola to mostly run away from them, I didn't want to bring it up…me and Mom escaped from Kanto so we could live our lives away from Dad's evil."
"Still though…You didn't feel bad for holding back the truth?" Vivian asked.
Sun shrugged his shoulders. "Now? Not really, because it wouldn't have helped things at all. It's not like any of us could have done anything to my father back then. I had no idea Borlath was actually Ashton Aupuni and neither did you guys."
Vivian hummed as the scene whirled around her, showing Sun confronting Axen and Kevin from Team Skull in the cave. Then Sun defeating Totem Gumshoos with Oliver, culminating in the Rowlet evolving into a Dartrix. And then came the night that Sun met Brago, Amber Fontaine, and Colress.
"Despite the terror, despite the fear, you and your team held steady. You were practically a novice, even as much of a prodigy as you are, and yet you held the line against a monster like her. Cipher's infamous Angel of Death." Vivian said as she placed a hand on Sun's shoulder. "You even got Penny to evolve from a Pikipek to a Trumbeak."
"Sun's just brave like that." Lillie remarked fondly, causing the boy to cough with embarrassment.
"You say that Lillie, but things like that make people take notice. Even seasoned Trainers like us could see that our young new friend was someone who was going to make a splash as a Trainer. Even more so when you beat Kahuna Hala at your Grand Trial." Vivian explained, with the scene shifting again.
It showed Penny using Breakneck Blitz to defeat Hala's Crabrawler then flickered and showed Brago on the stage with Sun, Oliver and Penny. It was when the Growlithe had declared that it would follow Sun on his journey and join his pack, after seeing Sun's true colors in battle and in thanks for saving him from Amber Fontaine earlier.
"Your power and good nature Sun are very compelling reasons that make you a person people want to follow. You are a leader. Someone that people want to cheer for, because despite the terrors you've been through, you've remained good. And that's such a hard thing." Vivian explained as more images shifted by. Sun and his friends playing with Tapu Koko at Kukui's lab and later enjoying the beach. Meeting Olivia and Mallow on Akala Island and then encountering Shadow Celebi and Aria through a rift in time. Sun had been surprised when Aria and Hugh had joined them on their journey, even if it was to give the weakened time-traveler time to recover.
"And so once again, you hit the road. Growing your power and learning more about the world around you. But this was around the time you started to finally see the world for what it was, Lillie." Vivian said as the scene shifted to Lillie sitting beside Aria, who was comforting the anxious girl. "Aria was always good at helping other people through hard times."
"She taught me about small rebellions. I doubted everything I did back then, you know. It was people like Sun and Aria who showed me that I was so much more than what I thought I was. After everything Mother had done to destroy my confidence, it was hard for me to do anything. I found it so difficult to act differently than how Mother would have wanted. Aria taught me the importance of taking small steps. Small acts of rebellion to help me be comfortable with doing things that Lusamine wouldn't approve of. Learning how to be my own person, even with the help of my friends, was terrifying to me. Mother's lessons about what to be and not be run quite deep."
"It's called gaslighting. And your mother was a bitch." Vivian stated bluntly, causing Lillie to smile despite herself. Sun was quietly giggling at the sudden declaration. "Don't think your own father isn't a monumental dickhead, Sun."
"Oh yeah, he totally is. That's why he's under eternal house arrest and has to do whatever the Tapu say. So what's next?" Sun asked as the scene shifted, and suddenly Sun and Lillie's good humor faded away.
Demi was shown slapping Lana, holding a dead Fletchinder in her arms while Sun and Hau looked on with horror. It was when Demi failed the Water Trial at Brooklet Hill, and Feya had been killed by Totem Araquanid. Vivian cleared her throat. "So, thoughts on this?"
"It was the first time that I realized how and why things like Team Skull happened. And that situations like Demi weren't unusual. Her parents didn't believe a word of what she had to say to defend herself. Can't believe I'm saying this, but thank goodness Team Skull found her." Sun said as he watched the open grief on Demi's face as she held her Partner's lifeless body.
"She's been through a lot. So has Team Skull." Lillie remarked thoughtfully, sighing after thinking about it. "I spent so long scared of them, since they kept trying to take Nebby. But if it weren't for Bone Unit 71 and Demi, you all wouldn't have been able to help save me. There's a lot of bad Team Skull has done, but I think a lot of them just got dealt a bad hand in life and don't know what else to do about it."
"Once this is all done, I want to find a way to help them. After everything we've been through, there has to be a way for Alola to look out for those who weren't able to win the Island Challenge. And the ones who get cast out by their families for not wanting to be a Trainer in the first place." Sun said quietly, with Lillie nodding supportively beside him.
"Excellent. Good takeaways. Team Skull is still very much a problem in Alola, Sun. The forsaken and forgotten in Alola's culture must be taken care of. Ask Professor Kukui how Guzma came about. I'm sure the story of Team Skull applies to that dude." Vivian said as the scene around them shifted yet again, showing Sun conquering the Water Trial and Oliver taking down the newly created Totem Wishiwashi in the pouring rain. It then shifted Sun Sun facing off against Hau, Kukui and Gladion at the Battle Royal Dome before flickering into the Fire Trial, culminating in Brago taking down Totem Salazzle by ignoring the effects of its Attract move and powering through to secure the win. "More and more victories, bolstering Sun's confidence and strength. But also the darkness in your heart…You could see it too, Lillie. Couldn't you?"
"I tried to put it out of my mind. I didn't want to deal with what my Dad was doing with Cipher, but it still kept bothering me. How could I just ignore it? How would I be able to possibly stop him?" Sun asked quietly, shaking his head as the scene shifted to Lillie's birthday party. It froze on Sun kissing Lillie on the cheek, much to both children's surprise.
"You two are almost too cute together." Vivian said with a smirk, eyeing the two of them holding hands in reality. "It's the most wholesome thing ever."
"As much as I want to strangle Mallow for what she pulled during that, getting a kiss from Sun was definitely worth it." Lillie said with a mischievous smile, hugging Sun's arm as the boy blushed.
"You looked really disappointed when I found a way around Mallow's dare. I took a risk, and I was really worried you would be mad." Sun admitted sheepishly as Lillie shook her head.
"It's nice, feeling wanted." Lillie said happily, still holding Sun's arm hostage. "And more importantly it was from someone I really wanted to kiss anyways, even back then."
"You two need to sit down and figure out your feelings. Life's short and you never know what'll happen. It's best to get these things out in the open." Vivian remarked with a knowing smile before the scene shifted again. It showed another Pokémon Center. However this time, it showed Borlath sitting on a throne while Sun watched on in horror.
The night Borlath was crowned the Grand Master of Cipher, and then promptly murdered Lorelei using Damien on live television.
"This was when Borlath took control of Cipher and everything changed." Vivian remarked softly as Sun let out a long, ragged exhale.
"This one hurt. A lot. I kept hearing about all the terrible things Borlath had done, but I never put it together that he and my Dad were the same person." Sun sighed, rubbing his face. "After this I was worried that my friends would turn against me, even while dealing with the horrible feeling of knowing my Dad was directly involved in a lot more terrible stuff than I thought."
"He was a really good friend of ours…until he wasn't. Hugh lost a Pokémon to Borlath's Houndoom, and took his betrayal particularly hard." Vivian explained as she gazed at the furious expression on Hugh's face. "He's very passionate when it comes to those he cares about. I'm glad you two were able to make up later."
"Yeah…But after this, I couldn't just ignore my father and focus on my Island Challenge anymore." Sun muttered quietly, crossing his arms and dislodging Lillie's hand. "It was so hard to do anything. I wanted to keep going, keep moving on…"
"Nope! It started affecting you, wearing out your resolve until finally…" Vivian trailed off as the scene shifted into Sun's first battle against Olivia at the Ruins of Life. The scene froze on Oliver getting coated in mud before getting knocked out by Boldore. Sun and Oliver's first ever loss together since the beginning of Sun's journey.
"I should've called off this fight. I was not in a good place after Borlath's announcement, but I didn't want to let Olivia or my Pokémon down. I had to be strong for them." Sun tried to explain before shaking his head. "I should've taken a few days to cool off. It was too much for me."
"You're a prodigy Trainer and someone who's skilled enough to command the respect of many Champion-level Trainers. But you're still a kid. And you're not mature enough to handle blows like that, Sun. You'll grow older and stronger in time, but considering what you were going through at the time, I don't blame you for breaking down." Vivian said to Sun as the scene shifted back to the Pokémon Center, with Sun being confronted by Hugh. Hugh's cold expression of fury while Sun looked up at his friend with tears streaming down his face. In the background Sun spotted a badly injured Hau getting medical attention.
"This was when Mask, AKA Roran Rubinara, attacked Olivia at Hau's Grand Trial. If Jackal hadn't interfered, they would've died." Sun said as he observed the scene intently.
"This was when you decided to give yourself up to Cipher. You thought that would be a way to save your friends from more pain. You were so hurt, so heartbroken that you finally hit the breaking point." Vivian said as the fog shifted, showing Lillie holding onto Sun as he tried to leave, only to be shoved to the ground. "And you hurt someone precious to you."
"I never held it against you." Lillie said quietly as Sun looked away guiltily. "You hit your breaking point, and you apologized up and down for it. I was just so worried."
"Yeah…you followed me into the storm along with my Pokémon. Reassured me and helped me come to terms with a lot of stuff. Nova, my father, and so much more. You really are something amazing, you know." Sun said to the girl, who beamed at Sun.
"I'll follow you like morning follows night, Sun." Lillie said brightly, referencing the song that she had sung to the boy at his absolute lowest moment.
Sun smiled back warmly at the girl. "That was the night I really and truly started to think about you as one of the most important people in my life. It didn't matter if you weren't a Trainer or the most brave. You kept me grounded in the face of the terrible stuff that kept coming my way. You kept going despite everything, and I admired that. I still do."
"I was always happy to help you, Sun. You became one of my closest friends in just three or four months. One of my biggest supporters, always ready to comfort or protect me if I ever needed it. You're the best person I know, and I'm so glad I got to help you during the moments when you were weakest." Lillie said with a sweet smile, placing her head against Sun's shoulder as the boy smiled gratefully at her.
More events flickered by, such as Ollie's arrival in Alola and Sun spending time mentally recovering from the stressful events he had been subjected to. Sun reflected on those memories, grateful for Ollie's presence in Alola. Back in Kanto he had been a comforting force that had protected Laura and Sun from Cipher after Borlath had attempted to murder his wife and kidnap his own son.
And then came the big showdown with Necrozma. "I really feel like we should've devoted more time to figuring out what the hell was going on there." Sun remarked as he watched Penny evolve from a Trumbeak into a Toucannon.
"MissingNo. was enjoying itself and stretching its legs, so to speak. It really enjoyed messing around with you and the other Protagonists, and those chosen by the Author." Vivian answered as the scene cut to several other images of the upcoming few weeks, including several moments where Sun was able to spend quality time with Laura and Ollie.
"I really hope he finally just goes ahead and marries Mom. I hope him and Dad actually get along though, since they're both going to be working together in the International Police." Sun remarked, causing Vivian to hum loudly.
"Don't think I won't be asking you about that later. But we've got a long ways to go before we get to that point." Vivian said as the scenes shifted to Sun catching Finn at Brooklet Hill, even with his horrible attempts at throwing Poké Balls at the nimble Poliwag.
And then came the Battle Royal Dome Tournament. Vivian froze the flicker of memories on the scene of Dawson helping Sun and Lillie against Team Skull and the Bone Brothers and then having a completely civil conversation with the Admin. Dawson had even tried to warn Sun about the upcoming attack on the stadium, in his own way.
"It's astounding that despite everything, I still really appreciate everything Dawson did." Sun remarked as the scene froze on the Dashing Rogue of Hoenn.
"Even though he was a bounty hunter who had murdered dozens by the time he entered Cipher's employ, and was responsible for wiping out Team Aqua?" Vivian asked Sun as she turned to face the boy with an intense expression, causing Sun to shake his head.
"That doesn't justify all of the awful things he did. I'm just saying that he helped me plenty of times when he had no reason to. It's complicated. Everyone has some kind of good in them…Even the people I hated so much I wanted them to die." Sun admitted quietly, looking into the mist and shivering as a face slowly emerged from the mist.
The figure of Roran Rubinara flashed a terrible grin at him, crimson dripping from the fallen Kahuna's mouth before flickering away with a wave of Vivian's hand, her gaze still on Sun.
"Then why would you forgive your father? He slaughtered millions in his insane scheme. Hell, me and Noah died because of his bullshit." Vivian pointedly asked Sun, who considered that for several long moments.
"Because at the end of the day, he regretted what he did. I didn't have the right to kill him, even after everything he did to me. But the Tapu shouldn't have killed him too…It was a hard choice." Sun said quietly, thinking about it.
"His punishment now is fitting, but appropriate, I think." Lillie chimed in, breaking her silence. "He has all the time in the world now to make up for the countless bad things he's done. And he can't hurt anyone like he did before, now that he's under the watchful eyes of the Tapu. If the International Police can use him to help people too, even better."
Sun nodded before turning back to Vivian, who was smiling at him now, seeming pleased with the conclusions the children had reached. "Borlath was a monster created from a lifetime of tragedies who deserved to go down. Ashton Aupuni…after all he did, death wasn't enough to make up for it. The Tapu decided that he deserved a chance to make amends, because he genuinely wanted to make things right…"
"And what about the other villains you encountered?" Vivian asked, with Roran Rubinara flickering back into reality from the mist, clad in his terrifying mask.
"Am I among those chosen, Sun?" Roran's voice rasped, his orange eyes shining brightly as it did when he was under the Curse of Abundance. "Did I deserve forgiveness? A chance to make things right? The Tapu ruined me, made me a monster! I didn't deserve to lose my mind!"
Sun shook his head. "No. People like you don't deserve to be forgiven, because you don't want to change. Or try to do better with a second or third chance. You were a manipulative monster before you got cursed and you only cared about hurting other people and your own power." Sun said heavily, choosing his words carefully. "People like Colress, Faba, Dawson and my Dad made mistakes. Terrible mistakes, but saw the error of their ways. If people genuinely do want to change and make up for what they've done, then they should have the chance to atone. I chose to forgive them, even if I didn't like it. I don't have the right to decide whether they live or die. I refuse to be that kind of person."
"Even with her?" Vivian asked as Roran shifted into Amber Fontaine, who's emotionless eyes bored into Sun's as she twirled a dagger in her hand. "A remorseless killing machine like her…Does she have good in her? Did she deserve a chance to make amends, despite being twisted into a monster? She wasn't evil at first, you know. Just a victim."
Sun looked at Vivian with a flat expression. "Amber Fontaine was a monster through and through. But she was loyal to Dad without reserve, even while being a mostly emotionless murderer. She had a shred of good in her, but she deserved what she got so she couldn't hurt anyone else." Sun responded as the mist shifted, showing Amber Fontaine lying in a pool of her own blood in Hau'oli City. Lillie gasped at the horrific scene, but Sun gazed upon it without flinching. "She can't hurt anyone anymore…and she doesn't have to be hurt either."
"And those who remain..?" The scene shifted into one Sun recognized immediately. Gladion and Bone Unit 71 were standing behind him with worried expressions while Gladion crouched beside a barely-alive Riolu, who had been beaten and tortured by his own Trainer for the simple crime of not living up to unreasonable standards. The scene was frozen, so Sun clearly saw the grinning Infernape who had delivered the brutal attack, as well as the matching smile of cruelty on Geoff's face. It was enough for Sun to want to punch the foggy apparition.
"Is it wrong that I hate him? After what he did…how he acts. I've battled all sorts of terrible people, but this guy is just awful." Sun practically growled, clenching his fists. Lillie put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but she looked disgusted upon seeing the scene once more. "He's a…a…"
"An unapologetic piece of shit?" Vivian offered, not smiling as she gazed upon the memory with evident distaste. "It's funny, but I had actually heard about this creep before you guys mentioned what had happened back then. I looked into his background, since I had Geoff's last name from the tournament roster. Turns out he's the son of a wealthy diplomat from Sinnoh, and distantly related to Lucian of the Elite Four. Apparently they're not on good terms, especially since Geoff's got a bad track record of his Pokémon dying in suspicious ways. Last I had heard this little incident actually made the authorities put out a warrant for his arrest."
"Bzzzzt! Didn't we run into him briefly back on Ula'ula Island?" Rotom Dex remarked from Sun's backpack, with Sun's eyes widening as he realized that was absolutely the case. They had bumped into Geoff on Alola Route 11. He distinctly remembered Geoff having a broken arm at the time. Sun wondered if the man had been hiding out in the Wilds to escape arrest.
"And that's supposed to make the terrible things he's done okay? He's repeatedly attempted to kill his own Pokémon with abuse and constantly acted like a rude jerk!" Lillie huffed, crossing her arms. "I hope he's in a jail cell, or at the very least away from Alola."
"I can definitely assure you he's not where I'm at." Vivian responded, shrugging her shoulders. "Anyways, he's a total creep and not really all that interesting."
"How can you just brush that off?" Sun demanded of the phantom, who offered Sun an almost pitying smile.
"Not everyone has a tragic backstory that justifies the terrible things they do or become, Sun." Vivian said as she gestured to the scene around them. "Some people are just awful people for the simple reason of just being a bad person. Maybe it was their upbringing. Maybe it's because they were born rotten. You and Lillie are still young, so this might come as a surprise, but not everyone should be a Pokémon Trainer. Some people enjoy the power trip that having strong Pokémon gives you. Some people enjoy the thrill of battling not to train, but to hurt others. Geoff is just one of those kinds of people, and you had the unfortunate fate of seeing what happens when people like that are able to do whatever they please, ruining lives in the process."
"I won't forgive him…Especially not after what he did to Tetra. Let's move on." Sun said coldly as he brushed past the phantoms, with Lillie looking at the grisly scene for a few moments before moving on. The scene shifted again and it became a war zone, with Lillie standing beside Gladion and Lusamine to face off against Amber Fontaine as a family. The Jardin girl remembered how Lusamine had told her and Gladion to flee to safety. It was likely the last time that her mother had genuinely cared for her children before succumbing completely to the madness.
"Yet another time when you showed that you had a spine. You had every chance to flee, to get to safety…and yet you stayed to help and fight, despite not being a Trainer." Vivian said as she looked at the image of Lillie commanding Fiaro to attack.
"I was scared, but I couldn't just let Amber kill Mother. Even if it hadn't been for the chaos of the attack, Mother would have taken me. But I made the right decision, because she chose to let me and Gladion run away. After this she just got worse and worse. Terrible enough to even rival Borlath's insanity towards the end there." Lillie whispered, shivering despite herself. Sun hugged the girl as she thought about the descent of Lusamine into complete insanity.
"We'll find her. I promise." Sun muttered to the girl as she hugged him back, and for a long while the two friends held one another for comfort while Vivian watched on with a sad smile.
"And another moment where you proved just what kind of person you truly are, deep down. The girl that was braver than most of the Trainers at that stadium. Despite the wounds in your soul, Lillie, you stood by your family when it counted. Your heart is full of love." Vivian said with approval, smiling at the two of them.
When Sun and Lillie separated, the scene shifted into another battle. This time it was Sun standing across from Dawson within the Battle Royal Dome, with Shadow Articuno looming above the boy and his team. On the ground was Adrian Battlestorm, the famous Alolan reporter/media mogul that Sun had rather liked. Dawson's face was a maelstrom of emotions, the conflicting desires of what the man wanted to do showing clearly on his face. Behind Sun was Hau, who was fending off Cipher members while standing back-to-back with his best friend.
"This was the moment you showed everyone just how powerful of a force you and your team were." Vivian said as Lillie stepped forward, watching Sun's team with awe. Her eyes were on Brago in the midst of evolution, becoming the fierce Arcanine who would land the finishing blow to the Shadow Articuno at Dawson's command.
"We barely won that fight. Dawson wasn't the best Trainer, but he was determined to give me a fair chance in beating him." Sun explained before adding after a moment. "Mostly fair, anyway."
"That entire showdown was broadcast worldwide. You saved the life of a Champion and a famous media icon, gaining a valuable ally in Adrian Battlestorm while firmly showing the world that the son of Ashton Aupuni was a staunch foe of Borlath's evil." Vivian said as she smiled at her two friends with pride. "And your talk with Dawson afterwards? It changed him, Sun. Convinced him to truly doubt the way of thinking that Borlath's manipulations had twisted around."
The fog flickered and showed Dawson firing a shot from his weapon into the face of Deoxys, saving Sun from being taken by the DNA Pokémon on Borlath's orders. "And he repaid your kindness by forcing Cipher to retreat and rescuing you from Borlath. You helped change his very heart about the justice he was pursuing and why."
"He later went undercover for Cipher to investigate Aether Paradise." Sun replied quietly, looking into the mist as he considered Dawson's final fate. "He even helped us save Hau from Roran later on. He…he did a lot of bad things. Tortured Cynthia and helped my Dad do a lot of crimes, but he wanted to make things right."
"Mother killed him when he tried to save Wicke from one of the Nihilego. She was really torn up about it. He was dragged into the Ultra Space when all of the Nihilego were forced back to their world." Lillie whispered, truly taking a moment to consider the implications.
"I can't imagine what they would've been like. Considering how powerful the Nihilego was, Dawson wouldn't have lasted long. I hope he didn't suffer too much." Sun said quietly, his voice shaking slightly before Lillie pulled him into a tight hug. Sun returned it, sighing deeply as he closed his eyes. Vivian sighed loudly and walked over, hugging the two of them the best the foggy apparition of her could.
Sun still appreciated it.
"I really wish I could've saved him somehow. Saved you and Noah and everyone else who died because of Cipher." Sun admitted as Lillie and Vivian released him, with Lillie holding onto Sun's hand firmly.
"That's life, Sun. You can't save everyone and can't spend forever on regrets. That's why this test is so nasty. Because humans focus so much on the past and lose sight of what's important. Lose sight of any hope for the future, especially in these dark times…How many souls have wasted away to nothing within the fog?" Vivian asked with a crooked grin as her violin and bow flickered into existence beside her. She pranced forward and began to play a song, the music filling the foggy room with a haunting yet beautiful melody. The menacing fog didn't seem quite so scary thanks to the music that now surrounded them as well.
"Now then, shall we?" Vivian asked as the fog around them shifted once more, and the scene changed into another familiar sight for the children as they descended further into the test…unable to see the Guardian Deity that was observing them from within the depths of the mist with curious eyes.
NEXT TIME: The trip down memory lane continues...
Originally this was all one small chapter and honestly, not a whole lot happened. But then I realized this was a fun chance for some reflection. Seeing how far Sun and Lillie have come in their journeys. And what better way to do that than have an old friend guide them through their own memories?
That's all for now. Please be sure to review, favorite and/or follow and all that fun stuff. Your support is appreciated.
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!
