Pokémon Radiant Sun
Have I already made an Avengers: Endgame reference yet? I feel like I have, but the closer we get to the end it just sets in more and more.
This chapter is really where it sets in for me that this story is reaching its conclusion. It feels so…final. Sun finally climbing Mount Lanakila to challenge the Elite Four and lined up the pieces for the last few chapters. It's all so weird to me. Won't be long now until this story is done.
Speaking of, and I may have to double check my math on this, but I believe "Pokémon Radiant Sun" is now the longest story within the Pokémon Fanfiction Archive. And that's kind of insane. It's a testament to how long this sucker has been going and how long-winded I am, but hey, it's pretty cool.
Apologies for the delay on this one, but this chapter ended up being much longer than intended and then everything metaphorically caught on fire for a while. But hey, we're back in action, so let's get to it.
Massive shoutout to SolanaLeonhart, General C, Oragonking, BraviaryScout, Anasazi Darkmoon, RC-DA, a Guest reviewer and a new reviewer known as Delta6697 for reviewing since the last update! You all are absolute legends!
Enjoy.
Chapter 182: A Difficult Decision
Mount Lanakila
The elevator finally finished its smooth climb alongside the mountain and came to a stop on a rugged ledge, with the snow falling thick and fast. Brown grass coated the cliff, which Sun knew contained all sorts of Pokémon. With that, the teen sent out his entire team and Solgaleo, who all had various reactions to the even colder weather.
"Aaaaaaaggh! I don't like this!" Tetra squealed, running over to Brago and hugging him for warmth. The Arcanine accepted this, since Tetra had a habit of hugging all of them and he was warm and furry. Alastor tried and failed to hold back a chuckle, not particularly bothered by the cold weather.
"I'm not fond of this either." Penny admitted, shivering uncontrollably on the ground and using her beak to generate heat. Oliver was similarly shivering, but gallantly walked over to his mate and covered her with his wings to help keep her warm. "You are wonderful, you do know that, right?"
"I try." Oliver hooted happily, still cold but at least able to comfort Penny. Sun smiled at the site before looking over at Finn who seemed relatively fine. Nebby simply glowed brightly, melting all of the snow around him and basking them all in an intense warmth.
"I do not think just keeping my powers active will help the problem. It would unbalance this sacred place." Nebby remarked, allowing his sunlight to fade and return to normal.
"Alright, how about I keep you three in your Poké Balls and let the other three get some training on the mountain. We'll swap if we get to a spot that's warmer or something." Sun said to his Oliver, Penny and Tetra, who happily agreed with that statement.
Brago happily took charge and let loose with Flamethrower, taking down several Snorunt without them ever getting the chance to fight back. Finn got into the swing of things as well, since he fared well against the local wildlife. Alastor, not one to be left out, throwing waves of electricity around whenever he spotted a Pokémon the others hadn't. Surprisingly, Nebby was content to just walk through the snow alongside Sun and enjoy the company.
"You don't want to join them?" Sun asked the Legendary Pokémon, who purred for a moment before speaking.
"No. I want a strong challenge, Papa. These Pokémon aren't what I'm looking to fight, so I'll let the others use them to get stronger. I'll just enjoy this time walking with everyone." The Solgaleo explained, with Sun nodding in understanding.
Professor Kukui had approved Sun's application to hold seven Pokémon within his party, so long as he battled with six in official battles. Considering that Sun was planning on using the first six Pokémon he had caught on his journey against the Elite Four, this wasn't an issue. Sun kept Nebby's Master Ball attached to the same moon-necklace that Lillie had given him so long ago. He was aware of the irony, but Sun thought it was a fitting place for the Pokémon that was so precious to both himself and his girlfriend.
Sun and Lillie had also worked out why Nebby's telepathy only worked every now and then. It was a separate skill that the Solgaleo had that he could only use in short bursts. It recovered over time, but it was still a taxing power. It took some doing, but the teen had managed to get another TACV from Colress without having to spend an obscene amount of money to acquire one through the usual method. Despite how popular the devices were becoming, they were still extremely expensive and not commonly found outside of Unova and Alola.
Snapping back to reality after a particularly strong gust of cold wind forced a shiver out of Sun, the boy continued his trek along the snowy path. Sun picked up an Escape Rope off of the ground, shaking some of the ice off of it before tossing it into his pack. He then peered off of the cliff and glanced down, seeing now just how high up on the mountain he was. Sun then turned around and looked up, seeing he had a lot further up to climb.
The Trainer then turned his attention to the view further away from the mountain, From the height of Mount Lanakila, he was able to see all of Alola. The distant islands he had traveled were small before him, and it gave Sun a moment of perspective,
"All of the challenges I've faced. The good and bad times. Encountering danger time and time again, only to somehow get through it…it's all led to this moment." Sun breathed, his words a white puff as he allowed himself a fierce grin. "I won't stop until I'm the last one standing. I'll be Alola's Champion and there's no one that can stop me!"
A sudden bark of excitement caught Sun's attention, and he saw Brago barreling through several Snorunt with Flame Charge with an expression of fierce joy on his face as Nebby raced alongside him. Sun walked over to Alastor and Finn and spent a while watching the scene with a wide smile. A moving flash of white caught Sun's attention, and he looked up to see a familiar white-furred four-legged Pokémon glaring down at them.
"An Absol!" Sun muttered as the Disaster Pokémon leapt down from the snowy hill and hopped down into the path. It growled faintly at them, and Brago stepped forward to challenge it.
"Flamethrower!" Sun ordered Brago as he let loose a stream of raging flames at the Absol, who snarled as it tried to dash out of the way. However, its white fur was singed badly by the fire pouring from the Arcanine.
It attempted to lash out with a Psycho Cut, swinging the blade attached to its head and sending an arc of purple-colored energy at Brago. However, the Arcanine dodged the attack and at Sun's command, charged forward using Return. As now-glowing Arcanine slammed hard into the Disaster Pokémon and sent it headfirst into the snow. After a few moments of groaning, the Absol fainted.
"Nice work, Brago." Sun said as he walked over to the Arcanine, petting him on the head.
"I've seen better." Alastor commented, with Brago giving him a flat look while Finn snickered. Sun looked at the Golem, who had a completely straight face, so the Trainer had no idea if his Pokémon was kidding or not.
However, they had at least reached the entrance to the cave, which provided them some respite from the snow howling against the mountain. Of course, snow and ice covered the insides of the cave too, so it was still very cold. The path itself was rather narrow, with high walls reaching upwards to a ceiling that was covered in icy stalactites.
Not too long after the group had entered the cave, a Golbat spotted them and swooped down to hopefully get a snack. Instead what it got was a Fire Blast courtesy of Brago, which to his surprise didn't knock out the massive bat.
The Golbat retaliated with a Venoshock that blasted back Brago, but did little else. It then let out an echoing cry for help, which wasn't answered by any potential allies. Brago finished things off with a Flame Burst.
The group continued to make their way through the cave when they came across their first diverging path. A larger path like the one that they were currently on continued to their right, but a smaller one went on straight ahead. Sun considered this dilemma for a few moments before deciding to investigate the smaller path first.
Sun returned his team and then called out Penny, Oliver and Tetra who could fly above the small opening as Sun awkwardly sidled through the path, grateful it wasn't smaller than it was. After about five minutes or so, the Trainer emerged into a small icy clearing with a small ledge about five feet off of the ground. Sitting atop the ledge was another and larger Absol, who growled threateningly at them before lunging.
Oliver swooped down and blocked the attack with Protect, which allowed Sun to call out the rest of his team. Brago rushed forward and glowed brightly, but the Absol was able to dodge the Return using Detect.
Brago skidded to a stop in the snow and whirled around, growling softly before pouncing forward and slamming into the Absol with Return, this time connecting with the move and sending the Absol crashing into the icy wall of the cave. The Disaster Pokémon recovered quickly and retaliated with a Psycho Cut as Brago sped forward with Aerial Ace. The fiery hound tanked the attack head-on and struck the Absol once more, knocking it out.
"Alright Brago, let's take a break. Poor Alastor's been wanting to shoot things out of the sky again." Sun said to the Arcanine, who was panting happily at getting to fight like this. Alastor, who had indeed been eyeing the Golbat in the air above them with ill-intent, chuckled darkly and began taking aim. And with that, he immediately made the day of those Golbat much, much worse. As Alastor laughed maniacally and electricity filled the air, Sun spotted a bright blue object sticking out a pile of snow. Sun realized what it was and knelt down to grab it.
"Who the hell leaves a TM in the snow?" Sun asked, picking up the disk and delicately brushing off the ice and snow. "My second and more important question is who the hell was dumb enough to leave a TM containing the move for Ice Beam around in the snow?"
Meanwhile…
Professor Kukui sneezed violently before continuing to move his desk off to the side, curious to see if he could spot a glint of blue. However, his efforts were for naught and all he found was disappointment.
"My Ice Beam TM has to be around this damn lab somewhere…" Kukui muttered, deciding to check under the couches again. "If I left it behind after that trip to the Alola League HQ I'm gonna be so pissed…"
Sun made his way back to the main path and called out his entire team again, with Finn joining Alastor's efforts to make the lives of everything in their path much worse. Soon, the booming laughter of the exuberant Poliwrath filled the frosty cavern.
"It must be nice to not have to think so much." Penny grumbled sourly, lowering the heat coming from her beak due concerns of overdoing things. This led to the Toucannon becoming very uncomfortable due to the cold as she rode on Brago's back.
"That's not very nice! Finn works very hard!" Tetra responded, violently shivering herself due to her own double-weakness to the cold.
"I never said that he didn't work hard. He doesn't really put a lot of thought into things." Penny explained, ruffling her feathers with a grimace. "Finn is strong in the way that he doesn't let things that aren't good get him down. It's freezing here and he's likely just as uncomfortable as our Trainer is in this cold, and yet he's having the time of his life. He's a source of energy and excitement for the team. It makes him irreplaceable."
"He's also not very smart." Brago chimed in, with the young Garchomp looking forward and spotting the Poliwrath in question trying to eat some of the snow.
"Oh! Um…well, you got me there." Tetra admitted sheepishly, with everyone laughing at the development while Finn blasted away two of the Golbat with Psychic and landed in a perfect pose.
"This place is great for training! If only it wasn't so chilly!" Finn boomed, laughing loudly as he placed his fists on his hips. It was then that Sun noticed something rather concerning. The cave was getting darker and darker, and the boy realized that it was likely that night was falling. Considering that, plus the fact that he was getting worn out trudging through the snow and cold, he made the decision to call it for the night.
"Alright everyone, let's get a camp of some kind figured out. It won't be super comfortable, but we'll have to do our best to settle in for the night." Sun sighed, fighting the urge to shiver more. He was hoping that with Brago and Nebby with him, he'd have an easier time fighting off the cold. A simple camp was made in a nearby slope where Sun set up a sleeping bag, huddled around his team for warmth and protection. Sun fell asleep within moments, thinking of what it would be like when he reached the summit and faced the challenge that awaited him.
Meanwhile
Aether Paradise
Gladion walked into the dining room with a sigh, now wearing his usual torn hoodie and a pair of black jeans. He was cheerfully greeted by his little sister, who gave him a wave from her end of the dinner table.
"Hey Glady! How was your trip to Mount Lanakila?" Lillie asked her older brother, who smiled back at her.
"It's cold as always, but it was good. By the way, I gave Sun your message." Gladion said to his sister, who beamed up at him.
"Thank you, Glady. How was your battle?" Lillie asked Gladion, who shrugged his shoulders.
"Went about the same as the others, but we were close. I think Sun's ready for the challenge that awaits him at the top." Gladion said as he sat down, sighing as joined his sister at the dinner table. She was already eating a salad herself, with Bone Unit 71 enjoying the finest chicken tenders money could buy.
"Get away from my tendies, you bastard!"
"You owe me them after the trouble you get into today!"
"Mom? Dad? You guys still love each other, right?"
Well, enjoying it as much as three rambunctious members of Team Skull could, anyway. While Kayla, Axen and Kevin struggled to figure out their issues, Gladion was joined a few moments later by Demi. The former Team Skull Grunt had changed into a green sundress and happily sat beside her boyfriend, but not before waving to Lillie from across the table.
"So, how was Silvally's first battle against Sun's team?" Lillie asked eagerly, with Gladion grinning as he unclipped the Beast Killer's Poké Ball and called it out.
"Pretty good. It knocked out the Garchomp of his and did some major damage to his Decidueye. With some more training, we might've had him, but I'm happy with how we did." Gladion said with a grin as Silvally laid down onto the floor, but not before letting out a gentle humming sound.
"You never did tell us how that thing evolved, dude." Axen remarked, stuffing another chicken tender into his mouth. "You just came back one day and its helmet was gone."
"There's not really much of a story to tell. Wicke kicked me out of the Aether Paradise for a day because I was stressing myself out, so I went up to Mount Lanakila to relax-" Gladion began to say, only to get interrupted almost immediately.
"You went to a mountain to relax?" Axen deadpanned, with Gladion shrugging.
"It's cold, quiet, and has a great view. Thanks to the strong Pokémon there, it's perfect for training, and I've spent weeks up there training my team on occasion." Gladion explained, glancing over at Silvally and smiling at the memory.
Several Weeks Ago
Gladion let out a sigh as he sat upon the snowy cliff, calling out his entire team. Thankfully he had come up to Mount Lanakila many times, and was of course wearing thickly insulated clothing to keep himself warm.
Sleet the Weavile was, of course, immediately at home on the mountain he had been born on and smiled with happiness. Meanwhile Shadow the Zoroark growled softly and swiped at the snow on the ground, clearing it away and providing them all with a more comfortable place to sit and relax after a full day of training.
Balthus growled softly in thanks to the Zoroark before sitting down on the ground, with Bruce the Crobat fluttering and landing on Shadow's back, chittering with annoyance. Gladion and Type: Null sat down beside the others and a familiar silence enveloped them all.
It was a comforting silence.
Gladion closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, allowing a deep calm to seep into him. After so much fighting, so much pain and loneliness…his journey was at its end. He had his family back, he had finally returned home, and he had acquired the power he had always been searching for.
"Thanks for riding through the craziness with me, Partner." Gladion said to Type: Null, who turned towards the boy.
"What do you mean?" the creature grunted, with Gladion offering his Partner a smile.
"You were so patient with me. Things were really rough in the beginning, when I was finding my way and dealing with all of this alone. But you stayed with me." Gladion explained to the Beast Killer, who nodded. Gladion held up his arm, which had been injured so long ago when he was first learning to gain the trust of Type: Null. "We had our issues, but you worked with me."
"I followed your orders because I sensed your strength. In time, I grew to trust that you were not like those other humans who tortured me." Type: Null intoned, with Gladion smiling at the creature's words. "Now we have completed our mission. Your world is safe. Though now I wonder…what comes next?"
"What do you mean?" Gladion asked Type: Null, who grunted and lowered its head slightly.
"I am a weapon. Designed to kill. I was designed to be a mockery of a god and use its powers…I'm a monster." Type: Null explained, growling softly. "Now my purpose has come to an end. What's to become of me? Will I be locked away once more? Will I be put down, like so many other failed experiments? Will I-?"
Type: Null stopped speaking when it felt a hand on its head. The creature turned and saw Gladion looking at him with a soft smile, and that gave the chimera a sliver of hope.
"What's next? What's next is we reclaim our lives. What's next is whatever we want. We can keep fighting to become stronger, strong enough to protect everyone we care about. We can never fight again and enjoy the peace that we fought so hard to get back. What's next is…whatever we choose, Null." Gladion explained to the Beast Killer, who simply stared back at its Trainer.
"And as for the rest of what you said, I'd never be able to lock you away or turn my back on you. Not after what we've been through. You're my Partner. My friend and comrade…just like everyone else here, you're a part of this crazy little family we ended up becoming." Gladion said emphatically, causing the chimera to blink slowly several times. Balthus and Shadow let out cries of agreement while Sleet and Bruce nodded.
"Family…" Type: Null rumbled, as if unsure it was pronouncing the word correctly. But Gladion wasn't done speaking.
"I guess this is as good a time as any to say…thank you, Null. You helped me save my family. You helped me find something inside of me that I never even knew was there. I wouldn't be here without you…so for better or for worse, you're stuck with me." Gladion said to the creature, who stared at Gladion for several moments.
"You're very welcome." Type: Null finally responded, looking away from Gladion and towards sun as it slowly descended over the ocean. Gladion began to rub the Beast Killer's back, and for a long time there was no sound but the icy wind as it blew by the mountain.
And then suddenly Type: Null went still, it's entire form going rigid. Gladion immediately got concerned and stood up, but before he could speak a loud cracking sound split the air. The teen glanced around warily, unsure if that was a chunk of the cliff falling off or something from above coming towards them. Then, a faint growl from Type: Null alerted him that the noise was coming from it.
It was then that the teen saw that there was a large crack in the containment helmet that was secured around the creature's head. With a soft growl, Type: Null looked towards Gladion and hummed softly, causing another large crack to split through the helmet.
Suddenly a searing blue light enveloped Type: Null as the helmet continued to crack open, with parts of it falling into the snow as Gladion and his team stared at the creature in awe. Suddenly the mask broke in half, and the glow of evolution finally consumed the creature and it morphed into its next form.
"No way…it broke…" Gladion thought as his body remained frozen with shock, even as the glow began to die down, revealing a newly-evolved creature that somewhat resembled the chimera that Type: Null had been. However, it was noticeably different, standing taller than it had in its previous form and with snowy white fur as opposed to a dull gray color. Its face seemed to register complete shock at what had occurred.
The Beast Killer turned towards Gladion, padding towards him slowly. Gladion simply stared at the creature that had once been Type: Null with tears coming to his eyes. The Beast Killer then growled softly before licking Gladion's face, letting out another hum of happiness.
"You're free…you're finally free." Gladion whispered as he ran forward and hugged his Partner, unable to help the tears of relief. The creature growled softly, nuzzling him with the side of its face. The rest of Gladion's team slowly dog-piled onto the two of them, letting out joyful cries as the snow continued to fall.
"That's pretty heckin' adorable, dude. Who would've thought the Supreme Edgelord would have such a soft side?" Kayla said with a sarcastic smirk, earning an extremely rude gesture from Gladion.
"Ignoring the peanut gallery for a moment, I was curious if you had an update about the President. How…how is Mother?" Gladion asked Lillie, knowing that the delicate topic would come up one way or another. His sister let out a small sigh and Lillie set her fork down.
"Not well. Even though her personality seems back to normal and her insanity has been completely purged, the physical aftereffects that the Nihilego venom have had on her linger and that poison is stubborn. As much as Faba and his team have tried, there's no real way of getting it out of Mother's system with the equipment we have available." Lillie said with a small sigh, shaking her head.
"Didn't Faba try to extract the venom from Sun's Decidueye a while back? He mentioned that before…" Kayla asked, and Gladion nodded in response.
"He did, and managed to extract some of the venom. But his work was sloppy and did nothing to reverse the mental and physical aftereffects from being exposed to the Ultra Beast's poison. It was only when Oliver overcame a mental block and evolved that the venom was truly purged. Mother doesn't have that luxury, and she's been exposed to the Nihilego venom for years. And she doesn't have the natural constitution that a Pokémon has." Gladion explained to the others.
"There has to be something that can be done. Can't we ask Tapu Lele to help heal President Lusamine? Sun could totally ask them to help you out since he's buddies with the Tapu, right?" Demi asked Lillie, who shook her head.
"I asked Zinnia about it and she's already confirmed that it's not possible." Lillie replied, crossing her arms and sitting back in her chair. "What the Nihilego venom did to Mother is beyond what the power of Tapu Lele's healing scales are capable of fixing. Not even the God of Life can revert the damage that the Ultra Beasts caused because the venom is something not found in this world. Tapu Lele's scales are also dangerous, and could possibly kill Mother due to how weak she is right now."
"So what can you guys do?" Axen asked, chiming in. Everyone turned to the teen, who looked annoyed. "Like, with all the money and resources at your disposal, you're telling me nothing can help heal that psychotic bitch?"
"Axen!" Kayla yelled out reproachfully, but Axen was unrepentant.
"No, he's right. My Mother is a psychotic bitch." Gladion agreed, earning a scandalized look from Lillie. "However awful she is, though, she's still our Mother. And if she's going to atone for her crimes and face what she's done, we have to make sure she's healthy again. But I'm drawing a blank on what we could possibly do."
Silence reigned at the table, with everyone unsure of how on earth to proceed. Lillie played with her salad, nudging a few pieces of lettuce around while vegan spaghetti was dropped off to Gladion and Demi. Just as they were about to start eating, the silence was broken.
"I…there is something." Lillie said quietly, drawing everyone's attention. The girl seemed to draw inward on herself, which made Gladion immediately concerned.
"What is it? Your tone doesn't make me feel very optimistic." Gladion replied, with Lillie wincing at his words, but nodding in agreement.
"There's nothing we can really do here in Alola. Between the Tapu and the power of the Aether Paradise at our disposal. However…if we look outside of Alola, we have more options." Lillie explained quietly, closing her eyes. "Colress has a contact in Kanto. A man named Bill, who's a world-class Pokémaniac and an unrivaled inventor."
"Bill!? I remember hearing about the dude having a time machine!" Kayla cried out, her eyes widening as she realized who Lillie was speaking of. "And he's the creator of the modern-day PC Storage System! You think he can help?"
"Yes, according to Colress, who's a good friend of Bill. He and Wicke reached out on Mother's behalf and asked if Bill could assist us." Lillie said quietly as she opened her eyes, looking away from them all. "Apparently he has a device that might be able to help. With his assistance, we might be able to use one of his machines to separate what remains of the Nihilego venom from Mother's body and save her. It's not a sure thing, but Bill seems pretty confident he can pull it off."
"But what are you not telling us?" Kevin asked, sensing something was wrong.
"Mother's not well enough to be teleported or even flown all the way to Kanto. She's too unstable, and her body can't handle it. We'd likely have to take a boat in order to meet with Bill in Cerulean City. And Bill can't come to us with his equipment since it's too sensitive and secret to risk being damaged or compromised. That's on top of the Pokémon League being wary enough as it is to let Mother have access to such state-of-the-art equipment in Kanto." Lillie explained to all of them, her face set into a tired frown.
"Ugh, that's awful." Axen grumbled, but Lillie wasn't done.
"The trip could take weeks and weeks, and that's even going into how long treating Mother could take even if Bill's machines work. It would require a journey to Kanto that may end up taking months…maybe even years, total." Lillie said in a low voice, looking back to them all and allowing them to see the turmoil on the girl's face.
"And the only one who'd be able to go with her and make sure everything goes well is you, Lillie." Gladion pointed out to the girl, who lowered her head. Silence filled the room as the others realized just what sort of bind the siblings were in.
"I know. You and Wicke have to take care of the Paradise. Father is still missing, and even if this Mohn person that Sun and Wes know is our father, he may be in no condition to help with such an undertaking like this. I'm under no such obligations. I could leave for Kanto immediately by the end of the week with no issues…except having to say goodbye to all of my friends." Lillie said to all of them, earning several shocked gasps at what decision Lillie would be forced to make.
She would have to say goodbye to all of the friends she had made in the past year and a half. She'd have to say farewell to everyone who had helped her on her journey. Lillie would have to leave behind everyone she was close to, in order to save the person who had tried to kill her and break her spirit.
It was a terrible choice to be given, and there was no right answer to it.
"No…Lillie, you can't. Not after what the woman's done to you!" Demi cried out, standing up angrily.
"I don't have a choice, Demi. No one else can do this but me. Someone has to take care of her and get her treated. She's barely hanging in there right now. How much worse could she get if we let her continue to waste away in the infirmary?" Lillie asked the former Team Skull Grunt.
"You're too good for her, Lillie." Axen grumbled, crossing his arms and scowling with annoyance. The other two members of Bone Unit 71 looked at each other, at a complete loss for words.
"You'd leave everyone behind? Just to help your evil Mother escape the consequences of what she's done?" Demi demanded of Lillie, who let out a small sigh.
"What if it was your father, Demi?" Lillie asked quietly, glancing at the girl who suddenly went still. "He disowned you and called you a disgrace. Your family turned their backs on you. And then they showed remorse and apologized when shown the error of their ways. Would you let Councilman Palena die, if you were in my shoes?"
"I…No. I'd do whatever it took to save him." Demi whispered, sitting back down in her chair. Gladion put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently before looking at his little sister.
"You'd be missing out on so much, just to keep watch over Mother."
"I know."
"And you know all of your friends are going to be heartbroken once they find out you'll be gone for so long."
"I know."
"And Sun…"
"I-I know, Gladion." Lillie looked up and Gladion's heart caught at the sight of the tears in her eyes. But her expression was determined. "But if that's what it takes for Mother to be well again, then I'll do what I have to. My friends would understand. And Sun…"
Lillie trailed off, placing her hands over her heart. "It'd be terrible to spend so long away from him. We were supposed to go on an adventure together. I love him, after all, but at the same time…I think he would be supportive. He chose to spare Borlath and went with me to save Mother in Ultra Space, after all."
"So how much of this has been ironed out?" Demi asked sadly, wiping her eyes on her hands.
"We've been discussing plans for the better part of a day. I just wanted to wait until after dinner to tell you about the possible plans…or rather, the likely plans at this rate. Wicke's already looking into things and has contacted a private yacht to escort us to Vermillion City, with some stops along the way." Lillie explained to them, with the group exchanging a series of looks.
"That soon, huh? So how's this trip going to work?" Kevin asked.
"From Vermillion City we'll go to Cerulean City and meet Bill. Wes, Aria and Hugh have already volunteered to come along with me. They said after everything we've been through and all the help I've given them in dealing with the Cipher crisis, they want to make sure we get there alright. Plus, they want to ensure there's no remaining Cipher activity in Kanto before they eventually return to Unova and help out there." Lillie added, with Gladion letting out a small sigh of relief. Those three were incredibly powerful Trainers and would be more than enough to safeguard his family while they were away from home.
"We'll figure out more of the details tomorrow. I'd ideally like to leave in a few days…but I'm waiting to see if Sun can become Champion before then." Lillie admitted, smiling despite the gloom that had settled over the room. "I want to be there when he's crowned as Champion of the Alola region. I can't miss it."
Gladion smirked, unable to help himself. His sister's confidence in her boyfriend was amusing to him. "You're that sure he can beat Hau and the Elite Four?"
"Quite confident. But that reminds me! I've got a surprise for you!" Lillie suddenly remembered, smiling brightly at her brother before reaching down to the floor and picking up her backpack. Gladion watched his sister dig around in it for a few moments before she pulled out a Poké Ball. Gladion stared at the Poké Ball with confusion, unsure where this was going.
"Fiaro, come on out!" Lillie called out, surprisingly Gladion as a Ninetales appeared in a flash of light. What was immediately noticeable about the Ninetales is that it was wearing a special gray-colored suit designed for quadruped Pokémon that covered his chest and part of his legs. Some of his once lustrous golden-white fur had been shaved off due to his surgery, but the Ninetales seemed otherwise fine.
Fiaro had been brutally beaten down by Lusamine's prized Bewear, Valérie, and his spine had been broken. It had taken the best of the Aether Foundation's medical team the better part of two full days to save the Ninetales and even longer to figure out a way to operate on the Fox Pokémon in order to begin his rehabilitation process. He'd have a very long way to go, but Fiaro had survived Lusamine's betrayal and smiled up at the son of his original Trainer with happiness.
"Niiiii!" Fiaro cried out, his tails swishing behind him. Gladion scrambled out of his chair with a gasp of surprise, falling onto the floor clumsily. Fiaro nuzzled Gladion's cheek, with the acting President of the Aether Paradise letting out a sigh of relief.
"So the rehab's finally paying off. Good to see you up and about, big guy." Gladion whispered, hugging his father's Ninetales.
"He'll likely never be able to seriously battle again, but considering how much damage Valérie was capable of doing, we should consider this to be nothing short of a miracle." Lillie said to her brother, who nodded in understanding.
"I'll take what I can get. Which reminds me, how's Luna? Any updates today on Mother's Clefable?" Gladion asked his sister, who shook her head. The only surviving member of Lusamine's team had been in critical condition after being doused with Nihilego venom and forced to fight using Z-Power. The damage done to Luna the Clefable's body was catastrophic.
"No. She's still unstable. She's still being fed through a tube, but we've been able to communicate with her a little bit. I'm not sure if she'll make the trip to Kanto..." Lillie said quietly, shaking her head with a small sigh. "I just have to have faith that she'll pull through. I'm just glad that Finn managed to steal her Poké Ball away from the Motherbeast so that at least someone on Mother's team survived her madness."
"We'll make sure she's well taken care of while you're gone. Wicke's been on top of things since we…"Gladion trailed off, realizing that the woman in question wasn't here and that he hadn't seen her in the few hours he had been back.
"Speaking of, where is Miss Wicke?" Gladion asked, glancing back at his sister. To his surprise, Lillie actually flushed at the question and averted her gaze.
"She's…um, preoccupied. You likely won't see her until the morning." Lillie answered before suddenly getting up.
"And why won't we-?" Gladion began to say, but Lillie abruptly cut off her brother.
"W-w-well, I've got to get going! Goodnight Glady! Goodnight everyone else!" Lillie said awkwardly as she quickly made her exit from the room without elaborating further. Gladion blinked several times in total confusion before looking over at Bone Unit 71.
"I think it had to do with that guy that got dropped off with Madam Prez two weeks ago. The one-armed dude who was in the infirmary and looked like crap." Axen explained to Gladion, who frowned as he realized what the teen was saying. Gladion sighed as he leaned back in his chair, frowning with annoyance.
"Just so long as she's able to walk downstairs tomorrow, I think I don't need to know anything more than that." Gladion grumbled, his own cheeks flushing at the thought of what the hypercompetent Branch Chief was up to in her off time. Demi snickered at her boyfriend's mood and reached over to take a bite of his spaghetti with her fork, earning an annoyed look from him before he smiled tiredly and kissed her on the cheek.
Bone Unit 71 exchanged a series of smirks before Kayla sighed loudly, pulling out a crisp bill from her wallet and handing it to Kevin. Gladion suddenly stood up from the table, knocking it over.
"Stop betting on my love life, you stupid pricks!" Gladion growled as the entire room burst into laughter. Even Gladion couldn't hold back a smile, despite his hardest efforts.
Meanwhile…
"Ha…ha…hoo…"
"What's wrong, Charlie? Did I take your breath away?"
"J-Julia, you're an animal. What the hell was that!?"
Aether Branch Chief Julia Wicke could only chuckle as she rolled out of her bed. She took a few steps over to a nearby recliner where she had thrown her bathrobe, putting it on with a giggle before turning around to see the man who she had just shared her bed with.
Charles Dawson, for his part, was coated in sweat and looked like he had just gone five rounds in the ring a Machamp, but there was more life to his eyes than there had been since he had escaped Ultra Space.
"Seems you're just out of practice, Charlie. We'll have to work on that, but I had a lovely time regardless. I've been wanting to do that for months, you know..." Wicke admitted, causing Dawson to blink in surprise. Apparently his constant flirting all those months ago had an effect after all. "You might make me want to strangle you sometimes, but I missed you dearly when you were gone." Wicke said with a mischievous smile, even as she sauntered over to the window, opened them and stepped onto her balcony. Indeed, one of the few rooms within the Aether Paradise that had its own balcony, but being friends with Lusamine and Mohn had its perks.
"Come join me. Watching the sun rise from here is one of my favorite things to do." Wicke said as she heard some rustling behind her. A few moments later, Dawson limped over to the railing with a tired smile wearing sweatpants.
"It's amazing how new and amazing even the smallest things are now, after being trapped in that place." Dawson murmured as Wicke leaned against his side. "It really changes your perspective."
"Yes, I'd imagine so." Wicke replied, smiling at the comment. "By the way, we'll be finally separating Perfect Kyurem tomorrow. Zinnia will be arriving at the Paradise in the evening to begin the ritual. Do you want to be there for it?"
"It's probably not appropriate for me to be there. I'll rest up and take a rain check on that one." Dawson said ruefully, earning a hum from Wicke.
"That's your choice. I guess I'll just count the moments until we're together again." Wicke said with a teasing smile, turning to glance at Dawson and kissing him on the cheek. Dawson smiled for a moment, but it lasted only a few moments before the man's expression darkened. "What's wrong, Charlie?"
"What's going to happen to me, Julia?" Dawson asked as he leaned against the railing, eyeing the rising sun in the distance with a forlorn expression. "This feels wrong. Like I got away with everything I did. All that anger, all that rage and that feeling of righteous justice that kept me going for so long…they're gone. And now I just think of all the people I've killed. All the people I've hurt. I'm standing here and not in a jail cell…is that okay?"
"I'll leave that to the International Police. You've hurt so many people, Charlie…" Wicke said in a quiet voice, considering the situation carefully. "But you did what you could to make things right. You saved a lot of lives, including mine, and helped save the Aether President from her own madness in Ultra Space. And after everything you went through in Ultra Space…only a handful of people know you're even alive. And they all seem to think that at this point, with Cipher all but gone and its leadership eradicated, there's no reason to punish you further for your crimes."
Wicke then wrapped an arm around Dawson's waist and pulled him to her side. "Maybe you survived everything for a reason."
"You think so?" Dawson responded tiredly, not looking towards her.
"Ultra Space sounds like it was absolute hell from what you, Guzma, Sun and Lillie told me of it. Considering what you've lost because of that…maybe that was punishment enough for your crimes." Wicke remarked quietly, earning a look from Dawson as he considered her words. He could tell that the woman had more to speak on the subject, but was letting Dawson make the decision himself.
"Maybe so. I lost three of my Pokémon. I probably had a few years shaved off my life while in there, due to whatever poison from those monster's ended up in me before I blasted my arm off." Dawson said quietly, closing his eyes. "Cipher's done and all that anger…that desire for righteous and painful justice to be delivered to those who allowed horrible acts to happen on their watch is just gone now. I'm too tired. If whatever gods are out there saw fit to give me a second chance at life, then maybe I should just go with it."
"Then it sounds like once you've fully recovered, we'll be putting you back to work…you'll need a new name." Wicke asked Dawson, who looked confused. "Your old alias was busted when you saved me. Faba would remember it, as would others here. This could be the chance for a new beginning, Charlie."
"That doesn't feel right at all, Julia." Dawson murmured, closing his eyes. "I might have faced some punishment, but it's not right that I escape my crimes and hide in plain sight here. You could get in trouble."
"You wouldn't be, because you went through unimaginable suffering in that terrible place. Because you saved my life." Wicke stressed to the former Cipher Admin, who looked unsure of himself. "And let that guilt of your actions be what helps you atone, Charlie. If you're so guilty over the ones you've wronged and hurt, then spend your life trying to make up for your mistakes. The Aether Paradise is under new leadership and we're going to really focus on helping others more now than ever…will you let me start with helping you?"
Dawson sensed that there was more to what Wicke was saying, but he couldn't pick up on what it was. And so he asked her. "What is it that you really want from me, Julia?"
"I'm asking you to let go." Wicke said gently to the man, placing a hand over his as they looked out over the tranquil and jet-black sea together. It was a long while before either of them spoke, but when Dawson spoke his words were halting.
"It seems to me that Charles Dawson perished within Ultra Space…and the Aether Paradise hired a guy who only has one arm." The man finally said in a low voice, raising his head letting out a harsh exhale. "Maybe you've got a point. Perhaps this can be a chance for me to finally become something different, Julia."
Dawson's expression hardened as he remembered the pain that had been his mantra. "For so long, I let my anger drive me. My desire to avenge the people who had been hurt by the system. My hatred for Team Aqua and Team Magma and how I lost my little brother. The incompetence of the Pokémon League and their leniency towards criminals who put the entire world in danger infuriated me…so many cried out for justice, and I let myself be swept away in my own fury so that I could deliver it. it feels beyond hypocritical to be given a second chance at life when you take into the account the people who died because of my actions."
The former Cipher Admin then gave Wicke's hand a small squeeze. "But you forgave me for my sins. Sun and Lillie did. Me dying wouldn't help anyone, but if I can do some good here, then maybe that's a start."
"How does being on the personal security team of the Branch Chief sound? Good?" Wicke said with a satisfied smirk to the former bounty hunter, who stared at her for a long while before smiling wanly at the woman and nodding at her.
"I guess so. And thanks, Julia. I'll make the most of this second chance. I swear it." Dawson promised the woman, who replied with just a light chuckle as she kissed him on the cheek. Together the two of them watched the sunrise for a while longer before finally returning to bed together.
NEXT TIME: Sun reaches the summit and Zinnia finally splits apart Perfect Kyurem!
This one ended up longer than planned, but hey, that's just how it goes. I've been meaning to get to some of these things for a while, so expect more of the same with the next update.
Q & A
From: SolanaLeonhart
On another note, I don't know if it was in your plans or not but can we please see Null's evolution? I was really looking forward to it.
Things really do seem to be looking up. And now I'm wondering what it'd be like on Lusamine's end. Considering all what happened, hoo boy. I don't actually remember them talking much about her recovery in the game, did they?
1. Hopefully the scene lived up to your expectations! I actually went back and added that scene when I started writing this AN because of your question, because that's absolutely something that should be shown in this story. I decided to go for a character-based evolution moment, since Gladion's character arc has reached its conclusion.
2. Yeah, the game skims over that aspect of things due to the shock of Lillie's departure from Alola. I believe I've managed to explain the logistics behind that decision, which was a lose-lose choice from Lillie's perspective. She had to make an impossible decision and a heartbreaking one.
From: General C
Lucario, a Pokemon known for its capabilities as a fighting type, nicknamed Balthus, Abyss' king of grappling... Is the Three Houses reference intentional or coincidental?
While Selene's still on my mind, provided there's any room for Battle Tree chapters, is there any chance that she might be a potential cameo a-la the opposite protagonist in Gen 5 on the Battle Subway? That always stuck out to me as an awesome way to use the unpicked character and it's a crying shame they never did it again after Unova.
With Brago back on the team, is Sun taking his OG 6 up and leaving Nebby behind? Or did Kukui sign off on Sun carrying a 7th around?
1. I absolutely did. I'm honestly a little annoyed I haven't used more Fire Emblem: Three Houses references in my story, but I totally made that reference when it came to Balthus. Keep an eye out for more of those, because I certainly plan on making more of them from time to time because Fire Emblem: Three Houses is amazing.
2. I don't see why not. I plan to cover the Battle Tree, at least in part, so I could probably include her there. Maybe she can show Sun around the area.
3. It was explained earlier, but I'll answer here as well. Sun got permission from Professor Kukui to keep Nebby with him as his seventh official Pokemon since it is Alola's sacred sun god and all that, but Sun can only actively battle with six Pokemon.
That's all for now, folks. As always, I appreciate any and all feedback you feel like giving me in the review section below. And if you haven't already, Favorite and/or Follow the story and feel free to drop any questions you have down below.
Don't forget about checking out Radiant Sun's sister story, "Pokémon Nuzlocke Novels: Ancient Scarlet", and support further nonsense from yours truly. We're getting ready to tackle Team Star's Dark Base and it's about to get wild.
Take care and stay awesome!
Until next time, FlygonNick out!