Sun And Lillie Vs. The World (The Sequel to Heart of a Champion)

Chapter 8- The Beginning of a New Journey

10 Years later

"The score now stands at Silver's 5 to Lei's 2!" The TV belted out as I slumped back on the couch I was sitting on with Kukui, Burnet, Elio (18 now), and Lillie. Stella, now 13, also visibly sighed on her recliner. "I can't believe this!" I shouted angrily, "...This is destroying the sport! Absolutely ridiculous!" I continued angrily. Kukui and Burnet hugged each other tightly. Elio looked to me, "I agree, this isn't right at all." Lillie covered her mouth with her hand as she sat there worriedly. The problem wasn't that Lei was losing...I didn't care about that, he's a great trainer, but things happen. No that wasn't it. Silver, the new Champion from Johto, his team consisted of Weavile, Raikou, Suicune, Entei, Ho-Oh, and Lugia. You see the problem. 5 Legendaries. Sure I had Nebby but I never used him. There was sort of an unwritten rule to not do that, it's like putting a team of professional basketballs player against some local high school team, sure it could be done but it's just not fair, and it's not a level playing field. Elio was fuming to see his good friend going down like this. Lillie was obviously disheartened and I didn't like to see that at all. I watched Lei's Lycanroc doing it's best, it managed to take down Ho-Oh with it's Splintered Stormshards move earlier but that was about all he could get besides Weavile. Unfortunately it fell easily to Lugia and that was it. 6-2 defeat in the semi Finals for the Alolan Champion.

To recap the last few years, after I retired, Hau actually accepted my offer and took over as Champion, he did a great job too, many challenges in his first couple months and he took them all down. Hau vs Kahili was an absolute blockbuster of an event, it packed the stadium and Hau cemented himself as the greatest in the region. Lei was 14 at the time and started his island challenge. He finished the year of the World Championship and came for Haus title. He ended up becoming one of the youngest champions in Pokemon League history after upsetting Hau and went on to the World Championship later that year. The contestants that year were Leaf, Gold, Brendan, Dawn, Rosa, Serena, Lei, and Leon. The scores were, Leaf 5-6 Leon, Dawn 5-6 Rosa, Gold 4-6 Lei, then to close the round Serena upset Brendan 6-5. The second round had Leon beating Rosa 6-4 and Serena beating Lei 6-5. Leon's swan song wasn't to be as he lost the final to Serena 6-5 to give Kalos their first Champion. Leon retired after his very long career, won the whole thing his rookie year but was unfortunately never able to afterwards. Lei wasn't expected to go that far, 14 year old kid wasn't supposed to have a chance but he ended up getting decently far. He wasn't dissatisfied and neither was I. As I told him, he made me proud and I assured him he was still on course to win a title, probably even the next time, and we worked together for these 5 years to get him ready for this one.

This world championship started the year Elio graduated from school, he was going to work as a teacher at the trainer's school but that's besides the point. This year the champions were Leaf, Silver, May, Dawn, Rosa, Serena, Lei, and Victor. Champions seemed to shift less frequently than they used to. That being said, Silver beat Leaf 6-1(Yes 6-1), Lei got his win over Victor 6-3, May beat Dawn 6-5, and Serena did her best to defend her title with a 6-5 victory over Rosa. That led us here. To Lei vs Silver. Silver was relentless he used the legendaries' power to the fullest, which further annoyed me because he seemed like a great trainer who could win without them.

Anyway back to now. "6-2! Silver with another dominating performance! Can anybody stop him?" I got up and left the room, I felt sick to my stomach, Lillie followed me. I walked to my and Lillie's room and sat down on the bed, I held my hand to my forehead and sighed deeply. Lillie sat down next to me and didn't do anything. She was visibly heartbroken for her godchild. "It's just not fair...poor Lei..." Lillie sulked. I wrapped my arm around her, "I know Lil. I just don't know what to tell him..." I heard Elio and Kukui shouting angrily about something and moments later my 13 year old daughter Stella came in to our room. "Hey Stel, what's on your mind?" I asked her. She just sighed and said, "I think you might want to see this." I walked downstairs and Lillie followed. On the TV was Silver giving his post match interview. "...I proved that the region is worth nothing now. Sun was good in his time. Us new trainers are different though. We're faster and more in sync, we are just all around better. I beat his little protogé with ease. I won't ever lose, I'm simply a new breed of trainer. I think people are starting to realize what I already knew. Sun is a coward. He didn't want to face loss at the hands of better trainers, so he ran with his tail tucked away from the sport while he still could. Every other Champion lost before they retired, it was tradition and he broke it for his own ego. Lei is just a better version of him and you saw what I just did to him. Don't test me with those mediocre trainers." The channel then cut to a desk who was ready to start covering the next match between Serena and May.

I was disappointed. I had told Lillie that people would try to validate themselves off of my name but I didn't expect it to be in that kind of way. He insulted my home, my friends, and my family, I don't know if I can stand for it. Everyone at the watch party turned solemnly to me as if I had some kind of answer to their problems, Elio began, "He doesn't know the first thing...! Dad, you should come back and beat him." I stared at the floor, I didn't know if I could. I had promised that I wouldn't let people who called me out get to me...but I was very angered by what had happened. "Elio, I'd love to but I don't know if I could, even then I need to be above it. Battling him would give him what he wants, if I don't then he'll continue to call me out though." Lillie looked to me and began, "Sun... I've loved having you with me all the time since you've been retired. But if you need to go out there one more time and remove any doubts... I'm behind you." Stella nodded, "Yeah Dad we're with you." Elio, Kukui, and Burnet also nodded. I had beaten Leaf 6-5 10 years ago, Silver beat a more experienced and better version of her 6-1, could I really stand any chance against him? I shook my head. "I appreciate all the faith you have in me, but I'm gonna work this out with Lei. I'm retired, he can say what he wants about me, he's just chasing a ghost." I shrugged and sat back down. "Kukui after you talk with Lei let me know. I'll try to comfort him. After that though, he might be inconsolable." After that Kukui and Burnet left and I was left with just my family. I hated to leave things on such a sour note.

Later that night I connected on a call to Lei and began to talk to him, "Lei....I'm sorry...I let you down." I heard Lei's voice on the other end, quite similar to Kukui's, "It's not your fault Sun, don't beat yourself up over it. I was the trainer and I got beat today. I have to go back and get better for next time." He had such a good attitude about it, which sort of surprised me but I was happy to hear it. "Lei that wasn't fair to you at all. When you get back, if you're up for it, I'd love to keep working with you so we can get ready for next time." I heard him laugh slightly, "Of course. I can't say I'm not upset, but it's nothing getting back to work can't fix." Elio walked out to our balcony with me at that moment, "Lei, Elio's here you want to talk to him?" "Yeah I would actually." I handed the phone to my son and he began to talk to Lei. I waited for him to finish inside the screen doors that led to the balcony. Elio came back in and stood next to me. "I hate this. It's just not fair to him at all... he worked so hard, and then to have Silver say all that stuff about you and Alola after that...it's just not right." I shrugged, "I know. I don't have much I can do about it though. I mean we could ask the champions to ban legendaries but I feel like that might not pass, I think someone's going to have to beat him." Elio leaned against the wall, "I don't know if anyone could. Other than you." I shook my head, "I appreciate the faith you have in me Elio but this isn't my battle, this is Lei's, Silvers just trying to drag me in to it." He nodded and then walked downstairs to the basement where his room was, we had added the basement when he was about 10 or so and outgrew his old room, so he and Stella could have their own.

I also went to my room where Lillie was sitting on the bed in her night gown. I sat down next to her. "Sun how's Lei, is he alright?" I nodded, "He seems to be doing ok, he's a good guy, he's focused on getting better for next time." Lillie seemed relieved by that, "That's good. I was worried for him, but to tell you the truth, I'm also really worried about you." I laid back on the bed, still next to her, "Why would that be?" She sighed, "I know how competitive you are when it comes to these things. I know for sure Silver's words had to infuriate you beyond belief. He said some nasty things about you and...I just hate to think that you might be burdened by it." As usual she knew me all too well, "Lil, as always you're right. I'm satisfied with my legacy and beyond happy to have such a wonderful family, but he's right, I walked away. I don't know why but I feel like I almost owe it to him to go to the next tournament to battle him. But I can't, I'm retired and its Lei's title now." Lillie continued to sit up, deep in thought about what to tell me, once again I don't deserve her at all. "Sun. You don't owe him anything. But you can pay him back by working harder than ever with Lei for these next few years, he's a great trainer and an even better learner, he can do it." I nodded, "You're the best Lil. Not a minute passes where I'm not thankful for you." She blushed a little bit and then laid down next to me as we both fell asleep.

Author's Note
Sun's fears years ago have been realized, a new challenger is calling him out of retirement. I hope this new chapter of Sun and Lillie's story will be entertaining to you guys!