ã€ŠA Grafted Flower - a Pokemon Sun/Moon storyã€‹


 Chapter 1: A Grafted Flower

    ¡°Class is dismissed!¡±

    The clatter of chairs, desks and loud cheers erupted around me, as the class of Hau¡¯oli City, Melemele, stood and celebrated the end of 10th grade.

    I kept my head down. My oddish, partner of many years and nocturnal little plant they were, languidly awoke on my lap and looked around in confusion. I leaned my chair back and twirled my black hair around my fingers as my brain tried to decipher the unopened paper envelope on my desk like it held the mysteries of the world.

    Here we were, all young of 15 to 16, teenagers full of cheer and ambition against the world. A week ago, a select few had received prized trained starters or otherwise had registered a family pokemon of their own to start with. In just a few days, the new generation of trial goers of all four islands of Alola will meet in Iki Village, Melemele, for the yearly Tapu festival, and the island challenge will begin in earnest.

    Mom had spoken fondly of her own island challenge experience - the journey, the battles, the bonds made with her pokemon - but that had been over twenty years ago. Since then, Alola had opened up to the wider world, and the wider world had lofty expectations and made lofty  demands . The system was changed and expectations were set for a new, modern educative system where children would truly shine, so the politicians at the time had claimed.

    The Alolan island challenge was now graded. Something closer to the gym challenge of Kalos and Galar, where the number of badges earned would open up better opportunities for higher education, or in the worst cases restrict one¡¯s options drastically. And just like Kalos and Galar, trained regional starters were awarded, provided that your grades were high enough or your parents had the right connections.

    In addition, considering the untamed nature of Alola¡¯s wilderness, it was deemed safer for kids to travel in groups of three. The composition of said groups would be determined by the school staff based on complementary skills that the students had demonstrated over the past school years.

    So here I was. At my school desk, surrounded by chatting students, oddish in lap, holding the official envelope that would tell me which classmates I¡¯d be chained to for the following months. In blocky black print, the name  Selene Matsu  would be next to two others. The answer was right there, and I was too scared to discover it.

    Too many bad experiences with group assignments.

    Around me, classmates were already starting to group up based on their assigned composition: I saw a trio of jock boys, clearly hoping they could have been together, lament to one another about who they had been saddled with. My eye caught the look of one of the few people I¡¯d considered a friend: a portly ginger teen by the name of Sawney, hands from two separate teens resting on his shoulders. My eyes widened and I couldn¡¯t stop an  oof  , poor dude had been assigned to the Tuari twins, notoriously bad students. Averting my gaze, I looked at another triad in expensive clothing and let out an audible sigh of relief when I realized that those prep girls would be together - which meant that  I  wouldn¡¯t end up with any of  them .

    Nearby movement snapped me out of my reverie. My Oddish, Petal, turned to me with a concerned look on their face, and one of their leaves pointed and nudged in the direction of the door.

    That¡¯s right - it was the end of the period, nothing forced me to stay and find out who was in my group now! The start of the challenge would be after the weekend on monday, and I had all the time in the world to look at my envelope before then. I whispered my thanks to my favorite plant, hurriedly packed my bags and slipped out of the class holding Petal to my chest.

    <hr>

    The gentle rocking of the bus on the road paused. It lurched like a record scratch as the vehicle drove across a pothole and continued on. I blinked blearily, dozily watching as road lights whizzed by on the cliff side of route 1.

    In the distance, the sun set on Alola¡¯s largest city. Gleaming chrome towers faced the sea stacking ever upward as they receded unto the bordering cliff and into the heart of Melemele. Cruise ships came and docked at the harbor, fueling the city with its endless stream of tourists and travelers. Pinap and nanab trees swayed in the wind. The twilight sun cast a gentle orange glow over the horizon.

    ¡°Oddish.¡±

    I looked back at Petal, sitting in my lap as always. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    They turned fully to face me. Their leaves described a lazy arc in a half circle above their head [Question], then they touched my arm [You], and two leaves raised up in a facsimile of a smile [Happy?], concern visible on their face.

    ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m okay, Petal.¡± I rubbed the top of their head between their leaves, in the way I knew they liked. ¡°Just a little anxious about the challenge, is all.¡±

    My Oddish raised an eyebrow. ¡°Odd. Oddish.¡± They pointed up, then wiggled side to side, then drew a circle that finished up [I] [Move] [Good], they touched my arm, then leaned up and touched my temple, and once more drew a circle that ended at the top [You] [Think] [Good]. Once more, they touched my arm, repeated previous motions and nodded with confidence [You] [Good] .

    ¡°I mean¡­ you¡¯re not wrong¡± I said back sheepishly, ¡°But it¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about. We won¡¯t be alone in this. There¡¯s going to be two more trial-goers with us, and they¡¯ll have their own partners as well.¡±

    Without stopping a beat, my starter¡¯s eyes narrowed and they pointed up, then one of their leaves smacked into one other [Me] [Fight] [Them].

    ¡°Bwuh-uh  no! ¡± I whisper-shouted as I jumped on my seat. ¡°Petal, we don¡¯t fight our classmates!!

    Petal turned to the side with a scoff, head high and leaves crossing in a dismissive motion.

    I let out a sigh and got my things, our stop coming closer. The bus stopped and we left the vehicle to find ourselves in town proper, Petal now fully awake and following along as the sun set over the ocean.

    Hau¡¯oli is always awake. Tourism ensured that businesses must be open at all times, and so cafes, restaurants, apparel and souvenir shops tickled the senses with local food and authentic fabrics. Travelers brought their pokemon along, and it wasn¡¯t unusual to see any that didn¡¯t belong in the region: here, a vacationing Johtoan family walked with a Snubbull in tow, there, an ace trainer chatted with a Dragonite in flying gear. Alolan pokemon still clearly outnumbered non-regionals, as Pikipek dotted the skies, bounsweet rested in bushes, and a few passimian played ball with teens on the beach.

    Something at the edge of my senses irked me, though. We hadn¡¯t quite gotten through the main road through town yet that a sound that didn¡¯t belong could be overheard. In the distance, the rhythmic and frantic sounds of hooves galloping at maximum speed on asphalt, and the hoarse voice of a boy my age  screaming my name out.

    Instincts instantly told me to quicken my walking pace. Instead, I stopped and turned around, Petal moving to get between me and the perceived threat.

    There was a loud  screeeech  as the Tauros galloping here planted all four hooves on the ground, slowed down its momentum, and just collapsed in pure exhaustion as it reached me. The boy atop stumbled off his ride as inertia carried him forward, and with a wave and a smile, simply greeted me with a ¡°Alola!¡±

    The boy was tall and stocky, dark green hair tied back in a high ponytail. He wore crocs, orange shorts and a dark shirt, and his face radiated cheer and amusement as he scratched the back of his neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m Hau! Hau Halakaua - sorry, I know we haven¡¯t spoken much in class. I¡¯m gonna be your partner for the island challenge!¡±

    ¡°....Okay.¡±

    ¡°Man, I missed you out the class by  inches  - Toro here usually brings me home to Iki Village, but when I saw you in the distance, I had him race your bus on the road - oh geez, that sounds creepier than it is. Sorry. You got any water for him, by chance?¡±

    His sudden pace and enthusiasm had my head spinning, but I had enough wits about me to grab my bag and rifle around for a bottle. I kneeled, and gently tilted the water bottle to the tauros¡¯ snout.

    The bos ira , or common Tauros, was a pokemon that I learned to be traditionally irate and violent. A bovine quadrupedal covered in thick brown fur, head protected with thick bony plates and curved horns, body ending in a trio of whipping tails. True to his normal typing, Toro¡¯s exhausted body still displayed bulk and pure physical strength, and my hand holding the water bottle hesitated for a second.

    Toro¡¯s sniffing snout twitched. His eyes first creeped open, then his pupils dilated and crossed as he stared at the bottle with intense thirst. His bovine lips latched onto the bottle opening and he started greedily taking big gulps of refreshing water, his eyes wide and looking back up at me, more expressive than any Tauros I had ever seen. Despite everything, I couldn¡¯t stop the compulsory smile that formed on my face - the normal type seemed imposing and strong at first, but melted on the ground and nursing the bottle as he was, he just looked a little goofy.

    ¡°Oh, um¡± I started, gathering saliva to talk, ¡°Is he your starter?¡±

    ¡°Nah - I wish, but the big lug is a little bit too strong for the first island, apparently. He¡¯s the calf of a Tauros from my dad¡¯s old team, and I hear he got all the good genes. Oh,¡± Movement around his feet stopped Hau on his tracks. ¡°Uh, hi there, what¡¯s your pokemon doing?¡±

    Behind me, Petal fiddled around Hau¡¯s legs, slapping his calves with one of their leaves, appraising the boy like one would a race Ponyta. Then they looked at me, pointed, shook their head and traced a circle ending up: [This] [No] [Good].

    ¡°Uhhh¨C that¡¯s just their way of saying hello! Say alola, Petal!¡±

    ¡°Oddish.¡±

    ¡°Alola, Petal!¡± Hau said as he kneeled and shook one of Petal¡¯s leaves eagerly, ¡°I will be in the care of you and your trainer, then!¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    This isn¡¯t so bad,  I thought for a moment.  This is good, right? Hau from class seemed nice enough.  Hau¡¯s young Tauros snapped me out of my thoughts as I felt his nose nuzzle my hand in contentment. He gave me a thankful  moooo  and stood back up on his hooves.

    ¡°Okay, now that we¡¯re introduced and all, Selene, I got a question,¡± I heard, then turned to Hau, the boy rifling through his bag and seeing a familiar crumpled up envelope bearing his own name. He opened it up and squinted his eyes as he read. ¡°Do you know anybody called  ¡®Lilliane Athier ?¡±

    <hr>

    I didn¡¯t know anybody called Lilliane Athier.

    Sure, there was a tingle of recognition, like I had heard of the name before - but nothing beyond that. Hau, Lilliane and I were to be traveling together for the challenge, but for the moment, it was only Hau and I walking through Hau¡¯oli city.

    The chrome shopfronts of the main road gave way to concrete buildings as we went up the cliffs into the city proper. Past the glam and the glitz, Hau¡¯oli was cramped and busy, there needed a lot of housing space for all this population, and a lot of stores to feed all of them. A couple of residents walked with a Furfrou and a Mime jr, Rattatas and Yungeese could be seen in the alleyways if one looked carefully, and Wingulls squawked as they perched on the telephone lines above.

    Finally, one tawny girl and her Oddish, me, and one brown boy, Hau, sans Tauros who had decided to return home.

    We entered an apartment complex - punched the code in, through the small courtyard, through the damp corridor, up a creaky flight of stairs - and finally unlocked the door to my family¡¯s flat.

    ¡°Uh, come on in.¡± I told my guest.

    Hau let my Oddish in first - then practically skipped inside, head on a swivel, looking at everything in the living room: picture frames resting on scratched furniture, a wall of old movie cassettes, mom¡¯s novels, dad¡¯s incomplete Kanto badge case, the wide-open door to my room where my anime posters were clearly visible¨C  Shit!

    Shit shit shit shit¨C  my mind played this mantra on a loop as I briskly walked to the door and closed it, then turned to see Hau looking at that space with wide eyes, gears turning in his head. Was that it? Had I ruined it all?  Was he going to tell everybody I¡¯m a freak?

    ¡°Selene¡­¡± he started, head slowly turning in my direction, ¡°...do you watch  Full Golurk Alchemist ?¡±

    I gulped and carefully, slowly, enunciated my calculated answer. ¡°...I watch a very normal amount of Full Golurk Alchemist, yes¡±

    Hau took exactly one second to process what I had said.

    <hr>

    Two hours had passed, and Hau was now my new best friend.

    We laid on the couch snacking on potato chips and watching on the television the adventures of a blond aura-user and his brother-turned-golurk.

    My family¡¯s kantoan Meowth, aptly named Meowy, had claimed Hau¡¯s knees for himself - the affection-starved feline had captured the heart of the young boy through persistent leg-rubbing and head nuzzles, and was now purring up a storm on Hau¡¯s lap. My Oddish had mostly been chilling with us, watching shows that I had watched with them a thousand times before, and providing commentary through voice tone and gestures. A harsh critic.

    Meanwhile, Hau had finally released his official starter who turned out to be far, far less friendly that any other pokemon I had met today.

    The  felis solum  or Litten was a feline pokemon with a rich history on Alola, rumored to be one of the first few pokemon that were blessed by the Tapus themselves to be fierce protectors of the islands - at least once they evolved. The Litten bore short black fur with red stripes, said to produce the oil that would fuel its fires. Litten had always been known to be solitary and aloof - but  Loa  the Litten seemed to be an extreme example.

    As soon as she had been released, she had turned her back to her trainer, and seemed intent on responding to as few demands as possible, and with the shortest responses she could offer. She had responded to Meowy¡¯s greeting with hissing and arched backs, while Petal had tactfully decided to give her a wide berth. Hau seemed practically nonplussed by the whole thing, through obliviousness or denial I couldn¡¯t discern. He had in fact at some point eagerly claimed that  Loa can do this thing, where she looks at you and it makes a chill go down your spine, it¡¯s a riot¨C here Loa, do the thing!  and the Litten had turned to Hau and unleashed a full-force Leer in his direction. Hau simply stood there, arms outstretched and full body trembling, bearing the move with a goofy smile.

    Nonetheless, Loa the litten had eventually found a high-up spot on the living room that she had deemed acceptable.

    It was starting to get a little late, and Hau had to catch the bus to Iki Village at some point - so he offered, for the sake of figuring out each other¡¯s strength and weaknesses, to have a quick pokemon battle.

    Loa the Litten seemed to approve of it - the first time she approved of anything since we had met. She had come down from her perch and focused silently on Hau and I, while my Oddish had returned to my side and seemed eager to test themself as well. I wasn¡¯t too happy - Petal may have been looking forward to it, but they still remained a little squat plant in my mind.

    And so I unlocked the door, we walked down the creaky flight of stairs, crossed through the damp corridor, and entered the shared empty courtyard of the apartment complex.

    ¡°Okay. One on one battle. First to faint or surrender loses. Your mom¡¯s Meowth¡¯s refereeing, and we go at first squeak. Sounds good?¡±

    I stood there on one side of our building¡¯s apartment courtyard, and tentatively nodded to Hau. My Oddish, Petal, took position alert and ready in front of me then looked back with a surprisingly fierce look on their face. I knew worry was visible on my features, but Petal¡¯s leaves only rustled in anticipation. On the other side of the courtyard, a grinning Hau and his litten, Loa. She regarded us with cool and calculated poise, shoulders hunched like a prowling pyroar. Hau grinned, hands in his pockets, tall and stocky and radiant as ever.

    On the side, squeaky Rattata toy in mouth, mom¡¯s Meowth grinned around his mouthful and took on his role with gusto:

    ¡°Meeeeyow me-meowth!¡± he yowled like an announcer at a major league event, and then with a fierce downward bite, the toy let out a loud SQUEAK.

    Immediately, there was movement too fast for my eyes to follow. Loa the litten sprung into action. Before Hau could even get a command in, her lithe body had pounced forward and she was already across the field, speeding towards her opponent.

    ¡°Uhhh, scratch ¡®em!¡± Hau shouted, startled and amused by his starter, ¡°Just scratch ¡äem good!¡±

    Petal stood their ground and glared at the litten, squat body low and leaves in front, biding their time, until Loa stood within reach - with a gulp I wrenched my frayed nerves back into focus to shout my commands: ¡°S-Sweet scent! Poison powder!¡± A cloud of pink fog sprayed out from Petal¡¯s mouth, and purple spores followed suit just as the litten¡¯s attack connected.

    A resounding  smack rang out in the narrow courtyard as Petal¡¯s body was sent tail over teakettle back a few feet. They righted themself and stood back up painfully, with visible scratch marks that drew a wince over their features. While Loa¡¯s attack connected, Petal¡¯s chemicals took effect: the Litten stumbled in the pink cloud with her senses overwhelmed, eyes watering and nose starting to leak, as the poison spores started to seep in her fur. I blinked, realized that this wasn¡¯t over, and heard Hau shouting:

    ¡°Whoa! Back off Loa, get out of there! Follow my voice!¡±

    Eyes squinted and hissing, Loa jumped backwards out of the cloud, but coughed and tripped and picked herself up. On the other side of the field, Petal briefly looked toward me, their face now clearly marked by claw lines. I know what I must have looked like, looking at them: body tense, arms close to the chest and fists balled. My Oddish¡¯s pain scared me. I couldn¡¯t speak.

    Bouncing from one foot to the other excitedly, Hau shouted loudly: ¡°Tapus on the mountain, this is  fun ! Your Bounsweet¡¯s got some tricks!¡±

    ¡°H-huhh, yeah! Thanks! ¡­They¡¯re an Oddish!¡±

    ¡°My mistake!  Ember !¡±

    Loa reared back then spat flaming hairballs at Petal who narrowly dodged the first, the second, but not the third - getting a leaf-full of fiery gunk in the process.

    My eyes darted across the battlefield as I watched Loa approach the writhing Petal rolling and beating out the flames. My heart beat out loudly in my chest, and I felt like I couldn¡¯t open my mouth - but I could see and think, and I realized that the Litten¡¯s movement  was  slowing down. Though she prowled forward to finish off her prey, her steps were less graceful and her breath was ragged. Out of the three embers she had spat, the first was dodged, but the second was a  misfire , as poison was coursing through her body and causing her to flinch and cough. My nerves stilled and I steeled myself.

    ¡°Okay. You got this, Petal. Leech seed. Slow her down.¡±

    The oddish awkwardly rolled backwards and up and they  stomped and power coursed through the earth. Hau let out a warning and his Litten stopped, her feline eyes narrowing in suspicion, staring at Petal and getting ready to dodge.

    No projectile came. Instead, thin roots shot out the ground and painfully pinned a front leg and a back leg, breaking her balance and making her fall with a yowl to the dirt below. The roots pulsed and glowed green as vitality was slowly drained from her and siphoned to Petal, whose scorched leaves started to regain some color.

    The litten started flailing desperately in an attempt to escape - ¡°Loa! Burn the roots and slice yourself out!¡± - and then she stilled, focused, and all of her fur  burned  all at once in a flash. In one move, she sliced the weakened plants with her claws, and in another, got ready to pounce - but her sprained paws stopped her with a wince, and with another stomp of Petal¡¯s foot, vines roped around Loa¡¯s legs once more. This time, Loa Leered at her opponent who  flinched  and unfocused, and then she let out a roar and pushed through the pain, ripped the roots out of the ground and freed herself once more.

    And so the back and forth went, for a minute.

    The Litten was unrelenting. She moved, weaved, ducked under attacks and escaped traps but still suffered glancing blows and had her stamina steadily drained. The Oddish defended themself and impaired their opponent with tricks and hidden vines but attacks that did land on them had them reeling.

    With every blow, I winced. For every inch of their skin touched by flame, I felt guilt. And yet, when I looked at their glinting eyes and their confident expression, I could see the drive that pushed them to become better and improve. Just a little waddling squat plant, and yet standing up to a trained starter of the stronger type. Petal¡¯s pride shone through their actions, and their pride drove them to fight back, with smarter and meaner tricks.

    Pokemon clash all the time in the wild, after all.

    Who would I be to deny their nature?

    Finally, a particularly mean hairball had my pokemon set  aflame  - I watched with shock as fire had truly taken over their body, them rolling on the dirt floor and letting out pained cries. I could barely register my mom¡¯s Meowth seemingly still gleefully playing the referee role and announcing Loa and Hau¡¯s victory while I practically wrenched the garden hose from its stand and turned the water on as hard as I can - and with a final spray of water over my starter, my first battle came to a close.

    I approached my soggy, battered grass type as I felt through my bag for the potion bottle.

    I gathered my wits. This battle wasn¡¯t for me. This was for them.¡°I¨C I¡¯m very proud of you, Petal. You did good. You were very good¡­¡± I whispered, kneeling over them, spraying the medicine over their wounds. ¡°...Did you have fun?¡±

    I felt one of their leaves pat my arm like a reassuring hand. ¡°Di-dish. Ow.¡± I heard, and when I looked at them, I saw a tentative smile and a very clear, very obvious attempt to hide wince-inducing pain. ¡°Oddish. Ow ow ow. Ow.¡±

    Behind me, Hau took care of his starter with surprising tenderness - administering an antidote, patching up her wounds, while she simply looked at him with an intense look. Hau whispered something to her I couldn¡¯t hear, she nodded, and he returned her to her pokeball.

    He turned to face me, still amused and grinning but visibly  exhausted. ¡°You got yourself a little battle-junkie, there. Your Oddish is a really mean opponent. And you two used a lot of moves.¡±

    Petal seemed to react to his words, trying to mimic a flex but flinching as the movement seemed to trigger pain in their extremities. I settled a hand on their body to calm them down.

    ¡°...Yeah. Petal has been in my life for a while, and I think they were really young when I got them, so I studied as much about their species as possible and trained them to be ready for anything in the future.¡± I felt a ball of apprehension in my throat, and my speech quickened. ¡°Hau¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m no good at battling, I think - but I love to learn, and I want to do research, and for that, I need to finish the island trial in its entirety. All eight trials, all four grand trials. Anything less and I can¡¯t study anywhere that¡¯ll let me work in a lab. If¨C¡±

    ¡°Hey! Chill, sis. We got this.¡± I felt Hau¡¯s hand patting my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m in. I¡¯m all in. All four islands, all trials, the works. Loa and I are here to take on all of ¡®em and beyond.¡±

    I looked into Hau¡¯s eyes - deep, deep into dark brown eyes like mine, I saw a spark. Embers ready to burn ablaze on a dime. Eagerness and ambition and something else buried deep within.

    ¡°Hau, what¨C what do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Why, sis,¡± he said, and the spark burned in response, ¡°I want to be the  champion. ¡±

 Chapter 2: Growing Medium (Departure)

    Iki Village had been built a millenia ago, mom had always said. When the settlers had first found the islands, they asked the trees for their wood, then they asked the bugs for their edge, then they asked clouds for their rain - and then, they built Iki Village on the spot.

    As I looked over the town, It seemed like nothing had changed since then.

    Single floor longhouses of dark wood rested on grassy ground, all decorated in geometric carvings and braided rope tassels. Lanterns and sconces lit the night up and cast the crowd in a dim, billowy glow. Stands were set against the houses, manned by human and pokemon residents alike selling popular drinks and hearty street food. On a large raised platform of earth near the center, Oricorio from all four islands danced in sync to the rhythm of drums and songs played by local bands.

    The start of the Tapu Festival drew near.

    I hadn¡¯t met with Hau again over the weekend, nor had I gotten any news of our missing group member - but as soon as he caught sight of my arrival, he had insisted on giving me a tour across the village and making me take samples from every stand. Before I could even get an objection in, I found I had already been given a cup of shaved ice coated with pomeg syrup, then a slice of deep fried Chansey egg and finally, of course, a berry-filled malasada. Then the boy had pirouetted back into the faceless crowd and I had lost sight of him since.

    Four islands¡¯ worth of teenage crowd buzzed around the village like a swarm of nerves and anxiety, waiting for the proper send off from the Kahuna. Teenagers with their parents, their peers and their pokemon partners mingled together, drowning the air in chattering noise. Teens of Ula¡¯Ula gossiped near a mochi stand, a Poliwag in the arms of one and a Spinarak on the head of another. Over there, a girl in overalls with thick ponytails was riding atop a Mudsdale¨C wait, was that her starter pokemon? Was that allowed?

    I blinked repeatedly as I considered the implications of a second-stage pokemon as an allowed starter pokemon for the challenge, then shook my head to dispel the distracting thoughts. I settled back and leaned against the lamppost I had been lingering around for the past half hour, sugary drink in hand. I took a sip. Tapioca pearls and brown sugar melted on my tongue.

    ¡°¨C Selene!¡±

    I looked around in surprise. Pushing through the crowd, a stout ginger boy rushed to my position, huffing in exhaustion. Last time I had seen Sawney Corrigan, it was in class as we had received news of our assigned partners for the challenge, and it seemed like he had been grouped with what teachers and counselors would call ¡®problem students¡¯. He carried his Grubbin in his hands who gave off squeaks of displeasure.

    ¡°Selene, you gotta help me,¡± he pleaded, and I flinched as he clasped my shoulders in his hands. ¡°Help me hide under the tarp.¡±

    ¡°Wuh, what? Why?¡± I stammered in confusion, but the boy wasn¡¯t waiting and already started to move boxes from under a stand.

    Though he paused, and turned to me with the slightest bit of concern ¡°Oh, by the way, did you find your third missing partner?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t, it had turned out. Neither Hau nor I had been given any news of ¡®Lilianne Athier¡¯, whoever they were ¡°Eugh. No, not yet. Though if we don¡¯t get any contact from them come tomorrow, I think the teachers should be able to help us, at least.¡± Sawney seemed pleased with my answer, and he turned back to his task.

    Curious, I asked, ¡°Uh. What are you hiding from?¡±

    ¡°The twins. They¡¯ve been hounding me all evening,¡± he said, and crouched, his bug under one arm, already shimmying under the stand and deeper under the food tables. A few perched Pikipeks looked curiously at the scene. ¡°And what¡¯s worse, they figured out my username¨C¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, Sophocleeeees~¡±, a shrill voice sing-sang. A chill went up my spine.

    Sawney somehow shimmied even faster, and soon enough the portly boy had completely disappeared under the stands.

    Out of the crowd, two similar-looking teenagers emerged. One boy and one girl, one clearly rocking Skull Punk gear, hair short and electric blue, the other in relaxed baggy jeans, tank top and beanie, long hair dyed bubblegum pink. Rui and Tuula Tuari; the Tuari twins. At the boy¡¯s feet, a Rattatta - the local Alolan variant - scampered between their legs and sniffed the air.

    ¡°Sophocleeees~¡± Tuula trilled, looking around playfully. ¡°Where are youuu?¡±

    The other twin, Rui, searched around with boredom and frustration on his face, hands in his pockets. Then his eyes locked on me, and he quickly pointed in my direction. ¡°Yo! Matsu! You seen Sawney around?¡±

    ¡°Um, no?¡±

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t bullshit me,¡± the boy insisted. ¡°We saw him come this way. My phone¡¯s outta power and he¡¯s got an electric bug. Do us a solid.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and I doubt your little weed can help us charge our phones,¡± Tuula snarkily remarked, then she looked at Petal and did a doubletake, surprise apparent on her face. ¡°Sick moves, tho. She¡¯s a dancer?¡±

    At my feet, my Oddish shimmyed and swayed, bouncing their body from side to side in rhythm with the beat. Their eyes were closed in concentration and entranced by the music; nothing unsurprising for me, but admittedly nobody had met my pokemon outside of school. Rui¡¯s rattata didn¡¯t seem too surprised at least, only giving Petal a cautious sniff then staying put.

    ¡°Yeah, uh, they, they do love to dance. That¡¯s an oddish thing,¡± I remarked.

    ¡°Cool. What do they dance to?¡±

    They dance to whatever I¡¯m listening to at the time, I thought, but I could never say that since I mostly listen to videogame soundtracks! But before I could give some other answer¨C

    ¡°Whoa Tuula, they¡¯re shmooving! What¡¯s got them hyper all of a sudden?¡± Rui said, lifting his chin in my direction. ¡°Huh?¡±

    Petal was most active at night, and it was clear it was the first time either of the twins had seen my Oddish so mobile. Under their intense attention, I managed to stammer ¡°Uh, that, I¡¯m not so sure? I think it might be a poison-type thing, it makes their chemistry all jumbled up.¡± I fiddled with my fingers, and continued ¡°They absorb light from the night sky instead, though that¡¯s the simple explanation, and uh, there¡¯s a lot that goes into.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Wild. Poison-type, huh.¡± Rui looked down at my grass-type, one eyebrow raised, thinking something over. I felt fingers snapping rudely right next to my face, as Rui¡¯s twin Tuula called me back to attention.

    ¡°Hey. Matsu. I asked you something.¡± Snap. Snap. ¡°Your grass type. The one dancing up a storm, what does she¨C augh- what do they listen to?¡±

    I scrambled through my memories for an answer that wasn¡¯t too cringe, and eventually came up with ¡°Kalosian house dance music, I guess;¡± which was true, sort of.

    ¡°Damn. Okay, okay.¡± she leaned back and gave me a smile, hands on her hips. ¡°Kind of hipster tastes, but alright. We¡¯ll have them meet my Spinda¨C that¡¯s my starter¨C  sometime later and dance to some real shit, alright? I¡¯ll get your contacts from Sawney once we catch him!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Wait, did I just agree to something, there?

    But the gangly girl didn¡¯t wait for a response, turned to her brother, flicked his forehead and went ¡°Focus up dumbass, we got a nerd to catch!¡±

    Then she immediately plunged back into the crowd to search for Sawney once more, r.

    Rui recoiled and rubbed his forehead, then turned to follow his sister¨C but not before reaching over to flick my forehead and then disappearing after his sibling just as suddenly, rattata in tow.

    Ouch!

    What the heck!

    I rubbed my forehead, bruised and confused by the whirlwind of awkwardness that had been this whole interaction. Sawney was nowhere to be seen, and the Tuari twins had disappeared as well - I couldn¡¯t imagine having to deal with them on a daily basis! Better him than me, I guess, I thought to myself, then went to find somewhere I could be alone for a bit.

    <hr>

    Packed closer to the seafront but not too far away from the main plaza, a pair of public washrooms could be found, usually visited by tourists enjoying the beach. Away from the music, the food and the people, it seemed that other loners had claimed spots on the shaded beach for themselves. The washroom I had found, however, was completely empty.

    Sweet solitude. Free to gather my thoughts.

    Petal had stayed on the plaza and was having a good time. Good for them. I knew they¡¯d find their way back to me, when they were done.

    I leaned over the wash sink. Gathering water in my hands, I splashed up my face and rinsed it as much as I could, then looked at myself on the mirror. Dark eyes framed by shoulder-length black hair stared back at me - I don¡¯t think I really stood out much in comparison to any other person with outlandish hair color around. I think.

    Thinking back to the interaction I had with the Tuari twins; was that okay?

    Had I said anything weird? I don¡¯t think I did, but I could never tell when interacting with someone. There was always some facet of social etiquette that seemed to escape me, like people were speaking in a foreign language I didn¡¯t know the local lingo of.

    I wanted to think that the interaction was positive, though. Tuula had implied she wanted to meet again? Maybe show off some new music to Petal and I? That could be fun, I thought, and maybe Sawney could be there so he (and also I) wouldn¡¯t be alone with the twins. I didn¡¯t want to get my forehead flicked again.

    Sure, we had the Island Challenge right around the corner, but that didn¡¯t mean we had to stop taking time to relax, watch movies, or play video games, right¨C

    ¡°--did that?? No way! Lame!¡±

    I recognized that voice.

    A ball of anxiety formed at the pit of my stomach.

    I really, really didn¡¯t want to interact with those two girls. Where was Petal¨C oh no. Petal was at the plaza.

    A pair and their pokemon entered the washroom, and it took everything from me not to look at them.

    Two girls, loudly talking to each other. The one leading the conversation had this platinum silver hair¨C don¡¯t look at me, I don¡¯t exist, don¡¯t notice me¨C and a bird pokemon on her shoulder. The spicy scent of sunscreen started to permeate the room.

    The girls noticed me and stopped talking.

    There was a pregnant pause.

    I mechanically went through the motions of cleaning my hands, doing my best to ignore their presence - but the sound of footsteps and the scent of sunscreen moved behind then around me, both girls taking position at my sides.

    A zzzzip and a rustle as the girls retrieved skincare products from their bags, and started to apply something to their faces.

    ¡°Eugh. This stinks in here.¡± said the girl on my left.

    ¡°I know, right? So gross. Like sweat and shit.¡± said the girl on my right.

    A pause.

    The girl on my left leaned close and loudly sniffed my shoulder.

    ¡°Oh, I think it¡¯s just you.¡±

    I stiffened, but didn¡¯t give them any reaction. That¡¯s how it works, right? If I don¡¯t react, if I don¡¯t give them fuel for their fire, they should stop, right?

    Sun and stars, the room smelled so much like sunscreen. The girls giggled and carried on with their skincare.

    ¡°You know, Selene. Your weed is really spazzing out on the dance floor.¡±

    ¡°What are you feeding it, anyway? Are you spraying it with Ether drinks? That¡¯s gross. That¡¯s like, pokemon abuse. They should take away your license for that.¡±

    I don¡¯t do that, and they would not take my license. If I ignore them, they¡¯ll go away.

    This washroom is really small, I realized. The voices really bounced and echoed on the walls. It¡¯s like I¡¯m stuck in a small damp room with two devils at my sides.

    ¡°Wait, so, that¡¯s her official starter, then? Wowww. Doing the Alolan Island Challenge with a foreign pokemon, no less. No pride as an Alolan, then. Figures!¡±

    Petal isn¡¯t my starter because they¡¯re from Kanto - they¡¯re my starter because they¡¯re my best friend and they were given to me for therapy when I was 10, you idiot. I didn¡¯t ask for them to be Kantoan, they just are. I love Alola as much as you do. I can¡¯t tell those girls that, though. That¨C that would just make things worse. That would just give them stuff to make rumors with.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    The room was getting smaller and smaller. A cloying chemical fog overpowered everything.

    ¡°You know - she¡¯s mixed-race, right? They should only let her do only half of the Challenge, then. That¡¯s only fair. She¡¯s only half Alolan. She barely belongs here.¡±

    I want to scream.

    I had been thinking to myself¨C as soon as I would be on the road, this would stop. If the people I travel with are nice, if they¡¯re good at the challenge, I can maybe have a good time. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe people would still say those kinds of things about me.

    Why would they do this, then? Do they get a kick out of it? Does it make them feel good? How is this fair?

    What do I do, then? What do I say? Do I tell them¨C do I scream at them that they¡¯re wrong? I wouldn¡¯t¨C I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t scream at anybody. But I kept thinking about it.

    My knees felt weak. The light above the wash sink seemed to dim. There¡¯s nobody outside, and I¡¯m alone. Petal is so far away and cannot help.

    I want to scream, and I have to stay silent. I keep thinking but no one is listening.

    If I think loud enough, would they start to hear it?

    Someone else entered the room. I didn¡¯t pay attention who.

    I felt a hand gently push me towards the exit¨C not that of the two girls that had been jeering at me this whole time, but someone else entirely, with a soft voice I couldn¡¯t register.

    The two girls in the room reacted. Words were exchanged, and the girls backed off. I was guided outside.

    <hr>

    I breathed.

    In, then out.

    Clean air, finally. The mild temperature of Iki village at night. The lights of the celebration gently lit up the way, and the stars in the night sky twinkled.

    My face felt hot and wet. I wiped it with my wrist absentmindedly and noticed that my other arm was gently interlocked with someone else¡¯s. My gaze followed the arm to a shoulder, then to a face.

    Concerned, patient green eyes stared back. Long golden bangs framed her white skin and cascaded around her shoulders. A pristine white dress and sunhat fluttered in an unseen wind, and a small handbag rested on the other side of her. She was very pretty.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Uh, I,¡± I started, ready to lie, then snorted and sneezed, and honesty slipped out despite me. ¡°I¡¯m not. B-but I think I¡¯m getting better.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Do you want to sit? Anything to eat, or drink? I only have zero calorie snacks, though.¡± she held out a hand to her side, and with a Stella, snacks please, some movement happened around her bag and a little pink nubby hand poked out of the bag and handed a plastic box.

    We found a nearby bench and sat. She gave me snacks and a bottle of water, and slowly my wits seemed to come back to me. I looked at her again, a pretty girl I had never seen around school before - was she from one of the other islands?

    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± she said with a small smile, and I nodded, and her smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t find you earlier, I¡¯ve been asking around for you. You are Selene Matsu, right?¡±

    I blinked, then gave her another nod. She knew me? Her eyes lit up, she stood and gently lifted up the hem of her dress in a curtsy. To her side, a little shape popped out of her handbag as a Cleffa smiled and nodded back at me as well.

    ¡°I wish we could have met in better circumstances, but here we are. My name is Lilliane Athier. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    Her!

    ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re, you¡¯re the third member in our group, right? With Hau and I?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± she said, and sat back down, dusting off her dress. ¡°I apologize for not reaching out sooner. I¡¯ve been caught up in administration for the Challenge, and things got a little out of hand.¡±

    ¡°No! No, it¡¯s okay,¡± I cut her off¨C this didn¡¯t matter. She had gotten me out of whatever that was, so she might have been my savior for what it¡¯s worth. I certainly owed her, I thought. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    She seemed surprised, raising a hand. ¡°Oh! Alright, then.¡± and her expression relaxed into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not¨C I¡¯m homeschooled, and I¡¯ve only been in Alola for half a year, so¡­ there was a lot of papers to sign, for me to participate in the Challenge this year.¡±

    That caught my attention. I couldn¡¯t help my curiosity, and asked ¡°Wh-where are you from, if that¡¯s not rude to ask?¡±

    ¡°My family is from Kalos. My parents got called here to continue their pharmaceutical research, and we had no choice but to move.¡±

    ¡°Oh, whoa. What are they researching?¡±

    She made a sort of pout, and her shoulders raised in a noncommittal shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Medicine for Aether, I suppose.¡±

    I let the subject drop - but still, that seemed impressive. Aether was basically the biggest medical supplier of the archipelago. I absentmindedly munched on one of the gifted biscuits¨C and wow, those were so dry. I immediately parched my throat with water.

    ¡°--ffa!¡±

    A little pink ball of fur squeezed itself out of Lilliane¡¯s purse¨C then popped out and rolled into her lap. The little Cleffa righted herself up, looked up with an embarrassed smile and introduced herself with a ¡°Cleffa¡± and a little curtsy motion of her own, all prim and proper.

    ¡°...and that¡¯s Stella,¡± Lilliane concluded.

    She was so cute. I held out my hand to shake hers, and she instead leaned into my touch, soft short fur like velvet against my palm.

    Fairy-types are fascinating. While I hadn¡¯t read anything specific about the Clefairy line¨C what was it that we had learned in class? right¨C each fairy-types generally belong to one of two groups: endofairies, fairies from Myth, or exofairies, fairies from Moon. One makes their own rules, another ignores them. Stella, I assumed, belonged to the latter, as when she jumped off from my lap, she slowly floated down to the ground as though gravity only affected her half as much.

    <hr>

    The exhibition match was about to start.

    We had returned to the plaza. Petal had noticed that something was amiss, but didn¡¯t have the time to pester me about it.

    The crowd was at its most restless. The ground started to tremble. Centered on the raised earth platform of the village plaza, periodic shocks pushed against a translucent field.

    The crowd moved as one, attracted to the action, and I felt one of Petal¡¯s leaves slap me on the leg, spurring me forward. I grabbed Lilliane¡¯s hand and my heart quickened as I followed the crowd rushing to find a good spot to watch the fight.

    The crowd was enormous. Since Lilliane and I had been hanging a little further away, we were near the back of the crowd, but the raised ground of the center stage was high enough that we could all see.

    On stage, a new dance was about to play. On one side, a fearsome Hariyama, a seven foot tall behemoth of muscle criss-crossed with scars, his jabs sending out shockwaves with every swing. Behind them, his trainer, an older resident with a broad frame and a focused expression, one arm stretched forward¨C our home island¡¯s Kahuna, I suddenly recognized. On this side, but off the stage, was the Kahuna¡¯s family: his children and grandchildren¨C and my eyes widened when I recognized one excited Hau, cheering loudly for his grandfather. Well.That certainly puts things into perspective.

    Facing them was a pokemon unlike any other. Science struggled to fit those of Its kind into the usual classifications, while residents of the island called It our guardian and our god. It moved in flashes, gliding through the air like thunder through a storm. Its form shifted, looking at once like a humanoid, at once like a bird, at once like war itself; It shone in white, yellow and orange through the night as though illuminated by Its own sun.

    Tapu Koko radiated with power, and Kahuna Hala answered the challenge.

    Silence reigned across the village for a moment. Tapu Koko slowly floated down to the raised ground of the center stage. Visible sparks and arcs of electricity traced from Its form to the dirt floor below and the space around It shimmered and brightened.

    Stillness.

    Both exploded in motion: Tapu Koko bolted across the stage with a booming sound, leaving behind a streak of light and clouds of dust. Kahuna Hala let out a word I didn¡¯t hear and his behemoth of a partner reacted in half a second, stance wide, massive hands outstretched forward. Thunder met palm. The attack collided in a shower of sparks and a rumble shook through the plaza. The Hariyama had not given any ground. While he maintained the fighting stance with control and composure, spasms went up his arms and the air around his hands shimmered with heat.

    The Tapu attacked impossibly fast once more, then twice more, then three times after that¨C the tip of a spear, the edge of sharp talons, a strike of thunder¨C attacks so fast that our eyes couldn¡¯t keep up, that images of the Tapu flickered around the Hariyama, that light flashed across my eyes so many times and I had to look away. With every strike, sparks shot off from the impact point, and with every spark, twitches shot through the fighting type.

    Another shout from the Kahuna, then the light show halted. The Hariyama met Tapu Koko¡¯s offense with flowing blocks of his hands and arms that pushed his opponent back each time until he suddenly lurched forward and had the Tapu¡¯s arm in his grasp. In one violent move, he jabbed the Tapu with his fingertips, a flash of purple meeting the Tapu¡¯s silver wing¨C wait, what happened there? And in another abrupt motion, he spun around and launched the guardian in a semi circle above his head and into the ground. Before Hariyama could let go, his hand tensed and cramped with sparks and the Tapu exploded with lightning, shocking through the fighting type and smashing against the stage¡¯s protective field. The Hariyama grimaced in pain, electric arcs bouncing across his form, he smashed the Tapu into the earth and the ground broke.

    Around the stage, Oricorio swayed - pink ones, Pa¡¯u Oricorio from Akala, those with the psychic typing - and the see-through field around the stage strengthened.

    Trainer, pokemon and opponent resumed their waltz of war.

    As I watched, my breath quickened, my hair rose across my skin, my heartbeat sped up and rang with every blow that the Tapu landed on the mighty Hariyama¨C what is this feeling? Why am I so restless? I felt jittery, excited, tingling at the end of my arms and legs like I could break into a run at any second. Around me, the other spectators were transfixed in a similar fashion, the light of the attacks glinting and sparkling across the eyes of the audience, drawing gasps and cheers. Beyond that, the band and musicians had started playing a rousing, hopeful tune, while voices in the crowd had begun to chant along.

    Stomps from humans and pokemon resounded throughout the audience, first discordant then gradually rhythmic and harmonious, in time with the music and with the fight and with something deep within ourselves¨C I hadn¡¯t meant to, but I was stomping along as well.

    On stage - I had lost sight of the action for just a second - the Hariyama looked weathered. His waist cloth looked in tatters, burnt marks where the electric attacks had hit, and his breathing was rough and ragged. The Tapu was harder to gauge¡­ Perhaps It looked more excited? Bouncing from side to side, its form shifting to humanoid and rolling its shoulders. The Hariyama ducked low and the Tapu tensed, and I did, and we held our breaths for the next attack.

    The Hariyama lurched forward and his foot hung in the air for half a second¨C half a second out of rhythm, and then a heavy stomp, and half of the field flipped upwards.

    Feet-thick sections of earth and rock lifted and crashed into the ground, sending a wave of earth and rock above the unrecognizable stage. Kahuna Hala didn¡¯t stop. Another order, and the Hariyama kicked it up a notch, punched the falling debris of earth into the Tapu, boulders ten times my weight crashing into a shimmering green field around the guardian and burying It fully under earth.

    Then he stepped back.

    A rumble. The tomb of rock rattled.

    Hariyama flexed and tensed all the muscles on his body, flesh bulging across his form and pained exertion showing on his face.

    A quake and a crash. Cracks widened on the mound of stone, and jets of pressurized salt water started to leak out. Grey clouds gathered.

    Hala took a deep breath, then went in a fighting stance of his own, his partner and him taking pose in sync¨C what is this? What are they doing?

    The deafening sound of earth grinding against itself, the acrid scent of the ocean and ozone in the air, until¨C

    The prison of earth exploded. Furious weather raged out, sea water and thunderclouds surging like a geyser, the elements forming into an outstretched claw of storm and sea. In the claw¡¯s center, Tapu Koko shot out coming head to head with the Hariyama.

    Hala punched the air, and with a sound like gunfire, the Hariyama struck Tapu Koko in perfect unison.

    Then the claw closed on the two of them, and overwhelming nature crashed against the Hariyama.

    Mist and sea water flooded the area and obscured our vision. We held our breaths. Chanting and music stopped.

    Slowly, the fog dissipated.

    The stage was wrecked. Gravel and boulders littered the floor, and dissipating water streamed in the cracks, pooling against the edges of the protective field. The ground was scarred with lightning burns, radiating out like great branches.

    At its center, the guardian floated, staring at the unconscious, charred and soaked form of the Hariyama.

    Hala thumbed a pokeball and recalled his pokemon, then turned to the Tapu and bowed deeply. Tapu Koko stared for a moment, and gave a curt nod. Then It left, flying off into the sky.

    Wow! I couldn¡¯t help but think, looking at the carnage. Battlers are crazy!

    Hala gave a sigh, and turned to a procession of pokemon on the Tapu¡¯s side of the stage, clad in paw-made robes and trinkets. Incineroars, Lycanrocs, Ribombees and other pokemon bowed deeply to the Kahuna, then turned north to the Mahalo trail where the Tapu had flown off to.

    For a moment, all was silent. Then the Kahuna spoke.

    ¡°Battling,¡± Hala said, ¡°is a conversation.¡±

    He turned to us fully, his grave expression regarding us with tired eyes.

    ¡°Battling with pokemon is how we communicate. It is how we say hello. It is how we show our best skills. It is how we give our thanks.¡± His shoulders tensed, and his eyes narrowed.¡±The Island Challenge is here to teach you how to talk.¡±

    ¡°Children of Melemele, children of Akala, children of Ula¡äula, children of Poni. May the Tapu see you, and may they bless your journey to adulthood.¡±

    This was it, wasn¡¯t it? This was how this would start. With an incredible display of power, and  with words of wisdom from the Kahuna.

    Wow, my hand hurt real bad for some reason.

    Why did my hand hurt so much?

    I looked to the side where Lilliane was, and found her looking away, eyes closed, expression locked in something like pain.

    Her hand laced in mine was squeezing hard, or maybe had been for some time, and pressure was just registering in my nerves.

    ¡°Lilli¨C uh, ouch¨C are you okay?¡±

    She seemed to come to her senses. Her eyes opened and she jerked her hand away, then turned to me with this blank, neutral expression, smile plastered on her face.

    ¡°Mhmm,¡± she nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she lied.

    A crackle of static sounded through the plaza.

    A newcomer came onto stage, avoiding the cracks and the wreckage, to stand near the Alolan elder. A stout man with a receding hairline and a blue sleeveless tweed vest fiddled with something on his lapel, and another scratchy sound let us know that the newcomer was wearing a microphone.

    A rumble of murmurs and conversation started to echo out around us.

    ¡°Ahem. Splendid performance, mister Hala. Good show,¡± he started, gave a few polite claps, then turned to face the crowd. ¡°and good evening to you all. My name is Burke Fairfax, and I will be acting as official Kalos correspondent on behalf of the Pok¨¦mon League¡±

    ¡°As you are well aware, this year, Alola is joining the Pok¨¦mon League with the occident¡¯s greats; Kalos, Galar, Paldea, others.¡± He paused, ¡°Regions whose primary educative systems culminate in a year long trial; the Gym Challenge. The Gym Challenge filters out the good from the bad. Then the good compete to find out who is best. It is finally time for Alola to join this time-honored tradition.¡±

    Restlessness and excitement reverberated through everyone in the plaza.

    ¡°In ten months¡¯ time, this year¡¯s Island Challenge will come to a close, and Alola¡¯s first ever League Conference can begin.¡±

    And then the crowd practically exploded in boisterous cheer.

    I couldn¡¯t help but be swept up in the moment, as Lilliane and I clapped with everyone else, but when I turned to look at her smile seemed as hollow as it had been a moment ago. Behind the Kahuna, Hau and the younger members of his family seemed genuinely ecstatic.

    Kahuna Hala did not let his family see his deepening frown.

 Chapter 3: The Forest For The Trees

    ¡°Mom, please, you¡¯re embarrassing me¨C¡±

    ¡°Hush, now. My little flower is leaving for half a year, let me enjoy her while I can.¡±

    I was trapped.

    Two hands had my head grasped in a motherly hold. Mom kissed the top of my head a few times more, then finally released me from her tight embrace.

    Looking back behind me, Hau and Lilliane were intentionally looking away from the embarrassing scene, the boy even whistling slyly. Phew.

    It was a few days after the Festival that we had decided to start our journey through Melemele island, and here we were at our last stop before leaving Hau¡¯oli city proper. Mom stood smiling on the doorstep of our apartment, almond skin gleaming in the morning sun, glasses pushing her long brown hair back behind her head and shoulders. Meowy the Meowth stood mournfully at her feet, making Lillipup eyes at my departing self.

    ¡°I remember when I left on my own journey, your grandmother had been way more embarrassing than this!¡± Mom said, contemplative. ¡°Turn around. Let me affix your amulet.¡±

    I turned my back on Mom, and felt as she tied the Island Challenge amulet on a loop to the back of my bag - the wooden charm had been carved, holed and painted by her, and it would identify us as trial-goers to the eyes of the Tapus. Four short strings of braided rope dangled from the charm, one for each island, and in the future we would attach beads to each for each Trial we overcame.

    As she worked, Mom whispered to me, ¡°We put some of Meowy¡¯s hairs in the rope, so he can protect you in spirit. Your second pokeball is in your bag, and be careful with it, you only get two total until you finish the first trial. You remember how to make the stopper knots for the trial gems, right? Loop around and under, and¨C¡±

    ¡°And into one and then the other, yes. I remember. Thanks, Mom.¡± I huffed. I knew this stuff!

    ¡°I know. You¡¯ll do well.¡±

    I turned around to face her and took a step back. I could do this, right? Eight or ten months without my mom to help me out. I can do this, I thought to myself as I felt tears threatening to spill out the corner of my eyes. Before I could control myself, I embraced Mom once more and buried my head in her shoulder once more. Screw teenage embarrassment.

    ¡°Oh, honey¡­¡± she said softly to me, as she returned the hug. ¡°Petal, I¡¯m counting on you to keep an eye on her, alright?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t see it, but I heard the whoosh of my Oddish¡¯s leaves and could just picture them frantically nodding in agreement.

    <hr>

    Off we went.

    But before we did; we had a snack break.

    Hau¡¯oli city didn¡¯t just end when the sign said ¡°you¡¯ve left the city¡±. There were still a few miles of berry and rice farms to go, as the landscape around us gradually changed from residential buildings to cliffside fields and farmlands.

    We had found a nice spot underneath a nanab tree and had set up a large green and white picnic blanket. This gave us a view of the sea to our west, while we could keep an eye on the road to Route 2 still. Trainers our age could sometimes be seen in groups of three, making their way down the route at their own pace, some engaging in the traditional pokemon battles themselves. We weren¡¯t in wild pokemon territory yet, but we could feel the hungry stares from the tall grass nearby, so all of our pokemon stood at our sides.

    Petal had found a shaded spot to bury themself and their leaves were sticking out of the ground. Though they were ¡®asleep¡¯ and buried, I knew that they could feel more through vibrations in the ground than I could with my own two eyes. Loa the Litten, Hau¡¯s starter, had found a spot in the sun to rest in, back turned to us and gaze diligently turned towards nearby bushes and tall grass. Stella the Cleffa took active part in helping us set up, as she set the blanket and cutlery with surprising dexterity. How does she do it with such tiny hands, I wondered.

    We sat in a circle with our finished servings of malasada from the Savory Slurpuff because of course we had gone to the Savory Slurpuff. This would be our last fast food meal for a few weeks and practically none of us objected to filling our needs for greasy, deep-fried, berry-filled dough. Lilliane was the one exception, having politely refused and instead bought a salad for lunch; she at least did order one small malasada for Stella and fed it to her a spoonful at a time.

    ¡°Okay. Inventory check.¡± Hau said, wiping grease off his face with the back of his hand.

    We were carrying around a frightening amount of equipment. Each of us brought our own individual folded-up tents and rolled-up sleeping bags. I had made the risky decision to bring along my crappy personal computer (along with a solar-powered battery charger) to see if we could watch some movies or play video games; I had it squeezed in between my change of clothes and my toiletries. Though perhaps I should wait a little bit more to see if they¡¯d be open to the idea¡­

    Hau was carrying his own stuff in what I could only describe as a colorful, precarious tower of old duffle bags. Dangling from one side, an axe and a mallet with carved wood handles clacked loudly with one another as he moved around. He had brought along more kitchen utensils than Lilianne and I had combined, including an entire spice and dried berry set.

    ¡°Hau, I don¡¯t mean to be a stick in the mud, but,¡± Liliane said, looking at the boy¡¯s hoard of kitchen equipment sprawled over the grass, ¡°are you going to be fine carrying all of this?¡±

    And so, unbelievably, it turned out that Lilliane¡¯s singular barrel bag was of the Sylph Co. brand.

    That sort of technology was still unavailable out there on the archipelago. Hau and I certainly didn¡¯t want to look a gift Rapidash in the mouth and gladly stuffed pots, pans and electric stove in the opening and watched in wonder at the magic at work. Despite how overfilled the bag should have been, the bag kept its same shape and felt just as heavy as it had been while empty. Neat!

    Finally, after putting everything back, I tucked my phone and pokedex in my pockets and I unfolded a map of the island on the grass. Restlessly, Hau and I started to plan our path.

    ¡°We just gotta follow the coast north for a week ¡®til we reach Verdant Cave.¡± Hau traced route 2 and tip-tapped our destination with his pointer finger. ¡°There should be a motel and a poke-center nearby so we can rest - then we book our trial, do the trial, bing-bang-boom we win, then we head back east through route 3 and land in Iki Village.¡± He leaned back, hand on his fists, looking pleased with himself. ¡°Easy peasy.¡±

    Lilliane looked over the trial with a pensive expression, then seemed to consider, ¡°...And there¡¯s no city between here and the trial? No human settlement on the way here and back?¡±

    Hau responded with all the grace of a wrecking ball, ¡°Nope!¡± and after a pause, followed it with ¡°Well, we might stumble onto a tourist-y place but those aren¡¯t really for trial-goers. Not a lot of civilization in northern Melemele I guess!¡±

    I looked at Lilianne, thoughts clearly warring in the blonde girl¡¯s mind¨C and perhaps I could help her. ¡°Something¡¯s got you worried, Lilianne?¡±

    She considered her words for a while.

    ¡°Kalos isn¡¯t like this at all.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Routes are¡­ routes are short. Fenced. There¡¯s a clear marked trail, and ranger posts every few kilometers. You cannot walk half a day without stumbling onto a roadside village.¡±

    ¡°Oho!¡± Hau remarked, ¡°That sounds like you¡¯ve got experience!¡±

    She half-nodded, half-shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through a route and got a badge. That¡¯s just a part of high school in Kalos.¡±

    Hau and I both did a double-take at that, and Lilliane retrieved unprompted a pretty little silver case she opened to reveal her badge within. A butterfly-shaped pin glittered in the sun, and both of us oooh-ed at the implications.

    ¡°Well, damn, we got nothing to worry about then! We got this trial in the bag!¡±

    Lilliane took the compliment with a blush and a smile, looking away in embarrassment. Stella in her lap gleefully patted her on the arm, seemingly sharing in her discomfort.

    ¡°Uh, there¡¯s a few places that could be interesting to visit in the way, if we¡¯d like to make new companions.¡± I said, then scrambled to point out a few locations on the map.¡±In route 3, there¡¯s a path that leads to Melemele Meadow, and it¡¯s a real interesting ecosystem, so¨C¡±

    But Hau cut me off and excitedly poked at an earlier point at the map. ¡°Wait, wait, I nearly forgot!  When we get to the trial place, we gotta take a detour through Big Wave Beach - you guys are not gonna believe how fun mantine surfing is. I¡¯ve gone there every summer since I was 6, it¡¯s mental!¡±

    I blinked repeatedly. I understood that mantine surfing was a time-honored tradition, but was that the best time to go make loops in the waves? ¡°Hau, shouldn¡¯t we worry more about training instead¨C¡±

    ¡°Pshh¨CIt¡¯s fine! We¡¯ll be training the whole way, and besides, we got this in the bag.¡± He dismissed me with a wave of his hand, then his attention caught another traveling group making their way nearby, and he suddenly stood up and made big arm motions while going their way. ¡°Speaking of¨C hey! You all! Y¡¯all wanna battle?¡±

    We watched in silence as the outgoing teen excitedly ran towards another trio, and his litten rose and followed suit.

    Petal was listening in even while buried in the ground, I knew, because they suddenly lashed one of their leaves in annoyance.

    ¡°Selene.¡± Lilliane suddenly said.

    I turned and looked at her. She hadn¡¯t talked in a while, and her face maintained a neutral expression, but she wasn¡¯t looking at me directly. She seemed to be mulling something over.

    ¡°The first trial. What is it like?¡± she finally said.

    ¡°From what I understand, uh¨C it¡¯s some kind of survival exercise. We have to make our way through Verdant Cave and there¡¯s gonna be obstacles. And we¡¯ll be avoiding lots and lots of Yungeese.¡±

    She started to hug herself with one arm, her hand clenching her other. ¡°Lots of Yungeese?¡± I heard, her voice carrying incredulousness and apprehension alike.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    I nodded. ¡°A lot of them. Loa and Petal are strong, though. And you got a badge already, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for your Cleffa.¡±

    She did not add anything else to that.

    <hr>

    Hau lost one match, then won three more after that. Afterwards, he made it his personal mission to challenge every trainer he could spot, or offer me a spot for a fight - though I often refused. There were other ways I wanted to train, and I was more interested in observing the social dynamics of Route 2 instead.

    Route 2 was the cliffside road that bridged the gap between south Melemele and north Melemele. The view of the ocean horizon to our west was a constant, and it was said that as long as you could keep the sea in your sights, you were still on the route proper. Detours could be taken through the Melemele jungle to our east but it was dangerous, as the heart of Melemele was considered off-route territory, even with the Tapus¡¯ protection.

    What made Route 2 fascinating to me was that it was a ¡°capital R¡± Route. For teenagers my age or anybody undertaking the challenge, a Route was a mystical place, a land of adventure and mystery where one would pit their skills against the unknown. From the perspective of the pokemon, however, a Route was a meeting place. It was a neutral ground where one can encounter young human trainers and make their case at a partnership.

    Living with my Oddish and figuring out our sign language had me wanting to know more about life as a young pokemon, and this was my chance to get some proper answers!

    ¡°Alright, Petal.¡± I turned to my Oddish, and they nodded back to me. ¡°Ready?¡±

    We stepped into the tall grass, and took a good look around.

    A ways behind me, Hau seemed to be excitedly fighting a local Growlithe, while Lilliane stood not far, Cleffa held to her chest. In front of me, Petal and I beheld a large field of grass, patches of trees and bushes peppered through the terrain. The scent of the sea reached our nostrils as a gentle wind blew through.

    We stepped forward.

    A rustling sound to our left, and a squat yellow figure pushed through the grass to stop in front of us.

    ¡°Makuhita!¡± it bellowed.

    ¡°Oddish-dish.¡± Petal responded, and I followed suit.

    ¡°Uh- hi! Hello! My name is Selene, could I ask you a few questions¨C Eek! Wait! Hold on!¡±

    But the little fighting-type hadn¡¯t waited: they¡¯d just rushed forward and clocked my Oddish in the face!

    Petal stumbled back then righted themself, looking at the Makuhita and objecting with a ¡°Oddish!¡± which was promptly ignored. The squat fellow simply continued forward, making palm strikes with their large hands that Petal tried their best to avoid or flee from.

    ¡°Now, if you could please¨C¡± A straight jab, narrowly ducked from. ¡°Hold on just a second, we don¡¯t want to fight¨C¡± A low sweep of their legs tripped my starter, and they barely avoided an attack from overhead. ¡°If you could just listen!!¡± Then a mean hook landed with force, pushing my pokemon and making them cry out in pain. ¡°Aw, come ON!! That¡¯s it! Leech Seed and Poison Powder, Petal!¡±

    With a stomp and a surge of power, the tall grass around came to life and knotted around the fighting-type¡¯s arms, pinning them in place. They started to push with sheer strength against the plants, freeing their right hand - but not before a cloud of purple spores hit their face.

    They stood there for a second, coughing and blinking repeatedly. Then they scoffed and grumbled, grabbed the grass trapping their other arm and tore it off, and they just turned and slipped back into the bushes away from view.

    We waited tensely for a minute to see if they would come back; but the Makuhita was nowhere to be seen. The fight had only lasted half a minute.

    <hr>

    For better or for worse, we were certainly seeing the social dynamics of pokemon at play.

    Multiple times after that encounter, we were met with other wild pokemon that saw us, recognized us, and then just left. Petal nor I couldn¡¯t understand why.

    Hau didn¡¯t have the same issue, it seemed, Loa and him had stopped counting how many fights they¡¯d had, and Lilliane was¨C Lilliane was nowhere to be seen. Nonetheless, I don¡¯t think she had been looking to fight anyway, so it didn¡¯t tell us anything about our problem.

    It was only after finally scoring a proper fight that it dawned on us why.

    My Oddish was dishing it out with a Smeargle. The normal-type was lithe and quick, moving in flowing, dancing steps, focused on avoiding Petal¡¯s attacks and retaliating. They held their tail in their paw and traced the air with ink, drawing floating glyphs of scary eyes Leering at my starter or avian beaks Pecking forward at their leaves.

    I had my starter block their sight with Sweet Scent or retaliate with Absorb when I suddenly ordered a Poison Powder - and as soon as the cloud of poisonous spores had come out, the Smeargle suddenly jumped back and gave us a wide berth, eyes bugging out. They seemed to consider the situation for a moment - then they bowed and they left.

    ¡°Uh¨C bye! I liked your art..!¡± I said into the empty clearing, and got no response.

    Petal kicked a nearby mound of grass then sat on their bottom, pouting.

    I leaned to pet and comfort my frustrated plant. If the pokemon of this route would give us a wide berth, fine. We would just make ourselves at home, then. I sat down, opened up a side pouch from my backpack, retrieved leftover masalada and an oran juice box, stuck a straw on top and took a sip.

    Poison was the problem.

    It made sense, thinking about it: life as a wild pokemon is one of survival, I had read, where food and health is a constant worry. Pokemon are drawn to fight one another but they do so in short spars, to test their opponent and hone their skills. Food is a matter of negotiation, trickery, or dominance.

    To have a short scuffle is fine, as bruises on pokemon heal remarkably fast, but poison is long-lasting. It doesn¡¯t hurt you in the moment, it slows you down, exhausts you and causes you to make mistakes and hurt yourself more; moreover, bouncing back from poison is tricky. For people of the city, curing toxins is as simple as spraying your pokemon with the right antidote, but for the pokemon of the wild, they need to rest for hours or find the right natural medicine, which they have to compete with others to get.

    I put down my oran juice box on the grass nearby and leaned back on my hands, looking up at the sky.

    I suddenly felt for my Oddish¡¯s frustration tenfold. Poison Powder was my grass-type¡¯s best source of harm, and the pokemon of this Route would not listen to me unless Petal beat them up properly. That felt unfair! I just wanted to have a talk. Was there anything else Petal or I could do to convince them that¨C

    Sluuurp.

    I whipped my head to the source of the sound.

    My juice box sat just where I had put it, drops of oran juice dripping down one at a time from the straw. Behind it, a mound of disturbed earth that seemed to open up into a hole. Just before I had moved my head, there had been an additional noise: the sudden sound of grinding earth and the panicked squeak of some pokemon.

    I stood very still.

    There was a quiet crumple of dirt again, and a figure started to tentatively slither out from the hole: I first saw the glint of the sun on yellow and teal scales, then the edge of two large lidded eyes.

    As soon as our gazes met, they cried out ¡°Dun!¡± and drilled back down in a quick blur of the movement.

    This had been, so far, the only pokemon that hadn¡¯t attacked me or my starter on sight.

    ¡°Um. You can have the juice box, if you want,¡± I offered hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty.¡±

    Silence, for a moment. Then frantic grinding once more, as dirt rose a few feet away. Earth erupted as a drill-shaped tail popped out, then a bulbous scaly body and a large head. The little Dunsparce turned to stare at Petal who had been very still this whole time, and the Oddish relaxed and gave a nod. The Dunsparce then slowly inched forward until they could get their lips around the straw - and started to sip from the juice box once more.

    Despite all that had happened, seeing this couldn¡¯t help but cheer me up.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, huh?¡± They considered it, then nodded repeatedly. ¡°Mhmm. I have a little bit of masalada left too, if you want.¡±

    Cautiously, they tilted their head left in confusion.

    ¡°Oh! I guess you wouldn¡¯t know what that is.¡± I pondered, rifling through my bag for the promised snacks. ¡°Have you always lived here?¡±

    Their eyes, lidded as they were, pointed to the side as they considered the question, then their tail bent forward and rocked in a ¡°so-so¡± gesture.

    This wasn¡¯t a no, and more importantly, this was a pokemon willing to talk.

    ¡°Could I ask you a few more questions?¡± I finally asked, clicking a pen, stars in my eyes.

    <hr>

    Later tonight, I would have to give plenty of kisses to the top of the head of my favorite plant for their fantastic behavior, and I knew they¡¯d respond with giggles and hugs from their leaves. No way I could have done any of this without them.

    Although communication with Dunsparce was not perfect and there was still only so much I could understand with Petal¡¯s help, I had written plenty of notes.

    First off, Route 2 was not just a meeting place, it was also the home of many.

    Dunsparce described to me something like villages, or communities of pokemon that dotted the Route here and there - he was reluctant to tell me where or how to find them but at least admitted to their existence, and could tell me a little bit about how they worked.

    A commune was the social group shared by the pokemon that shared the same sleeping spot, that cared for one another, that wouldn¡¯t fight each other on sight. Often of the same species, but not always. A quick look through my pokedex and telling Dunsparce of the local seen species helped us define what kind of communities could be found around there.

    Somewhere south of here was a community where Rattatas and Meowths were in cahoots, while north of here there were less of them and they tended to keep to themselves. Furfrou tended to stick together and were most present nearest Hau¡¯oli City, while Growlithes often integrated other groups. Abra and Drowzee not only shared the same singular commune but their den was secret, and Dunsparce had been very embarrassed when I had that translated so I dropped the subject.

    Unsurprisingly, to the northern point closest to Verdant Cave, there was two or three communes of Yungeese that sort of tolerated each other, but that everybody else despised. Why was that the case, our games of 20 questions couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    Finally, it clicked.

    For some time, a group of Ekans had invaded the Route, and they were not welcome.

    ¡°Huh. So when I asked Petal to use Poison Powder¡­ they were labeled a poison-type, and we were sort of...¡± I sort of winced at the realization, and touched the tip of my index fingers with one another, ¡°...maybe labeled as an Ekans, or a friend to them, and we were singled out because of that.¡±

    Dunsparce, gnawing on an oran juice box, nodded with a muffled ¡°Dun¡±. He had loved the drink so much that I had given him a second one after the masalada, and even then he was trying to extract any drop of juice from the paper covering.

    ¡°Aww man - I really hope this rumor doesn¡¯t stick. We really don¡¯t need this...¡±

    The little snake seemed to pick up on my distress and caught my attention with appeasing motions of his tail, then said ¡°Dun, spar-dunce dun.¡±

    Petal seemed to consider his words, tongue sticking out in concentration, then they turned to me and signed with their leaves [Now] [Yes] and a pause, then [Later] [No].

    I let out a breath ¡°Uh- so it¡¯ll pass then?¡±

    Dunsparce smiled and nodded.

    Phew. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    At least I had that mystery figured out. Though there was still one question popping into my head. ¡°Say, Dunsparce. What commune do you belong to? One you mentioned, or maybe a Dunsparce one?¡±

    He seemed surprised, and blinked with his lidded eyes, then shook his head twice.

    ¡°Oh. Do you belong to¡­ any?¡±

    Another shake of his head.

    ¡°...Can you not join one?¡±

    He looked downcast for a moment, and made a slight head nod motion I started to associate with a shrug.

    Petal looked at me, and made a motion with their leaves I understood as ¡°go on¡±.

    I looked at the sad little snake and really considered it.

    <hr>

    I returned to Hau and Lilliane, holding a newcomer in my arms, Oddish leading proudly in front.

    Hau looked properly exhausted after the day of battling he¡¯d had, and Loa the litten was probably back in her ball to rest. He and Lilliane seemed to be in the process of setting up their tents, and when they saw me and the second pokeball I had placed on my belt, they stopped what they were doing to join me.

    ¡°Hey guys.¡± I said, sheepishly. ¡°So, uh, I made a new friend, this is-¡± and the Dunsparce in my arms noticed the two teen human strangers heading our direction and decided that escape was the immediate option. ¡°Oh! Uhh¨C OJ! Calm down, please! Stop wiggling, OJ!! Oran Juice, UHHH, ORAN JUICE PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR DRILL, STOP IT!!¡±

 Chapter 4: Beat Around the Bush

    Packing a sewing kit had come in handy.

    My hands clumsily held the needle over the torn tent fabric, making a stitch under and over and under again, patching up the hole in the tent flooring.

    I winced as the first rays of the sun crested over the horizon and first hit my eyes - waking up at dawn wasn¡¯t that hard, but my mind still needed time to wake up. Our tent was a little closer to the shore this time, giving us a perfect view of the sun reflecting across the sea as it rose. I was sitting on a tree stump, and a sleeping Dunsparce was at my feet, softly snoring.

    It had been a few days since Oran Juice the Dunsparce had joined our group. I found that his first reaction to anything new was often flight, which he demonstrated that time by wiggling out of my arms and tearing a hole in my shirt in the process. Another time, a video on my phone playing a little too loudly had him spooked and he had tried to dig down while in the tent with Petal and I.

    There was something fascinating about helping a wild pokemon acclimate to human ways. True, the Dunsparce was maybe not the bravest creature, but he was curious and he was crafty; he would dig and hide but just as soon he would peek back to see, and when I gave him a spork to inspect, I saw him maneuver it with his tail and his lips and he carefully, properly used it on a persim.

    I don¡¯t know if I trusted him with something as fragile as a computer but I certainly let him play with my phone, sending us down a journey of looking at Dunsparce pictures and telling him how the internet worked. The concept had him truly amazed, and it was clear that he wanted to see more but the tiny tactile screen wasn¡¯t the best fit for his form just yet. Still, this meant that we could watch TV or see recordings and OJ wouldn¡¯t wonder why tiny men and pokemon were stuck in the picture box.

    I finished the last stitch on the tent fabric, pulled it taut, then tied off the thread. I held the piece of cloth in front of me and admired my work. Welcoming OJ to the team had been worth it

    A rustle from Hau¡¯s tent and the boy sleepily got out, bending forward to touch his toes then arching his back and stretching up like a Meowth. My Dunsparce woke and shot up and dug a few inches into the earth reflexively, then stopped when he saw it was our mutual friend.

    ¡°...Morning, cuz¡¯. You up for training?¡± he finally said, spotting me folding my repaired tent.

    ¡°I think so. Coffee?¡±

    Hau and I had a quick breakfast - just some coffee and a few nanab berries - and set out to begin training. For better or for worse, I had agreed for Hau to coach me and help me train my growing team.

    So it started with Hau and I running laps.

    Jogging is so, so rough on a nerdy girl with no experience. I can only imagine that well-adjusted individuals willingly choose to stop when pain starts to register, whereas one that jogs decides to continue. I¡¯m not a jogger, but under Hau¡¯s counsel, I just kept on running.

    Eventually, Hau gracefully motions for me to stop¨C I fell forward and caught myself, hands on my knees, and I drew heaving, gasping breaths. Petal came up to me, looked at me up and down, then huffed with pride. The grass-type was about to put a leaf on my leg, then noticed the drenched nature of my whole self and reconsidered the motion.

    ¡°Huff, puff, eugh,¡± I gasp out, ¡°Hau, what¨C what purpose did that¨C serve?¡±

    ¡°...Come on, cuz, that served a mighty purpose!¡± Hau¡¯s mood couldn¡¯t seem to get down, and while he spoke to me with a grin, he was just as soaked himself. ¡°You can¡¯t train your mons if you aren¡¯t training yourself!¡±

    I had nothing to say to that - I just laid on the grass in an attempt to fully recover my breath and calm my thundering heart.

    Hau said something softly, now kneeling next to a panting Litten who had been running by our side. Loa the Litten looked back at Hau with the same intense look, then nodded, and stood some ways away to practice. She concentrated and embers danced across her fur.

    Eventually, I was good to at least sit back up, and Hau began to teach me in earnest.

    ¡°...First, you¡¯ll want to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of your team.¡± He crouched down and gestured at my Oddish who stood head held high in pride. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna pretend I¡¯m an expert in the field. I¡¯m going to assume that this is an outstanding example of Oddish-kind.¡±

    ¡°When we fought, then when I saw you fight, few things stood out: first, Petal knows lots of moves, and those moves are tricky. Poison Powder, that move with the strong-smelling cloud, Leech Seed¨C I know what you just told me about poison in this route¨C but clearly it¡¯s one of Petal¡¯s best tools. It got them to fight head to head with Loa after all, and that¡¯s no small feat!¡±

    The Litten bristled slightly at that, sent a mean look our way, then returned to her training.

    ¡°But moreover - that trick you got with Leech Seed? That¡¯s mean. I thought that move was a projectile, I had never seen it as some kind of plant growing move. That impairs, that slows down, that¡¯s real good. That brings me to my second point.

    ¡°Second: Petal is resilient. Those fights were drawn out, Selene. They either outlasted or outhealed the opponent and that¡¯s a whole fighting style in and of itself. The issue is that if your opponent can ignore your tricks or power through your attacks, your Oddish is defenseless.

    ¡°So to summarize: you got a slow grass-type with mean tricks and ways to control the terrain.¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°You¡¯ll fail against overwhelming firepower or an enemy that won¡¯t fall for their traps. You need some way to mitigate damage so Petal can stay longer on the field, and they need to come up with some kind of alternate plan; say, like a damaging move that¡¯s snappier to use. Your pick!¡±

    Petal and I blinked together in surprise and confusion¨C was that the same boy who couldn¡¯t figure out that his Litten had been Leer-ing at him the other day? ¡°Uh-okay? What¨C uh, what would you recommend?¡±

    ¡°Wellll¡­ Oddishes learn Acid, don¡¯t they? Poison Powder is poison, shouldn¡¯t be too far, right?¡±

    That was true - both were poison-type moves, it made sense that Petal could learn one from the other! Memories of sitting through classes on the matter flickered through my mind, and I couldn¡¯t help but excitedly say ¡°Oh! Of course! So Petal can train a separate aspect of poison Type Energy, or¨C or maybe they should focus on a different mode of aura expression, instead?¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re just making things complicated, now. No, none of that.¡±

    Hau sat next to Petal, pulled out his phone, then showed them a video: on it, an unfamiliar Oddish stood facing a Pidgey during some kind of recorded battle in a gym setting. We watched as the foreign Oddish¡¯s expression hardened and it spat a thick spray of acidic slime on the speedy Pidgey, hitting it precisely.

    Hau rubbed some of the teen stubble on his chin and said softly to himself, ¡±Oh yeah, that comes out from the gut alright.¡± then he gestured at Petal with a hand and just said ¡°Now you just do it!¡±

    I don¡¯t believe it. You can¡¯t just learn a move like that, I thought - but Petal considered the video, eyes narrowed, then focused and spat a glob of purple mush on the ground. Not a Poison Powder, no Acid, but something in between, with the very clear scent of chemicals in the air.

    ¡°See? You¡¯re getting it!¡±

    <hr>

    So it went.

    Petal was spitting out Acids in repetition, hitting a sizzling mark on a tree, trying to perfect their aim and quicken their execution.

    The Litten running across the field was marking a trail of embers behind herself, her fur coat bursting in flames occasionally in an approximation of a Flame Charge. Not getting there yet, but making an impressive effort - though I could see her frustration really wear her down.

    Then Oran Juice the Dunsparce burst out the ground with a cry and a popping sound, propelling himself a few feet in the air.

    Hau whistled ¡°Two and a half, maybe three feet high this time. Keep it up, little guy!¡±

    I noted down OJ¡¯s latest performance, and compared it to the rest of his strange skillset.

    On the ground, the little serpent slowly slithered as fast as I could leisurely walk. In the ground, however, OJ practically swam through the earth, clocking speeds rivaling the competitive Litten. Barely a rumble could be felt while the Dunsparce tunneled backwards, propelled by the spinning motion of his drill tail. If he dug fast enough, he could even barrel out of the ground and into the air, which led us to the present time.

    Next, it took a little bit to convince Oran Juice to show his fighting skills, but promises of his namesake made for a good motivator.

    OJ didn¡¯t quite attack as much as he violently hurled his entire Flail-ing self in the opponent¡¯s direction, bursts of sudden movement that seemed uncharacteristic for the normally sluggish snake. His drill could be used to dig, but it could also be used to shove and spray: the Dunsparce spun its whole body and raked the earth with his tail in a demonstration of a Mud Slap. Another tip-tap of my fingers on my phone and this was added to my notes.

    I watched for a second as OJ awkwardly hooked his tail into his mouth, rolled in a ball and started to spin across the ground¨C oh that¡¯s much faster than slithering, neat¨C when Hau¡¯s wondering aloud brought me out of my thoughts.

    ¡°His digging is good, but I don¡¯t think his dig is a Dig, if you see what I mean? When Dig hits¨C there should be like¨C an impact. He digs out and it¡¯s more like a soft pop.¡± The teen considered his words as he looked at my rolling snake with a critical eye.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean. His dig is just fine,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but snap back.

    ¡°Listen. I¡¯m not dissing your ¡®Sparce¡¯s dig. But you gotta admit that attack is a little undercooked. Good for moving around for sure, not a Move quite yet.¡±

    I harrumphed, erased the word ¡®Dig¡¯ on my pokemon¡¯s Move list, then wrote it back, then erased it once more. My gaze glazed over in frustration, and I couldn¡¯t help but wander down to an empty section in my document: Stella the cleffa¡¯s list of Moves.

    Lilliane wasn¡¯t out of her tent just yet. It took a really long time for her to wake up and clean up, it turned out. At the start of the week, it had been endearing, but after a few days of her clearly putting so much effort in her dress, it was starting to make me feel a little self conscious.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Hmm. Hey, Hau,¡± I looked around, making sure the other girl in our group wasn¡¯t within earshot, ¡°have you seen Stella in battle yet?¡±

    ¡°Lilliane hasn¡¯t given the okay just yet.¡± He seemed to share in my wariness, and glanced around as well. ¡°She¡¯s got a trial¨C a badge, though. That Cleffa got battle experience.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°....Right?¡±

    ¡°Probably. We¡¯ve been traveling for just a few days and I really feel like I don¡¯t know her that well.¡±

    ¡°...Yeah. That¡¯s fair.¡± He rubbed the back of his head, mulling something over. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m connecting with her that much either. Did she tell you anything about¡­ what her hobbies are? What she likes?¡±

    ¡°Theoretical physics and kalosian literature, apparently.¡±

    ¡°Nah, cuz¡¯, that¡¯s school stuff. That sort of stuff you can like if you¡¯re a nerd, but she isn¡¯t one.¡± He caught me staring at him, held up his hands with a Mareepish look and said ¡°No offense.¡±

    ¡°None taken.¡± I lied. I did take offense. But the way Hau would call one like me ¡®a nerd¡¯ didn¡¯t really feel demeaning, almost familial, so the familiar sting of social anxiety didn¡¯t rear its ugly head on this one.

    His hands went back down, and he looked to the side, pensive. ¡°I mean¡­ What is she even passionate about?¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°...I can try to find out, but no promises.¡± I finished.

    <hr>

    We had finally reached Verdant Cavern.

    A week and a half of walking north on the coast, ocean at our side, wading through tall grass and wild beaches. The visit to Big Wave Beach had been skipped much to Hau¡¯s displeasure, but we had taken too long with our time. The northern front of Melemele grew steadily mountainous, the idyllic cliffside grassland turning to steeper terrain and shorter brush, the trail growing narrower and narrower until we could glimpse the numerous entrances of Verdant Cavern on the cliffs.

    Eventually, Petal could face wild pokemon again, rumors of any links to Ekans dying off. Their aim and shooting speed of Acid was getting better, and they even got to use Poison Powder a few times (provided that the wild pokemon agreed to it, and letting them know that they would get some antidote and food, win or lose). Less and less we fought the usual Bounsweet and Meowth and more and more Yungeese replaced them, all gnashing teeth and slicked fur.

    We had met other trainers and teens, fought our share of practice trainer battles and spent time mingling with trial goers; while Hau had been ever the social sort, I didn¡¯t feel like I had made more friends.

    There was a point when looking through my funds that I realized I had actually made money, having won more bets than I lost them. OJ wasn¡¯t the strongest battler but of our mons he was the most resilient, and he outlasted his opponent well.

    Lilliane still hadn¡¯t sent Stella to fight, yet.

    There was a fairly large number of motels nearby (and a dock, a landing pad for flying taxis

    and a teleportation service center) for this was as well a popular tourist destination. The site for trial-goers was marked as always with a large wooden arch, carved and painted in the same way our amulets were. There had been a kioske where an attendee took our names and registered us for a trial tomorrow at dusk.

    Off we were to sleep at the motel (in a proper made bed, in a room with an actual ceiling for the first time in a week and a half), and tomorrow we would have our first trial.

    I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to sleep, honestly.

    <hr>

    ¡°Dun, dun-dun-dun, dun-sparce¨C¡±

    ¡°OJ, please, please don¡¯t dig in here,¡± I rasped out.

    The little snake practically vibrated. I couldn¡¯t blame him too much, for our homey motel room had a lot of new stimuli to get spooked by. For one, it was a closed room, for a wild pokemon that had never entered a human home before; and the Dunsparce had yet to learn how to recognize doors.

    Petal did what they could to calm down the overwhelmed serpent, speaking softly to him in their squeaky voice and rubbing his back with multiple leaves. Even Stella had taken to the task, pointing at objects in the room and showing how they worked while I hurriedly shed my bags from my wiry frame. Lilliane was right behind me, removing her Sylph Co. shoulder bag and looking at the situation awkwardly.

    Looking back to gauge Lilliane¡¯s reaction- she was staring. She was staring and saying nothing. I felt embarrassment rise on my face and heat up my ears at a reaction I couldn¡¯t understand and could only read as negative.

    I turned my head back before I lost my cool. I heard the sound of her footsteps as she seemingly disappeared into the bathroom.

    ¡°...Okay, hold on. Let me show you around, OJ?¡± I started, kneeling next to my Dunsparce. ¡°Think of this as¡­ a human nest. It¡¯s ours for the night, and we¡¯re safe in it.¡±

    OJ considered my words, looking around suspiciously, and I saw the drill on his tail start to rev up¡ª ¡°Nuh-uh-uh! It¡¯s ours, but we don¡¯t want to break anything. Making holes or digging won¡¯t make it better.¡±

    The snake slumped.

    Footsteps behind me, and Lilliane¡¯s voice took me by surprise.

    ¡°Hello, little guy.¡±

    She kneeled next to me, looking at my pokemon. Their eyes met.

    ¡°This is a lot to take in,¡± she stated. ¡°But this is a safe place. Would it make you feel better to get clean?¡±

    The Dunsparce¡¯s vibrating slowed, and I could see the gears turning in his head. Dirt and dust clung to his scales, and while it probably wasn¡¯t unpleasant, OJ also didn¡¯t have a concept of cleanliness.

    Getting cleaned is common; step one, find water, step two, bathe in it. However, getting groomed or pampered is a luxury in comparison. Grooming is a social activity, and social activities require friends, which I understood the Dunsparce had little of.

    In addition, different pokemon have different needs.It¡¯s a lesson one learns as soon as one has to care to more than two; one would find that the seeds you would feed a Pikipek are tasteless to a newly captured Rockruff, or one would find the pokemon shampoo one would use on a furry friend would do more harm than good on a pokemon with feathers. Food and care is something that one has to adapt to the pokemon they give care for.

    I had a Meowth and an Oddish at home, so this was a lesson I knew well. But OJ was new, and so I had much to learn.

    Oran Juice¡¯s gaze turned to Petal, who gave a smile, nodded and waved off with a leaf. Next to them, Stella excitedly held up a bottle of pokemon-friendly shampoo in triumph then ran off in the bathroom.

    His gaze turned to me. I had only known the little snake for a few days, in comparison to Petal who I knew for years - but I was truly taken aback by the implicit ask of trust granted to me by the Dunsparce. He looked at me intently, eyes darting to Lilliane¡¯s then back to mine.

    I didn¡¯t know Lilliane, it turned out. She had helped me out back in Iki Village but that was it. A wall was erected between her and the rest of our group, and I had no idea how to get past it. Maybe this was a chance.

    I gave OJ a nod, and tentatively gave him a pat on the head. ¡°Sure, OJ, let¡¯s get you clean.¡±

    <hr>

    The scent of shampoo and the feel of hot damp air surrounded us in the motel bathroom. Lilliane and I had cleaned up, and we¡¯d wrapped ourselves in bathrobes while we dried..

    I was sitting on the bathroom floor looking through my phone for any information on Dunsparce care, but I wasn¡¯t finding anything too conclusive. Dunsparce was a well documented species but not necessarily the most popular one, and scaled Normal-types weren¡¯t exactly commonplace.

    Petal was easy enough to please. They practically took care of themselves, only quickly showering themself (with no soap; no good for Grass-types) and enjoying a thorough scrubbing. Putting in the extra elbow grease really seemed to please them, and they clearly enjoyed how slick it made them look.

    Meanwhile, Stella had been properly pampered. Two separate shampoos had been lovingly applied to her short fur coat and she now gleamed, preening under the attention of her trainer. Lilliane gently combed her fur with a fine brush, tracing elegant lines in sweeping moves.

    ¡°...I¡¯ve found that skipping conditioner and going for two shampoos actually work best; Stella likes that one better, and for the purpose of taking care of Fairy-types, it seems like going with what¡¯s comfortable trumps over going with what makes sense.¡±

    Lilliane had started talking. I¡¯m not sure how we¡¯d gotten to that point, I had been on autopilot for a bit and I really didn''t feel like I had dared to initiate anything, but she was certainly actually telling me about something she cared about.

    I blinked repeatedly, and prompted her to say more ¡°Uh¨C that last bit; what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Oh! well,¡± she picked up the bottles of fur product and held them up. ¡°You know, how we use shampoo to clean the hair of dirt and such, and we use conditioner to make it softer.¡± She put the bottles back down, and gently continued to brush the Cleffa¡¯s fur, as Stella leaned back into her trainer¡¯s touch. ¡°Fairy-types¨C or rather, the Clefairy line, they don¡¯t care too much about the logistics or the actual physics that happen when soap gets on their fur. There¡¯s something about their nature that simply makes biology or physics stop working properly. What I¡¯ve been taught on the matter gets a little complicated from this point on, but the point is: they look their best when they want to, not because the product worked.¡±

    I know Pokemon came in all shapes and sizes, but this was¨C ¡°Hold on¨C physics stop working properly?¡±

    Lilliane turned to me with a wide expression, like I had caught her saying something she shouldn¡¯t have said.

    Did I? She couldn¡¯t stop there! She was telling me about cool science stuff! What the heck!

    ¡°Uh¨C I mean,¡± I stammered expectantly, ¡°So the chemicals in the product don¡¯t have an effect, it only works because they like the feel of it on their fur, or the process?¡±

    ¡°...Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Slowly, her face morphed back to a mysterious smile. ¡°A lot of chemical reactions and basic facets of biology don¡¯t really apply to the Clefairy line. For instance, let¡¯s say that a naughty Cleffa¡¯s favorite food is cheesecake, or, say, drinking window cleaner right out the bottle.¡±

    That prompted a surprisingly annoyed ¡°Cle-ffa!!¡± from Stella who turned to bap her trainer once in the leg.

    ¡°Hehe, well, that naughty Cleffa could live off of her favorite food for forever, really, and still get the same health benefits as though she had been eating a more balanced diet. She wouldn¡¯t suffer from poisoning either, because as soon as¨C come on Stella, it¡¯s just a funny story!¡±

    But the Cleffa didn¡¯t relent, clearly embarrassed by an indirect retelling of a personal story, and she continued to poke her giggling trainer.

    Excitedly, I couldn''t help but giggle along. ¡°That¡¯s wild! That certainly makes things easier, I imagine.¡± Unconsciously, my hand drifted to a basking Petal who leaned in to let themself be pet. ¡°It took a bit for Petal and I to¡­ find our footing, I guess. For months after they came in my family¡¯s care, they kept stealing my socks and shoes to bury them!¡±

    Lilliane¡¯s laughter came in as a single, involuntary ¡°Hah!¡± and a chorus of embarrassing chuckles and snorts, though she couldn¡¯t help the smile on her face. She hid her face behind her hands and between snickers, asked ¡°Whuh- what for? Why??¡±

    ¡°We only figured out way later that they thought I should bury my ¡®roots¡¯ in the earth like they do, and my shoes and socks were just getting in the way!¡± I could feel my plant pokemon roll their eyes under my touch, and their leaves leaned back in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m not without my faults, though. There was some incident with, um, uh, disinfectant and antiseptic that got them a quick trip to the Center, so you know, we all make mistakes.¡±

    Despite my sentence trailing into stammering, Lilliane responded on the dot. ¡°Venomorphic system, right? Their body benefits from active bacteria, which alcohol kills?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right!¡± I couldn¡¯t help the smile across my face - it felt like I never had anybody I could talk science or medicine with. What¡¯s more, Lilliane seemed like she knew more about that stuff than I did! ¡°So uh, Stella, right - the way she suppresses chemical reactions, is that just internal, or is it also external?¡±

    ¡°A little bit of both, I think. Obviously she can drink window cleaner and be fine, so internal is assured, but¡­ hm. There was an incident where she burnt herself on the stove top; she clearly felt the heat and was hurt when it happened, but she didn¡¯t actually gain any burns from it.¡±

    Then, before my brain could stop my mouth,  ¡°What about fire originating from a pokemon? Say Stella is struck in a fight. Would she be hurt?¡±

    Lilliane¡¯s mood fell.

    ¡°...She still feels pain. She can get hurt, and she can faint. It just doesn¡¯t show on her body.¡±

    ¡°At least it must be reassuring, to know that she¡¯ll be fine after a fight, right?¡±

    A pause.

    The blonde¡¯s thoughts, clearly elsewhere.

    Silence long enough to be strange.

    ¡°I suppose it would.¡±

 Chapter 5: Wither on the Vine (Trial 1)

    The main entrance of Verdant Cavern loomed over us like a gaping maw.

    In any other circumstances, Verdant Cavern was a beautiful sight - welcoming, even. Its many openings on the cliffside of Route 2 led to a vast network of interconnected spaces. On the ceiling, skylights partially covered in roots and grass let light through, bathing the floor in emerald hues. Plants sprouted through cracks, moss painted the walls, and occasional flowers and berries peeked through the greenery like hidden treasures.

    Or so, this is how it would have been at any other time.

    The sun was starting to set. Openings on the ceiling only let through harsh orange dusklight that streaked across the higher levels and cast a murky dim glow through the cave. The cavern was a peaceful den no longer, as darkness encroached on what little light could creep in.

    The Trial gate stood in stark contrast to the cavern, wooden engravings and bright colorful glyphs. From beyond, footsteps rang out and a Trial guide walked out.

    A young adult, in the official teal outfit and cap of the Trial guides¨C who this was did not matter as much in my nervous state, as I know they would not our examiner for this Trial. Our examiner would probably not be a human.

    ¡°Ahem¡±, they coughed out, ¡°Team Athier-Hal¨¡kaua-Matsu, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± responded Hau with unflappable cheer. Lilliane only gave an imperceptible nod.

    ¡°Good. You will want to let out all of your pokemon for the instructions, then¡± they said, as they pointed out my second pokeball.

    I let out Oran Juice the Dunsparce and Petal the Oddish immediately comforted the startled little snake, then the guide clapped their hands and resumed. ¡°Okay! Welcome to the first trial.

    ¡°You should, at this point, be adequately familiar with Route 2. Provided you haven¡¯t made a little detour through the jungle, your trip should have been safe and seamless.

    ¡°This is not a Route, however. Do not be fooled. This cavern is home to several warrens of competing pokemon; they are ornery, flighty and spiteful, and they will not hesitate to strike if they think they are being invaded. For the purpose of this Trial, they will cooperate with us but they will target you and strike to harm your team.

    ¡°Naturally, we would not be having this discussion if you trial-goers were to be put in actual danger. Instead, we will have to ¨Aplay pretend¡¯.¡±

    The guide retrieved something from a satchel¨C three simple necklaces made of string, a single nondescript berry tied to each. The Trial guide stepped up to Hau and put one around his neck.

    ¡°The denizens of Verdant Cavern will not attack trial-goers. But they will, figuratively, be going for your throat.¡± They pointed out the necklace the teenage boy had already started to fiddle with. ¡°If a pokemon takes the berry or the necklace away from you, you are considered ¡®out¡¯. If all three of you are ¡®out¡¯, you fail the Trial.¡±

    They walked to each of us in turn, and we let them put the necklaces around our necks. I felt the string with my fingers, feeling how fragile it was.

    ¡°Reach the exit to Melemele Meadow and you succeed ¨C however, your priority should be to protect you and your teammates. There are times in your journey where you will have no choice but to make your way through a hostile and dangerous environment, so ensuring safety is paramount. This Trial is here to make sure you are ready.¡±

    Snap.

    We all turned to look at Hau, who looked at us sheepishly, broken necklace clutched in his hand.

    ¡°...We humans are flimsy, just like that. Hal¨¡kaua, tie that to your wrist and pray to the Tapus it does not break again.¡±

    <hr>

    We entered Verdant Cavern.

    Hau stepped forth confidently, eagerly even, Loa the Litten at his side. She looked back towards me and light from my flashlight shone back through her feline eyes. With my other hand, I fiddled anxiously with the necklace around my neck, feeling the soft skin of the berry tied to it.

    Petal stood next to me and patted my leg with a leaf before standing in front and keeping an eye out. We had decided on how many Pokemon to have out of their balls for the trial, assuming that less Pokemon would attract less attention - as such, OJ would stay in his ball for the moment.

    Lilliane followed closely, Stella the Cleffa in her bag, bag held tight close to her chest.

    The entrance opened up into a larger space, the edges of which we could barely see over the dusklight. Rocky pathways snaked through, over and under the base floor of the cavern, rising at an upward angle. Patches of plants and moss covered every surface of the cave.

    As we shone our flashlights across, the cone of light shifted and deformed over the hanging vines and leaves. Hidden warrens and holes dotted the walls of the cavern beyond the greenery.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Hau whispered, and he motioned toward the cavern, a compass held in hand, ¡°East, look out for flowers, then through, yeah?¡±

    Lilliane and I nodded. Our way out, we knew, was to look for where the flowers characteristic of Melemele Meadow grew most.

    Our first trek through was quiet and tense.

    While space was plentiful in the cavern, we couldn¡¯t go across it in a straight line; stone pathways led up and down and created bridges overlooking the vast space, roots snagged at our feet and plant matter blocked our way occasionally.

    Trekking here was an exercise in patience and diligence. We needed to pay close attention to our surroundings, keeping an eye out for disturbances or nests. The cave wasn¡¯t necessarily silent, as the arrhythmic sounds of water trickling and leaves rustling had us on our toes at all times.

    Quiet chittering and squeaking of unseen rodent Pokemon was heard. Sometimes in the distance, the buzzing sounds of insectile wings, and a Ledyba peeked at us from a corner then disappeared once more.

    We stopped for a moment, having found a water spot. A fairly popular one, even, as the many three-toed paw tracks on the ground let me know that it was often used by the denizens of the cavern. Petal dipped a leaf in the lake water then nodded at me to let me know it was safe to drink.

    ¡°Um. Uh,¡± I heard from behind me.

    This wasn¡¯t me doing the stammering for once. Looking back at the blond teen, Lilliane seemed genuinely confused. ¡°Selene, Hau¨C where did the gym¨C trial leader¨C uh, the trial guide go?¡±

    Hau splashed his face and hair with the water, then turned to Lilliane and shrugged with a quick and snappy ¡°Iunno.¡±

    ¡°They have to be around, right? To determine whether or not we¡¯re, uh, worthy of the trial?¡±

    Did¡­ did she not know? ¡°...Not really, no. There¡¯s a partnership¨C a pact, here, with the warrens of the cave. The Pokemon here are our judges for the trial.¡±

    She audibly gulped. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that we¡¯re actually unsupervised with wild Pokemon?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I guess the wild Pokemon are the ones doing the supervising, and they¡¯re not fully wild per say, so¨C¡±

    Hau cut our conversation short. ¡°Hey. Focus up, we got something coming.¡±

    A low growl cut through the quiet.

    Little claws clicked on the cavern floor as a lone Yungoos creeped forward. It looked at us in defiance, shoulders low and teeth glinting under our torchlight.

    ¡°Listen, li¡¯l guy, we want no trouble, alright?¡± Hau raised his hands, berry dangling against his right arm. ¡°If you want a drink, go right ahead. I¡¯d even give you a little food if you ask.¡±

    Herpestes gula, I recalled from my reading. The Yungoos¡¯ scientific name translated to ¡°hungry Sentret¡±: a fiercer and meaner variant of the Johtoan rodent, agile, the type to track and hunt. This one wasn¡¯t the best example of its kind, as it stood alone, scrawny, and visibly exhausted.

    It took one look at us, then at Hau¡¯s Litten growling and yowling in its direction, fur raised on her back. A small cloud of smoke streamed out the sides of her maw as she hissed. The Yungoose took a step back.

    I felt a hand on my shoulder¨C Lilliane¡¯s hand, her face betraying now clear nervousness. ¡°Selene¨C run it by me again. The gym¨C the Trial guide is where? Are we alone?¡±

    This wasn¡¯t the right time¨C I looked back at Hau, then his Litten, the slowly retreating Yungoose¨C and Lilliane¡¯s hand clutched my shoulder firmly. Petal¡¯s leaves bristled at my side as they sensed the growing tension.

    ¡°...I feel like we need to talk about this.¡± Lilliane stressed, tension seeping in her voice. ¡°Are we in genuine danger or are we not?¡±

    I looked back at what was happening with Hau, biting my lip.

    Without looking back, eyes focused on the Yungoose situation, Hau gave a shrug and nonchalant ¡°Yeah, we are.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not!¡± I yelled.

    There was a sound like a shot, clear and crisp, an impact and a yelp. The Ember that Loa had just shot had hit the Yungoos square on, who rolled across the ground and then scampered away from the scene squealing.

    Stella gave out a surprised squeak, we heard the pitter-patter of Yungoose¡¯s feet ringing out, and I instinctively pointed my light after it.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    A dozen pairs of Yungoos eyes shone back at us, just thirty feet away.

    ¡°Loa, uh, I didn¡¯t tell you to do that¨C¡± Hau started, then stopped, and his eyes widened. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going, we¡¯re going the other way, now¨C¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°This isn¡¯t right, this isn¡¯t right¨C¡±

    The Trial wasn¡¯t going great.

    We had moved further in the cave. It was good, in the sense that we were getting closer to the exit, but it wasn¡¯t great in the sense that we were clearly moving through the Yungeese¡¯s territory.

    They weren¡¯t attacking us directly as much as they were standing in our way¨C snarling, growling, hissing, raking claws across the rock and dirt. We were fighting them now, Petal forcing them to back off with clouds of Sweet Scent and Poison Powder, Loa precisely knocking them out one at a time with Embers and Roars.

    I was reminded how powerful Loa was. She took down her opponents with strength and spite, facing them practically on her own, leaving singed fur and downed Yungeese in her wake. She was, however, just one Pokemon, and we were against a pack, for each Move she made, she had to evade three. She was slowly losing steam.

    For now, we were safe, though. We heard and saw more Ledybas fluttering around curiously. We had made headway through the cavern and the Yungoose pack had retreated into the darkness.

    Still, my feet felt like lead.

    ¡°Lilliane, come on, keep yourself together. We got this.¡± A few feet behind me, Hau and Lilliane were on our heels. The boy was trying to calm down our other teammate, whose composure was truly crumbling down. The blonde was shaking, hair disheveled, clutching both bag and Cleffa to herself with a desperate intensity; Stella trying her best to comfort her panicking trainer. Hau had laid a comforting hand on Lilliane¡¯s shoulder, and his tone lowered to something more reassuring, saying ¡°Li¨C Lillie, we¡¯ve got to¨C¡±

    She flinched away from Hau¡¯s hand as though she¡¯d be struck.

    She looked at Hau with ice in her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t¨C you don¡¯t get to call me that.¡± She whispered. ¡°You¨C you just jump into action without thinking. You don¡¯t get to tell me what to do. Did you stop to think about why your starter doesn¡¯t listen to you?¡±

    Stunned silence, for a moment. Hau¡¯s cheer, impossibly, seemed to run out. The dark-skinned boy looked lost about what to feel, visibly torn between guilt and dismay, fingers flexing in the air like he was trying to wrestle an explanation into being. His own berry necklace dangled from his wrist, still intact, somehow.

    ¡°...Your Litten clearly has something on her mind. She¡¯s been like this ever since I met you and not once did I see you confront her about it.¡±

    ¡°I¨C I¡¯m just trying my best, I want to be positive and supportive¨C¡±

    ¡°So what? You think she needs to battle it out? Tell her jokes until it goes away? Are you dense or just insensitive?¡±

    An uncomfortable silence seeped in. Lilliane¡¯s anger slowly shifted to disbelief, then regret, like she couldn¡¯t realize what she¡¯d just said.

    Fear tugged at my throat like a noose. I could only just watch as the tentative friendship we had made crumbled down on the spot.

    Loa the Litten, center of this argument, rested her legs on the ground panting and stared at Lilliane and Hau with an intense expression I couldn''t discern. Then she got up with effort and turned her back to us, looking away into the encroaching darkness.

    Finally, It was the boy that broke the silence.

    ¡°I¨C I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m no good at, uh, dealing with sad stuff or whatever.¡± Hau scratched the back of his neck with clear discomfort and fear. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this place, alright? I didn¡¯t mean to put any of us in danger. Lill¨C Lilliane, I assure you, we¡¯re safe. My grandpa¡¯s the Kahuna, and I¡¯ve never heard of the Trial Pokemon making trouble. This is just a test.¡±

    Lilliane looked at Hau, then gave him a nod. Her gaze turned to me, still anxious but also concerned, and she just said ¡°Are you okay too, Selene?¡±

    Whatever spell I had been put under seemed to dispel, and the horrible ball of anxiety in my throat seemed to leave. Voice weak, I just managed to cough out, ¡°...Just great!¡±

    ¡°Oddish!¡±

    Petal¡¯s head bonked against my leg, then they thrust all their leaves in a direction.

    I shook my head, narrowed my eyes and focused. I saw it - beyond a narrow stone staircase, standing at a higher level of the cave - greenery of the cave transitioning into the pale yellow hue of the neighboring Meadow. The exit, in reach at last.

    Hope. Real, tangible hope. We could get out of this, finish the trial, and never come in conflict ever again. None of us had lost our necklaces, even¨C we were good to go.

    My feet moved before my brain could register it.

    Wordlessly, we walked toward the end of our trial. Hau¡¯s heavy steps and Lilliane¡¯s graceful gait played out behind me as we approached the stone staircase. Petal at my side, Loa to Hau¡¯s, and Stella still in Lilliane¡¯s bag.

    With every step, more of the exit came into view. Up we went, crossing over the steps of the stone staircase, watching more and more of the yellow flowers at the end of the path.

    Suddenly, there was a large pokemon immediately blocking my way. Standing there, Yungeese at its side, straw blond fur shadowing a piercing gaze, a furred clawed arm reaching out for my neck¨C

    My body tried to stop and turn at the same time, my foot in the air moving to the side and finding no purchase, and suddenly I was falling.

    Center of gravity shifted, losing sense of where up and down was, nausea like my insides were clawing up my torso, my arms raised and flailing, trying to grab to something¨C anything¨C and then¨C

    PAIN.

    Immediate loss of sense.

    Sensation returned to me in glimpses.

    Dirt on my scuffed skin as my body rolled on the ground with the inertia of the fall. Overwhelming pain around my shoulder and my torso and my arm and it felt wet.

    There was the muted sound of the other two teens as they slid down to where I stood, shaking my shoulder. They were saying my name, I think?

    My eyes opened and my vision was blurry. I tried to focus, and a few feet from where I lay, there was a pink shape with a noodle attached to it¨C oh, that¡¯s the berry necklace thingie, right. It must have come off when I fell. There was a rumble, and a disturbance of earth, and a little shape popped out¨C oh hey, that¡¯s a Diglett¨C and it grabbed the necklace in its little mouth and left.

    Pain still paralyzed me. There was a sound that I was making but I didn¡¯t know what it was. I felt a wall behind me¨C were we stuck in the corner?

    I felt a hand help me sit against the wall. To my right, the concerned gaze of Lilliane, and I heard to my left my starter rummage through my bag and held up our first aid kit. My Oddish looked at me and signed but I¡¯m too numb to respond.

    I closed my eyes for a second.

    I opened them, and more of my senses returned to me.

    The pain was still there but I could think, at least. My arm gripped my other shoulder with a death-like grip.

    I saw Petal fighting back a Diglett and it wasn¡¯t going great. Even without my direction, they were doing their best to avoid blows and trade back, but it wasn¡¯t working for them. The moles of Alola, I recalled, have an unique genetic makeup; a set of golden whiskers on top of their head that act as strong sensors and a much hardier biological frame.

    Acid and Poison Powder found no purchase on Steel constitution, plants raised through Leech Seed were uprooted and destroyed. There was a fuzzy blur of violence and two of Petal¡¯s leaves were torn off¨C then they fell to the ground, unconscious.

    I felt this intense spike of fear down my back and strong instincts activated; this is my partner, my best friend, and it¡¯s my duty to make sure they are safe. My trembling hand went to my belt and with a stumbling motion I recalled my starter in their pokeball.

    For a second, I moved to release Oran Juice from his ball but all adrenaline left my body and I was found breathless - my hand hanged in the air then practically dropped and I felt myself practically slump over.

    ¡°Loa! Fall back! Loa, return now!¡±

    I turned my head and I looked to see how the rest of the fight was going. Loa was locked in battle with a Gumshoos¨C the Gumshoos, the pokemon that had me lose my balance and fall.

    The Yungoose¡¯s evolution was formidable. It stood just a little smaller than a human our age, but it would be easily the biggest Pokemon we had ever faced in a fight. It had a nonchalant gait, striking in lazy but calculated strikes: the Litten would attempt a Scratch or an Ember and it would retaliate with a powerful backhand of the paw, wreathed in energy that seemed to draw in the dim light. It snapped a finger, and a Yungoose pounced from an unseen corner and wrestled the necklace from Hau¡¯s wrist. Hau jumped back with a hiss, cradling his arm, blood dripping from shallow claw marks, another necklace lost.

    Somehow, a quiet tension set itself in. In the background, I watched as the Litten swayed on her legs and finally stumbled down to unconsciousness, worn down after weathering so many blows.

    The Gumshoos set its sights on us. It started to approach.

    Hau cradled and put pressure on his bleeding arm. ¡°Ouch, shit¨C Lilliane, help, please. You have to send out your Cleffa. We need your help, please.¡±

    I felt a tremble and I realized that the blonde was still at my side, cradling one half of my body. Stella was still halfway in her bag, one small hand against her trainer¡¯s arm, looking at her intently. There was an expression on the teen¡¯s face like terror and regret, her eyes looking at something that isn¡¯t there. Tears fell down her pale cheeks and sobs wracked her body.

    I watched as Lilliane¡¯s perfect front broke completely down.

    Her voice was weak and disheartened. ¡°...No¨C I can¡¯t let her fight. She¡¯ll get hurt¡­¡±

    Her Cleffa let out a dismayed ¡°Fa!¡±, frown on her small face, pushing harder on her trainer¡¯s arm.

    But it¡¯s like Lilliane wasn¡¯t there. She seemed to retreat to herself, arms hugging her starter to her chest, gaze to the looming Gumshoos.

    Her voice almost a whisper. ¡°...Then she¡¯ll die, and she¡¯ll leave me, too.¡±

    Snap.

    A furred, clawed arm retreating away from Lilliane¡¯s trembling form, third and final necklace snapped in twain and gently taken from her.

    The Gumshoos looked at Lilliane and I and then snorted, gaze angry but not hostile. It snapped its fingers and all the pokemon around us seemed to snap into attention, standing still.

    I watched, incredulous, as two Digletts carried the first-aid kit we had discarded to Hau, who after blinking repeatedly, recalled Loa to her ball and started to mechanically treat his arm wound. A pair of Yungeese took out a blanket from my bag and set it around a shocked Lilliane and I.

    The Gumshoos retrieved a notepad and a pen from a satchel around its waist. It began to write, and for a minute there was the scritch-scritch-scratch of graphite on paper and nothing else. Then it ripped the paper and handed it to Hau.

    He looked at the paper, then the Gumshoos, the paper again, and in disbelief, began to read.

    ¡°You failed. Be glad this was just a test.-- Wait, should I read this aloud?¡±

    The Gumshoos just growled.

    ¡°Okay! Alright¨C Be glad this was just a test. Were you in some other territory, you¡¯d just be dead.

    Scared plant girl: Next time, don¡¯t fall off the stairs. You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t hit your head.

    Stupid¨C uh, stupid boy: Take your head out of your rear and think. The fancy girl made some good points. Your Litten is strong but doesn¡¯t obey you. Sit down and listen to her and find out why.

    Fancy blond girl: There are mind doctors available for trial-goers. Make use of them. Your starter wants to fight. Let her.

    You can¡¯t travel without fighting, and you can¡¯t fight without learning how to resolve your differences.This is a team test. Start acting like one.¡±

 Chapter 6: A Bunch of Bad Seeds

    All things considered, I was doing surprisingly okay physically.

    A mild shoulder sprain, cuts and contusions, a bruise on my leg - falling a handful of feet during the trial had roughed me up fierce, but modern Pokemon Center facilities had me up on my feet almost as soon as I had been admitted.

    Still, I was exhausted, and the right side of my body hurt. My bandaged shoulder still throbbed and I knew I¡¯d feel that pain for a few weeks. Beyond pain, I was emotionally drained: my starter was hurt and would have to stay in the center for the night.

    Last I had seen them, their prone, battered body had been laid in a specialized medical frame, lit up under UV light. They¡¯d woken up and given me a few signs of reassurance, but still my heart hurt. I knew they¡¯d be fine, I knew they¡¯d be right back on their feet but knowing that they had been hurt on my account frightened me.

    My feet brought me on autopilot towards Lilliane and I¡¯s motel room, late in the night.

    Pokemon are hardy; they bounce right back up. Still. It was failure, and it was unnecessary pain on my starter. It was mistrust in me and my teammates.

    Failure doesn¡¯t sting, I thought; it¡¯s a poison, it festers in the mind and burns you from inside. I had now failed once, which meant I could fail again. I could fail, I could get Petal hurt, and I could disappoint all the people that had put their trust in me.

    Anxiety bubbled in my heart like water on the stove. Events of the trial replayed in my mind again and again.

    I should have told Lilliane enough about the trial beforehand. I had clearly startled Loa with my outburst. I had stupidly, stupidly fallen off that stair. I hadn¡¯t had the strength to send OJ back out. Did¡­ did he even feel safe with me?

    Stupid, stupid, stupid.

    I felt at my belt OJ¡¯s ball and released the Dunsparce. Pokemon can see outside their ball, I knew, so he probably wouldn¡¯t be spooked at being out so suddenly.

    Slowly, he turned around and faced me. I didn¡¯t know what to say, really - it¡¯s not like I wanted him or Petal to take on the trial and get hurt¨C

    Oran Juice beckoned and motioned from me to get down to his level. I kneeled, and before I could say anything, he moved to a side-pouch on my backpack and dug through to retrieve some packaged biscuits and drinks that he suddenly pushed into my lap.

    Then he began to babble to me animatedly, gnawing on an unopened juice box of his own - so I quickly motioned for him to calm down.

    ¡°OJ, I¨C We failed. Petal¡¯s at the center. They¡¯re not here to translate for you.¡± I wrung my hands. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk the slow way.¡±

    He tilted his head to the side, and waited for me to continue.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    A shrug, and a nod.

    ¡°Are you¡­ are you afraid?¡±

    Visible confusion, then shakes of the head.

    ¡°Are you disappointed in me?¡±

    Confusion morphed into disbelief, and disbelief went to¨C he just turned around and poked me in the face with the tip of his tail!

    ¡°Agh! Bwah! Why?¡± I pushed back the frantic snake, scanning through his facial expression and body language to understand what he was trying to tell me. ¡°Oran Juice, listen, I messed up. Back in the trial I¨C Augh!¡±

    Once more, my Dunsparce reared up and poked his scaley end twice in my face, then turned back and let out an indignant ¡°Du-dun!!¡±

    I stared at him with wide eyes, gears turning slowly in my head. ¡°Okay, uh¨C listen. I feel bad about this. I just saw Petal on a stretcher, and I feel like you wouldn¡¯t want to be on one too.¡± I turned my gaze to the ground, cold anxiety raising up my back. ¡°...Are you sure you want to stay with me? We¡¯ll have to do this trial again, and you could get really hurt.¡±

    Silence for a moment. OJ stared intensely at me, eyes narrowed. He let out one angry snort, then moved down to chomp on the packaged biscuits, plastic and all, and ate it whole. Then he promptly slithered to me and nuzzled my leg.

    My fear cooled down just a smidge, and a tentative smile crept on my face as I allowed myself to pet the snake¡¯s scaley back. Maybe I hadn¡¯t lost his trust, yet.

    ¡°Okay¡­ okay. You¡¯re on team Selene still. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± OJ pushed back against my touch, and I looked for the right spot to scratch.

    I got up. Time to sleep off the stress.

    ¡°Still¡­ I wonder about how it would have gone, had I released you earlier during the trial.¡± I started to slowly walk toward our motel room, and OJ followed by my side. ¡°I still think your dig¡¯s got potential. Maybe you could have held your own against the Gumshoos¨C¡±

    ¡°Uh, hey.¡±

    I stopped.

    Hau stood, not far from us girls¡¯ room. Hands in his pockets, he rocked on the balls of his feet. He looked at my bandaged shoulder and I watched his face go through a flurry of emotions¨C embarrassment, worry, relief, then back to a tentative smile. ¡°Glad to see that you¡¯re good, cuz¡¯. I got real worried there.¡±

    I rubbed my bandaged arm. ¡°Yeah, I guess it could have gotten worse. Could have gotten much better as well.¡± I couldn¡¯t suppress a wince on my part, and was surprised that he couldn¡¯t suppress one as well.

    ¡°Yeah, no kidding.¡±

    The Dunsparce at my feet looked to Hau then to I, unsure what to make of the situation.

    The boy broke the silence, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s good if we head in? You know, talk about how the trial went an¡¯ all.¡±

    I gave him a nod, and knocked on the door.

    <hr>

    A strange tension filled the room.

    Hau had entered and then sat on a chair like a skittish Delcatty, one leg up and hugged to his chest.

    Over the last week, I had found the boy to have an overbearing personality; someone who made his presence known and immediately filled the room with his cheer. This wasn¡¯t the same boy. Hau looked awkward, unsure, clear attempts at trying to smile or bring the mood up but failing to do so. There was tension, he made a clear effort not to look in Lilliane¡¯s direction and failed to suppress the twinge of discomfort on his face.

    Meanwhile, Lilliane seemed faced with a similar dilemma. We had found the blond girl in our room stiff, sitting on her bed, a quiet and pensive Stella on her lap. She had welcomed us in (though more directed at the boy, since this was the room I slept in with her, still), and offered to brew Roselia tea for us. When she had come back with the kettle, she had handed me my cup, and even if I hadn¡¯t seen her hands shudder I would still have heard the clinkle-clink of trembling porcelain.

    Perhaps it was too easy to comment on their demeanor. I was terrified, failing to such an extent was something I was unfamiliar with.

    It was strange to see the two other teens in a similar state of mind, but also comforting, in a strange way. It¡¯s like a spell that had been cast on the two teens had been broken.

    ¡°Alright. Let me start this off.¡±

    Hau had spoken up first, raising a hand, grimace on his face. ¡°I¡¯m taking the blame on this. I should have been better. If I had a better bond with my starter, I don¡¯t think it would have gotten to shit like this.¡±

    Wait, wait¨C this wasn¡¯t right! ¡°But I thought¨C it¡¯s my fault.¡± Both teens turned to look at me, and I balked under the attention. ¡°Didn¡¯t I startle her into attacking when I shouted?¡±

    The boy let out a sigh. ¡°No? Not really. Loa was already being real aggro with that Yungoose. You didn¡¯t provoke her or anything.¡±

    Huh. Wind out my sails, I let the argument drop. I felt OJ pat me on the leg and he nodded in agreement.

    ¡°So yeah. We were talking loudly, I didn¡¯t stop Loa from blasting that ¡®goose, and that attracted the whole pack. Then we went into panic mode, and honestly it was mostly over from there. That Gumshoos must have been waiting in the wings since we encountered the first Yungoose, honestly.

    ¡°But, real talk, I think we weren¡¯t doing too bad.¡± I saw him raise his hand as though he was measuring something, then he reconsidered it and lowered it a tad. ¡°We were real careful like, 80% of the time. That gotta count for something.¡±

    ¡°I- I fell. I sprained my shoulder. I wasn¡¯t careful enough to shop that.¡±

    Hau shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t really fault you for this! That big dude spooked you out of nowhere. Had I been in your place, I would have broke my arm, instead.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the absurdity of it. Despite everything, Hau still managed to cheer.

    ¡°Alright. So now that we know what went wrong, let¡¯s see what¨C¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to¡­ say my piece. Please.¡±

    Hau and I turned to Lilliane. Those were the first words she had said since we had sat down.

    She balked for a second under the attention, then looked at Hau and continued. ¡°Hau, I¨C would like to apologize. I¡¯ve been brusque to you in the cave, and it wasn¡¯t warranted.¡± Hau crossed his arms but nodded, and she turned her gaze to me then. ¡°Selene. In my ignorance, I panicked. I did not mean to cause you nor Hau distress. You¡¯re looking for what to blame, but it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s rather obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± A pause. We held our breaths. ¡°I¡¯m the problem.¡±

    She had said it.

    A part of myself wanted to blame my actions, and I could do it all I wanted, but the fact that she and Stella practically hadn¡¯t taken part in the trial stayed.

    ¡°I am aware that I¡¯m posing a problem to you two. To all three of us.¡± She shuddered and wrung her hands against the hem of her dress. ¡°I did not mean for me¨C for my fears to get this bad. I thought I could get a hold of them before the trial.¡±

    Huh. This was very unusual, however. Lilliane had been a stoic person for all the time I had known her. Unbidden, the thought of meeting someone more scared than I was had never crossed my mind.

    Hau spoke up, tentatively laying a hand on the bed where she sat, still keeping distance. ¡°So, uh. What are you afraid of, really?¡±

    ¡°...I can¡¯t say.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, or you can¡¯t tell us?¡±

    Fear rose in her voice. ¡°I¨C I can¡¯t¨C I can¡¯t really talk about it.¡±

    A moment of silence passed.

    Hau let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Sis, we can give you your space but you gotta work with us, here.¡± Hau rubbed the bridge of his nose and I saw him hide his frown. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to be afraid, sure, but we need to know so we don¡¯t step on your toes or whatever.¡± He wiped his face with his hand. ¡°Do you have a doctor you can talk to or¨C¡±

    Now fear stormed into panic, eyes wide, and she cut over Hau with an outburst of ¡°No no no no no, no medical professional¨C I tell a health official and they¡¯ll tell my mother, and my mother can¡¯t know, she really can¡¯t learn about this.¡±

    Hau and I practically jumped back.

    At that moment, she looked at us with wide blue eyes unhidden by her long blond hair and the rim of her hat. Tears threatened to spill at the corner of her eyes, and her skin grew paler still as she had hissed out her fears.

    Once more, silence settled over the room.

    In those blue eyes of hers, I saw something familiar. A dark scene seared into the back of the eyelids, an irrational fear, a thought process that grips the throat and doesn¡¯t let go. Something I could maybe relate to.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Whatever she was afraid of, it was something she was afraid of others knowing, of others using against her, no matter how senseless it may be. And perhaps she, also, felt the destructive need to let it out.

    Perhaps, then.

    I saw a chance.

    But I would need to take the first step. Harrowing.

    ¡°Um. How about then¨C how about we swap secrets?¡±

    Both teens turned to me in confusion.

    ¡°I mean, I guess¨C¡± Tapus, this was awkward. My throat felt dry all of a sudden. ¡°I could tell you something that I¡¯ve never ever told anybody.¡± Anybody that knows me at school. ¡°No string attached. Just the understanding that you know something that¡­ I really, really don¡¯t want people to know.¡±

    Tapus above, what the heck was I doing?

    Gears turned in the head of my fellow teammates. For Lilliane, I could imagine, what I offered was an open hand; the understanding that anything I could use against her, she had something to use against me. Hau considered it with uncharacteristic stillness, and I dare not predict what was happening in that mind of his.

    Then slowly, both teens gave me a nod.

    I really, really had not thought this through.

    <hr>

    One could look at it in a poetic way: let''s say that she was born in the ocean.

    Look at Akala bay from afar, and it is a beautiful, massive expense of sea blue that sparkles under the moonlight. Stars and nebulae paint the sky in ethereal hues of blues and purples and greens, and a distant glow lines the horizon.

    Look a little closer, and the sea isn¡¯t as peaceful as it may seem. It is ever shifting, it is curves and peaks, ebb and flow, an ordered but chaotic rhythm outlined by the glow of the moon.

    Look a little closer still, and watch a four year old girl struggle in the water.

    The little girl¡¯s first memory is drowning.

    Those memories are blurry and fragmented. With time she found that they distort further, like rewinding a cassette tape too many times; the footage warps and deteriorates and all fills with white noise.

    Her body is death cold. She is pushed down by a great force. She is being turned this way and that, and suddenly it will feel like she¡¯s been thrown and then it repeats again. There¡¯s no rhythm to it.

    There¡¯s a desperate instinct to keep her head up and out but she doesn¡¯t know what up and down are. Arms and legs flail uselessly. The body is stuck between holding its breath and trying to take in oxygen. It chooses the latter, and water enters the lungs instead.

    There¡¯s no emotion that can convey what it feels like. It is fire and ice in the veins. It is death. It is cradling her face and holding her hand.

    That¡¯s all she could remember.

    Who knows how much time passed until they fished her out.

    <hr>

    I hugged Oran Juice tight to my trembling chest. The Dunsparce had motioned for me to pick him up and I had reached for him like one would a life preserver. My tears wet the scales on his back and I felt him curl tighter around myself in response. My hair fell on my face like a shroud, shading my eyes from view.

    My chest was still wracked with sobs as I told my worst memories to people my age for the first time. This was a huge, huge mistake, I immediately thought.

    I didn¡¯t really know how they reacted. I couldn¡¯t really look at them. I had grabbed at the idea of being vulnerable but really did not think this through.

    Somehow, though, I could breathe a little better.

    ¡°...Oh,¡± Hau muttered, ¡°That¡¯s why you were exempt from swimming class.¡±

    Hau¡¯s absurd realization would have me chuckle any other time. Instead, I only gave a few terse nods.

    ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry to hear this, Selene¡­¡± I heard Lilliane say, after a moment.

    Silence, again.

    Despite it all, an urge came to me to say more.

    ¡°I was¨C¡± I stopped, and sniffed, and raised a hand from OJ to wipe my face and nose with my sleeve. Tapus, I felt wet and gross. ¡°I was bad for a while after this. I don¡¯t remember much from¨C sob¨C from before I was¡­ nine or ten.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really¡­ feel like a person before then. I was in medical facilities a lot, and I kept reliving th¨C that moment over and over. Being stuck in that time.

    ¡°Then¨C¡± And my heart really felt lighter then, because this, truly, was when life started to turn around. ¡°Then I was just¡­ better. And then I was in the care of my parents, and Petal came into my life. And that helped.¡±

    I recalled the doctors saying at the time ¡®Selene is an unopened flower¡¯. What I needed was support, something I could lean against to bloom. My dad suggested that a plant pokemon from his region would work, and funnily enough, he couldn¡¯t have been more right.

    ¡°...Wait.¡± That was Lilliane. ¡°Your parents, what were they doing before?¡±

    This felt like a separate bombshell to drop on them, but the words spilled out of my mouth anyway. ¡°Um¡­ I didn¡¯t know them. They hadn¡¯t adopted me then.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± let out Hau, involuntarily. ¡°Oh. Uh. I had no idea.¡±

    ¡°...What about your biological parents?¡± asked the blonde girl.

    Silence.

    I only gave a weak shrug. Hopefully she would get the idea.

    Once again, the room was quiet.

    The steady breaths and the beat of OJ¡¯s heart was felt against my own. My heartbeats matched his own and followed his rhythm. I didn¡¯t have Petal with me here, but I had truly found something special in the Dunsparce.

    I looked up.

    Both teens had changed positions. Hau now sat straight on the chair, staring at me intensely with something like¨C I couldn¡¯t say. There was fire in his eyes, certainly, but I didn¡¯t know if it meant anything positive or negative.

    Lilliane was looking into the distance, arms no longer cradling and petting her starter. I saw Stella looking at her trainer with sad eyes. Then, Lilliane began to speak and the Cleffa¡¯s eyes widened in realization.

    ¡°I think¡­¡± her voice hollow and haunted, ¡°I think my mom killed my dad.¡±

    A veil fell over the room.

    A miasma grasped at our throats and choked our voice.

    ¡­

    What could we even say?

    ¡°...Father disappeared a few months ago. He went to work and he did not come back.¡±

    As she spoke, Lilliane laid a hand down on Stella¡¯s head, in between the ears, and her starter grasped Lilliane¡¯s hand with her paws and hugged it close.

    ¡°Mother told¨C told my brother and I to keep it secret. That he was gone on a business trip, and that it was very hush-hush.

    ¡°We believed her, for a while. This wasn¡¯t the first time he''d gone on a work trip, but it certainly was the first time we were asked not to mention it, ever.¡±

    Lilliane¡¯s voice had taken this strange monotone quality, like no emotion was left to feel.

    ¡°The situation took on a strange turn,¡± she continued. ¡°One of my tutors asked us about Father¨C days later, that tutor was gone. We asked Mother about it, or about Father¡¯s whereabouts, but she¨C¡± and Lilliane left the phrase hanging there, not knowing how to end it.

    ¡°I, um¨C I decided to look into it myself¨C Gladion and I did. We had grown good at sneaking around and we had an idea of where to look.¡± Her voice started to break, and we watched as she curled smaller around Stella, her head in her crossed arms.

    ¡°It was¨C it was really, really bad. It was so much worse than anything we could have expected. It was harrowing. A lot of research notes, at first, documents we expected¨C but the deeper we dug, the more strange it seemed. Research failures¨C reports on casualties, e-mails to Unovan officials to keep it away from the public, experimentation on live pokemon in explicit detail¨C¡±

    A sob broke through and stopped her. She shuddered, and took a deep breath.

    ¡°I saw Mother¡¯s signature a lot. And I found a door I didn¡¯t know about, in her office, and behind it I saw¨C¡± a gasp, and she stopped. ¡°Brother found something else, as well. Captive pokemon. Something we could act on. This was the straw that broke the Numel¡¯s back, and so we planned for an escape.¡±

    We watched her head raise and she looked at Stella, eyes filled with horror, reliving the moment. We looked at her, Hau, my pokemon and I were utterly dismayed. We waited with baited breath.

    ¡°A two-pronged plan. We each had our own objective. We had stolen keycards and hid them in our shirt drawer. We knew when the cameras would be turned off, and how to rig them so that we wouldn¡¯t be recorded. We did all this, we separated, I went through Mother¡¯s hidden door in her office, and then¡­

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it.

    ¡°I looked at a little pokemon, asleep, locked in a metal container, like a tool locked in storage. Just a little dark blue cloud with stars shining through¨C and I imagined Stella in its place, and I couldn¡¯t do it. I couldn¡¯t free that little night cloud. I couldn¡¯t take the risk.¡± She turned to us and I was struck by the overwhelming conflict of emotions behind those blue eyes. Something like hope and grief, love and betrayal, courage and cowardice¨C I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. ¡°So I couldn¡¯t do it. I returned to my room, went back to sleep, and feigned ignorance¨C and that was that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where my brother is, but he¡¯s gone¨C¡± And at this point, sobs completely tore through her, tears streaming down her face, voice growing louder with every word¨C ¡°He¡¯s gone. If he¡¯s even alive he must hate me, because I betrayed him and that trapped pokemon because I¡¯m a trash human being, and¨C¡±

    My body moved before my mind did.

    I felt myself make the steps to her, and I leaned and hugged her as tight as I could. She grabbed onto me like I was her lifeline, and her head melted into my shoulder, where she started to wail and dampen my shirt with her tears. Her chest against mine shaking and trembling. Not a second later, I felt Hau hug the both of us and squeeze us with his big arms as he joined in. OJ¡¯s body heat I felt around my leg, and I heard Stella¡¯s meep from within the pile.

    We stayed like that for a while.

    <hr>

    Eventually, Lilliane ran out of tears.

    I kept a hand around her shoulders - showing comfort like this was something that was still so unfamiliar, but feeling from how Lilliane leaned back into me, I felt like she didn¡¯t mind any of my awkwardness.

    Hau was back on the chair, now sprawled limbs limp like a rag doll with one elbow against the desk, still processing everything that had been said.

    Stella had gotten up from Lilliane¡¯s lap and handed tissues to everyone.

    I was just numb. My own fears and traumas felt so small in comparison. Wrapping my mind around the story she¡¯d told us and how we still had the Trial and the Island Challenge to worry about¨C

    I don¡¯t know if Hau sensed it, or if he was just thinking the same, but the next thing he said was ¡°Um. So obviously, we won¡¯t tell a soul. Secret¡¯s safe.¡± He mimicked closing a zipper over his mouth. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about the trial¨C we got it, Selene and I.¡± He turned to me, intense gaze boring into mine. ¡°Right?¡±

    I don¡¯t think I fully processed what he had said, but I at least gave a nod back.

    ¡°Wait, no, hold on.¡± Hair disheveled, and dry tear marks on her face, Lilliane looked between Hau and I. ¡°This still isn¡¯t right. I don¡¯t want to be a burden.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to force you to fight if you don¡¯t want to,¡± I told her. This was still making the Trial difficult, but still. This was important.

    The situation remained terrifying, still¨C to think that there was someone on Alola doing unethical experiments and putting pokemon in cages¡­ Maybe it wasn¡¯t that unlikely. And to think that it was someone so close; that it was this someone¡¯s mom¨C

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like vomiting.

    What would I even do, if I was in her place, I wonder. Curl up into a ball and cry, probably. Then once I run out of tears, freeze up for the rest of the Island Challenge¨C yeah, that seemed about right.

    Hau rubbed his chin, eyes in thought, then he snapped his fingers and pointed at Lilliane. ¡°Your Cleffa¨C she knows any moves that she can do from afar, while you¡¯re holding her?¡±

    Maybe she did, but the blonde grabbed her starter and hugged her right. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to fight.¡± That was that.

    Hau lifted both his hands in a placating gesture and stepped back. ¡°Alright, alright.¡±

    However, as I looked at Lilliane, I couldn¡¯t help but keep my eyes on Stella ¨C the Cleffa in question looked clearly conflicted, disappointed almost? I recall that the Gumshoos had said that Cleffa wanted to fight.

    Nevertheless, Stella just crossed her arms and pouted.

    ¡°Well¡­ I should probably let you guys sleep, then.¡± Hau got up and stretched, then went to move towards the door. ¡°Selene and I, we got a lot of training tomorrow! We should start to plan, and¨C¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    That was Lilliane.

    Despite the tear tracks, despite the disheveled hair and the haggard face, she looked into Hau¡¯s eyes with an intensity I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°What about your secret, then?¡±

    The boy stopped on his tracks and his eyes widened like a Deerling in the headlights.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told us anything yet, Hau. This is not an equal trade until everyone has shared.¡±

    Hau rubbed the back of his head, looking at us Mareepishly. ¡°Um. I can¡¯t help but feel a little outclassed. here. Dunno if I have anything that can match up.¡±

    Lilliane¡¯s eyes narrowed, and even though I had never seen her nor her starter raise a hand, even I got a little scared. ¡°Yes, well, then start thinking.¡±

    He balked, and his eyes drifted to the side, pensive, looking for something.

    We waited.

    ¡°Okay. Okay, I think I got something.¡±

    Lilliane and I exchanged a glance. We leaned forward and gave him our full attention.

    ¡°So, uh.¡± He scratched the back of his head. ¡°I guess I promised Tapu Koko I would kick Its ass.¡±

    ¡°...what?¡±

    ¡°Well, I met Tapu Koko without my grandpa. And then I swore on my family¡¯s honor I would fight It and win.¡±

    ¡°...you promised the legendary Island Guardian that you would beat It in combat, and you put your family¡¯s honor on the line?¡±

    ¡°Well look at the time!¡± and the teen started to hurriedly pick up his clothes and his bag. Lilliane guffawed once, then started to snicker while the boy continued ¡°We got a busy day tomorrow training an¡¯ all¨C¡±

    I got up. ¡°Hau. Hau, come back here.¡± He slung his bags over his shoulder and headed to the door, ¡°Hau you¨C you¡¯re not getting out of this, you¨C¡± and Lilliane bursted out in laughter, and out the door he went, now running¨C ¡°Hau Hakalaua! You explain yourself, NOW!¡±

 Chapter 7: Sowing in the Sand

    In the late hours of morning, soft light shone through the window shutters and cast the motel room in a dim golden glow. My tired mind registered the sound of other occupants going through their wake up routine, only barely muffled by the thin wooden walls. Somewhere nearby, the sound of water trickling and someone taking a shower; my teammate Lilliane and her Cleffa Stella freshening up after sleep, I assumed. Tapus, Lilliane¡­

    Too much had happened yesterday.

    Even sleep couldn¡¯t calm my nerves. All of the previous day¡¯s events replayed out in my mind: the trial, the talk, telling my friends of my worst fears, Hau and Lilliane opening up about their most hidden secrets¨C and what secrets!

    Augh.

    I hadn¡¯t even left my bed that I promptly turned over, buried my head in my pillow and loudly groaned.

    This was a lot for a fifteen year old girl¨C actually, heck that, this was way too much.

    When I had first suggested being vulnerable to each other, I don¡¯t think I expected anything like this. Whatever social practice I thought this was, this was born out of what little I understood of people from eavesdropping on popular girls at school. At worst, I thought, I¡¯d hear about whatever hang-ups they¡¯d have about the upcoming trial, or maybe issues at home with their siblings and whatnot¨C but this wasn¡¯t anything like it. This was danger.

    Wrapping my head around Lilliane¡¯s situation was difficult. Difficult to believe in it, even. To discover that her mother had been doing unethical science and keeping pokemon against their will? To decide to go against her, only to back away at the last second? I was trembling just thinking about it. I couldn¡¯t imagine the sort of control Lilliane had mustered thus far to keep herself together.

    The girl had carried herself like a fortress: stable, pristine, smart, genuinely pretty, one that knew what to say and what to do. We had seen that inside the fortress resides a scared girl paralyzed with indecision and that had touched me on a deeper level than anything before.

    While Lilliane¡¯s problem had me spooked, Hau¡¯s situation made me cross. Sure, the boy had been an all-around joy to be around - fun, strong, resourceful, sure, alright, maybe - but as he fled the scene the night before, a realization had come to me.

    Hau was a few clowns short of a circus.

    It wasn¡¯t that Hau was that dumb¨C it was that Hau was frustrating. I rarely felt anger towards someone that was just trying to help, but Hau¡¯s contribution often seemed to blow up in our faces. My teeth grit at the thought.

    I found myself at a loss for how to act around him.

    There was bravery, and then there was recklessness, and the guy seemed to carry both in spades¨C He¡¯d set his personal goal to become Champion, and yet had challenged the Island Guardian before the Challenge had even begun! And he had put, what, his grandfather¡¯s position on the line? Hello??

    Augghh!!

    ¡­

    Nonetheless, this was my team. I had to make do.

    <hr>

    Not far from the trial site itself, a number of buildings stood in a line perpendicular to the Route on one side and to the cliff-face facing the shore on the other. A center, hostels and a resort, shops for tourists and another for trainers, people of all ages going to and fro¨C a lot of them teenagers my age, Trial amulets dangling from their bags or their belt.

    In the empty motel backyard away from prying ears, I told everything to my starter.

    A freshly healed Petal the Oddish stared at me, incredulous, eyes bugging out. I had just finished telling them all of yesterday¡¯s events with Oran Juice at my side providing occasional clarification.

    My Grass-type blinked a few times, mouth agape. Their leaves started to move slowly, falteringly, in the motions I¡¯d grown to associate with our sign language. Those motions suddenly sped up, then grew incomprehensible as they signed furiously and cried out in pokemon speech! They gave up on communication and just stomped and kicked, raising hell on the nearby foliage and thrashing the grass ground of the motel backyard indiscriminately.

    ¡°Petal! Hold on, slow down!¡± I raised my hands to placate my gesticulating starter, while OJ brayed and drilled away in surprise. ¡°Petal you¨C you have to calm down. I can¡¯t understand you if you sign too fast!¡±

    The squat plant stopped and glared at the ground with fury like I had never seen before. Their composure maintained for only a second before they stomped the floor a few more times ¨C and I watched the grass grow around them with each impact. With each stomp, a wave of glowing green pulsed and made buds and fronds push through the dirt and into the sky.

    Petal stopped, then focused and stomped again, a fainter wave starting at the furthest grass and coalescing towards them at the center, grass withering and graying as the wave passed through.

    They looked at the dying earth around them in annoyance, their anger spent. I leaned down and gently scooped them up into my lap, feeling them trying to pull away before they gave up and hid under the crook of my arm fully. The earth moved at my side and the tip of a scaly tail emerged as the spooked Oran Juice came out of his hiding spot.

    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Petal. Did you get it out of your system?¡± A muffled ¡®Odd-ish¡¯ resounded from beneath my arms, and the pokemon faintly nodded. I cradled them¨C this was, after all, far past their usual waking hours, and even despite being fresh out of the pokemon center, they could barely stay awake in the day.

    ¡°You know¡­ You don¡¯t have to worry about it, Petal. Mad scientists and stupid promises to the island guardian¨C that¡¯s their problem, not ours. We have to focus on the short term.¡±

    Liar, I whispered to myself. This wasn¡¯t what I really thought, but this was what my plant needed to hear right now. I wanted to help Lilliane, genuinely, and a part of myself wanted to give a hand to the Iki Town teen as well, despite my frustration with the boy. For now, though, we had another Trial attempt in a few days to focus on.

    Petal emerged from my grasp and turned to look at me with a mix of confusion and¡­ disappointment? Some form of anger, definitely, as the growing frown and pout on their face attested.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    My Oddish jumped off, landed, and dusted themself with their leaves. Then they turned to me and they¨C were they giving me the stink eye?

    ¡°Petal, did I say something wrong?¡±

    They were, and it looked like I did. They grumbled and with sharp snapping motions, they signed at me: [We. Go. Train.]

    ¡°But you just left the center, shouldn¡¯t we take it easy?¡± But off they were walking down the road south despite their tiredness, trudging along. I called out to them, but without stopping their march or turning to face me, they signed back: [We! Go! Train!]

    Step, step, step. Petal stomped away. I let out a deep sigh. OJ slithered and I started to follow my little plant, until¨C

    ¡°-Wait!¡±

    I whirled around in surprise. Just around the corner, Lilliane hurried in our direction, white boots making short strides across the grass.

    She stopped a few steps away. I watched her dust her dress off and adjust her hat properly on her head. She still carried herself with the same poise that I had seen over the last few weeks, but there was something different, now. One arm hugged the other protectively. Her eyes looked furtively to the sides before we shared a look.

    ¡°Can I come with you?¡± she asked, anxiety clear on her features. Stella the Cleffa peeked out of Lilliane¡¯s bag and looked at me expectantly.

    ¡°...Uh, yeah, of course,¡± I responded after a long pause, scratching my arm. I shared her nervousness, and felt the need to elaborate. ¡°...You know. All that stuff we talked about yesterday¨C it doesn¡¯t change anything. We¡¯re still a team¨C we¡¯re still friends. Is that okay?¡±

    Genuine relief broke through her expression and her pained expression immediately morphed into a tentative smile. She relaxed, tense shoulders now falling slump at her sides and one hand landing gently on her starter¡¯s head. Stella gave a happy cry as Lilliane walked up to me and oh¨C uh¨C

    Confidently, she took my arm in her own. Her warm skin shifted against mine.

    ¡°Hau sent us a text,¡± she said. ¡°And your Oddish has already taken their decision to follow, it seems. Should we go?¡±

    I nodded, and she walked my stiff self down the path after my starter.

    <hr>

    When we¡¯d first arrived at the Trial site, we really hadn¡¯t taken the time to explore the area. ¡®Book the trial, bing-bang-boom we win and head back¡¯ Hau had said, but reality had turned out to make things a lot more complicated - and thus, we would be staying around for a few more days. Less of ¡®bing-bang-boom¡¯, more of a ¡®fizzle-pop¡¯.

    This did give us a little bit of time, however. In a few days, we would be taking the Trial again, and so we had time to reflect on our mistakes and improve before then.

    Retracing our steps south alongside the cliff lining the coast, away from the scragglier environment of Route 2 North, we beheld the influx of Trial-goers attempting the Challenge. Now that we were in the second to third week, in had come the crowd, and the Route was starting to get truly busy. Teens at every clearing, challenging each other, facing wild pokemon, talking amongst themselves, the cries of pokemon announcing their presence for miles around.

    Tourists who had arrived on boat at the Verdant Cavern docks made their way down the Route nonchalantly, family and pokemon in tow. Not only tourists, but also regulars from Hau¡¯oli, men and women in swimming shorts and wetsuits, carrying their surfboards under one arm or over the back.

    We didn¡¯t need a map for this, really, we just needed to follow the surfers.

    Cresting over an incline, right down the cliff, there it was: a massive miles-long beach, sandbanks in the ocean, ebb and flow crashing upon the coast, and so many people and pokemon in the water. Men and women from all four islands, not just riding on their surfboards but also practicing Mantine surfing; a name that had become a bit of a misnomer nowadays, as far more Pokemon than Mantine were out in the water.

    A trainer on an Lumineon followed by a school of Finneon, younger kids practicing on Poliwhirls slowly paddling on their backs, families and their Pokemon playing ball in the water, in the distance, a powerful trail of sea foam as someone was speeding away on their Sharpedo. Finally, we watched a great shoal of Mantines working in concert with instructors and regulars to teach younger surfers, coasting on the waves.

    ¡°Cleffa!¡±

    Our attentions¡¯ turned to Lilliane¡¯s Cleffa, Stella, then to her outstretched hand pointing out toward the beach. At the edge of the water, crowd giving them a wide berth, there was¨C

    ¡°Is that Hau?¡± Lilliane blinked repeatedly, incredulous. ¡°What is he doing?¡±

    I squinted my eyes, focusing on the teen in the distance. ¡°Uh, I think¨C I think he is, uhh¡­¡± ¡­doing what, exactly?

    From our viewpoint on top of the cliff, Hau was sitting criss-cross applesauce in the shallow water, on the threshold between land and sea, his Litten Loa standing at attention next to him. While the beach and ocean were normally this crowded, Hau and his starter had been given a wide berth by all and for good reason: facing him was the largest Mantine I had ever seen.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    A behemoth. Manta volans were large to begin with, but this one was a little longer than a car with a finspan twice as wide. Its long elongated body propped up onto the shore with its powerful pectoral fins like a giant leaning on the beach. Its frame casted a long shadow over Hau and his Litten.

    ¡°Is¨C Is he okay??¡± Panic overtook Lilliane and I, and we found ourselves rushing down the steps off the cliff and onto the beach.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! He¨C huff¨C never told me about anything about this¨C¡±

    My pokemon attempted to make their way down the human-sized stairs just as quickly but weren¡¯t faring well: Petal could only hop down one stair at a time, while Oran Juice started to slither then slipped and rolled into a ball that bounced and barrelled down the stairs until he crashed into the sand.

    I grabbed the dazed snake under one arm, and recalled the struggling Petal with the other - then let my starter out at the foot of the stairs.

    Lilliane and I ran through the beach, avoiding people laying down on their towels in the sun, seemingly nonplussed about the situation - and then I stopped.

    The edge of the water stood a few dozen feet away. The ocean loomed like a divide in the world, here where it¡¯s safe and stable, and over there where it¡¯s cold and dark and spinning¨C

    Vertigo took me and I fell on my butt. I scooted back a little bit more and shook my head to clear my mind of whatever state my stupid fears were putting me into. Augh!

    I looked back up to see my Oddish checking up on me with concern on their features, their leaves wilting slightly from the scorching midday sun. Oran Juice, having fallen from my hold under my arm, wiggled to right himself up and slithered over. Other beach-goers who saw me make a fool of myself walked over to help, but I quickly gave them a sign that I was okay - no need to embarrass myself further!

    I reached over with my hand, petted my worried pokemon and looked at Lilliane and Hau. The former had gone up to the boy, just to the edge of her water, her shoes and socks removed and held in one hand. She shouted over at him something I didn¡¯t hear over the ambient sounds of the beach, and he responded with a smile and a wave of the hand.

    Around us, families and regulars baking under the summer sun. A class of Hau¡¯oli Elementary School children were getting their first swimming classes with a small shoal of Mantyke, under the supervision of a few teachers and a few Pelippers. Over there, an Aipom was chaperoning two toddlers and helping them make a sandcastle, their parents filming nearby. A few hundred feet away, other beach-goers giving them a wide berth, two trainers dueled it out on the beach; a Boldore against the other¡¯s Slowbro. An Indeedee stood not far bored out of its mind, leaning back against the shimmering field protecting the onlookers from stray attacks.

    My attention turned to the massive Mantine in the water.

    Older Mantine sometimes grew additional antennae on their head or chin - this one had four, two long pairs hanging from the cheeks like whiskers. In the distance, I saw them bob, the older Mantine actually responding to something the Iki Town teen had said. Hau got up and waved the Mantine off, and it turned its broad frame nonchalantly back into the ocean, revealing a constellation of criss-crossed scars across its graying back.

    Mouth agape, I watched the Mantine leave the shore and disappear under the waves.

    Hau walked back, dripping shorts clinging to his skin and wet Litten in tow. His eyes widened as he noticed me, and he rushed over to give me a helping hand. ¡°Whoa there cuz¡¯, let¡¯s get you away from the shore, alright?¡±

    With a warm hand and a powerful heave of the shoulder, I found myself on my feet and before I could control myself, words poured out. ¡°...What the flip was that?¡±

    The boy¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and he stumbled back and stammered, ¡°Wuh- what do you mean?¡±

    My mind was a confusing mix of worry and frustration as I attempted to wrestle my thoughts into a correct phrase. Instead, I gestured vaguely into the direction the behemoth had turned to, sputtered and stammered, and just tried to end my incoherent noises. ¡°...big Mantine?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Him!¡± Hau turned back to the water and smiled wistfully. ¡°He¡¯s cool! He¡¯s like my second grandpa. Taught me how to surf since I was six.¡±

    Lilliane turned up next to Hau, and stared at him incredulously. She held her shoes in one hand still, and wiped her feet on the dry sand to clean them off. ¡°The Alpha Mantine taught you how to surf when you were six?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Guess so!¡± With creases in the corner of his eyes, Hau¡¯s grinning smile seemed heartfelt and genuine. ¡°The surfers in the area call him something spooky like Old Ire,¡± he said while making quotation marks with his fingers and rolling his eyes. ¡°But I swear he¡¯s a real sweetie once you get to know him. Had a ton of good advice for Loa and I.¡±

    The aforementioned Litten looked unusually cowed, her tail held slightly beneath her, putting on a brave front. When her name was mentioned, she straightened her back and nodded back at Hau, determination in her eyes.

    ¡°Hau, are you sure a Floette didn¡¯t lean over your crib and bless you when you were a baby?¡±

    ¡°No idea what you mean. Anyway, alola, you five! Hope you had a good sleep, because we have a lot of training to catch up on!¡±

    Hau must have caught the doubtful look Lilliane and I shared, because his pace of talking sped up, and he straightened up like he was about to conduct a presentation. ¡°See, I¡¯ve been thinking since last night, trying to figure out how we could improve on our plan considering our special circumstances. I think we¡¯ve been looking at the Trial wrong.

    ¡°Last time we went at it like it¡¯s a survival exercise. It¡¯s not.¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°This is an escort mission.¡±

    Silence ensued. The caws of squabbling Wingull and Pikipek broke it.

    Not deterred in the slightest, he looked up something on his phone - oh, a Pokegear, banged-up older model like mine, neat - then started to follow the beach toward the northern side. ¡°Come on! Walk with me.¡±

    The two of us shrugged, and followed¨C until I noticed my exhausted nocturnal Grass-type start to pass out under the midday sun, a panicked Oran Juice at their side.

    I sighed. This wasn¡¯t the first time.

    I scooped them up and bundled them close to my chest with a sash, then leaned over my straw hat to give them some shade. There. All better.

    Then I noticed Lilliane looked at me with a clear amused smile and felt embarrassment color my face bright red. Without a word, she nodded toward the boy waiting close.

    I shook my head. Hau wanted to bring us somewhere, and he had claimed that the trial was an escort mission- like in a video game? I couldn¡¯t stand for it. Speeding up to catch up to him, I tried to make my point. ¡°Um. You know, this is not the grand realization that you think this is, Hau.¡±

    Lilliane came to his other side, hand raised. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t follow. Am I the escortee in this instance?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± he shouted, pointing at her with both hands. ¡°Miss pr¨¦sident, we need to ensure your safe passage through Verdant Cavern. It is no easy task!¡±

    ¡°...It certainly is not.¡± The smile hadn¡¯t left her face, and she couldn¡¯t avoid the involuntary giggle that escaped her.

    Still. Hau hadn¡¯t convinced me yet. ¡°What about the necklaces, though? I thought that was the point of the exercise?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit of it, yeah! But that¡¯s not the goal. The goal isn¡¯t to make it through the cave with all necklaces¨C it¡¯s to make it through with at least one.¡±

    Technically correct. ¡°Huh. Okay. I suppose.¡±

    ¡°So. Miss pr¨¦sident¨C¡± Hau started before Lilliane cut him off and corrected him.

    ¡°Madame la pr¨¦sidente.¡±

    ¡°Madame la pr¨¦sidente, your safety is tr¨¨s important. Last time we plundered that cave, we had to resort to violence, but no longer! Next time, we shall engage in a different type of battle: diplomacy.¡±

    That? That got my attention.

    ¡°...You want to convince the Gumshoos to let us pass?¡±

    Hau gave me a smile and a shrug of his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s one way! Honestly, I was thinking we could try sneaking or making a distraction, but either way, the goal is to avoid the Yungoose pack outright. If you can¡¯t beat ¡®em, outrun ¡®em, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. That might be difficult,¡± I said as I put my fingers to my chin, losing myself in thought. ¡°The spirit of the exercise is to confront Trial-goers to a hostile environment - the Gumshoos and Yungeese could just have a script they¡¯re sticking to.¡±

    Lilliane chimed in, ¡°There are other Pokemon in that cave, aren¡¯t there? Could they help?¡±

    I opened my mouth to answer in the negative, until a thought came to me.

    Just a week ago, I had a chance encounter with a certain lonely Dunsparce. This chance encounter led me to learn much about the social structures of the area around Route 2 and Verdant Cavern, and one fact about that conversation stood out: Verdant Cavern is home to a number of Yungoose packs, and all the other Pokemon around can¡¯t stand the sight of them.

    We weren¡¯t going to help Pokemon dislodge the Yungoose packs anytime soon, but we could potentially make allies from mutual enemies.

    ¡°They¡­ could help. Hm¡­¡± Selene, time to think.

    Verdant Cavern is home to a bunch of Pokemon from different walks of life. Zubat and Diglett (the Alolan kind) are to be expected, and we encountered both last time. The former control the narrow air space within and profit from the growing vegetation, while the latter tills the rich mineral ground and tends to the smaller nooks and crannies.

    River channels we found when we made our first incursion, though they were few and far between. I¡¯d imagine that it would make good spawning ground for lesser Magikarp, and I remembered that Barboach and Psyduck have also been sighted around the area.

    Of course, Verdant Cavern wouldn¡¯t be verdant without its abundant flora¨C which mostly is the work of grass, fairy and bug-types of the neighboring Meadow: Cutiefly, Cottonee, Ledyba.

    Finally, we have to take into account the Yungeese and the notorious, storied history they have with Rattata (the Alolan kind) over the past few years. Dad had once told me stories of rodent wars around the area - perhaps the humble Rattata could make for a staunch ally.

    ¡°That could¡­ that could work,¡± I continued. ¡°We will need bargaining chips, but that could work¨C food, rare berries, medicine, bits of metal we don¡¯t need for the Diglett, maybe? I know the Ledyba would enjoy strong scents¨C¡±

    Hau cut me off with an amused, incredulous expression. ¡°Strong¨C strong scents? For the bugs?¡±

    ¡°Um. Yes.¡± I felt self-conscious all of a sudden. ¡°Ledyba partially communicate with scents, and exotic or foreign scents are valuable to them.¡±

    There was a scramble from Lilliane¡¯s bag, and Lilliane¡¯s Cleffa Stella looked at me intensely, something on her mind.

    Hau grinned and snickered mischievously to an obvious crass joke, then seemed to remember in what company he was with. He gave off a fake cough and gathered his composure. ¡°Ahem. Say, you think that Paldean spice mix could work?¡±

    ¡°Huh! If you got spice made from herbs from off the island, maybe. It¡¯s worth a shot.¡±

    <hr>

    We walked and we talked, and the sounds of the nearby waves faded into background noise of the beach.

    We didn¡¯t have a plan, but we had directions, angles to attack this problem from. The Cavern was well documented and I was good at memorization, so that was my duty for the Trial. Ideally we would need a guide, but I¡¯d make do before we could recruit a local resident.

    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Hau pointed ahead with his thumb, and I gulped. Lilliane stiffened at my side.

    Out in the sand, at one far end of the beach, dueling grounds had been set up. Four arenas had been dug into the sand, about two to three feet deep, like great rectangular basins. The walls of those pits had been smoothed to a near polished sheen, like a great cube had been pushed into the sand and the indent had kept this exact shape.

    Trial-goers watched from the sidelines, many sitting on the edges with their legs hanging and kicking into the arena, daring each other not to pull away when elemental attacks strayed a little too close.

    Inside, trainers and their mons faced one another one versus one.

    A Machop struck powerfully against the coarse shell of a Corsola. The water-type withstood the blows, stubby coral legs digging furrows into the sand as it was pushed back - but with every blow, the ring of water floating around it did not falter, with every strike, its Hardening shell shone a little stronger, with every hit, the Machop¡¯s knuckles painfully crashed against a wall.

    In another arena, an aura of tension had captured the onlookers and participants. Two combatants stood at a distance, both panting with exhaustion. On one side, a Rattata (the Alolan variety), its whiskers drooping, fur damp and matted, chest heaving with deep breaths; on the other, a Grubbin, eyes unfocused, jaw jittery and mandibles faintly cracked. The Rattata faked a jump, and the Grubbin twitched, it charged a String Shot and the Rattata tensed.

    Wait a minute, how did the sand stay up?

    From my point of view, it was almost like the arenas were glass boxes pressed into the ground with beach sand pressing against the sides. And yet, I could see people clearly hanging off of the edge spectating the match - as the Rattata and Grubbin match came to a close, the losing trainer clearly heaved themself up and over the edge and away from the arena. How was this possible?

    ¡°So yeah, I know we¡¯re planning for a distraction an¡¯ all, but I figure we shouldn¡¯t lax on training still; especially you and I!¡± Hau elbowed me slyly with an amused smile, then turned to Lilliane.

    Though she kept herself with the usual poise, there was the faint trace of tension: feet a little too close together, knuckles white as she clutched the side of her bag, eyes closed. She took a deep breath and her neutral expression changed into a pout and a frown, staring daggers at the boy.

    ¡°Do not think that I am blind to what you¡¯re doing, Hau.¡±

    Hau gulped and pulled at the inside of his shirt. ¡°Hey. Listen. I¡¯m not trying to pull you into anything you don¡¯t wanna do, here. That¡¯s just for Selene and I.¡± His hands raised and he attempted a Mareepish smile.

    Lilliane looked to the side, scathing glare sent in the distance. In the bag clutched to the girl¡¯s side, Stella the Cleffa squirmed in her seat and cried out to her trainer in a surprisingly loud voice. Trainer and pokemon shared a look.

    She looked away. Stella¡¯s disappointment blew across us like a sudden chill across the beach.

    Then that¡¯s just how it is.

 Chapter 8: Crop Rotation

    The next few days went a little bit like this:

    I awake.

    The sun has arisen and my Oddish, Petal, pats me once on the head and then goes to bed. Back when we were home in Hau¡¯oli, that meant burying themself in the corner pot, leaves drooping out; here that means nesting themself on the sash so I can pick them up quickly.

    Oran Juice is alert as soon as I stir, then he climbs up the ramp, takes a cautious glance around, and gives me a friendly nuzzle. Surprisingly affectionate little guy. I get out of bed.

    Lilliane comes out of the bathroom ready for the day. Her Cleffa, Stella, trails behind her, steps light and bouncy like she¡¯s an astronaut in space. Hellos and how are yous are exchanged; did you sleep well? Do you want breakfast?

    I slept okay and I do want breakfast, but I¡¯m no good at cooking; Lilliane takes to the stovetop and prepares a pan while Stella cuts vegetables with surprising dexterity. I marvel at her use of Helping Hand: one moment she¡¯s chopping tamato with a long sharp knife, the other she¡¯s salting and peppering the dish. Blink, she has the knife. Blink, knife on its stand. Blink, salt shaker in her hands. Blink, back on the shelf. She hasn¡¯t moved from her spot the whole time.

    There¡¯s a knock on the door; it¡¯s Hau; I tie Petal to my chest like they¡¯re a baby on a sling and off we go to the Big Wave Beach dueling grounds.

    We step over the tall grass that grew overnight when we leave the motel grounds. Don¡¯t mind that, I tell them, that¡¯s just Petal¡¯s work on display.

    Loa the Litten leads in front. Stella makes an attempt to socialize, she bounces up to the feline and speaks to her in her light voice. Loa responds to her in a yowl and a hiss, and Stella gives her a nod and a smile and returns to her trainer¡¯s side. Every walk Stella does this and every walk Loa snaps back a little less.

    Three walks in, and Loa lets her stay.

    Four walks in and they begin to talk.

    We arrive at the Big Wave Beach dueling grounds, and we begin our training.

    <hr>

    The Big Wave Beach dueling grounds were a hive of activity, I found out.

    Trial-goers grouped up on towels around parasols in the area chatted among themselves. Those that wished to spectate the battles got to the edges of the four arenas directly and sat or stood there. The rebels among the onlookers sat close enough to let their legs hang onto the arena, and a few  did get hit by stray attacks on occasion¨C that¡¯s often grounds to pause the fight but not end it outright, as an on-stay Nurse came over to treat them and ban them from spectating for the day. Otherwise, the atmosphere was very informal, we found that there¡¯s practically no adult supervision beyond the Nurse, a small kiosk organizing the duels and the occasional food vendor.

    We got there, got ourselves registered and got our tickets.

    Hau was always quick to socialize. He fluttered from group to group, chatting excitedly with islanders from Poni staying closer to the water, keeping their Gastrodon cool, and then dashing to another group of teens from Konikoni in the latest fashion, groomed Furfrou happily accepting the boy¡¯s pets.

    Lilliane, surprisingly, was not one to initiate conversation often with others, opting to stay closer to my Pokemon and I. When people do approach (and they did approach, as Lilliane definitely stood out with her blond hair and light skin and white dress) she directed the conversation like a musician, voice light and airy, dancing around topics she didn¡¯t like.

    As we waited to be called in, we occasionally got the chance to spectate the other.

    That was very much the case here: Lilliane and I, sleepy Oddish to my chest and Dunsparce in tow, had found a free spot to sit and spectate from. Though many Trial-goers were fine with sitting right on the dueling pits¡¯ strange border, we weren¡¯t so keen on getting hit with stray attacks and elected to sit a few feet away.

    On one side of the field, there was Hau in all of his teenage glory, bouncing from one foot to the other excitedly. Hau Halakaua had been here for a while, he and Loa the Litten had already won a fight and the two were onto their second. Here, duelists kept on  fighting  provided that they kept on  winning , which only increased the payout that a potential victor would get if they were to take the reigning champion down. Even from here, I could see sweat dripping down from Hau¡¯s hair and chin.

    On the other side of the field, there was Hau¡¯s opponent. A dark skinned Akala island teen boy, backwards cap on head, hooting and hollering and shouting to the high heavens as their pokemon duked it out. He had seen Hau¡¯s previous win and it seemed that he was looking for blood.

    The audience was cheering loudly and they were rooting  for  the newcomer¨C Hau had already proven his strength and there''s nothing better than an underdog making an unexpected victory.

    Loa stood bloodied but unbowed. The Litten¡¯s back was arched, panting and Growling heavily, head low and eyes slitted, claws retracted and swiping at her approaching opponent.

    Hair wild, disheveled, and slightly scorched, a sprightly Mankey dodged to the side and frantically closed in aiming to strike at her pelt.

    Both fighters danced around one another. One was strong and lithe but she was tired, the other was smaller but quick and full of fury.

    Mankey jumped back to evade a lunge but the feline  pounced again,  grabbed the Fighting-type by the scruff, and managed to Swipe at him once, twice,  thrice¨C and blew a ball of fire directly into his face.

    It rolled back, beating the flames from its fur with slaps of its paws, and glared at the Litten with frenetic fury. It looked ready to spring in for the kill until its trainer gave an unexpected order. It stopped and released this strange hooting laugh that had my heart pumping in uncharacteristic anger¨C  Swagger .

    The Litten who was about to pounce stopped in her tracks and her eyes darkened with fury. Her breaths grew arrhythmic and frantic, embers dripping at the mouth as her claws flexed in the sand. Hau caught on to this¨C no time to try and snap her out of the confusion, he ordered her to double down and  charge .

    Sand was blasted back as she shot forward toward the Mankey. I saw it¨C at the edges of her mouth, true flames, the start of something new, innovation brewing in the heat of battle¨C until the Mankey ducked under the telegraphed attack then grabbed and slammed her into the ground.

    The battle came to a still.

    On one side, a dazed Litten crushed against the sand under the paw of the furious Mankey. Hau called out for the move they had been training for all this time ¨C  Flame Wheel  ¨C and her coat sputtered and burst into fire but only for just a moment, not a move just yet, only a few scorch marks against the Mankey¡¯s paw and fur.

    Then the opposing trainer called for a  Bulldoze , and the Litten was dragged into the ground.

    The match didn¡¯t last much longer than that.

    Hau gave Loa a few sprays of potion and narrowly avoided a Scratch for his trouble¨C but the teen doubled down, grabbed the injured Litten, flipped her onto her back and held her to his chest. He went to shake hands with the victor and I could hear the low growl of Loa from here.

    ¡°You know, I think I see the appeal.¡± I mused aloud.

    Lilliane turned to look at me; no words, just a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Uh, listen, I¡¯m not turning into Hau here,¡± I gestured toward the dueling pits. ¡°I just think that they¡¯re having fun, you know? Loa obviously is a bit of an extreme example, but she clearly needs to let out steam. Petal sees it as training or practice - even OJ is coming around to it, but obviously he¡¯s more interested in the reward than the exercise.¡± Hugging my legs, I rested my head on top of my knees. ¡°I just like to see them having fun.¡±

    ¡­And despite the danger, your Cleffa clearly wants to fight  for  you  , is what I couldn¡¯t say. No matter how much I tried to bring it up, the ball of anxiety in my throat grew and choked out the words before they could come out.  Obviously you don¡¯t want to put her in harm¡¯s way. But what about how she feels? No, that¡¯s stupid, that doesn¡¯t even make sense¨C

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lilliane mused aloud, averting her gaze and shrugging slightly. ¡°Practice for what?¡±

    ¡°Wuh, wha?¡±

    ¡°Your Oddish. You said ¡®they like the practice¡¯. What is it practice for?¡±

    ¡°Oh¨C um.¡± Petal stirred, maybe tangentially aware I was about to talk about their favorite thing¨C but I put a hand on their head and rubbed the top of their forehead in a way I¡¯d know would put them right back to sleep. ¡°It¡¯s a whole thing. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±

    Silence returned to our small group.

    A content Hau made his way back to our seated selves as another match began down in the dueling pits. Loa had given up, it seemed. Turned into an angry little ball of fur, head tucked underneath Hau¡¯s arm, she had practically disappeared in his hold.

    ¡°Hey girls, think you could hold onto my Litten for me?¡± He gently released her and set the folded ball of fur in the shade I cast. ¡°This one needs her beauty sleep, and some of the guys in our class invited me for a thing. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy!¡±

    Hau left, and Loa immediately sprung up to her feet to head to cooler sands.

    I got to my feet and got after the moving Litten, holding my Oddish close and Dunsparce in tow. Giving Lilliane an awkward apologetic smile, she just responded with a sigh and motioned for me to go after the fleeing feline.

    Finding her didn¡¯t take too long.

    She¡¯d found an unoccupied parasol away from the crowd and laid on her side facing away.

    Slowly, tentatively, I sat under the same shade. Oran Juice followed in my path and slowly slithered up to my side. I saw Loa¡¯s ears twitch in my direction and her limbs tense, but as the sound of crashing waves resonated on the beach she slowly relaxed.

    I felt for this Litten, though I didn¡¯t know why. It wasn¡¯t too surprising to meet Pokemon who were  aggressive  - one just needed to take a few steps into the wildgrass to meet one - but it was surprising to meet an official Starter that was so unruly.

    A capital S Starter was something that society had sold us on: the best of the best, cream of the crop, pokemon chosen and trained for their potential and their historical significance to the region. In stories and cinema and comic books, the most popular protagonists always came shoulder to shoulder with something like a feisty Charmander, or a reliable Mudkip, or a noble Snivy. A Starter was a headstart. A Starter was obedient and efficient.

    A Starter she was, but a servant she was not.

    Maybe any other starter could have handled Hau¡¯s exuberance. This one did, but did not come out unscathed. Still¨C that didn¡¯t explain what made her  beat herself up so.

    How could I help her?

    ¡°Hey, Loa¨C¡± Her ears flicked. ¡°I don¡¯t like seeing you like this.¡± I swallowed with effort around the big knot of anxiety in my throat. ¡°I know we don¡¯t know each other that much. But seeing you defeated like this, that doesn¡¯t seem right. It isn¡¯t¨C Hau, he¨C¡±

    The litten raised her head just a little bit, and one eye glared up at me. My anxiety closed tighter and tighter around my voice like a noose. Who was at fault, here? Did the Litten need to change her mind? Did Hau need to change his demeanor? Was I just overstepping and putting my foot where it didn¡¯t belong?

    I clammed up once more, just like earlier. Again. Emotions welled up inside me. My cheeks grew hot and I felt tears at the edges of my eyes.

    That wasn¡¯t fair. That wasn¡¯t  fair! I just wanted to help!

    Beyond anxiety and fear, it was frustration that pushed me to act. It didn¡¯t matter who was at fault or who was responsible¨C what mattered was that there was a sad Pokemon, and there was something I could do about it.

    I felt at the metaphorical noose biting my throat, and I  grabbed it.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Loa, if¨C¡± My noise was cracking, my nose felt congested. ¡°Loa, you wanna prove Hau wrong?¡±

    That  got her attention.

    She rose to her paws, yawning wide and back arching like she¡¯d just woken up from a great nap, and started to preen herself. Still, her ears were rotated in my direction. She was listening.

    ¡°Whatever Hau¡¯s got you focused on, it isn¡¯t working. If you want to learn a new move, you¡¯ll need a different approach.¡±

    I grabbed my phone and looked up some of the sparse phone notes I had on Move theory and Type Energy control - I rued having left my binders at home. ¡°Okay. So, uh, I don¡¯t actually know what you know of the theory, but¨C Professor Rowan describes three basic modes of  aura expression , or how you actually perform Moves: internal, direct and indirect.

    ¡°Internal is when you use your unique biology to instinctively do an attack, like your Ember. That¡¯s usually the starting point of many. For you, your fur is flammable and your saliva¡¯s reactive to the air, so the hairballs you spit are an  instinctive  form of Ember.

    ¡°The external mode is when you manipulate the energy  directly . No proxies. Make fire out of nothing but your will.¡± I saw her eyes dilate at that. ¡°Sounds pretty cool, right?¡± She caught herself, narrowed her eyes and gave a curt nod.

    ¡°And then we have the indirect mode. That¡¯s the long way around. It means figuring out other Types through manipulation of a Type you know. This one might just be a little too tricky for you to start.¡±

    And at that she growled in displeasure, OJ hid himself in the sand and I raised my hands to placate her¨C ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t mean to say that it¡¯s too hard for you!¡± -  It is, though - ¡°You just have to work up to it first. Like Flame Wheel, here, it might have been skipping too many steps. I think Flame Wheel has a tricky external element that wouldn¡¯t just work through your saliva and your fur¡­¡±

    The Litten calmed down. I got up from my seat in the sand and dusted myself off. I had a question in mind, and who knows, it might be a little too sensitive and so the noose  tightened  around my throat once more¨C

    ¡°Ahem¨C Loa, say¡­ before you were a Starter for the Island Challenge, how did you train your control over fire?¡±

    She stared at me with an intensity I hadn¡¯t seen before, and for a moment she was going through her memories, a mess of confusing emotions apparent on her face. Slowly, she turned.

    Sitting facing me, she lowered her head closer to the ground and a line of Litten saliva formed between her peeking tongue and the sand below.

    A little gross. She narrowed her eyes, concentrated,  sparks  formed at the midway point between ground and lip, and fire spread along the line.

    This was good¨C this was  great,  even! This wasn¡¯t just letting her biology do the thing, this was actively exerting control over fire when and where she wanted! ¡°Loa! That¡¯s  good!¡±

    The Litten perked up and broke out of her concentration at that, straightened and posed proudly. With a brush of her tail over the sand, the small pool of flames on the ground was snuffed.

    ¡°Okay, so¡­ obviously you can  shoot  fire. But have you considered making fire  explode?¡±

    <hr>

    Days passed.

    Battling was confusing.

    Mornings at the Big Wave Beach battling grounds were dedicated to my Dunsparce¡¯s training.

    The first fight was genuinely harrowing. The dueling pits are noisy, spectators comment loudly, shout over one another, send jeers and cheers and occasional insults. The first time had me freeze up on stage as battle began in earnest. It was only after I heard the first cry of pain from OJ that I snapped out of it and truly got my head in the game.

    Battling was still a confusing flurry of actions, especially when finding oneself in the driver¡¯s seat. Orders are thrown by trainers, Pokemon act on their accord and react to the orders and react to their opponent¨C it all blurred together in a whirlwind of movement and decision that had my head spinning.

    Oran Juice the Dunsparce, I found, was a Pokemon that helped me set the rhythm. The Dunsparce was a surprisingly deceptive creature; slow to crawl on the dirt and yet quick to dig into and under the earth, it only took a good  stomp  to let OJ know he should chill underground so I could find my footing.

    Here was a fight against a Grimer of the local variety, iridescent shades cycling as it moved and shifted, bits of crystallized toxins poking out of its mouth. A formidable opponent in any other circumstances. But what happened when you immediately hid in the earth as the fight began, and started to dig tunnels below the Poison type and caused it to sink into the sand?

    OJ had a fantastic sense of vibrations through the ground, and just tracing a shape with my finger or my foot was enough to direct him wherever I wished. Then in a  burst  of sudden movement he could propel himself out of the earth and pummel an opponent with Flails and Mud Slaps, before transitioning out into a Rollout.

    Sudden movement  was the key word, here. Oran Juice¡¯s best tool was surprise. No one expected the speedy snake.

    Except airborne opponents, that is.

    That quickly became our Achilles¡¯ heel.

    Flying opponents did not produce vibrations through the ground (or so, so very little), and so OJ was very blind to their movements. My Normal-type had to extricate himself fully from his tunneling to locate them with his weak vision, and that cut his reaction time a great deal.

    Here was a fight against a Magnemite. Its body chrome and blinding under the Alolan sun, it flew with no regards for gravity and friction. No wingbeat, no displacement of air, just a hum and a hover.

    OJ tried to catch it unaware by first locating it, then tunneling deep and spearing himself out of the earth - but he got zapped by a Thundershock when he popped out the first time, then got zapped a second time when he tried to cannon himself out.

    Then the Magnemite hovered down to screech an echoing Supersonic into the tunnels and the battle was basically over.

    So I had forfeited, and we¡¯d left the pit.

    I now roamed the edge of the battling grounds with Oddish in their sling, resting Dunsparce in his ball. I¡¯d reward him later with a snack of his choice from the vending machine, as we¡¯d agreed. Hau was dueling another teen somewhere and there was no Lilliane in sight.

    My mind was occupied with worrying  battling thoughts  , trying to figure out how I could deal with a flying opponent with such grounded Pokemon¨C because in truth,  both  of my Pokemon were grounded, Petal had just figured out a range option but against a nimble opponent they¡¯d just be a sitting Ducklett, and¡ª

    ¡°Spinnn~da!¡±

    And there was a fuzzy squeeze to my leg.

    I kicked out, and whatever was on my leg clung to it still¨C just a little Pokemon hugging my leg. Small and stubby with soft beige fur, red spots and a confusing swirl stripe pattern around its eyes, it looked at me with a kind smile and then yapped and hugged my leg once more.

    ¡°Ayyy,¡± I heard someone walk up to me, honeyed voice coming up to my ear. ¡°Matsu, you just got hit by the Tax.¡±

    I tried my best to turn around, careful not to hurt the Spinda on my foot, and I saw her. Gangly teen girl in baggy jeans and a beanie, long hair bubblegum pink¨C Tuula Tuari, one of the Tuari twins.

    Last I had seen her, it was at the Tapu Festival with her twin brother chasing after the third of their group, fellow nerd Sawney. I had felt sympathy for him then, knowing that he¡¯d be spending so many months with the twins, and yet I couldn¡¯t help but feel like he had gotten the better deal. It had only been over a week and a half since and yet it felt like it had been months.

    ¡°Huh? Bwuh??¡± I was truly stuck there. The Spinda wasn¡¯t going to dislodge itself anytime soon, and I really didn¡¯t want to hurt it further¨C

    Snap. Snap.  ¡°Cool it, Love Tax. You got your fill.¡± She snapped her fingers a third time and the little Spinda stumbled back and fell¨C or rather, cartwheeled backwards, then teetered and tottered back to their trainer and clutched to her leg instead. ¡°Sorry about that. LT¡¯s a hugger.¡±

    I felt so apprehensive, still - had I hurt her Pokemon? Did it feel my kick when it spooked me?

    ¡°Augh. Fuckin¨C chill.¡± She sighed loudly, sneered and held up her hands. ¡°Stop making Deerling eyes at me. I¡¯m not gonna be a bitch to you or anything.¡± This, I had no idea how to react to. ¡°What are you doing here with the losers, Matsu? ¡®Figured you and Halaklaua would have dipped this joint long ago.¡±

    Her Spinda - circus fatuus - grabbed a hold of her pants leg and hauled itself up onto Tuula¡¯s shoulder, narrowly falling on one side, then narrowly falling the other, spinning its arms to correct its balance¨C then finally found its footing.

    ¡°Uhh, um.¡± I  hadn¡¯t  really spoken with any classmates but Hau and Lilliane for the entirety of the Challenge so far; I hadn¡¯t gotten any news from Sawney either for that matter. ¡°Well, we failed the first trial.¡±

    ¡°... No fucking shit.  ¡± She whistled, then reached forward to put an arm around my shoulders and I shuddered¨C ¡°Well, goddamn. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d fail on your first try, but Hakuna¡¯s golden child  Hau Hala-fucking-kaua?  That¡¯s a surprise.¡±

    With her arm around my shoulders, her hand reached down to scratch the Oddish to my chest¨C but a sharp  thwack  rebuffed her as Petal whipped her with one of their leaves!

    Tuula yelped and moved away to shake her hand - despite the pain, she looked at my scowling, sleepy plant with amusement, Love Tax the Spinda mirroring her smile. ¡°Ouch. Alright, then. Lesson learned.¡±

    I moved forward to apologize but she waved me off. I swallowed the knot in my throat and couldn¡¯t help but voice my curiosity. ¡°...Do you know how others in class did? On the trial?¡±

    ¡°Fuck if I know.¡± She scratched the back of her neck, and sighed once more. ¡°Well, I know, but it¡¯s boring. Abi and Cora didn¡¯t make it, the Mercados didn¡¯t make it, Spencer and his guys are still on Route 2 last I heard, Janice¨C who gives a fuck about  Janice  . Didn¡¯t make it. Yeah.¡± With every team she listed, she counted them on their fingers - so that was at least  four teams  that hadn¡¯t passed the first trial after the first week, not counting hers and mine.

    Tuula hummed, and tapped her chin with a finger. ¡°You know, I did hear that Herbie passed it, though. Good for them.¡±

    So counting everything, out of eight teams in our class, six had failed the trial so far, one had passed, but that left¨C

    Tuula remembered something and her eyes widened.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s the worst fucking part ? Did you know that Chlo¨¦¡¯s parents brought in a Dragon-type from  Kanto  for  her  ? That bitch  already has a fucking Starter .¡±

    For a second, I¡¯m back in the Tapu Festival in a cramped washroom on the beach. Two girls come in, one has a Pikipek but the other, I know, has a  Rowlet,  and the walls close in and there¡¯s the overpowering smell of  sunscreen  that Chlo¨¦ wears that sinks into my hair and skin¨C

    I clenched my hand around my arm so hard it started to hurt, and I was back in the real world.

    Tuula and Love Tax stared at me like I popped a second head but she was grinning, and finally she let out: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this face on you before, Matsu. It¡¯s scary.¡±

    For a moment I panicked and I unclenched the scowl that had imprinted on my face - I didn¡¯t want any trouble. And I didn¡¯t want to antagonize anybody - but I couldn¡¯t disagree here.  ¡°She¡¯s¨C she¡­ shouldn¡¯t need it. She shouldn¡¯t have a Dragon that early in the challenge¡­¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t need it,¡± she parroted while making quotation marks with her fingers, ¡°is giving her too much credit. She¡¯s a self serving bitch and it¡¯s only making her head bigger.¡± And while I couldn¡¯t voice myself aloud, I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the image.

    ¡°Maybe you have a little bit of bite in you yet.¡± And she searched inside one of the pockets in her baggy pants and fished out two beaten up DS¡¯s of all things, her Spinda already making grabby hands at the consoles. ¡°Hey Matsu, do you play Mareanie Kart?¡±

    <hr>

    And so, this is how the last few days went.

    Tomorrow, we take the trial once more.

    It was late. Stars in the sky barely lit up the motel backyard, dark shapes only outlined. Where once there was flat coarse ground, there was now a blanket of wild herbs and grass that had reclaimed the space. With trimmed bushes to one side and fence to the other, this was our little private place, and with privacy came the opportunity to re-enact the little ritual that Petal and I had neglected to do for the past week.

    My starter prepared for the task ahead from the center of grass. They stretched, warmed up their footing by jogging in place and their leaves spread so they could catch the maximum amount of dim starlight.

    I awaited. When they were ready, they gave me a nod.

    Retrieving my phone, I turned the brightness function to its smallest setting, and set the volume low enough that only I and Petal could hear, then opened up the music app on a specific track and pressed  Play.

    A lone acoustic guitar strummed an erratic rhythm.

    In the background, other players made themselves known one by one: a bass, drums, an Almian  berimbau , the scratch of a turntable. Our feet started to bounce in rhythm.

    Tap, tap, ta-tap. Tap, tap, ta-tap.

    Strings joined in and set a harmony and a tone - a tone of love and tradition, of revival and renewal, of making much from so little¨C

    And as we followed the rhythm, two of us followed the song in trance. Every beat marked with a stomp, every measure marked with a lunge.

    As the vocalist joined in, Petal worked their magic.

    With every measure, a lunge and a cloud of spores, with every stomp, a wave of pulsing energy in the ground. Earth honored, and fed, and cherished. Roots connecting with one another.

    As Petal and I whirled and twirled on the grass, glowing spores floated around us and into the earth below. Light reflecting off my Oddish¡¯s leaves, swishing here and there with every motion.

    Far away in Kantoan meadows, hundreds to a thousand of Oddishes and Glooms played out a similar rhythm, dancing in unison under the night, repairing the damage of battles during day. Growing grass, nourishing earth, a celebration of nature and a stage set for life to sprout throughout the land.

    Everything Petal worked for was for this. But for now, this was our little secret.

    I saw movement at the corner of my eye and cut the music off immediately.

    Petal stopped. The sound of my heartbeat thundering in my chest and my exhausted breath came to me as I stared out into the dark where I saw something move.

    There, barely lit up by the stars, was Stella the Cleffa. Lilliane¡¯s partner.

    What was she doing there?

    Her being away from Lilliane felt more important than keeping Petal and I¡¯s dancing session to the two of us - so I approached her. She looked at me with wide eyes, expression neutral to her face.

    ¡°Stella,¡± I whispered, ¡°It¡¯s very late. Do you need anything?¡±

    The star-shaped Pokemon considered my words - naturally, it was always difficult to convey meaning between Pokemon and human - but she just pointed down the path, in the direction of Verdant Cavern. Was she¡­?

    ¡°We can¡¯t just¨C Stella, you can¡¯t go now, the trial¡¯s tomorrow, and not without your trainer¨C¡±

    And with no words, a scowl, a shake of the head, a finger pointed at her wrist and another finger pointed in that direction, she conveyed to me what I needed to know. She had to go there, she had to go there now, and she had to go there without her trainer.

    I considered it.

    This was Lilliane¡¯s Pokemon. In theory, Lilliane was responsible for her actions, Lilliane was responsible for her safety, and Lilliane had been  very adamant about keeping the Cleffa out of harm¡¯s way. This had meant Stella stayed at her trainer¡¯s side twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

    But this didn¡¯t sit right by me. All week, I had seen this Pokemon trying to get something across to her trainer - trying to catch Lilliane¡¯s attention, showing frustration, clearly lost in her thoughts - and again and again her pleas had fallen upon deaf ears.

    I was so, so afraid of the responsibility and of breaking Lilliane¡¯s trust, but still. Stella had something in mind.

    In the dark of the night, only wearing my pajamas and my bag, we approached the territory surrounding Verdant Cavern. The light of my handlight cleared a murky path in front, and Petal steered my way around bushes and loose rocks. Behind me, a bleary-eyed Oran Juice kept guard and alerted me if anything came to close.

    Only twinkling lights answered from the darkness, blinking in unfamiliar patterns.

    Stella approached, and a Pokemon made itself known.

    It was around Stella¡¯s size, simple in shape, a Bug-type with a red shell and six small legs ending in balled gloves. Lights twinkled in the distance, and spots on the Bug-type¡¯s back glowed in unison. A Ledyba.

    Stella and the Ledyba approached one another. I tensed.

    For a moment, they spoke to each other in hushed tones, the Ledyba¡¯s back occasionally lighting up - until Stella retrieved out of nowhere a bottle. Helping Hand, I remembered, was a move that she had used in the past to move around objects, but was¨C was that something she could use to store them as well?

    Squinting my eyes, seeing Stella handing the bottle over, I couldn¡¯t quite see what it was. But the Ledyba put the bottle behind itself and gave her nod, then turned to show its back. Its head turned to look at Stella.

    Its back shone in a pattern. Lights in the distance twinkled in response.

    What  was that?

    Stella observed the situation. Her hands rose and with a finger she traced a circle in the air, then pushed it, and a flash a little too bright lit up the clearing we were in. She did the motion again, and with a smaller circle the flash mimicked the Ledyba¡¯s strength.

    She flashed it again, and again, and a fourth time¨C and the Ledyba stopped her with a shake of its head, and showed the pattern again.

 Chapter 9: Olive Branch (Trial Retake)

    Knock knock.

    ¡°Y¡¯all are ready?¡±

    Sleep hadn¡¯t been kind on my nerves.

    Stella the Cleffa¡¯s midnight deal had taken us an hour tops; but how could I even go to sleep after that? Tip-toeing back into my room, feeling like I had irreparably broken Lilliane¡¯s trust, I had buried myself under my covers and looked up everything I could about Ledyba and their behavior. The mystery to solve: understand what it had been trying to teach Stella.

    I had opened up a real Buneary-hole. Ledyba wasn¡¯t a well researched species: their secondary typing  contested  from science¡¯s point of view, their position as a competitive battling species low on the ladder, a Pokemon that hadn¡¯t been present  much  in myth and stories  if at all.

    Ledyba were Bug-types that, much like other Bugs, used alternative forms of language to communicate on a local scale. Pokespeech was convenient enough when talking with other species, but it wasn''t very efficient.  Scent  was a way to get information quickly and silently, to mark locations and people for a long period of time. But this wasn¡¯t  just  scent, was it? What I had observed, what had been taught, it had something to do with sight, patterns of light flashes as yet another form of communication¨C

    And so I had dived into the dregs of Pokepedia once more, learning about other methods of communication used in Verdant Caves such as the foot stomping of the Rattata¨C in Almia, there were Rangers who practiced ¡°worm grunting¡±, where they ground two wooden tools together against the earth to produce a rumbling sound that conveyed safety to the Diglett population¨C in Paldea, there was a separate species known as Wiglett, but they had  nothing  to do with Diglett, they simply evolved into sharing similar characteristics, and¨C

    I had woken up with my phone in front of my face.

    Our Trial was to be at dawn.

    Knock knock knock knock.

    ¡°Girls, y¡¯all are awake?¡±

    I threw off my covers and practically jumped out of bed¨C leaped over my Oddish, recalled my Dunsparce before he bore a hole through the floor and threw my day clothes on.

    ¡°Coming!¡± I shouted out to Hau outside, and opened the bathroom door to freshen up¨C rectification; tried to open.  Rattle rattle rattle  went the handle under my grip.

    Lilliane¡¯s voice answered - ¡°I¡¯m almost done!¡± - and I Mareepishly went to the kitchen sink to splash water on my face instead.

    In truth, I  was  already packed up. I had made sure I only needed to put on my clothes and take my bags - were we to win the trial, we wouldn¡¯t be going the other way. We would come out in Melemele Meadows and continue from there.

    Still, I hadn¡¯t slept much. The bottom of my eyes felt puffy with sleep.

    I opened the door to a Hau about to knock once more, his eyes wide in surprise.

    He stepped back, and I joined him in the crisp morning air, rising sun only starting to crest the horizon.

    ¡°Alola,¡± he said.

    ¡°Alola,¡± I said back.

    Hau was strangely muted. Weird.

    He balanced himself back and forth on his feet, bags on his back and hands in his pockets; far less than the usual amount of fidgeting from the Iki Town teen.

    Petal the Oddish came up to my side, considered the boy, then gave me a tap on the leg with their leaves.

    I looked down. My Oddish nudged their head in Hau¡¯s direction. I grimaced and looked back at the boy.

    ¡°...Are you feeling alright, Hau?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± he responded with no pause. ¡°Good. Good-ish. Kind of.¡± He balanced a few more times for good measure. Then, with a low and flat voice: ¡°...I think I figured something out with Loa.¡±

    ¡°You  did?¡±  Had he finally spoken with his Litten?

    ¡°Okay. ¡®Figuring out¡¯ is hyperbole. But yeah, something¡¯s not right.¡±

    Our eyes locked.

    It occurred to me that Hau and I¨C we hadn¡¯t been vulnerable with each other. Not yet.

    ¡°Can Starters¡­ fail the Challenge?¡±

    ¡°...I- I don¡¯t know, Hau. Capital S region Starter, right?¡± He nodded. ¡° Trainers  fail the Challenge, not their Pokemon. And even then, it¡¯s less a matter of failing and more a matter of how far down the Challenge you got, and how well you performed during those trials, but¨C¡±  But aren¡¯t there consequences for not doing good enough when one has a regional Starter?

    There had been something in the news a few years ago¨C Alola is small, and its population growing, and the Incineroar, Decidueye and Primarina enclaves as small and secretive as ever; the demand for Starters is highest it ever was. How do you meet the demand?

    Where do you find the supply?

    The door to my room opened one final time, and Lilliane came out the door.

    Oh. Oh wow.

    In the past two weeks, we had only ever seen Lilliane wearing one outfit.

    It was strange, but it was also an outfit that fit her very well; an embroidered white sundress with pale blue accents, her Sylph Co. handbag, that wide-brimmed sun hat. It caught the eye.

    Lilliane only ever had one outfit, but she¡¯d done what she could to make it more practical. Her dress had been hemmed a little shorter, allowing her more leg movement, she had found a way to fasten her bag tightly around her waist, she¡¯d pulled her hair back with a hairband and her unwieldy hat had been stuffed away into the folded space of her handbag.

    Her usual outfit had been like cumbersome armor, and without it she seemed a little bit vulnerable but so much more free, too.

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll get  actual  equipment when we¡¯re back in Hau¡¯oli,¡± she assured us, face reddening, ¡°I¨C my mother dressed¨C dresses me, usually.¡±

    ¡°S-sure.¡± My heart started to beat loud in my chest. She smiled in embarrassment and there was a little crease at the corner of her eyes I could not see before.  Up and up and up  went her legs and how had I never noticed how tall she was?

    Hau looked back and forth between the two of us curiously, then returned to his usual cheer and motioned toward the path ahead.

    ¡°Special service, miss  pr¨¦sidente , we have a Trial to pass.¡±

    <hr>

    We crossed the threshold into Verdant Cavern once more. We had donned the necklaces around our necks, brittle string tied to a single berry. Once more, we were informed of our winning condition: reach the end of the Cavern, do not lose all three necklaces.

    The cave was dark but light was streaming in at Slugma¡¯s pace. The sun had started to crest over the horizon when we had entered, and so the openings in the ceiling let soft diffuse light in that reflected across the walls in a calming green glow. Imprints of leaves and roots started to show themselves as the morning light drew their shapes on the walls.

    The air was cool and damp, water and dew  drip-drip-dripping down into pools of water on the ground. Sounds in the distance echoed throughout the tunnels, distorted to the point of being undecipherable. Movement that was unrecognizable in the dark was now just visible, at the corner of our eyes¨C and our heads were on a swivel.

    Last time, it had been dusk. This time, it was dawn.

    This did not make our task any easier, however.

    Many of the diurnal species were at their most vulnerable, and their scouts kept a tight watch, ready to alert their brethren on a dime. Many of the nocturnal species were at their most  desperate;  only the hungriest were awake still, roaming the galleries in search of wayward denizens or food that hadn¡¯t been eaten overnight.

    We began our trek.

    I stood in front, with Petal the Oddish and Oran Juice the Dunsparce at my side. OJ kept his senses in alert for movement through the earth (though he couldn¡¯t help the slight tremble in his bulbous body), while Petal was ready to wall us away from threats with use of gas and snaking roots.

    I was our navigator, I had memorized the layout of the cave and the tunnels within. Our old tricks were still kept; we knew to look for places where Melemele Meadow flowers grew, but knowing the most direct path and having an understanding of where the exits resided certainly made our task a lot more clear.

    Hau stood in back, with Loa the Litten prowling around for intimidation purposes. She had made herself known last time we had made our way through, and Pokemon that had opposed us then would certainly remember the sting of her fire. I had two Pokemon with me, and I was sure that Pokemon of the cave would be more afraid of the Litten than both of mine combined.

    Hau was simply to be the muscle. Keep his own head on a swivel and be ready to act if things went south - though that was to be our last resort, this time. Intimidation would work better as a deterrent than a fighting tactic. A few days ago, Hau had been ready to throw down at a moment¡¯s notice¨C this time he was  visibly uncomfortable , for once, which matched his Litten¡¯s demeanor.

    Lilliane squeezed herself between Hau and I, bag on her waist, her Cleffa Stella poking out grumpily. The once unflappable girl let her nervousness show, but I saw her summoning her courage and walking in confident steps. That was  madame la pr¨¦sidente .

    We had three necklaces, and as long as we kept hers safe, we¡¯d make it through.

    Once more, over the rocky pathways, making tentative steps on patches of plants and moss, keeping an eye for the warrens and holes dotting the walls. I followed a similar path to the one we had traced the last time.

    ¡°Is this¨C is this the same water spot?¡± Lilliane asked.

    I blinked.

    Here, to our left, a pool of water that poked through the cave and had eroded the wall into a downward slope. To our right, a sheet of vines covered the eastern wall in a green blanket. This cavern room was small and had an entrance and two exits, and as I double checked my notes, yes indeed, we had gotten through here during our first attempt.

    This was where Lilliane had lost her cool, last time, and where Loa had attacked the Yungoose and earned their ire. ¡°...I think it is, yes.¡±

    ¡°Then we shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± And at that she crouched and pointed to the floor¨C

    Gathering near the water, the  many, many  three-toed paw tracks that marked the water bank were suddenly a lot more recognizable than they had been a few days ago.

    I felt a nudge at my leg - Petal, trying to get my attention - and saw Oran Juice pull aside some of the vines of the eastern wall, exposing dozens and dozens of warren entrances, in one of which our lights reflected onto the eyes of Yungeese within¨C

    We took a few steps back.

    There were only a few Pokemon for now but those were just the scouts, and we knew that the warrens held many many more. We¡¯d experienced the sting of claw and fang once already.

    Then I looked in horror as Hau took a few steps forward.

    ¡°What are you doing??¡± I hissed at him¨C augh! The idiot! Don¡¯t ruin this!

    I felt Lilliane tense visibly behind me. Petal and OJ moved a little closer. Loa¡¯s fur stood on end, but she stayed to keep an eye at Lilliane¡¯s back.

    Then, the nightmare scenario: the sheet of vines parted and the Gumshoos stepped out.

    Slow, ambling movement that shook the earth. A tall and imposing figure that was only a little bit smaller than the tallest among our group, hands locked behind its back . It stopped just after a few steps away from the warrens¡¯ entrances, and regarded our group with annoyance.

    Hau and the Gumshoos stopped within a few paces of each other.

    Hau bowed.

    ¡°On behalf of the Kahuna of Melemele, my apologies for intruding on your territory.¡± A pause. Then tentatively, he continued. ¡°And uh. For any harm caused last time.¡±

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    We held our breath.

    The Gumshoos turned its head and snorted. It held up a paw toward the way we came, and dismissed us with a ¡°Shoos.¡±

    Slowly, quietly, we turned around and left. The Yungoose pack did not follow.

    We¡¯d find a different way.

    ¡°There.¡±

    Hau had whispered it in such a low voice I almost hadn¡¯t recognized it. Following his pointed finger, I noticed beneath a bush near the western wall slight movement in the leaves. A slight rustle, whiskers and a snout just poking through.

    The dark fur of two Alolan Rattatas laid low as they tried their best to hide themselves from us. Their short whiskers twitched, and two sets of red eyes peered at us from the underbrush.

    We did not move. No one said a word just yet. Everyone but my Pokemon stepped back, and I crouched down and made myself less tall. This also gave me a better look at them, and I noticed the imprint of their bones through their fur¨C

    ¡°Hello,¡± making sure my voice was calm, making my movements slow and nonthreatening, ¡°We are just passing through, though we wouldn¡¯t mind help. You two look hungry.¡±

    Slowly, I opened up my front pocket, and retrieved the fruit of my efforts of these past few days; what I could buy yesterday with my earnings from the dueling grounds.

    ¡°...Do you want to make a deal?¡±

    I placed the sitrus berry on the ground.

    Both Rattatas¡¯ pupils dilated and I saw their snouts sniff in the air as the scent of the ripe juicy berry got to their nose. The golden skin of the fruit practically gleamed under the faint light in the cavern.

    Still, they hesitated. Wariness and suspicion was still very apparent in their behavior, and they didn¡¯t make their move just yet.

    I let go of the sitrus, then took two steps back, still crouched. My Pokemon followed my step.

    ¡°Have this one.¡±

    The Rattatas looked at one another, then one rushed forward before the other stopped them. They had a silent conversation for a second, one jumping at the bit while the other remained cautious¨C but ultimately, hunger won over discretion and the first one leaped over to get a taste of sitrus.

    In hungry bites that sent juice flowing, it devoured the berry and left nothing but dregs behind. The Rattata¡¯s partner joined the first, too late to get a taste, and it appeared disappointed in its hesitation.

    Still, we did not move.

    ¡°Me and my companions,¡± and I motioned towards the rest of my group, ¡°we just want to make our way through the Cavern to the Meadow unscathed. There¡¯s a lot of contested territory here, and we¡¯d like to avoid it if possible.

    ¡°If you¡¯d like to lend a paw¡­¡± and I showed them the  trove  of oran berries I carried in my bag, ¡°Then there could be more in it for you.¡±

    <hr>

    Progress.

    Following the path traced by the Rattatas, we made our way over the stone pathways and into the tight tunnels of Verdant Cavern. True to our deal, it looked like we were avoiding the more territorial Pokemon successfully. We¡¯d hear the sounds of squabbling in the distance but never encountered the Pokemon responsible in the distance.

    An unexpected issue had been taking the exact same path the Rattatas did.

    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising, in retrospect, the rodents here often took shortcuts through the tightest of crannies and they couldn¡¯t take into account our difference in size.

    So this had led to the present time. Tight nets of vines and plants had been occasionally blocking our way and Loa the Litten had been on path clearing duty. With careful application of her flammable saliva, she¡¯d weaken the plant matter then she would cut it with her fangs.

    Up until what blocked us wasn¡¯t just plants, but a tunnel too small for us to fit through.

    Loa scratched in annoyance at the stone at the edges of the tunnel¨C she was strong enough to make sizable claw marks through dirt but not enough to make it through rock.

    ¡°Du-dun.¡±

    Loa moved aside so Oran Juice could try.

    ¡°Your enthusiasm is good and all, but we¡¯d better find a different way, I think.¡± Hau said. ¡°You¡¯re good at making tunnels for your size, but I don¡¯t know about digging one for us.¡±

    OJ paused and looked back at the teen, clearly disappointed¨C but I immediately shushed the boy and nodded at my Dunsparce eagerly. I had a hunch it could work. Let my boy cook.

    And so, my Dunsparce inspected the wall: he looked at the tunnel entrance, gauged its length, tapped against the wall with its tail; then turned around and stood tail first towards the wall, look of concentration on his face.

    His drill-tail spun and  glowed with an off-white glow, and we watched in wonder as he approached the tunnel opening and moved his drill into a half-circle arc. Around the small passage, rocks carved themselves out of the sides and stuck to OJ¡¯s tail like a magnet¨C and just like that, the shaft was widened enough for us to crawl into.

    The rocks had covered his tail like a mis-shapen sheet of armor, and with a thump of his tail against the ground, the glow receded and his rock coating crumbled naturally to the ground.

    Hau ran his hand on the now widened tunnel, feeling where the rocks had been pulled away from the wall. ¡°Tapus¨C taking back what I just said, you got this in the bag.¡±

    I  marveled  at the application of the Move we had just witnessed, but couldn¡¯t figure out what Move that had been in the first place. ¡°OJ, this¨C did you always know how to do this?¡±

    Oran Juice shily shook his tail, embarrassed, and just responded with a so-so gesture.

    ¡°Can you¡­ can you do it again? Here,¡± and I motioned toward a patch of dirt on the ground.

    Once more, he approached it, turned around, his tail glowed and a patch of dirt carved itself out of the ground like it had been magnetized. All that was left was a hole in the ground and some loose rocks, while part of OJ¡¯s body was now coated in earth and mud. He could move like this still, but still he stopped the Move and let the earth fall to the floor.

    Huh. It¡¯s selective,  I thought to myself,  the Move pulled the dirt to him this time but left rock matter behind. This isn¡¯t quite magnetism¡­ Does it have different applications depending on the material he uses this on?

    I pet OJ¡¯s head and he returned the gesture eagerly. While this was something I wanted to explore further, we¡¯d have to postpone it for after the trial.

    We heard an impatient squeak ahead as our guides motioned for us to continue.

    Our group squeezed itself out of the crawlspace, and we found ourselves in the largest room yet.

    The ground was treacherous. Stalagmites and uneven terrain would make trekking through slow and methodical, lest we trip and hurt ourselves or wedge a leg into a crevice. Patches of moss and plants made what footholds we could grab slippery.

    What made this room particularly dangerous were its occupants.

    Two swarms battled near the ceiling of the cavern. On one side, Zubats wailed in defiance at their attackers, retaliating with poisonous bites and health-draining Moves. On the other, a smaller swarm of Noibats invaded the space with powerful gusts of wind and loud screeches.

    With this warzone came a  cacophony , a terrible mix of shrieks and squeals that echoed throughout the room and bounced off the walls. Me and my companions winced, Loa¡¯s ears laid flat against her head while most of us with hands plugged our ears with our fingers.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t feasible!¡± I whisper-shouted at the others, ¡°We should turn back! Let¡¯s find another way¨C¡±

    A sudden scramble across my torso as two small forms launched themselves at me and my bag. Petal and OJ moved as one to help and in my panic I whacked my offenders off.

    Two grey furred bodies bounced off the ground, multiple berries in their paws¨C the two Rattatas that had been our guides thus far. They righted themselves up, grabbed their stolen prizes and disappeared in the crevices of the room.

    Betrayal.  I felt tricked and used. I touched around my neck and - of course - my necklace had been taken. My bag had been wrenched open and I saw where they had dug into my berry storage to roughly rifle out a few orans. The other bruised berries were starting to smell.

    Had they brought us here just to distract us? I could feel tears at the sides of my eyes¨C  humans  I could see being mean, but Pokemon had always been  good¨C

    A warm hand on my shoulder brought me out of my spiral. I turned to see Lilliane look me in the eyes intensely, she mouthed ¡° focus¡± and pointed out something on one side of the room.

    Yellow flowers framing an exit.

    I rubbed my tears away with the back of my hand and cross referenced with my notes¡­  that was it. If we reached that tunnel, we would be out of Verdant Cavern.

    I turned to the others. Lilliane winced, putting her fingers back in her ears. Hau¡¯s uncertainty was clear on his face, looking at the battling swarms above, but he turned to me and gave me a nod.

    We slowly started to make our way across.

    This was slow and difficult.

    We¡¯d all crouched and started to hold on the ground with our hands to ensure that we wouldn¡¯t slip. Every step was an effort of its own, trying to find purchase where it was available, making sure that the soil wouldn¡¯t give or slip out beneath our feet, balancing our bags on our back as best we could.

    I was just getting  tired . We¡¯d been in this cave for just a few hours and hadn¡¯t encountered any significant danger but there was something exhausting about taking such a passive approach to this. We were putting a lot of effort into going through the same paths Pokemon did, and we were all dirty, sweaty, our knees scuffed and our palms callused.

    Worse even, the sound was getting  louder , strident screeches and screams that echoed above and around us, while the smell of the crushed berries in my bag were getting more and more pungent¨C

    Oh shoot, the smell.

    No wonder it was getting louder.

    A mob of Zubats was splintering off from the main swarm and were starting to approach. Lilliane cried out as they approached, Hau crawled faster and closer to us¨C

    ¡° Petal! Dissuade!¡±

    My Oddish let out as much Sweet Scent as they could, like a smokescreen blocking us off from the incoming swarm, and we put our shirt in front of our mouths like we¡¯d practiced. This wasn¡¯t  perfect¨C  I heard my companions cough as the acidic Sweet Scent got in their lungs or started to irritate their eyes.

    Cries of irritated Zubats rang out as we continued on our path. Petal continued to send out more Sweet Scent and occasional clouds of Poison Powder when a bat got too close, and while we were gaining ground we weren¡¯t fast enough or safe enough just yet.

    Suddenly, a yelp from behind.

    Loa bit down on a Zubat that had bitten her on the leg and threw it away, visible poison coursing through her leg muscles. This was bad¨C did we stop to treat her poison, or move on to¨C

    ¡°This isn¡¯t working!¡± No longer whispering, Lilliane was now clearly hyperventilating. ¡°I¨C I¡¯m sorry! This is all my fault!¡±

    Hau kept his head on a swivel, helping Loa get to her feet. ¡°It¡¯s okay¨C we can still get through! We just have to push forward!¡± While the Litten  was  poisoned, she wasn¡¯t exhausted or panting just yet.

    Lilliane moved forward once more, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention to this anymore¨C the Sweet Scent was dispersing, my Oddish was  exhausted , Zubats were starting to break through¨C

    Until Stella the Cleffa jumped on Lilliane¡¯s back, and a powerful flash illuminated the room.

    The bats flew back in surprise. Stella didn¡¯t relent, and after the first, two more flashes, then three prolonged flashes of light, then three short ones, beams of light that weren¡¯t strong enough to be considered a Move or dealing damage, but enough to send out a  message .

    A message was sent, and help came.

    It was another sound that was added to the cacophony: a hum of insectile wings that drowned out the other shrieks and screeches through the cavern. The swarm that entered the room moved less as a mass and more like a  sheet  of red, black-dotted Bug-types, interposing themselves between us and the Zubats.

    We watched in shock as the  Ledybas  moved in unison and wove a net of hexagonal, translucent Barriers that stopped the Zubats in their tracks. The Ledyba in the middle - the same Ledyba from the last night - turned around and gave a wink and two thumbs up to Stella, who was now back to be cradled in her trainer¡¯s hold.

    ¡°Stella, you¨C  how? ¡± Lilliane stood in utter confusion as a satisfied Stella snuggled in her arms, her job now done. She simply reached up with her hand and wiped tears away from Lilliane¡¯s eyes.

    She turned to the Ledyba, incredulous at the unbelievable situation, and in a soft voice she asked ¡°Are you sure you want¨C you want to help?¡±

    It gave a nod and gave a salute at Lilliane. I caught a whiff of something from it, suddenly¨C wait a minute, was that Lilliane¡¯s  perfume? Was that what Stella had traded to it ??

    We could¨C we could do this.

    ¡°No idea how you did this Stella, but good work! Let¡¯s get going!¡± And Hau grabbed Lilliane¡¯s hand and we continued on our difficult path.

    Hugging the wall, protected from the side by our personal flying guard and their Barriers, we persevered. The Zubats gave up on the chase and returned to their own squabble, while we extricated ourselves from the forest of stalagmites, finally reaching flat ground. The final distance before the exit.

    Then there was light, and a horrible  roar .

    In the middle of the Noibat swarm, light was dissipating away from a larger form. Black scales covered its lithe body, flapping larger wings that it seemed uncomfortable with, the two sound-emitting ears on its head now doubled in size and¨C

    A  wave  of sound emanated from it.

    The low-pitched warble  tore  through the Zubat swarm, visible to the naked eye, like a distorted pulse that warped space around it. The cave shook and pebbles trembled as it echoed through the space. The attack moved through the Zubat swarm and our blood ran cold as we heard the grisly  splats  of bats crashing on the ground.

    I saw blood pooling from limp bodies.

    The  Noivern  turned, and its yellow pinprick eyes locked onto ours.

    We ran for the exit.

    Fear for my life flooded my brain. This was  beyond  the nightmare scenario, this was real, very real danger,  life-threatening  danger, these Zubats were  dead , and if this attacked us we would die as well¨C

    We dismissed any caution as we ran like our lives depended on it.

    We couldn¡¯t risk looking back but we still heard it shambling movements, unfamiliar in its new body, flapping wings too big for itself as it  screeched  in frenzied anger¨C a sound of something crashing against stone and rock somewhere behind us, then to our side, and just before we could reach the exit¡­

    It landed on our path and blocked the way out.

    Something in my mind went blank, like a primal instinct clicking into place-  fight.

    The Noivern took a deep breath, and we were all surprised when  Stella  barked out an order from Lilliane¡¯s bag, and the Ledyba swarm moved to intercept.

    Once again, a horrible, low warble that shook the cave around us, now muffled as a network of Light Screens blocked the attack from reaching us fully. Still, my head thrummed with the sound and I stumbled and landed on a knee. Our companions buckled, Lilliane curled into a ball while Hau fell to his knees, hands on his ears.

    Pain spread from my leg. We were hurt, but we weren¡¯t down. All we needed was to find an opportunity to move past it.

    It was big and it was strong, but it was also clumsy, unfamiliar with its newly evolved body and still clearly clouded with rage and bound to make mistakes.

    Mistakes like focusing too much on us, and not enough on its surroundings.

    Loa the Litten jumped on its back from the shadows.

    Cold fear seeped in my veins, Lilliane cried in horror. The Litten looked so small on the larger Dragon-type, but still she screeched loud enough for all to hear and sunk her fangs in the Noivern¡¯s neck, true flames at the sides of her mouth as a light gathered here¨C

    ¡°Fuck it up, Loa!¡±

    And her fire  exploded.

    The Noivern reeled back and trashed as it screeched in pain. The Litten still fiercely held on, flames now running across the Noivern¡¯s fur collar as bruises and scorch marks marked its neck, light started to gather around her maw again, preparing another  Fire Fang.

    This wasn¡¯t good enough, though - it trashed around but it still blocked the way. I gently grabb Lilliane¡¯s arm and helped her get upWe tried to approach and make our way around but it¡¯d snap closer in a flailing movement.

    I looked at the ground, roots and yellow flowers at its feet and thought back to Petal¡¯s skills: perhaps we could restrain it with Leech Seed? No. It was too big. Leech Seed wasn¡¯t strong enough, or the plants would need to be much closer which¡­

    ¡­Which was possible.

    ¡°OJ¨C on my mark, can you reach the Noivern and attack it with the new Move you showed us? Get some of the plants on it for Petal to control.¡±

    The Dunsparce looked at me, wide-eyed and trembling, but he nodded, steeled himself and buried himself in the ground to borrow closer.

    On the Noivern¡¯s neck where it couldn¡¯t reach, another loud blast of fire as Loa triggered another Fire Fang. Light danced across the cavern as fire engulfed the Noivern completely, and partially masked by smoke, real  light  had started to overtake Loa¡¯s body as she held on¨C

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Oran Juice shot out the ground like a bullet.

    He landed close and his tail shone and the vines pulled out the ground to stick and wrap around his tail. It wasn¡¯t just vines, but also roots, and grass, and big mushroom tops that bulged with spores, and OJ spun like a top tail posed to strike at the Noivern.

    The cover of plants on his tail crashed against the Noivern¡¯s leg and OJ released the move, and it exploded unexpectedly in a thick cloud of beige spores that coated all three fighters.

    There was a crash as the Noivern¡¯s limp, unbelievably  sleeping body fell to the ground.

    Everyone paused for a second, unbelieving of what we were seeing.

    Then as soon as we recovered our wits¨C we  rushed.

    I recalled OJ while Petal scrambled forward as fast as they could¨C they weren¡¯t fast enough so I grabbed them and held them to my chest as I ran like my life depended on it.

    I looked back for a second and there was Lilliane, teeth gritting, tears pouring from her eyes but determined, cradling Stella and one Ledyba at her side - then behind her, unbelievably, a grinning Hau and the leaping and panting Loa the  Torracat.

    Ahead:

    Light, an exit to this tunnel, morning light streaming into the Cavern like an entrance to heaven.

    A wooden painted arch, signaling the end of the trial.

    The concerned faces of Trial attendees, one rushing to meet us with an Audino in tow.

    And behind them, an idyllic scenery: rolling hills of yellow flowers in a sprawling valley. Bug- and Grass-types flying in troves in the sky.

    Our feet didn¡¯t stop when we passed the gate, as we ran into the fields and collapsed onto the flowers.

    We had finally passed the first trial.

 Chapter 10: Coming up Roses

    Tension left my body like a great dam being released.

    Laying onto the flower fields of Melemele Meadow, all biological processes that had kept me running and alert during the Trial shut down at once. I collapsed onto Petal the Oddish, the latter first objecting then leaning into the motion when they noticed the state I was in.

    Adrenaline had completely left my body, and with it all stress that I had backed up during the trial rushed through me and left me bawling my eyes out. Tears left my face not because I was  scared  or  sad - but because the panic I had held in all time now had nowhere to go. My mind kept going back to the split-second sound and sight of limp bodies hitting the ground¨C and so I cried and curled around Petal and buried my face into their leaves that smelled of pepper and mint.

    ¡° Sob¨C sorry P-Petal, I must be all gross-¡± and my Oddish shushed me with a leaf and pulled me tighter against them.

    There was a soft flash of red light at the corner of my eyes and Oran Juice the Dunsparce released himself from his ball and wormed himself between Petal and I.

    So there I was. Tension leaving my body and arms squeezing against my squishy plant and bulbous snake. One¡¯s soft plant flesh and the other¡¯s smooth scales felt soothing against my skin, and I felt my heartrate slowly return to normal.

    ¡°...Hey, Selene, you alright?¡±

    A warm hand landed on my shoulder and I shuddered involuntarily. It left, and so I turned, and here was Hau.

    Hau looked pleased and exhausted like an athlete having finished a marathon, but it was muted, hidden behind a layer of worry. His retracting hand paused in the air, then moved to help me up once more.

    I wiped my tears and snot - eugh, gross - with the back of my sleeve in one motion, and got back up with Hau¡¯s help in another ¡°...m¡¯okay. I¡¯m just¨C all frazzled from that fight, I guess.¡±

    ¡°No  kidding!¡±  Hau¡¯s eyes shone with excitement, and the worry and wariness lifted away as he spoke excitedly. ¡°Did you see how Loa jumped onto that Noivern and  blasted  its neck?? That was mental! And that Ledyba swarm that Stella called, how did that even happen¨C¡±

    Tuning out the boy and casting a glance around my surroundings, I now only registered the situation we were in.

    We were on the other side of Verdant Cavern. We¡¯d finished the Trial.

    Laying on the fresh grass among delicate flowers of the Meadow, we stood only a few dozen feet from the cavern against the cliff wall. The rising sun shone on the rolling hills of Melemele Meadow as swarms of Bug-types and Grass-types fluttered lazily in the distance. A floral scent hung heavy. Not far, a medical tent and lodgings for Trial attendees laid against the cliff wall, one of which was fussing over Lilliane at the moment, the teen looking frazzled but no worse for wear.

    Stella the Cleffa looked pleased as a button at Lilliane¡¯s side, talking excitedly with a fluttering Ledyba -  the Ledyba, the one that Stella had made a deal with. Lilliane looked confusedly between the attendee and the bug, seemingly at a loss as to what to deal with first.

    Step, step, wobble, step  . A  newly evolved Loa the Torracat wobbled her way out of the flower patch. Hau¡¯s starter looked so strangely off and unfamiliar in her new body: her limbs were longer and thicker, body weight shifting toward her front, now coming up to our waist in height. Loa who had been lithe and graceful as a Litten now looked like a newborn Deerling for a moment, a mess of trembling legs and distressed mowing.

    Hau¡¯s prattling paused at my side, as he took notice of Loa¡¯s state. ¡°Uh¨C I should go check up on her. Congratulate her and all.¡± He patted my shoulder and stood up to return to his starter.

    We¡¯d only finished the Trial, and yet I still couldn¡¯t quell my anxiety.

    I wiped my face and stood up on shaky legs, patting my Oddish and Dunsparce one final time.

    Tentatively, I approached the Trial attendee.

    He¨C  they turned away from Lilliane to face me, with short peach hair and a non-binary flag pin to their cyan Trial attendee uniform, their expression shifting to something like worry when they saw me approach. ¡°Alola¨C are you okay? Nothing hurt, or¨C¡±

    ¡°N-no, no time,¡± I cut them off, ¡°Zubats, inside the cave, uh, they got struck down when the Noivern evolved, they¡¯re bleeding out, we have to help them,  please¨C¡±

    It was their turn to cut me off, both of their hands clasped on my shoulders, soft grey eyes focusing into mine. ¡°Take a deep breath, little miss. My colleague already went inside to check on them.¡±

    I let out the breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. Maybe they saw the looks I couldn¡¯t help but shoot toward the Verdant Cavern entrance, and so the Trial attendee followed it with ¡° ¡­We could take a look together, if that would calm you down.  Boss¨C  the Gumshoos should have taken care of that Noivern by now.¡±

    I saw Lilliane wince at those words, and our eyes locked. I had already decided, but she was not, and her dilemma was whether she felt comfortable enough to accompany me back inside. She exchanged a glance to her side, where Stella and the Ledyba gave her a reassuring smile, and she turned back to nod at me. Wordlessly I nodded to the Trial attendant and we turned to enter Verdant Cavern one last time.

    There was something strangely surreal about going back in so soon after we had left the cave.

    Only a few short minutes ago, we had been running ourselves ragged through a  gauntlet  - trekking through stalagmites and uneven terrain while a swarm of fliers battled above, then facing a juvenile dragon head on - and here I was, walking back in like nothing had happened.

    My nerves felt on edge. The image of blood on cave ground was fresh on my mind, but instead of it making me want to run away from this place, it pulled me in¨C like I had gotten past the flight instinct and slammed straight into the fight response. Lilliane walked close to my side holding her starter to her chest, the Ledyba flying in front of us with a buzzing sound.

    Still, my guide walked confidently, a Herdier having been summoned to their side.

    We approached the bend where on the other side, we¡¯d enter that final cave room where we had fought that dreadful Noivern, and a little ways away there would be still bodies on the floor, and from there I could already hear growling in the distance¨C

    This isn¡¯t quite what awaited us.

    What I first heard was the Gumshoos. Its gruff, scratchy voice rang out through the cavern in angry bursts, in a tone that reminded myself of a father scolding their child¨C and indeed. There was the Noivern, significantly more bruised and battered than we¡¯d left it, cowering before the towering Gumshoos and listening to its berating.

    ¡°See? Boss took care of it.¡± My guide piped up, and pointed towards deeper in the cave. ¡°And look.¡±

    Some ways away, closer to the stalagmite field, we saw them¨C the Zubat and Noibat swarms, in neat separated piles on the ground, munching messily on berries.  Dried blood  was still visible on their skin and scales, though it didn¡¯t stop them from enjoying their meal. The other Trial attendee stood between the two groups, them and their Audino tending to two prone bodies on the ground, a medical box open nearby¨C

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    I buckled, and lost my balance for a moment. The Trial attendee grabbed me before I could hurt myself, and we locked eyes and my voice poured out before I could control it¨C ¡°Are they okay? Are they¨C are they  dead ?¡±

    I saw them grimace for just a second in a way I couldn¡¯t help but  dread , but they caught themself and responded quickly with ¡°No. They¡¯re most likely unconscious. We were monitoring you through the Trial, and while the swarms were fighting among themselves for a while and they took a fall when the Noivern evolved, they should be fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¨C I¡¯m gonna take a look.¡± Lilliane started walking like she hadn¡¯t been crying in that same room a few minutes ago and the Ledyba followed in her steps.

    I tried to go after her and found that I couldn¡¯t. I watched wordlessly as she approached the other attendee and their Audino - the nurse, maybe - and started to speak with them. I couldn¡¯t hear them from here.

    ¡°...Pokemon are really hardy, kid. They¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡±

    I turned and lost myself in the concerned gray gaze the young adult attendee.

    ¡°It¡¯s¨C¡± ¨C it was  hard  to put words to what I was feeling, when assumedly we should be cheering for our victory, and yet we had to fight in such a  dirty way for it ¨C ¡°It¡¯s. It¡¯s just¡­¡± and so I closed my eyes and tried to focus my thoughts once more.

    ¡°...Is it always like this? Do we have to fight our way through Pokemon territory and leave bleeding Pokemon behind?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Not always.¡± And they steeled their gaze for a moment. ¡°Let me be clear: it¡¯s bound to happen. The world of Pokemon is a world defined through combat. You will always find Pokemon that won¡¯t move aside until you¡¯ve given them the fight they want. But you can always heal them up a little if you feel bad about leaving them to lick their wounds.¡± Their gaze softened, and tension I hadn¡¯t noticed I had been holding in started to go down.

    ¡°Now, this wasn¡¯t quite the same scenario. You didn¡¯t have the opportunity to turn back to help those downed Zubats; you were already dealing with a bigger problem yourself.¡± They pointed at the cowering Noivern. ¡°Your safety goes first, that of your team, and that of your companions. Sometimes you¡¯ll just have to leave hurt Pokemon behind.¡±

    ¡°And what if next time there aren¡¯t people like you around to heal them?¡±

    A grunt, and a tap to my shoulder, and there was the lumbering form of the Gumshoos standing right over me. Brow furrowed, it angrily wrote on its notepad and handed out a piece of paper for me to read.

    Don¡¯t think of us so helpless without your human help. We have our healers and our medicine. Our allies and our ways.

    You can¡¯t traverse our lands without hurting us. The hurt you do will heal. Little ones will get up and get stronger.

    And if they cannot get up, then they didn¡¯t have long for this world anyway.

    ¡°Congratulations. May the Tapus see you and bless you on your journey.¡±

    The attendees and Gumshoos led us out and it was finally time to officiate our success. Opening up their satchel, the non-binary attendee retrieved three Trial beads: simple pieces of polished gray stone with a hole bore through.

    ¡°So! You also get a cash reward.¡± Now they tapped on their tablet, and we all heard a chorus of  pings  as notifications rang out from our phones. ¡°This should be enough for you to sustain and house yourselves for a month, assuming you head off to Iki Village for your Grand Trial.

    ¡°And finally¨C this is new regulation, but here, you three get one of these.¡± Retrieving another case from their bag, they procured a small plastic box through which shone a disc - a  TM. ¡°This is False Swipe. This is¡­ less of a Move, more of a social practice, a way for you to fend off wild Pokemon and clearly send the message that you don¡¯t wish to continue battling.¡±

    And that was that.

    One down, seven more to go.

    With a flick, Hau threw his trial bead in the air where it reflected the sunlight and he caught it in one deft motion. Lilliane held hers in her hands like it was about to leap off.

    Congratulations from my teammates faded into the background noises of singing Flying-types and fluttering grass.

    My eyes bore a hole into the grey bead. Mechanically, I tied the bead to my Island Challenge amulet, tying string the way my mother had taught me.

    This didn¡¯t feel like success.

    We had technically made our way through the Cavern but I couldn¡¯t help but think like we had cheated ourselves, somehow. We¡¯d decided, stupidly, to just rush through a warzone. We hadn¡¯t faced danger head on or proven our worth in battle, we had hurt pokemon and then kept on running with our tails between our legs. I couldn¡¯t care less about battler¡¯s pride, but I cared about battler¡¯s  safety , and in some way it felt like we had failed at both.

    Still. My Pokemon seemed satisfied, and that counted for something.

    ¡­

    I needed to be  better, then.

    More information, better tactics, hone out our Moves so that we didn¡¯t do unnecessary harm. Understand Pokemon better so I can predict their behavior. Work out a strategy with Hau to properly fight in tandem.

    Don¡¯t call yourself a researcher until you¡¯ve become a  Master , Selene.

    ¡°Selene, you doin¡¯ alright?¡± Hau¡¯s amused voice snapped me out of my train of thought and a warm gentle hand pushed against my shoulder. ¡°Frown any harder and it¡¯s gonna stick, you know¨C cheer up! We¡¯ve done it! One down!¡±

    Hau¡¯s cheer was, as always, a strange kind of magic that cleared away the doom and gloom with a snap. And here, too, I was feeling the effect, my brows unclenched and I chuckled and stammered in the affirmative.

    Next time  we¡¯ll be better. This time we could relax.

    ¡°No, seriously, what we did was badass¨C I never imagined that we¡¯d face a Dragon during our trial!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ try and avoid that, next time, if we can,¡± I gasped out. ¡°We could really have done without the added excitement.¡±

    Lilliane nodded. ¡°I concur.¡± She shook her head and put her Island Challenge amulet back into her bag. ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t complain. I, uh¨C I can¡¯t even  begin  to thank you two. You five. You¨C  you seven. ¡± All of our Pokemon straightened a bit at the praise, Stella and the Ledyba included.

    Lilliane fiddled with her fingers and continued. ¡°I know I haven¡¯t made things simple. And my demands have been selfish. But I¡¯m really thankful for your efforts to keep Stella and I safe so far.¡±

    Hau couldn¡¯t stop the grin on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. ¡°No problem! And you know, I can¡¯t exactly complain - I had a blast. That was a boss fight and a half there, that¡¯s free EXP for Loa and I!¡±

    Loa the Torracat wasn¡¯t there to comment on that¨C just before, when we had left the cave, I recall stealing a glimpse of Hau administering an antidote and recalling her. Had she been that winded by her evolution?

    ¡°There is one thing I have to make clear, however. Selene, Petal, I will need your help with this.¡± My Oddish and I straightened at her words.

    Lilliane took a deep breath and faced the  guest that had been following her since we had left Verdant Cavern.

    There is an expectation shared between young trainers and Pokemon. It is a universal experience, one not carried by cultural conventions or language but by something shared between the two. Perhaps there is something spiritual that draws one to the other, perhaps it¡¯s just what scientific people would call a symbiotic relationship.

    The result is the same: Pokemon and trainers want to partner up and work together. Stella the Cleffa had recruited that Bug-type and its swarm to help, but it had stuck well afterwards and seemed intent on following along.

    ¡°Ahem. Hello,¡± Lilliane began, and the Ledyba squeaked and waved a hand in response.

    ¡°Thank you again for your help. I don¡¯t know how things would have gotten if you and your swarm weren¡¯t there to escort us out. Thank you.¡±

    The Bug-type¡¯s wings fluttered a little quicker for a moment and it rose up a little higher in the air, two of its pairs of arms pressing against its hips. ¡°Dy- ba!¡±

    Lilliane¡¯s smile strained, brow furrowed, seemingly unsure on how to phrase her thoughts¨C ¡°I¨C I¡¯m not a standard Trial-goer, Ledyba¨C I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing the Island Challenge  for. You could find much better partners than us.¡±

    She looked around for a second, making sure there wasn¡¯t anyone who could listen in (and there wasn¡¯t, the attendees had returned to their places and their tents). ¡°And I think Stella and I might be in danger. You would be in danger too.¡±

    It slowed down, and its arms returned to its side. It considered Lilliane¡¯s words, then nodded with its eyes closed. ¡°Le-ba.¡±

    I felt a leafy tap at my leg, and crouched to meet Petal¡¯s height.

    They pointed at Ledyba, then at my head. My eyes widened when I understood the implications of Petal¡¯s translation. ¡°Lilliane¨C it just said it already knows. Stella must have told it.¡±

    Lilliane looked shocked, for a second, and there was confusion and genuine  hurt and I did see Cleffa look away from her trainer before she returned to a concerned gaze.

    For a moment, no one spoke, as Lilliane put her thoughts in order.

    ¡°Stella and I might be in danger, and because of that, I¡¯m afraid to send her into battle. And I am afraid¨C I am afraid that if I start to care for you, I will stop you from fighting as well.¡± And I saw the fortress of her composure crack for a second, her hands clenched into fists so tight that her knuckles turned white. ¡°I really want to stop being afraid. I want¨C I want to be able to  fight.  Knowing that, do you¨C do you want to come with Stella and I?¡±

    <hr>

    Back in the mid 1900¡¯, the Johto region was late to explore the growing television industry, which hadn¡¯t started to broadcast battles just yet. It began with adaptation of local folk practices like retellings of  The Three Beasts or Kimono Maiden dances - which certainly has its own appeal, of course - but then swerved into a new direction with far more traction: fiction.

    Humans and Pokemon donned clunky suits and painted their body to embody titan-sized monsters and heroes, traipsing around in styrofoam city-sets. It becomes much easier to portray wanton destruction when a ¡®building¡¯ can be knocked down with a ¡®tsunami¡¯ that¡¯s just a simple  Water Pulse .

    So, the  tokusatsu  genre established tiny heroes of massive stature, protectors of cities from monsters far bigger than them.

    To my surprise, I was starting to understand that Lilliane might be a fan of Ultramon.

    And so Toku the Ledyba  took to his new role with enthusiasm and gusto.

 Chapter 11: Little Acorns Grow

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the team meeting.¡±

    Petal the Oddish, Oran Juice the Dunsparce and I, Selene the Human, huddled together around my backpack, onto which I had placed a flat piece of dried wood that would work as a table. Drinks and snacks had been served for all; mostly the crushed remains of the oran berries I had brought for the Trial. My Pokegear had been set to record our conversation - though I would probably have to voice out my Pokemon¡¯s sign motions.

    After this morning¡¯s tribulations we had all elected to have a relaxing day; no battles, no training, just a day to take in the sights of Melemele Meadow and get to know our new teammate. The day had passed in a blur with the events of the Trial weighing heavy in my mind and night had come to usher us to make camp.

    So we had found a nice tree with a large canopy to make camp under, and bartered with the Metapod nest there for permission to stay.

    ¡°The day is August the 16th, the time is 8:02 PM. We are currently in camp with fellow Trial-goers Hau Halakaua and Lilliane Athier¨C Hau is cooking and waving at us; yes Hau, I see you. We are a quarter to a half mile into Melemele Meadow and we can still see the exit of Verdant Cavern from here. This morning at dawn we passed the first Trial and earned our first Trial bead,¡± I applauded a few times for good measure. ¡°Congratulations, us.¡±

    Petal gave a proud nasally yawp, stomped a few times, and OJ followed with happy bounces and slaps of his tail against the ground.

    ¡°Your feelings on this Trial?¡± I gestured toward my team-mates to give them the chance to speak.

    Petal took that opportunity with a ¡°Dish!¡± and drew a circle with a leaf ending up.

    ¡°Good for Petal, I take it.¡± And my Oddish nodded. ¡°What about you, OJ?¡±

    My Dunsparce took a little longer to formulate his response - and not a short response either. ¡°...Spar-dun, ce dun.¡± And so Petal attempted to translate, concept by concept - an X drawn with crossed leaves, then tapping their chest with one, a half circle counter clockwise, then a circle ending up once more - until I reached an understanding.

    ¡°Scary, but good?¡± Oran Juice nodded. ¡°I can certainly relate. It wasn¡¯t a relaxing journey by any means.¡± My Pokemon fell silent at that, turning to take my feelings in. I rubbed my chin and closed my eyes in thought.

    ¡°I have¡­ complicated feelings about my performance,¡± and already I heard an indignant cry from Petal, but I raised my hand to stop them in their tracks. ¡°We passed the Trial and that¡¯s wonderful. But I¡¯m not satisfied with the way things went. We decided to force ourselves through an occupied battlefield when we could have just looked for another way. It made the situation worsen, forced us to escalate, and one of the combatants evolved mid-battle. We managed to make it through unscathed from sheer luck,¡± and I pointed at Oran Juice with that, ¡°because a certain someone has a move that can put Pokemon to sleep under certain circumstances.¡±

    OJ shrunk a little under the attention - maybe my negativity and self-criticism was rubbing off on the poor boy a little too hard. Nonetheless, I shook my head to let out the distracting thoughts and pressed on.

    ¡°I want to take this as a lesson and offer a plan of action moving forward.¡± And here I grabbed my phone and switched to my notes app, careful not to pause the ongoing recording. ¡°I want to learn new ways to avoid or diffuse tense situations with little to no harm. However, sometimes, pacifism is just not possible - if it comes to that, I¡¯d like you guys to be able to defend yourselves adequately. In conclusion,¡± I sighed loudly, ¡°we need to become stronger.¡±

    My Dunsparce cocked his head confusedly while Petal turned away and pumped a clenched leaf in contained triumph. They turned to me with stars in their eyes, and I knew in their heart they thought that finally we were about to lean into battling wholly¨C

    ¡°Ah-ah-ah!¡± I wagged a finger at them. ¡°Tomorrow. Today and tonight we rest. Obviously I know you want to move forward with that plan, but just so that everyone is on the same page¡­¡± I turned to face Oran Juice. ¡°Are you okay with that, OJ?¡±

    The Dunsparce in question cocked his head the other way and sort of shrugged - I kept an eye on Petal to make sure they weren¡¯t pressuring OJ in any way but they seemed lost in their own mind for a moment.

    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s approval from all team members, then.¡± Scrolling through my notes, I began to lay out the plan.

    ¡°Petal, while we sleep, you scope out the area. See if you can make friends. There are a ton of Grass-types around, find an evolved ¡®mon to be a mentor or teacher figure. I was looking over the some of the things you can learn, and you already have good chemical control over Poison Powder, so other ¡®powder¡¯ moves that induce different effects are an idea - Stun Spore and Sleep Powder are obvious applications, but I wonder if you could learn something like Cotton Spore? We¡¯ll be taking our time crossing the Meadow, so don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re on a time limit.¡±

    Petal pumped their leaves and looked beyond the glow of our camp impatiently. I wasn¡¯t afraid for their safety, they¡¯d always been careful during their nightly excursions - and they could defend themselves well with Poison.

    ¡°OJ, tomorrow, we need to figure out your new Move. Or rather¨C your old Move that you knew but never mentioned¨C you get the idea.¡± My Dunsparce straightened and nodded at my serious tone. ¡°How it works, what it does, what it¡¯s conventionally called, and what you can learn from it. See if we can branch out or use it as a springboard to other Types - you already understand Rollout, so could it help to improve on it or learn other Rock-type moves? See if you could learn Rock Slide? I don¡¯t know if you can learn Rock Slide... Let¡¯s move on.

    ¡°Finally, as another topic to talk about, I would like to address incentives.¡±

    Both Oddish and Dunsparce perked up significantly at that.

    Motivation comes at a steep cost and setting up a potential reward would ensure that they stuck to the deal. Petal didn¡¯t need motivation per say, but I would trust them to go the extra mile.

    In exchange, I could use my unique position as a human being to navigate human society and provide them with whatever they wished. Such as;

    ¡°The... second¡­ food? Did I get it right?¡±

    This I expected. Getting into this topic meant they had to actually explain to me what they wanted, and so a game of charades and miming began to try to get the concept across. Eventually;

    ¡°Okay! Sure! I can treat you to malasadas when we¡¯re back in the city, OJ. That is entirely possible.¡±

    The little snake hooted and hollered; he only had one bite of the pastry a week or so ago and he was already addicted. I couldn¡¯t blame him, malasadas are delicious and I had never heard of a Pokemon-monned and built bakery in the wild.

    Oran Juice had an incentive. Now for Petal.

    This was a bit more difficult.

    ¡°If I get this right,¡± I wet my lips; I had been trying to get the meaning of Petal¡¯s signs for the past twenty minutes. ¡°Back at the Tapu festival, the girl with the Spinda who wanted to meet up to¡­ to uh, to listen to music or dance or whatever, you want me to¡­ take her up on her offer?¡±

    And the Oddish who at this point I was hoping, desperately hoping I had understood their message wrong, nodded.

    A cold wave of anxiety blew over my back and I couldn¡¯t stop the grimace on my face. Petal¡¯s eyes narrowed further and they maintained the intense stare.

    ¡°Petal, anything, anything else, right¨C¡±

    ¡°O-ddish!¡± Their response came fast and snappy. I gulped.

    ¡°You, you know I don¡¯t know her well. Or at all.¡± I shrunk onto myself and hugged my knees to my chest. ¡°The most time we spent was when we played Mareanie Kart at Big Wave Beach¨C and she probably offered to invite us as like, a joke.¡±

    And their frown deepened, they stomped and maintained the glare and I knew they were 100% serious about this.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I eeped out. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll¨C I¡¯ll talk to Tuula next time I see her. I¨C¡± I wiped my face down with my hand, stretching the skin. ¡°Eugh. No promises that she still remembers about it or takes me seriously, though.¡±

    That seemed enough to satisfy Petal. They nodded once more and huffed, patted me on the knee with a leaf, and moved to waddle away¨C no! No way! I couldn¡¯t let them get away with it!

    ¡°And you,¡± and I stopped them in their tracks, ¡°You are going to work double¨C triple time. You¡¯re going to master all those powder moves and more. I¨C I am going to turn you into a little monster that Pokemon will have nightmares about. I want to make you face the Tapus and have them tremble. You got that?¡±

    A silence fell upon our small camp.

    Not far from us, Hau stopped his shuffling and went still. Oran Juice snapped to attention, looking at me with wide eyes.

    My cheeks flushed.

    Petal the Oddish looked at me in surprise, and the most devious smile I had ever seen grew on their face.

    <hr>

    The following morning, we were treated to an unexpected sight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¨C do not think this will be a regular occurrence.¡±

    To an extent, the traveling routine had become something I was accustomed to: in the morning Hau and I would awake, chat, make breakfast for us and our ¡®Mons and get ourselves ready to jog and train. Exercise was still something that I truly struggled with, but Hau was patient, and we would eventually be ready to begin training proper.

    Today, Lilliane was joining in.

    Yesterday¡¯s practical outfit had been donned once more and she pulled back at her hair as she walked over to us. There was her new friend, Toku the Ledyba, fluttering around the teen while Stella the Cleffa skipped and hopped after the Flying-type.

    ¡°Uh- sure!¡± Hau gave her a warm grin and welcomed her in with us with open arms. ¡°We try to do a run with everybody before our drills. You¡¯re okay with jogging?¡±

    ¡°I would hope so.¡± She pulled back at her arms and stretched her limbs. ¡°I did have a personal trainer, and she was very demanding.¡±

    It became obvious very quickly that Lilliane was so much more in shape than I am.

    Five minutes in and I was already desperately out of breath. Petal had returned from their nightly excursion frustrated, intent on staying up a few hours more, jogging at my side and occasionally giving me encouraging leaf pats and head bumps in the shins.

    I heard my two teammates talking ahead running shoulder to shoulder, and so I tried to catch up because I want to be included. The topic had drifted around though it was hard to focus when I was already struggling to keep up - I gave it one more push and I heard Liliane talking about:

    ¡°...Mostly football, I suppose. Not the Unovan practice of football, for the record¨C Kalosian football came first, then the Galarians came and stole it from us and gave it a silly name¨C¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sis, a sport where Pokemon aren¡¯t involved doesn¡¯t really sound like a sport to me!¡±

    Lilliane¡¯s head turned to face Hau, and from the corner of her face I could see one eyebrow raised. ¡°It is a sport. Just because only humans practice it doesn¡¯t make it any less.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s weird!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s weird!¡± Hau looked right back at her, cocky grin on his face. What was he doing?

    Lilliane sputtered, face turning red¨C ¡°Football is a time-honored practice, dating back to the 5th century¨C¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s weird~!¡± Hau¡¯s voice took on a nonchalant, sing-song-ey tone. ¡°Say what you want about its history, a sport where Pokemon aren¡¯t allowed to compete isn¡¯t a sport to me~!¡±

    Light on his feet, Hau practically skipped as Lilliane fumed. Her jogging steps kicked out grass from the path.

    ¡°Hm hm hm,¡± he hummed, ¡°You know, no wonder the Galarians added Pokemon back in and changed the name to soccer. Didn¡¯t want to be associated with speciesist-¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°You take that back.¡±

    All three of us stopped in our tracks.

    Lilliane¡¯s eyes narrowed and she glared at Hau with intense annoyance.

    ¡°I know exactly what game you''re playing, Hau. It won¡¯t¨C well. It is working, but you will not like the result.¡±

    Hau¡¯s eyes fluttered innocently.

    ¡°Who, me? I¡¯m playing no game, sis, That¡¯s just my opinion.¡± Smile plastered on his face, he lazily kicked a foot back and forth. ¡°And, well, I suppose I could be convinced otherwise if one were to beat me in, say¡­¡± His eyes locked with Lilliane¡¯s. ¡°A fight.¡±

    Silence fell over our group.

    Wind blew over the flower fields.

    Her voice now a lot more muted, Lilliane trailed off. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be very fair, wouldn¡¯t it, to have an evolved Fire-type fight against a Pokemon I just acquired¡­¡±

    The true shit-eating grin that Hau had been sporting the whole time softened, and his tone returned to something more gentle. ¡°No, it would not. But I¡¯m sure Petal or OJ would gladly be your opponent in Loa¡¯s stead if you asked.¡±

    The Oddish in question huffed and made themself known. Though they were at the end of their waking hours, they waddled closer to Hau and made themselves look big.

    The challenge didn¡¯t go unanswered. Toku the Ledyba buzzed loudly and interposed himself in front of his new trainer.

    Lilliane looked my way and all animosity was gone. Only apprehension remained. She looked for approval, and I returned it with an eager nod.

    ¡°It¡¯s a duel, then.¡±

    <hr>

    Finding a suitable arena wasn¡¯t too difficult.

    The Meadow is all rolling plains of idyllic landscape. Patches of grass mark the land like islands on a sea of yellow flowers. To the south, the jungle canopy marks the threshold to Melemele¡¯s heart, while the Meadow itself seems to continue endlessly eastward.

    Grass-types and Bug-types roam the land in abundance. Petilil and Flab¨¦b¨¦ dance in large groups under the Summer sun, lone Butterfree and swarms of Cutiefly, flitter over the flowers, Caterpie and Grubbin and occasionally Sewaddle scurry off at our feet.

    The local Pokemon did not pay us any mind. Toku the Ledyba fluttered around Lilliane while Stella the Cleffa skipped and hopped after the Flying-type. Here was a rustle from a nearby bush, and here was Toku ready to intercept in a wingbeat; a confused Spewpa waddled in and was promptly shooed away. Queue Toku returning to his watch slash playtime with a satisfied huff.

    We settled onto an island of short green grass. A few moss-covered boulders dotted the terrain, while a low hanging tree marked its center. We checked the tree to make sure there weren¡¯t any onlookers that could be hit by stray projectiles; nothing; we looked around the boulders and asked any locals for a little bit of space; pretty please.

    Hau and Lilliane set up on opposite sides conferring with their fighter of choice. Hau made wide arm motions as he explained his strategy to my Oddish with OJ listening in closely, while Lilliane on the other end seemed to confer her ideas to her Ledyba and Cleffa in hushed tones.

    A flat boulder made for a good bench as I sat as spectator slash referee on one edge. Loa the Torracat laid on the same rock, facing away from the battle field, though her ears were alert and listening still.

    I couldn¡¯t help but let my eyes roam over Loa¡¯s new form. Curled up like she was, I recalled that she could easily fit on my lap back when she was a Litten - but as a Torracat she was practically double the size and her morphology had changed significantly.

    Her legs had grown longer, front legs gaining significant muscle mass and front paws sporting wicked looking claws. Then, of course, there was the ¡®throat sac¡¯, the glowing organ in front of her neck that seemed to hum and glow with her breathing. So much of her mass had shifted around to her front, and I wondered how uncomfortable of an experience that could be¨C then my thoughts stopped when I noticed one eye glaring in my direction.

    ¡°Oh! Uh. Sorry. Congratulations on the evolution again, Loa.¡±

    She maintained eye contact for a few seconds, an ear flicked, then her head returned to its resting spot on her front paws, looking away from the battlefield.

    ¡°Yo, Selene! You good to send us off?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes!¡± I sat up.

    This wasn¡¯t a real, serious battle. This was just a training bout. Nothing but a silly argument at stake here¨C just remember the referee¡¯s protocol. ¡°Ahem. This will be a one on one battle between Hau Halakaua and Lilliane Athier. The battle will last until a combatant has fainted or surrendered, or five minutes have been reached.¡±

    I raised a hand. Hau and Lilliane tensed. ¡°On three. One, two¡­¡± I swept my arm down and they threw their pokeballs in unison. ¡°Three!¡±

    The balls flew in a low arc over the terrain then erupted in red light as Petal the Oddish and Toku the Ledyba materialized. Petal rolled on the grass as they appeared and righted themselves as Toku took to the skies almost immediately.

    Hau thrust his arm forward. ¡°Alright! Like we planned! Growth!¡±

    While I had worked with Petal to focus on the environmental aspect of Growth, Hau had clearly instructed them to focus on the initial intent of the move - so their eyes closed in concentration and they focused and grass around started to wilt as they siphoned its energy¨C

    A brilliant white star crashed into my starter with a blast of energy and with a sudden lunge to the side three other stars crashed where my Oddish was just standing. A few feet in the air, a glow around Toku receded as his application of Swift died down - though already he focused once more and four more stars coalesced and spun around the flying Bug-type.

    ¡°...Good work. Harass and maintain your distance.¡± Lilliane¡¯s voice rang out in a low and quiet tone. Toku nodded without turning back to face her.

    ¡°Yo Petal! You think you can pull off the Growth still?¡± Petal¡¯s leaves crossed out above their head for a second as they ducked behind a boulder and another set of Swifts crashed into the rock. ¡°Okay! Plan B! Sweet Scent, spread out!¡±

    And Petal practically exploded in pink gas¨C the cloud covered their position entirely and obscured vision, but their silhouette was faintly visible still as they waddled closer and covered more of the terrain. This wasn¡¯t just a single burst¨C this was a continuous stream as the acidic cloud grew bigger and bigger.

    This didn¡¯t stop the Ledyba just yet. He flew around to get a better vantage point, tracking the Oddish from their silhouette and firing another Swift still¨C but he suddenly buckled and practically fell out the sky as the Sweet Scent wafted closer.

    ¡°Ah-ha! Watch out, little guy~! Pretty sensitive to scents, aren¡¯t ya?¡±

    He was. This didn¡¯t stop Toku from firing but it meant that the arena had been cut off by a third, and it made targeting his opponent a bit harder, giving Petal enough time to¨C

    The Oddish suddenly shot out of the acidic cloud. Their body had grown in size a few inches, their leaves longer and more vibrant as they flowed in the sudden movement and they stopped and fired a purple glob of Acid at the Ledyba¨C

    ¡°Screen it!¡±

    A shimmering hexagon appeared in the nick of time in front of the Ledyba¡¯s outstretched hands as the Light Screen weakened the attack. The compact shot became a light spray as it passed through the field and fizzed on Toku¡¯s carapace.

    ¡°Goddamn! You¡¯re good!¡± Hau whooped and jumped, clearly at his happiest on the battlefield. ¡°I should annoy you more often!¡±

    ¡°I am going to make you regret those words, you, you¡­¡± Unable to keep her cool, she stomped the ground with her foot. ¡°...You miscreant!¡±

    The battle resumed in earnest.

    Two things occurred to me as my eyes stayed locked on the action.

    One; there was definitely something to learn from Hau¡¯s way of directing Petal. I had always been a very passive battler with my Oddish, preferring to bunk down and exhaust an opponent, while Hau clearly demonstrated how to press the offensive and push, push, push through the opponent¡¯s defense. There, he corralled the Ledyba toward between the tree and the wall of Sweet Scent and forced him to take an Acid head on.

    Two; the Ledyba didn¡¯t quite fight like I thought a Bug would. I had grown accustomed to Bug-types striking in jarring, unexpected movements, laying out traps and buzzing out droning, debilitating sound attacks¨C nothing like the Ledyba was doing. He wiped the Acid off of his form and glided around in a graceful arc. With an order from his trainer to multitask, he shakingly maintained a Light Screen on his side like a shield, and focused on his right limbs as pink energy coalesced there.

    Then a thin pink line formed between Toku and Petal and a split second beam of pink energy and concentric circles manifested. Psybeam! Toku¡¯s Psybeam tore through a projected Acid as it forced order through the Poison attack and smashed into my Oddish. Petal cried out loudly at that and retreated once more into the dissipating cloud of Sweet Scent.

    I winced. Petal would be fine, of course, but I couldn¡¯t get used to seeing them hurt.

    My attention was caught elsewhere. Glancing to my left side, I saw that Loa¡¯s head had raised once more and she kept her eyes locked on the battlefield. Though her eyes betrayed no apparent emotion, her ears were splayed out away from her skull and her tail flicked to and fro.

    ¡­What is up with her? Was it that Hau had Petal as a partner currently and not her? Had she heard something she didn¡¯t like recently? I couldn¡¯t imagine how, considering that we¡¯d complimented her on her evolution and her new move so much the day prior. What was it, then?

    ¡°Say, Loa, uh. Who do you think is gonna win this one?¡± I asked.

    One eye turned my way, then back to the ongoing fight. Her tail flicked twice. ¡°...Rrra-cat.¡± One meaty paw rose and pointed at Lilliane¡¯s side¨C right before Hau sprung his trap.

    With a sudden order from Hau of ¡°There! Seed him!¡±, a vine suddenly shot out of the central tree and the Ledyba was reeled against the trunk with force.

    He crashed against the wood and fell to the grass below¨C and Petal rushed over and Tackled him with their enhanced bulk, a Move that I honestly had completely forgotten about, Toku¡¯s Light Screen useless against a sudden physical assault¨C

    I looked once more at Loa. She¡¯d returned to her curled up position and had tightened into an even smaller ball than before. I couldn¡¯t see her face and her fur was practically raised up on her spine.

    What was going on?

    I couldn¡¯t help but grow concerned. We had just won the Trial and she had practically secured the ¡®killing¡¯ blow ¨C what was she so upset about?

    Was it my place to help her, even? Should I ask for Hau¡¯s permission? I hadn¡¯t asked Lilliane back when her Cleffa wanted to go out at night, so maybe¡­

    ¡°Loa, are¨C are you okay?¡±

    The Torracat rose, back arched high. Her head turned to face me and her glowing eyes stared into mine with something so intense I couldn¡¯t help but flinch back. Her throat sac glowed in a faster rhythm, licks of flames at its edges, the light drawing out a shine from the tears at the corner of her eyes, and for a second I thought she was going to hurt me.

    Then she jumped off the stone bench and wandered away.

    Th-thump th-thump th-thump th-thump. My heart returned to a slower rhythm as I watched her sit away among the flowers, a blot of black and red in a sea of yellow.

    ¡°STOP! Time out!¡±

    Hau¡¯s voice brought me back to reality.

    Looking at the fight once more, both combatants looked significantly worn down and had paused the fight on their tracks. Petal looked completely mortified as their Growth wore off, while a worried Lilliane fussed over Toku the Ledyba - covered in Acid but still standing.

    I rushed over, opening up my medical kit. ¡°Wuh¨C what happened?? We¡¯re stopping?¡±

    Hau approached and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. ¡°I think we are, yeah. Everything good, sis¡¯?¡± He turned to face Lilliane who only responded with a nod and a frown. ¡°What Toku just did¨C that was truly badass. That¡¯s a win in my book. I¡¯m retracting whatever I said about Kalosian football or whatever.¡±

    And realizing I hadn¡¯t seen it, he spelled it out. ¡°Uh, yeah¨C I think I pushed Petal a little too much, there. They shot a stray Acid at Lilliane by accident, and whoosh.¡±

    He snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Toku Mach Punched the Acid in mid air and took the hit in her stead.¡±

    <hr>

    I was starting to see everyone in a different light.

    Once the fight had died down and we had administered healing to everyone involved, we took time to cool down and returned to our camp once more. We could afford to take it slow for our journey through the Meadow.

    I couldn¡¯t help but glance at Hau and think of the way he¡¯d directed Petal to fight ¨C it stuck to my mind like a record on repeat, and my brain dissected what worked and what didn¡¯t. I needed to sit down and see how I could incorporate Hau¡¯s strategy into my own ¨C worse, I needed to actually ask him for advice. That¡¯d be a conversation for another day.

    I looked at Lilliane and watched as she ran a damp cloth over Toku¡¯s carapace, removing the last few traces of Acid for his exoskeleton, then handed off the cloth to Stella. I could practically see the gears moving in her head as she looked at the Bug-type in a different light herself.

    Then there was Loa the Torracat. I had missed her by inches as she skulked into the camp and asked Hau to be returned to her ball. Something was wrong with her, and she didn¡¯t want to talk about it. What to do¡­

    But for now, I had another mystery to crack.

    Our camp was at the foot of a slight incline of dirt onto which the low hanging tree was rooted. Guided by Oran Juice the Dunsparce himself, he¡¯d started to work on tunneling out a large space beneath the tree itself in the hill using the Move that he¡¯d used during the Trial.

    I looked down on the notes of the past half hour.

    The Move allowed him to displace matter, making it ¡®stick¡¯ to his tail for up to a minute, or until he released it. Release could be gentle or explosive at will.

    The matter being targeted seemed theme-specific¨C he wasn¡¯t able to scoop up a chunk of grass ground as a whole, he had to separately remove the dirt, then the uprooted plants, then pebbles and gravel left behind.

    Releasing the move as an attack seemed to focus on the inherent elemental properties of each material as well: accumulated dirt resulted in a wide spray of earth; rocks and pebbles made a loud crack that had me flinch back; grass and roots stimulated plant life and released a large cloud of spores and pollen.

    Finally, there was the non-combat use of the Move that he¡¯d demonstrated during the Trial: being able to move around ground matter and dig out a warren.

    I looked away from my notes to the sound of OJ calling out my attention with a cry. There, standing at the entrance, my Dunsparce beckoned me inside of the little den that he¡¯d just dug.

    ¡°...Are you sure this is structurally sound?¡±

    He huffed, and guided my hand to touch the edge of the entrance¨C and I felt it. The wall of dirt  felt smooth and compact, like it had been polished and I couldn¡¯t dig into it with my hand even if I tried.

    Peering into the den, I found myself looking at a sizable tunnel leading down into a misshapen room. Roots of the tree above snaked out the ceiling and into the side walls; ceiling tall enough that I could almost stand, enough space for my tent and more.

    No doubts about it.

    This was Secret Power.

 Chapter 12: Down the Garden Path

    Hours later, Lilliane had come to pluck me out of my research daze.

    Figuring out my Dunsparce¡¯s new Move had sent me into a frenzy. So yes, maybe it was another weapon to add to Oran Juice¡¯s arsenal; sure, I guess it was good to know how it worked to build interesting combat strategies around it; but all that was secondary.

    What I wanted to know was what he used it for in his day to day life.

    Why, my Oddish translated for him, I did it all the time.

    Say I got some roots on my way and I can¡¯t go around, maybe I can just gently scoop em¡¯ and push them to the side; wouldn¡¯t be very nice to the Grass-types if I ruined their hard work!

    Say I¡¯m drilling underground and suddenly I pop inside of a burrow - that happens all the time - it¡¯s only polite to leave and close the hole you left behind.

    Say some family of ¡®Mons comes to me with tasty berries asking me to build a nice den for them, who am I to say no?

    Or that¡¯s how I assumed his phrasing went.

    That last answer, that had me especially curious though - my lonely Dunsparce who didn¡¯t belong to any commune, had he been the resident den-digger?

    Petal, it seemed, had something to say on the matter.

    Don¡¯t remember much from before. Was too young. I remember the homes that other Pokemon built. Branch-weavers in the trees, rock-shapers in caves, all sorts of Pokemon making all sorts of places for Pokemon to sleep and play in. Often outsiders, not always.

    Didn¡¯t matter much to me or my people¡¯s garden - the earth was our home, we just needed to root ourselves to know it.

    That was how it worked: not all Pokemon could make nests easily or quickly, while some Pokemon made a living in crafting nice shelters for others. That sort of service was highly valued, but perhaps that sort of service could be a little too valuable for a small community to have to themselves; thus, it made sense to employ outsiders. Once their job had been finished, they could shake appendages and go their separate ways, confident in knowing that they didn¡¯t have to protect a very valuable member of their community. How unfair¡­

    Internet coverage was so sparse here, but still I looked up what info I could find. Way west in Hoenn, local Rangers had cemented ¡®secret bases¡¯ as a local practice and an essential aspect of their work: to help Pokemon, one had to learn how to live amongst them. Being able to build a shelter on the fly made that task a lot easier. Then the Pokemon League had rolled in, brought Hoenn into their fold, and made Secret Power into the single official move to make a secret base with. Wasn¡¯t that a little restrictive? From what OJ and Petal had told me, it seemed like there had been lots of different ways to build a nest, so why would¨C

    ¡°Selene, hello¨C¡±

    ¡°Augh!¡±

    Notes, pen and paper practically flew out my hands as I jumped out of my seat. With a painful thomp, my head knocked against the top rim of the den¡¯s entrance.

    I crouched back down and hugged the top of my head in pain. Petal and OJ rushed to my side with worried cries, as another presence made themself known with ¡°Goodness, are you all right?¡±

    My brain caught up with my nerves as I registered the elegant voice as Lilliane¡¯s. One hand fell upon my arm, warm and comforting, as another brushed over the top of my head to remove stray dirt where it had fallen on my hair.

    I froze as she finished the motion and I stared at her close self with wide eyes. Heat blossomed on my cheeks at the embarrassment of hurting myself and at something else, a weird little fluttering feeling for the pretty girl who was patting my head¨C

    ¡°I¨C I¡¯m okay, thank you.¡± I pushed her hands away. ¡°You uh, you just took me by surprise.¡±

    ¡°Good, good. What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, um. I¡¯m, ah¨C I¡¯m just being a nerd.¡± I looked at her again, a lot more calm and serene than she had been during any of the previous days. ¡°How is Toku doing since the battle?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s doing¡­ not bad, honestly. He¡¯s practically making a full recovery;¡± and sure enough, the Ledyba was doing loop-de-loops above our camp. ¡°It¡¯s astonishing how fast Pokemon heal.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it. I¡¯m half convinced that Petal likes getting themself hurt. Even losing leaves doesn¡¯t seem to stop them.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± She responded noncommittally. ¡°I would rather not let my Ledyba lose limbs, thank you. I¡¯m just getting used to my Pokemon participating in fights once more.¡± She forced a cough and changed the subject. ¡°So, where are we going next?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Um. A few days on the trail east to make it through the Meadow, and we should be reaching Route 3 by the end of the week. Then it¡¯ll be a long march for ten days or so to complete the loop and reach Iki Town,¡± and I gulped; ¡°And challenge Kahuna Hala¡¯s Grand Trial.¡±

    We stood in silence for a second, looking out at her Pokemon as the sun was starting to set. Lilliane¡¯s large tent flap was opened, Stella the Cleffa waved at Toku from within, and I could see her maneuvering a flatscreen device with her hands. The Ledyba flew down and stared at the screen in confusion.

    ¡°Well, in any case. Would you like to watch some shows with us? I brought my holopad; I have a few movies and series downloaded.¡± She leaned down and whispered conspiratorially. ¡°I am about to show Toku why he¡¯s named that way.¡±

    <hr>

    Time passed.

    We made our way through the Meadow at a gentle pace.

    Route 2 had been the first experience of a well trodden road accompanied by so many of our peers. Verdant Cavern had given us a taste of what it was like to be out of the frying pan and into the fire. The Melemele Meadow was a haven of calm in comparison.

    No-one in sight. Endless plains of rolling hills and yellow flowers. Pokemon that practically welcomed us in.

    The journey through the Meadow blended in a medley of trekking days. And so;

    We walked, Petal marched.

    The Oddish had been more focused than ever before, surrounded in a place so alike to where they had been captured so long ago.

    Petal returned to us one morning with an unusual partner: an elderly Skiploom, petals on their head withering with age. Still, they looked at Petal with patience and a hint of mischief, as they offered to teach Petal how to perform some of the other spore moves.

    There had been something I wanted to experiment with but didn¡¯t have the time or the space for: if Petal were to poison their foes or put them to sleep, I needed to understand how that worked on a biological level. Hau had no idea how it worked and Lilliane only had a friendly shrug to offer; though she was interested in my findings.

    Shows and stories had made me think of ¡°poison¡± as something akin to a video game mechanic; here is the foe¡¯s health bar, give them the poison status and watch it tick down gradually.

    Poison, of course, doesn¡¯t work that way.

    Ideally, we would need to do this somewhere close to a Pokemon center, but we had luckily found a grove of chesto and pecha berries and could afford to take a few. Oran Juice offered to be our living subject under promise of tasty treats and so we got to work.

    Petal began with a demonstration. With a heave and a puff, a cloud of poisonous spores rained down on the suspecting snake. A few seconds later, part of OJ¡¯s scales where the spores had touched had become slightly paler. The Skiploom gave the performance an appreciative hum.

    Time passed as OJ became increasingly green in the face - until he scarfed down on the pecha, movements slightly wobbly, and I asked him if he could tell me what he felt. His answer came in a retching motion and an exaggerated swoon. Noted. Nausea and dizziness, then.

    Next up was my Dunsparce¡¯s turn, with my Oddish as the test subject.

    Oran Juice took position and wiggled in anticipation as Petal puffed their head out and braced themself. The Dunsparce raked across the grass with his tail and sent out a cloud of grey spores over the Grass-type with Secret Power.

    The Skiploom judged the move with only a raised eyebrow.

    It took significantly longer for any effect to set in. Perhaps, back during the first Trial, the Noivern¡¯s weakened state might have been a factor in how quickly it had settled. Petal took it in, gleefully opening their mouth to eat some of the grey spores - until their jaw grew slack and they stumbled and fell forward.

    Science be damned, my onion is in trouble ¨C I rushed forward to lift them up only to be met with a limp Oddish and a ticked off expression. Their gaze followed me with a lax frown.

    I twisted their body slightly, met with no resistance, their limbs falling limp like a puppet with no strings - until a few seconds later strength slowly returned to their limbs and they wiggled back to a sitting position.

    This wasn¡¯t quite ¡°sleep¡±, then; maybe closer to a muscle relaxant? Or maybe a neurotransmitter inhibitor - but in any case, the effect seemed fairly short and slow acting. We would need to experiment further.

    This wasn¡¯t the point of the exercise, however, as the Skiploom floated closer to me, and¨C wait a minute. Did they think I would be the target dummy¨C

    A gust of wind blew through my clothes, grass and pollen elegantly swirled around me and¨C

    Black.

    I would awake an hour later on the grass. An unusually worried Hau had kept watch over my unconscious form, and the Pokemon were practicing some other sort of move a little further away. My head felt light and cottony.

    Wordlessly, I picked up my notes and wrote down what I had experienced.

    In days, Petal had gotten the gist of spore manipulation. All that was needed was putting it into practice.

    We walked, Toku made ups and downs.

    The Ledyba was quickly becoming everybody¡¯s best friend.

    We¡¯d all become accustomed to the buzz of fluttering wings early in the morning. The Bug-type was intent on giving everyone a greeting every day, whether it was a hug, a handshake or a friendly pat; then making sure to ask us how we were feeling in his own buzzing sounds

    Despite the usual struggles in communication, we each found ourselves responding to Toku in kind and engaging in a friendly back and forth; I couldn¡¯t help but open up to the chummy ladybug and reciprocate with questions of my own; I could hear Hau playing up to his gregariousness with jovial shouts and hollers and a secret handshake; I could see the Ledyba talking softly with Lilliane in hushed whispers.

    I never saw Toku and Loa the Torracat interact.

    Needless to say, Toku had become a popular Pokemon among our group.

    In travel, the Ledyba had been glued to Lilliane¡¯s hip as her dedicated protector. He¡¯d jump into combat at the slightest rustle, and; o horror, watching Ultramon had made such an impression that he¡¯d incorporated the character into his fighting.

    Here was a Charjabug getting a little too heated and here was Toku ready to intervene - but he wouldn¡¯t just rush at the enemy and get it over with, he would land and pose and deliver a speech that we could all recognize from the show from the cadence in his voice. It was taking everything from me not to hide behind a tree at the sheer, utter second-hand embarrassment of the scene while Lilliane and Hau were just falling over laughing at the display.

    It hadn¡¯t been all sunshine and rainbows, however.

    Late in the evening as night fell over the Meadow, I would often see the Ledyba and Stella side by side, strangely muted and secretive, staring up to the sky. They would stay together from hours at a time, silently flashing light patterns in concert into the dark of night. Not a word to one another, not a peep. Sending out a message in the dark.

    To my understanding, they haven¡¯t gotten a message back.

    A few nights later, I would wake up one night and head out of my tent to find Hau outside of his holding the Ledyba in his arms facing the last embers of our campfire.

    His eyes widened. The cowering bug in his arms trembled softly, face tucked into Hau¡¯s lap. Eyes locked with mine, he raised a finger to his lips to mimic a shush, pointed at the Ledyba and mimicked a tear running down his cheek.

    I wasn¡¯t about to question the boy. I left them without a sound.

    We walked, Loa lagged behind.

    There was something terribly wrong with the Torracat.

    We had let Hau handle the matter for the past few days, but it was really starting to worry me¨C worry us, as Lilliane had just confessed to me a few minutes ago, and then had grabbed my hand to drag me to the unsuspecting boy a little ways away from our other Pokemon to speak in private. While they played under the sun, we stood in the shade of a nearby tree.

    ¡°Where is Loa right now?¡±

    Lilliane¡¯s pointed tone wasn¡¯t missed on the boy. Nonetheless, Hau gave a hum and rubbed the back of his head nonchalantly. ¡°Out of the ball and around, I think¨C¡±

    ¡°When¡¯s the last time you¡¯ve seen her?¡±

    ¡°I¨C She¡¯s her own feline Lilliane, I can¡¯t be keeping an eye on her all the time--¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the last time you saw her,¡± she continued. ¡°The last time you saw her was this morning when you released her for breakfast; and she slipped out of view right away. I know you haven¡¯t seen her because none of us have been able to see her all day.¡±

    ¡°...Everyone needs their space.¡± His arms crossed, smile dropping, jovial front fading away for once. ¡°She¡¯s around, and she returns when there¡¯s a fight or when it¡¯s time to sleep. She¡¯s allowed!¡±

    ¡°She isn¡¯t just around, Hau. She¡¯s brooding. She has not spoken to anyone since she evolved.¡±

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°...I can see that! And that¡¯s normal! We all go through bad vibes from time to time. I¡¯ve been giving her space and letting her know she has a shoulder to cry on whenever I can!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not working!¡±

    ¡°I am doing everything I can! I¡¯m handling it! It¡¯s just a matter of time!¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s not enough!¡±

    Their voices had started to move up in pitch and volume, each trying to get their own point across until¨C

    ¡°Listen!¡±

    Lilliane and Hau turned their attention to me.

    ¡°I¨C um,¡± I suddenly balked, steeled myself, gathered my thoughts and¨C shoot shoot shoot calm yourself and say it ¡°She¡¯s s-spiraling. Hau, I think she¡¯s been stuck in a loop for a long while, and evolving might have made it worse. We have to help her, and giving her space won¡¯t do.¡±

    I looked down and fidgeted on my feet. ¡°And uh. We¡¯re not trying to undermine you or anything. You¡¯re a good trainer and a good person - but I think your Torracat needs a push right now, not a shoulder to lean on.¡±

    Silence set under the tree shade once more.

    Hau¡¯s voice cut through, more muted than anything he had ever said. ¡°...Alright.¡± Looking up to meet his eyes, I was met with uncharacteristic frustration and disappointment as he looked away, fists balled. Oh, how I really hoped I hadn¡¯t hurt him¨C

    ¡°...Hau, can you tell us if you¡¯ve noticed anything else? You spend more time with her than we do. We just want to help.¡± Lilliane¡¯s voice had returned to something more warm as she looked at the boy with concern.

    Hau thought on it for a minute.

    ¡°...She¡¯s not eating properly lately,¡± he finally said. ¡°I have to¡­ negotiate with her to get her to eat. And she¡¯s not eating much.¡± He wrung his hands. ¡°I¡¯m trying to find what makes her happy and all, you know? And it feels like nothing does it for her. She¡¯s eager to fight, she¡¯s up for it, but she¡¯s either exhausted and wants to rest in her ball, or she¡¯s like, way angrier afterwards.¡±

    Lilliane and I shared a look. This was worse.

    ¡°I¨C I don¡¯t know her, is the thing. It feels like there¡¯s a wall between me and her.¡± Hau turned to me and all pretenses fell. ¡°Selene, help me talk to her. Please.¡± Huh?

    ¡°Sure, but¨C why me specifically?¡±

    Lilliane put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I catch you having full, complex conversations with your Oddish and Dunsparce constantly, Selene. You¡¯re good at this.¡± HUH??????

    I needed to get a hold on the conversation fast¨C ¡°Uhh, okay, but¨C I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll talk to me or my Pokemon either.¡± I wrung my hands. ¡°I already tried. She¡¯s scary. But¡­¡±

    Hand on my chin, I tried to connect what dots I could find.

    Loa the Torracat does enjoy fighting. She is competitive. In past training sessions, she had shown just as much passion for the sport as Hau did, and as much discipline as any Starter would have, if not more. There were moments where I would catch little flashes of satisfaction; a fang shining at the corner of her mouth when Petal or OJ made progress on their own training; her tail flicking lazily after an exhausting workout. It had been a while since she¡¯d joined us to watch shows - last time had been before the Trial - but I recall she did enjoy them. So if that was what she liked, what had made her mad in the past?

    All the way back in Hau¡¯oli City in the little courtyard of my home, I distinctly remembered Loa¡¯s shaking legs defiantly keeping her standing tall despite Petal¡¯s poison coursing through her body.

    Following the days of our first Trial attempt, I recalled a cowering Loa cooling off on the beach sand. She¡¯d been stuck on a rut for a while, training over and over to figure out a new Move, fresh off of a recent defeat at the training grounds¡ª

    defeat.

    ¡°...I think she¡¯s afraid to fail,¡± Lilliane whispered it out before I could. ¡°She¡¯s always been very focused on training and nothing else. She might be¡­ exceedingly hard on herself, to the point that she¡¯s¡­ hurting herself? And pushing everyone away?¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°...I think I know what to do.¡±

    Hau¡¯s hands were balled into fists so tight the knuckles looked white. He wiped his face down and rummaged in his bag loudly until he retrieved a set of crumpled up sketches. For a second I got a glimpse of drawn colorful patterns, something I vaguely recalled seeing in decoration around Iki Town¨C

    ¡°Lilliane, you¡¯re good at knitting and stuff, right? I¡¯m gonna need a favor from you.¡± Despite how dire the situation may have been for the boy, determination shone in his eyes. Lilliane only responded with a curt nod.

    ¡°I¡¯m very familiar with the Melemele Incineroar colony,¡± he began. ¡°Young adult Torracat have this¨C this, this uh¨C this thingie they¡¯re given to wear when they prove themselves. I say she¡¯s proven herself enough.¡±

    He took on a shuddering breath and dispelled the remaining tension from his body.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t talk to her in human words, she¡¯ll have to listen to Incineroar customs.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel like there was still something missing.

    <hr>

    A few more days of travel, and we were preparing for our last night in the Meadow.

    We¡¯d made camp at the flattened top of a hill; the patches of tall grass and flowers had been more and more sparse, signs of Pokemon that weren¡¯t Grass-type were more and more apparent. Way east, flying shapes moved across the sky in flowing patterns, unlike what we had come to expect of the Bug swarms of the Meadow.

    Down the hill stood the clear remnants of a battle that we had missed; large gouges and scorch marks burned on the ground by stray attacks. Whoever they were, they must have been long gone as other peaceful Pokemon had reclaimed the fields for their own purposes.

    In those fields I heard Petal training up on their use of Powder moves. There had been fascinating differences to discern between how those different chemical agents reacted and worked on the body; we had found Poison Powder had a slow acting mild noxious effect but one that only required skin contact to trigger, while their new Move Stun Spore needed entry in the body through wounds or blood but quickly induced muscle spasms. Sleep Powder was the one that ultimately eluded them, at most causing a headache but nothing close to losing consciousness, like what that Skiploom had done to me..

    A part of me felt a little squeamish at starting to know how well those different toxins worked¡­

    While Lilliane and Hau were setting up their tents, Oran Juice had made yet another attempt at a den of our own, drilling a small tunnel leading down in an incline. Already, it was big enough for a teen to comfortably go through, and I knew at this point that the Dunsparce could easily make the space within the den itself roomy enough for a tent or two to go through.

    So, good. In a pinch, we had the means to make an emergency shelter and hide. What was a little less good was the quality of the shelter itself; as I ran my hand across the walls, I could feel the dirt still stick to my hand easily. Maybe Pokemon that weren¡¯t as queasy about dirtying up their fur or scales wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelash at this, but I¡¯m sure that Lilliane or I didn¡¯t want to mess our clothes or, Tapus help us, get dirt in any of our electronics.

    It could be improved, though, as OJ continued his busy work, I was starting to feel how the walls seemed to smoothen and harden to a point where one could maybe consider sleeping there for the night¨C

    ¡°Yo! We got visitors!¡±

    Oh goodness, I wasn¡¯t nearly ready to meet anyone just yet¨C but still, I climbed up the carved steps of the tunnel leading down into OJ¡¯s den, Dunsparce behind me still hard at work. I wiped down the dirt from my hands on my dress, and I came out the entrance¨C

    ¨Cand came face to face with a curious black-furred Rattata.

    One hand on the ground immediately stabilized my momentum before I could fall. I looked at the cute little thing and took notice of the tufted relaxed ears, sniffing nose and thick whiskers; no apparent signs of aggression. I gave it a nod and it responded with a squeak and came a little closer to sniff at my clothes

    ¡°Killer, don¡¯t steal Matsu¡¯s stuff!¡± a gruff voice shouted from up ahead. ¡°I¡¯m lookin¡¯!¡±

    The Rattata squeaked impetuously back and turned around to meet up with its trainer.

    We had seen very, very little trainers on our way through the Meadow, and none that I knew personally or wanted to engage particularly with¨C but those three I knew.

    Rui and Tuula Tuari sauntered up the hill to our camp, lanky twins looking like they had been through the wringer. They walked up with exhausted steps, while the Rattata that had come up to say hello to me was now at Rui¡¯s feet, while Tuula was carrying her napping Spinda in her arms. Their hair dyes had started to fade, and so the boy¡¯s electric blue dye and the girl¡¯s bubblegum pink had started to return to a natural dark grey at the roots.

    Rui came up to Hau and gave him a high five, and so the twins started to chat up with Hau - but my attention was caught with the third member of the twins¡¯ team.

    Lagging behind them, exhausted out of his mind, Sawney Corrigan painfully shuffled to our camp. A wave of relief seemed to overtake the short ginger boy as he took notice of my presence, and I moved to hand him a bottle of water as soon as he approached.

    ¡°...Are you okay, Sawney? Things aren¡¯t too bad with the twins?¡± I couldn¡¯t help the embarrassed and sympathetic smile on my face.

    He took greedy gulps of the water bottle and practically collapsed on the ground there and then. ¡°It¡¯s been rough,¡± he rasped out, looked out to see if the twins were listening, then continued. ¡°But it¡¯s been alright. Tuula and her Spinda are okay. Rui is¡ª so much more of a battle maniac than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Wait, he is?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no shit. I thought I would have needed to drag them away from video games but nah, it¡¯s like this nutcase is on a warpath.¡± He pointed to the male twin with his thumb, who appeared to be challenging Hau there and then. The latter seemed to be turning Rui down, thank the Tapus.

    Sawney¡¯s voice brought me back to his conversation. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re teaming up with Hau - how has it been so far?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been, uh¨C¡± and there the memories of the past three weeks rushed through me; how strange our first contact with Lilliane had been, our disastrous first attempt at the Trial, opening up about our respective secrets, whatever was even happening with Loa at the moment¨C ¡°It¡¯s been okay.¡± I guess we all had struggles to deal with¡­

    ¡°You got it lucky, then¨C I hear that the Challenge is a massacre this year. We¡¯re like the third or fourth team that passed the first Trial in our class. I don¡¯t know too much about the other classes or classes from other islands but the forums are going crazy about it.¡±

    Rui shouted out that they¡¯d be staying here for the night and Sawney responded with a quick thumbs up.

    Our last night at the Meadow. I had almost forgotten.

    Looking at the sun about to set, I hurriedly told the others I would be back in a little bit and went out into the field to meet up with Petal.

    <hr>

    Something interesting about Pokemon battles: the damage they leave on the earth.

    Let¡¯s say two Pokemon face one another. They are both reasonably strong. The ground breaks, grass burns, water is boiled and evaporated, wind blows and grinds what¡¯s left to dust¨C

    Their fight has lasted under a few minutes, and yet the damage done on the ground around will take weeks, if not months to heal.

    Fights like these happen everywhere, multiple times a day. How has our world not been rendered uninhabitable yet?

    Deep gouges marked the earth. Flowers and plants uprooted and strewn about, patches of dirt where the ground had been pushed or burned off - whoever they were, they had beaten at the ground with the power of wind and fire at their disposal.

    Petal and I watched as swarms of Grass-types roamed over the nearby ruined field; Cottonee and Petilil by the dozens, led by their evolved counterparts, with the odd Flab¨¦b¨¦ and Cutiefly fluttering about. As the sun set over the fields, the late evening sunlight traced their silhouettes in an orange glow, shadows tall and deep purple.

    When in the past these kind of swarms had been noisy - hundreds of Pokemon together, you could hear their squeaking and yapping from far away - here they barely made any sounds. The older Pokemon seemed to direct the younger in specific positions and their sing-song voices rang out like an orchestra tuning itself.

    My Oddish practically vibrated at my side. They looked at me for a second, and as soon as I gave them a nod they scampered forward to join in.

    A Lilligant happily welcomed them into their band. Petal fell in lockstep with the Petilil as they stretched and prepared themselves.

    This is it! This was the moment that Petal had been waiting and training for all this time - a part of me felt genuine happiness for my little Grass-type, a part of me cried out at being unable to join them.

    It¡¯s fine though. It was their moment. I would observe, and I would learn.

    The voices of many died down.

    Silence reigned over the ruined field.

    It began in unison;

    A shuffle of all the Pokemon from one foot to the other, one appendage to the next, the movement of so many applying pressure and power to the earth below.

    A familiar rhythm. I couldn¡¯t help the tap of my foot as my mind recalled the Almian melodies that we had practiced all this time.

    A set of movements, a lunge and a stomp, a whirl and a twirl, reflected on dozens and dozens of Pokemon as the sun set, and from the corner of my eye I see a little Spinda rushing to join them¨C

    Wait, what?

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    I practically spun on my feet to spot the interloper: Tuula, girl with fading pink hair, looking at me with something like confusion or awe, staring beyond myself at the swarms.

    And there was my mind¡¯s automatic response: there was fear, there was shame, there was worry at being the weird girl going out in the evening to look at Grass-types do a silly dance. My mind went to look for escape routes; I could lie and tell Tuula I stumbled upon this by accident, I could run to return Petal to their ball and go back to camp - but could I actually take them away from this? They¡¯d been waiting for the opportunity to join one of these for so long¨C

    And in the time that my anxiety had begun to cloud my brain, the other girl had walked my way and grabbed my wrist.

    Her eyes bored into mine with an inscrutable emotion.

    Behind us, half a hundred Pokemon dancing to an unseen rhythm as the sun set over the valley. Shadows dancing over the fields.

    ¡°This is a grass renewal ritual,¡± I stammered, tugging loosely on the grasp she had on my wrist. ¡°This is a dance they perform to repair damage done over the day¨C¡±

    ¡°...Like some kinda witch gathering. This is so sick!¡± She pointed out at Petal with her other hand, as her Spinda fell in lockstep next to them. ¡°That¡¯s your Oddish, right?¡±

    I gave her a nod.

    ¡°...Can we join¡¯ em?¡±

    Could we?

    I hadn¡¯t considered it¨C the idea felt surreal; all the videos I had seen on the matter didn¡¯t show humans alongside them, I had figured it had been something that Pokemon would perform privately, but¡­

    But,

    I couldn¡¯t help but catch Petal¡¯s gaze as they occasionally twirled in my direction. They slowed, and nodded to their side.

    If they were to invite me in, how could I refuse?

    I stepped forward.

    We approached the Petilil group and awkwardly joined in.

    Petal danced up to my side and they looked happier than I¡¯ve ever seen them before. I joined them into the lunge, then worked myself into the twirl, and by the whirl I found my footing again. Tuula laughed not far from where I was, Love Tax the Spinda at her side; the Lilligant had come up to her to correct their postures and both of them seemed to take it in stride.

    My heart beat loudly in my chest and my breath filled in and out of my lungs in sync with so many Pokemon around me. Something like harmony or belonging, like a song sung with our bodies as the instruments¨C

    We followed the rhythm, marked the beats and the measures, slashed the air with our limbs and stepped with strength, felt the unheard music thrum through our bones and felt it once more:

    Life.

    My foot stomps upon the growing grass and for a second I am a seed in the soil. I press upon the earth and I am a tiny little pod that pushed itself out of the ground, my roots anchor themselves in the earth, my stem and my leaves reach for the skies.

    I stomp again and gorge myself of nutrients from the soil and light of the sun, I grow tall and old and withering and scatter my seeds to the winds so the cycle goes again, and again it goes.

    My body is sustenance to many. It fuels the insects, it feeds the earth, it sustains all living beings; all shall be a bed for myself to rest on.

    I am a seed, then a plant, then ten more, then a hundred more, a million blades of grass, an infinite system that grows and dies and connects everything throughout all of time.

    I stretch across the land, over the mountains, into the seas. My name is¨C I am¨C

    falling.

    I fell to my knees, skin scuffing upon the lush grass and flowers below. A worried nasally voice rang out to my right as my Oddish addressed me.

    My head felt so, so heavy on my shoulders.

    What had just happened?

    ¡°This is fucking insane.¡± A girl¡¯s voice to my left, Tuula¡¯s, her hand shaking my shoulder. ¡°Matsu, did you fucking see that? The ground glowed, and, and¨C! Look how many flowers there are now! Holy shit¨C¡±

    I lurched forward and my dinner flowed out my mouth and splashed upon the flowers below.

    My brain and my body couldn¡¯t put two and two together. One moment I was¨C and the other my world had turned upside down.

    I looked down and there the remains of my stomach had returned to the earth, and there the last dregs of epiphany rang out into my mind:

    The cycle goes again, and again it goes.

 Chapter 13: Meeting Nature Halfway

    In the Meadow on Melemele, amidst the freshly bloomed flowers of its verdant fields, the last rays of the setting sun outlined the land in sharp light and deep shadow.

    Soft wind blew through the plants like the breathing of a sleeping giant. Newly grown roots spread across the fields in all directions, feeding upon the earth, gaining strength and closing their petals in preparation for the night.

    There is a routine to the ritual. The dancers unite when they are called, and they perform for their conductors until life has sprouted once more. Off they go then, to rest, or play, or hunt: until they reconvene again. So the land breathes when they dance, and exhales when they do not.

    So, the denizens of the Meadow had finished their dance and had begun to wander off. A scant few remained: guests and visitors of the prairie, young girls from the other side of the island in states of wonder and confusion; partners at their side.

    One teenage girl marveled at the sights around her. She has not touched the land in the way her counterpart did, but the dance has left its mark on her heart still; her life is one of helplessness and artistry, and she has just found her canvas.

    One teenage girl laid scattered from the throes of the rhythm. She was awake, she had opened her eyes, but she did not see, or rather she couldn¡¯t grasp what she¨C what I? What I was seeing. The girl¨C me, me who had fallen forward onto the freshly spawned grass and¨C no, that wasn¡¯t quite right¨C

    I am this girl on the grass. I am me, I feel the weight of my knees and palms on the wet earth but I am also the blades of grass that I rest my hand on, roots piercing deep into the earth¨C

    I was still hunched over.

    My head weighed upon my shoulders like it was about to fall off any moment. My vision was blurry, and I could only see a receding glow between squinting eyelids.

    While I couldn¡¯t see just yet, I could feel a strange connection¨C an awareness of the landscape around me, of the individual lives that composed its massive ecosystem. For a moment there, it had been as though I was looking at myself from an outside perspective, where every form of life is equal and the same, all blips in the tapestry of time and so the teenage girl felt¨C I, myself, I felt like I was just such a small part of it all¨C

    I stretched my hand onto the grass, leaned onto my arm to bring myself up and¨C dizziness, exhaustion¨C I stumbled and felt the soft leaves of my starter catching my fall.

    ¡°Oddish..?¡± rang out in a worried tone.

    ¡°Uh,¡± I felt my tongue wetting my lips and I had to focus for a second to remember it was mine. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling too good, Petal¡­¡±

    I rubbed the top of their head with my other hand and felt their leaves wrap around my arm tightly.

    Four leaves held onto my arm. One rubbed gently my wrist.

    My mind still swam under the fading understanding of being so many and also just one all at once. There was a torrent of information still threatening to spill out, and as quickly as my breathing sped up, I felt the kind touch of my starter once more.

    I focused on the movement, slow and steady. Up and then down.

    Inhale, and exhale.

    ¡­

    Slowly, surely, I returned to myself.

    Soft steps upon the grass crunched a little closer to my side. As the context of my situation returned to the forefront, I remembered that I hadn¡¯t been alone - there had been another girl and her Pokemon here all this time.

    A squeaky ¡°Spin?¡± eeped out close and a warm hand awkwardly nudged my shoulder.

    ¡°Shit. You alright, Matsu?¡± Tuula¡¯s voice was tinged in anxiety and an awkward laugh spilled out of her. I had never heard this tone of voice from her before.

    ¡°...Not really,¡± I practically slurred it out. I felt like I needed to remember how my body worked. ¡°I¡¯m feeling¡­ weird. I think the dance scrambled my head.¡±

    ¡°Okay, whoa. Give me a second.¡± And at that she knelt, put an arm around my waist and another under my shoulder.

    My Oddish objected, Tuula snapped something back and I felt Petal back out. A bottle of something was put into my hands and I greedily took gulps of it - augh, flat soda, gross. ¡°Push on your legs,¡± she told me then.

    I pushed and leaned against her and tentatively got to my feet. My legs trembled, but I could stand, and it felt like the fog clouding my brain was starting to disperse.

    ¡°Wh-what happened?¡± I wiped my brow and my eyes with the back of my sleeve - I was drenched, but my vision could finally focus. I opened my eyes.

    The once battle-damaged field had been transformed. Flora and tall grass had now overtaken the area entirely; it covered the land like a blanket, leaving us with no clear path that wouldn¡¯t trample on flowers or avoid wading through waist-high weeds. Only a few dozen Grass-type remained active: they floated above the ground or scampered through the bushes as the rest appeared to nestle themselves in piles around nearby trees.

    ¡°Well fuck if I know what happened - I was hoping you could tell me! One minute we were doing a flash mob with a bunch of little dudes and the next minute the ground glowed, you and a bunch of other Pokemon floated off the ground like a bunch-a Ribombee,¡± and she gestured at the sheer overflow of flora around; ¡°and all that shit sprouted up!¡±

    She let her arm fall and snapped her fingers. ¡°What¡¯s that thing you told me about before we did all this? Grass ritual? Did you know this would happen?¡±

    ¡°N-no. I had no idea that, uh¨C¡± That I would start floating off the ground, see a psychedelic vision of the universe and then vomit all over my shoes? ¡°¨CNo idea at all.¡±

    Tuula helped me limp toward our camp.

    Petal fretted over me as we slowly walked, letting out distressed sounds that I couldn¡¯t help but respond with rubs of their leaves whenever they passed by my arm. Tuula¡¯s Spinda, Love Tax, bounced and stumbled around us with their usual vigor¨C yet they were strangely silent.

    My head was still heavy and my legs trembled but I was starting to feel like myself again.

    Then the Normal-type stopped, our camp in sight. ¡°Spin-a spida, Spinda!¡± cried out Love Tax as it pointed at me.

    Tuula stopped and stood confused, then grew a grin, like she¡¯d understood some kind of inside joke.

    ¡°You know, LT might be right on this.¡± She lowered her hand and gave a fist bump to the little Spinda - no idea what they¡¯d told her - and she turned to me with a mischievous grin. ¡°You¡¯re a wizard, Selene.¡±

    ¡°Bwuh¨C No?? I¡¯m really not??¡±

    ¡°Okay, not a wizard. Probably like¨C a plant esper?¡±

    ¡°Do not call me that.¡±

    ¡°A weedmancer!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t ever say that.¡±

    She poked me on my cheek with a finger and once more insisted. ¡°Like it or not, I saw you rise up like a Magnemite, dude. That was magic psychic tauros-shit, right there.¡±

    The pink-haired girl put a fist on her hips, satisfied in her argument, until something registered suddenly in her mind¨C ¡°Augh, fuck! I didn¡¯t record it! No one¡¯s gonna believe me now!¡±

    As Tuula covered her face in her hands and loudly groaned, I pushed myself off and got to my feet, legs feeling a tad less wobbly than before. I would need to make some kind of deal with Tuula, and fast, our camp was right there and I could practically see Hau¡¯s silhouette already¨C what if word of magic psychic stuff got out? I wanted none of it!

    Petal made themself known once more with a worried cry. Slowly kneeling down to their level, I patted their head and soothed their fears.

    ¡°I think the worst of it has passed, Petal.¡±

    They rubbed their leaves against my palm and with their worry dispelled, they gave me a happy grin and a starry-eyed look.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Conflicting feelings rose up inside. On one hand, this was the happiest I had seen Petal in such a long time - they weren¡¯t one to show satisfaction often, perfectionist as they were. This had been the culmination of more than a year of training and a chance encounter with this swarm of Grass-types on this particular route.

    On the other¡­

    Petting stopped as they moved away and eagerly signed, head bobbing and weaving with the movement of their leaves: [Again When?]

    Which must have meant¡­ ¡°When are we doing it again?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know shit about this stuff,¡± asked Tuula out of nowhere, her arm locking around my shoulders and pressing the side of my body against hers¨C ¡°You¡¯re the specialist here, Matsu - when are we doing this again?¡±

    ¡°...We?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we!¡± She bumped my hip with hers, and her Spinda ran circles around the two of us as she continued. ¡°Don¡¯t count us out! I wanna be here next time before it starts!¡±

    ¡°Uh¨C I mean, there¡¯s not gonna be a next time¨C¡± and I could see sudden confusion in my starter¡¯s eyes, and so I went to rectify myself, ¡°Tuula, I think I had a seizure at the end there, and then I vomited¨C¡±

    ¡°Yeesh. You did not miss your shoes there, yeah.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Though come on, Matsu! You wanna miss out on the plant magic?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I mean¨C¡±

    How do I tell her that it would be bad if I entertained the thought for too long?

    Back in Hau¡¯ula, in my home, in the corner of my room; there¡¯s a tall pile of novels as tall as I am today. In one story, an orphan girl finds herself to be the descendant of a powerful psychic; in another, three siblings are chosen by a secret order to become aura guardians; in yet another, a group of friends are transported to an alternate world in which only pokemon exist¨C

    And so I can¡¯t help but look at the tree line and wonder what mysteries await beyond; what strange and wonderful sights lurk beyond the shade, step into the void and be spirited away from it all¨C

    I frantically shook my head to dispel the bad thoughts.

    Stay centered, Selene. Deep breaths.

    ¡°Um. Listen, I don¡¯t know anything about plant magic, or whatever.¡± I gestured to the flora around, ¡°The dance, the ritual¨C as far as I know, it¡¯s just a cultural thing that some grass types in Kanto-Johto do, and I was doing it alongside my Pokemon because it¡¯s important to them. Clearly I missed something and it¡¯s way more than I thought it was. But what happened to me isn¡¯t¨C normal. I shouldn¡¯t do it anymore.¡±

    I held up a hand to stop her rebuttal and sighed loudly.

    ¡°Or rather, we shouldn¡¯t do it at least until we¨C until I do some research at home and I know more about what happened.¡± There. This wasn¡¯t a refusal nor a promise.

    Clearly I knew only so little about it and got myself in trouble - I wasn¡¯t scared of it or anything.

    I knew this wouldn¡¯t be enough to convince her, though, so I stepped toward her and leaned in covertly, quiet as a whisper.

    ¡°Okay but¨C if you keep this a secret from everyone, I can teach you.¡±

    She moved the remaining distance and put her arm around mine once more.

    ¡°Deal.¡± One of her eyebrows rose up as she gave me a look over. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not a stack of grass type Pokemon in a human disguise, or¨C¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a grass type Pokemon!¡± Tuula tilted her head back and cackled like a Mightyena as indignation burned inside me. ¡°I¡¯m a human! I¡¯m a human type! This is normal for grass types, not for human types!¡±

    <hr>

    Time passed.

    We had been traveling on route 3 for a few days now.

    The transition from the Meadow to the Route had been gradual but noticeable; gone were the bucolic grass fields, what stood before us was essentially a faint trail going through craggy terrain and the occasional prairie. Travel markers dotted the path every few hundred feet; simple stone structures decorated in painted carved wood and fluttering ornaments.

    Our trek was going to be our longest yet. Route 3 was infamously known as the ¡®long way back¡¯ going east from the first Trial site location then curving south back towards Iki Village. For the better part of a week we walked east, watching the pastoral prairie gradually lose its abundant vegetation. To our south, the jungle heart of Melemele loomed once more. It had been a constant in our journey so far; an understanding that to walk off the beaten path was to take a step into real danger and closer to the Tapu¡¯s domain.

    Six Trial-goers walking together. Hau, Lilliane and I as one group, and Tuula, Rui and Sawney as another, each having one to two Pokemon out at all times. Despite how awkward it should have been, new dynamics were starting to form and we found ourselves traveling in different pairs constantly.

    I caught up with Sawney and his Grubbin, exhausted from their stay with the twins and thankful for having someone to hide behind. I¡¯d find myself cowering under the male twin¡¯s intense aggression and hiding behind the female twin in response.

    At nights, huddled together in a tent under the faint light of my phone, I¡¯d spend time with Petal, Oran Juice and Tuula looking up what we could on the grass renewal ritual. I still walked on eggshells around her, though - I understand that mocking and teasing is something that a lot of people do, but I don¡¯t understand it, and so I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she was just pretending to be my friend and making fun of me in a way I didn¡¯t understand¨C

    Love Tax the Spinda, however, was an absolute sweetheart whose eager affection was indisputable.

    I would find Lilliane and Hau often side by side. There had been a thrown-in joke from the other group about kissing in secret that had me frown. Nonetheless. Hau had taken to his secret knitting project under Lilliane¡¯s supervision, though I hadn¡¯t seen any bit of it just yet.

    Lilliane I often saw alone otherwise. She had returned to her very prim and proper outfit, her Pokemon at her side, however more difficult it made walking these jagged trails.

    Loa the Torracat stuck to the shadows.

    We barely saw her, now. Hau assured us he was keeping an eye on her.

    A benefit to traveling in such a large group; wild Pokemon gave us a wild berth. If one wanted to challenge the locale population, one needed to visibly separate themself from our group for a time. Hau, Lilliane nor I weren¡¯t too interested, but it¡¯s something that the boys of the other group did from time to time in preparation for the Grand Trial; until they themselves grew tired and longed for the sweet comforts of home.

    Still, it was simple enough to see a number of different species hiding in the shadows: there were the usual signs of Rattata burrows dotting the hillside, Mankeys resting in the branch of trees, the nests of Rufflet and Vullaby that we would barely see out of view on the tallest points. None of the Pokemon dared to reveal themselves out in the open for too long.

    And so we talked.

    ¡°Yeah this sucks. I¡¯m already behind on my dailies, I wanna get caught up on new manga updates but comic pages load so slow here. But hey, that¡¯s a part of the Challenge, right? Travel a bunch, fight lots of trainers, get lost in the wilds with no service, ¡®fun¡¯¨C¡±

    Sawney¡¯s knife cut through the charti with just a little too much force, cutting the starchy root clean in half and stopping onto the cutting board with a loud thunk. The teen sobered up from his rant, looking mareepishly at the pile of mangled tubers in front of him. A few feet away, Hau did not notice the narrowly avoided disaster, whistling a catchy tune. He seemed deeply engrossed in the veggie stew that he had been preparing for today¡¯s lunch.

    Pausing my peeling work, I wiped a wet hand on my apron and patted the red-haired boy on the back. ¡°There, there. I¡¯ve not held any hope in keeping up with any of my PokeGear games, honestly.¡±

    ¡°I thought¨C I thought being a trainer didn¡¯t mean having to sacrifice all my pastimes, you know? Even Spark plays games from time to time. You can¡¯t be training all the time.¡±

    ¡°Your Grubbin?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± On cue, the little bug type looked up from his spot on the low flat rock, a small pile of cut charti at his side. He crawled up to Sawney¡¯s backpack, gently retrieved the teen¡¯s phone within his large mandibles then propped it up on the bag.

    Grubbin¡¯s front facing mandibles are not made to handle delicate electronics - but a Grubbin cannot exactly use a phone with them on the way. So I watched in wonder as this little bug type turned on a forty-five degree angle, extended one little nubby limb, unlocked Sawney¡¯s Xtransceiver and opened up Pokemon Masters.

    Keeping one focused eye on the screen, his front leg zipped across the touch-pad as he tip-tapped on Champion Stadium mode and set the difficulty to Master.

    ¡°He¡¯s basically better at the game than I am. I just do the pulls, now.¡± I could barely look away. The little bug was really putting his whole body into it. ¡°I really want that 6-stars Champion-rank May, and he wants that 5-stars Escavalier and Accelgor duo unit so that works well with the current banner.¡±

    ¡°...Whoa, yeah, no, he¡¯s really good.¡± A thought went through my head¨C Sawney hadn¡¯t caught any other Pokemon yet, and Spark was his starter, so¨C ¡°Is it gonna be any easier or harder for him when he evolves, you think?¡±

    The Grubbin¡¯s eye flickered to me for a second then returned to the screen. ¡°...We¡¯ve been thinking about it. We¡¯d need to save money for a Rotom phone at this point, but it¡¯s still so damn expensive¡­ Ideally he could just stay a Grubbin if he wanted, but¨C¡± He shrugged and laughed out awkwardly. ¡°What about your guys, though? Your Oddish, no problems about evolving?¡±

    ¡°Oh! No problems at all. Petal is looking forward to it.¡± Just a couple dozen feet from where we were, my Oddish and Tuula¡¯s Spinda chased after one another. ¡°But I¡¯ve been thinking about it still¡­ The Oddish line gradually lose motricity over their head leaves and gain little arms and that¡¯s nice but ¨C it¡¯s not as good as five independent limbs on their head, you know? At least they don¡¯t seem bothered by it, but still. I¡¯d like them to have their own phone or desktop at some point. It would be a bummer if they couldn¡¯t use it!¡±

    ¡°I thought they evolved into a little grass guy with a bunch of bottom leaves.¡± He put down his kitchen knife and wiggled his fingers below his head. ¡°Like a Tentacool!¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s Bellossom¨C their third stage is a split evolution, and last I asked they were pretty set on becoming a Vileplume. So they¡¯d mostly be bigger, have arms and big stiff petals on their head.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad! Take it from Spark and me, as long as they don¡¯t have big face tusks in front of their face at all times they shouldn¡¯t have body problem issues. ¡±

    ¡°Um, well, maybe that is a little reductive¨C¡±

    And here is where Rui chose to join us after his training; the teen boy in electric blue hair rolled in with his bruised and panting Rattata in tow, a towel across his shoulders. He passed by our kitchen setup and nearly shoved his face into Sawney with a cocky grin and went:

    ¡°Are you talking about how you¡¯re going to file your pokemon¡¯s mandibles down again? That¡¯s fucked up man. That¡¯s gotta be emasculating.¡±

    The red-head practically burst red in anger, and he shot back at the cackling teen:

    ¡°Yeah, well, fuck you man! You try doing most basic tasks with giant horns in front of your face, you asshole!¡±

 Chapter 14: The Last Straw

    And so we walked.

    The weather was nice and clear; while hiking would never be anything I would get used to anytime soon, there was something pleasantly mind-numbing about walking for hours on end.

    An endless panorama of craggy hills greeted us as we continued down the path of Route 3. A soft breeze made the summer sun a little bit more manageable, carrying in the scent of dry grass and salt. This wasn''t an easy path to tread, as rocks and boulders of every size dotted the trail and we found ourselves having to adjust with every step.

    The midday sun shone high and so I found myself carrying Petal in my arms and Oran Juice in his ball. Ahead of me, Hau, Lilliane and Tuula seemed deep in conversation. Their Pokemon buzzed around them, chasing after one another. For once, Loa the Torracat was in eyesight, the secretive feline skulking ahead in stumbling steps, looking a little bit leaner since I had last seen her. A few paces behind, Sawney lagged in exhaustion as his bug cheered him on, and right to my side¨C

    "Are you sure you don''t wanna fight?"

    I tried not to give too much attention to the male Tuari twin. This hadn''t been the first time he''d asked me this question this week since Hau had denied him his duel, and I doubt it would be the last. Maybe if I didn''t acknowledge him for long enough, he''d go away?

    "Fighting off a Noivern is badass and all but that''s¨C that''s just the wilds, you know? You gotta face off real skilled trainers from time to time." I felt him adjust his sleeveless shirt, and I could practically predict what he would say next. "Trainers like me."

    There it was.

    "Pff. Oddish."

    Wait, no! Petal! Don''t provoke him!

    I felt the languid weight of my starter stir around as they glared at the other teen, bleary eyes squinting under the midday sun.

    "Heh. So you can recognize greatness when you see it." His Rattata snickered as he scampered along at his side, and I knew he had his second Pokemon out but I could only hear the faint echo of her giggle from somewhere¨C

    "Uh. No. No thank you." I clutched my Oddish a little closer to my chest and got muffled whining in response. There. Now maybe he could leave me alone. "Petal needs their sleep."

    "What about your snake? He could fight. Come on, Matsu¨C one on one."

    "...We''ve been working on his moves this morning and he''s still tired."

    "Tch." Finally he looked away as he scoffed, but still he continued as we walked. "Digging big holes isn''t really training, and you''re gonna need it. Nerd like you, you''re shooting for¨C what, seven? Eight trials?" I nodded. He raised an eyebrow. "Conference-level?" I shook my head. He scoffed and threw his hands in the air.

    "We got two people shooting for eight trials and no-fucking-body wanna spar! Whadda hell!"

    "They don''t need to because they would trounce you down, you bonehead." Tuula shouted, as the split off group slowed down to join ours. "Hakalaua''s starter is evolved and we all know Matsu''s got a little monster of a weed. Not much your rat can do!"

    "My Rattata''s champion material! He can take on both, no sweat!"

    "You know my Spinda takes on your ''champion material'' any time, bro."

    I could see attention slipping away from the male twin as he argued and I chose it as my opportunity to slip away. For a second, though, I shot a look at Sawney. I gave him a questioning expression, mouthing ''eight trials?'' He held up an open hand and a finger¨C five plus one, so six trials? Since when had he decided on stopping at six trials?

    I shot another confused look and he waved me off. Something to ask him later, then.

    Up a hill we went and in the exertion, all talking stopped. Our pairs and groups shifted; Sawney lagging behind to help a struggling Lilliane, Hau up in front chatting up with Rui.

    Tuula sneaked up to me, elbowed me on my shoulder, and covertly shoved her phone in my grasp.

    O-kay then.

    I flipped it open and looked at the cracked screen.

    One page opened on a forum website - whoa, formatted sometime when the internet was first created - for a community of farmers and ranchers¨C "Tuula, what is this?"

    She crossed her arms and wordlessly motioned at her phone in my hands once more.

    So I kept reading.

    The post was from around 5 years ago; the poster was from a rural Hoennian town and managed a small farm with their partner. They thanked the community for their help with a previous problem, so I started to skim through it.

    Something something a local wild Lotad community got into their crops - that''s a water and grass type, right? Something something their partner''s Zigzagoon was fancy with one of the Lombre, cute¨C oh?

    The poster''s partner spent a few months practicing a dance with them then suddenly collapsed?

    That seemed far more relevant. I glanced back at Tuula for a second, who looked at me with one eyebrow raised, arms still crossed.

    I went back to the beginning.

    <hr>

    Farm Assistance - Pokemon Matters

    Page 01 of 04?

    Topic: Lotad Outbreak Followup

    Mark Hatton - Apr 02, 2036

    => Mark Hatton

    [Arable Farmer]

    I''m a farmer from Oldale, Hoenn.

    You might remember my situation from a previous thread which was resolved thanks to everybody''s advice¡­¡­

    <u>hpps:/farmersforum.pl/index/how-to-deal-with-a-lotad-invasion.408400/</u>

    As a quick summary: a Lotad and Lombre community from the route nearby snuck into the small pond on my property by the city border. My partner and I were torn whether to relocate them or allow them to stay. The rangers helped clear things up, and they''ve helped with some of the farming duties since!

    Everything has been pecha since then. The Lotad help with keeping plants watered. My wife''s Zigzagoon has been really sweet on one of the Lombres and so I make sure they get plenty of time to themselves, and so I spend a lot more time with the Lotad since then.

    That''s when I noticed something.

    The Lotad have a real funny way of doing things. They take care of the plants in the same way every time, doing a little song and dance for 5 to 10 minutes as they do so. Enclosed with this message is a little video my granddaughter took of Zigzagoon joining in.

    <u>202-02052040.vp4</u>

    A few months ago, my wife takes it upon herself to do it "as the Lotad do", and decides to mimic them as they do their thing. Seems innocent enough, wife is having fun, Ziggy and Lotad are overjoyed.

    A few days ago, Ziggy arrives at my porch barking up a storm. I follow, and I find my wife, collapsed on the dirt, unresponsive, surrounded by Lotads and a bunch of overgrown tall grass.

    I chase out the critters and bring her back home in a panic, call in the center nurses and they get her vitals: she''s unharmed, though her heart rate and blood pressure is higher than normal.

    She awakens.

    She''s had a very strange dream, she says. One moment she was dancing with the grass types, the other she was seeing the grand union of Groudon and Kyogre and such flowery nonsense. My wife is the spiritual type, and she''d say she''s had a religious experience if her food was just a little too spicy, so I cautiously take it in stride. Nurses find nothing wrong, they say she''s had a heatstroke or a dizzy spell, rangers have been notified and we move on.

    Now, there''s the issue:

    I don''t want her to spend any more time with wild ¡ämons, even if they meant nothing by it. Not if she could huff something foul and get herself sick - but I don''t know if I''m making a mountain out of a diglett-hill either.

    Do any of you know anything of this?

    <hr>

    I almost tripped on a boulder as my eyes stayed glued to the screen. I caught myself, Petal stirring in my grasp as I held Tuula''s phone with the other hand.

    Tuula caught my shoulder and helped me continue walking as I looked at the enclosed video over and over, eyes blinking rapidly.

    It was the same dance. The movements differed but the rhythm was the same - it was the same dance.

    "Tuula, this is¨C"

    "Shh-shh-shh. Skip to the end, Matsu. Check out that last post."

    I returned my eyes to the screen. I didn''t miss how Tuula''s grin grew even wider.

    <hr>

    Page 04 of 04?

    ¡­

    => Nogueira Kukui PD

    [Pokemon Professor]

    Hey there! Everybody on this thread has done a fantastic job helping you so far, I got nothin to add myself.

    I''m pretty late to the party, but I''d like to ask if your partner is still taking part in those Lotad ritual dances since then? I have a few questions to ask, if that''s alright.

    => ADMIN

    [Automated]

    The topic of this thread has been answered. Thread locked and archived.

    <hr>

    "...That''s Professor Kukui? Our Kukui?"

    "Yup." She popped her mouth at the end of that. "Sure is. I checked out the other posts he made, and everything. That''s the real deal."

    I pushed back Tuula''s phone back in her hands and held a hand up to my forehead. The elusive Alolan professor had been a major public figure at the start of his career. My mom spoke glowingly of the man, from way back when she did her own trial. He knew everyone in Iki Town, so it was said, but relations had soured as he had become more and more busy during the last few years¨C

    "The other posters mention a bunch of ideas; how it''s like, maybe the woman huffed some spores or powder or whatever, that Lotads are harmless but Lombres are little fuckers, yadda yadda yadda¨C that shit doesn''t matter. What matters is this." She tapped at Kukui''s name, written right here on her screen. "Shame that we won''t get to meet him ever. I guess you might, if you become a big shot scientist and whatnot. Or¡­"

    "...Or?"

    "Or we ask Hau. Hau asks his grandpa; if we''re lucky, the Kahuna knows the professor well enough to get us a chance."

    "I don''t know¡­ that''s¡­" Hau wouldn''t be too hard to convince. Having to tell him about our experience with the Melemele grass ritual would be a different problem entirely. Having to speak with the Kahuna would be scary but manageable.

    The real issue was this;

    I was nowhere ready to meet an actual professor. I knew nothing. To meet and ask something of the Pokemon Professor¨C I know I''d make a mockery of myself, I''d put my foot in my mouth, I would ruin my life if I went out of my way to waste the professor''s time!

    "...That''s a lot of ifs." I could feel my face heat up. "Hau, Kahuna Hala, Professor Kukui¨C this is a lot of people to rope into this."

    Tuula huffed, rolled her eyes and gave me a pout. "I mean yeah, but nothing will happen if we don''t ask. We''re nobodies. The worst they can say is no."

    I couldn''t say anything to that, so I kept my gaze forward and continued walking up the trail.

    A silence set on our conversation, Tuula''s eyes boring into the side of my face as I tried my best to ignore them. The sound of conversation ahead broke the lull as we neared the top of the trail. The others ahead had stopped walking, and for good reason.

    We climbed over the hill and a great expense of sparkling blue greeted us from over the horizon; the sea, as seen from the eastern coast.

    We had traveled around a half of the island on foot.

    <hr>

    Groans and sighs echoed around us.

    The long trek continued.

    For a few days we followed the coastline south, traipsing through the narrow trail snaking up and down steeper and starker hills. The sun beat us with the fury of Ho-Oh themself. We were feeling the strain of walking for such a long period of time, feet raw and aching, shirts drenched in sweat, bags stuck a little too close to our skin¨C

    The novelty of traveling was seriously starting to wear off. All I wanted was a long and nice shower, Tapus above!

    Beyond that, there was much I wanted to show Oran Juice the Dunsparce, now that we were approaching civilization. He and Petal had reached a clear understanding - maybe they''d even become friends - and I longed to be able to spend some time with my Pokemon just being able to enjoy the amenities of Hau''oli.

    But not any time soon - for now, we still had days of mountainous terrain to cover.

    We stopped under the shade of a rocky outcropping for the evening.

    Roots and dry grass hung from the top and draped over the sides, providing us with cover from the evening sun. Tuula, Lilliane, our Pokemon and I sat on the ground, bodies falling over in exertion, breath coming out in ragged spurts. Rui and Hau had put down their stuff, and were starting to set up camp as Rui''s Rattata scampered between their legs.

    While we couldn''t see Pokemon, we''d occasionally hear them ¨C distant hoots of Mankey and caws of roosting Vullabies that had thus far given us a wide berth.

    "Oh shit! Hold on, I''m getting news!"

    Sawney looked up from his phone with an excited smile on his face - reception had been very spotty over the past few days, internet came and went, and he had been waving his phone in the air for a while now this afternoon.

    Hau moved to stand behind him, followed by Tuula casting a curious look over Sawney''s shoulder as Sawney scrolled through something on his phone.

    "Hey, Abi and Cora made it!" Hau exclaimed suddenly. "They took on the first Trial yesterday, and looks like it went well!"

    Tuula cracked a small grin. "So did Spencer and his goons. Others of the class are finally catching up."

    They were. News of the other groups had been very sparse, and while I hadn''t connected much with others over the years, I still hoped they were doing good - their future prospects depended on it!

    "...How many of us passed, now?"

    "Let me check." Sawney scrolled up, counted up in his head, tongue sticking out in concentration. "I think Chlo¨¦''s group was the first to pass, then Herbie''s¨C" He looked up at me for a second and pointed. "You guys might have been the third. The twins and I were the fourth. With Abi''s group and Spencer''s, that makes over half the class passing the first trial!"

    "Yeesh, looks like the Mercado triplets and Janice''s group failed it on their second go, though," Tuula winced. "Big yikes."

    Hau rubbed the back of his head and uttered. "Both the Mercados and Janice? Shit, that is bad."

    Where were they getting all of this from, though? I didn''t know that Sawney kept contact with so many other members of the class¡­

    "Is it that surprising that practically everybody failed their first Trial once?" It was Lilliane''s voice that suddenly pulled the three others out of their huddle around Sawney''s phone. She caught herself quickly under the attention, and followed it with "It''s just¨C I''m simply very used to hearing about young trainers on their gym challenge throwing themselves at the first gym over and over until they get it right. Failing once or twice is practically a given."

    "...That''s a cool world you live in, but that''s not how it was last year," Tuula pointed out. "What was it¨C Spencer''s brother and his friends were on their Challenge last year and breezed through the first four Trials with no problem. Then he got to the Akala Grand Trial and hit a wall. They did like three attempts and gave up."

    "...Three is¨C not a lot of attempts¨C wasn''t there more time? Couldn''t they have tried again?"

    "I guess, but it wouldn''t amount to anything. Here, if you fail the same trial twice in a row, it''s¨C well, you''re still allowed to take it again, but at this point it''s game over. Nobody believes you''ll pass it." Tuula gave her a shrug and a shake of the head. "I don''t know about his team-mates, but I know Spencer''s bro quickly swapped to doing some kind of internship for home building or whatever, so good for him."

    Lilliane looked back disbelieving, gaze drifting from Tuula to Hau, to Sawney then to me. I only gave her a shrug ¨C that''s just how it is, here. What could I say!

    "Wait, wait wait¨C hold on. There''s more. Look at this."

    Sawney turned his phone to face Tuula, Hau, Lilliane and I and played a video.

    A massive amphitheater carved into the earth, decorated in colorful banderoles and fabric- by comparison, not that many people in the audience, only a few dozen. The video focused onto the center and we saw the arena come into view. A few trees, a few boulders, an artificial river dividing the arena roughly ¨C and on opposite sides, the Kahuna and his opponents.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Kahuna Hala stood arm crossed, stoic and imposing, letting a Meditite fight of his own accord. The little Fighting type vaulted around the battlefield with graceful flips, fighting back against powerful winds and struggling to reach his adversary.

    On the other side, Chlo¨¦ and two other teens stood, anxiety on their faces. Chlo¨¦ flipped back her platinum silver hair with one tanned hand and thrust the other in front of her, giving a confident order.

    Once more, her Dratini let out a shriek and blue energy swelled around it. Winds picked up with it at the center, a small hurricane ¨C no, a Twister ¨C buffeting the grass and rocking the trees, pushing back its Fighting type opponent.

    Kahuna Hala gave a sudden bark of an order and the Meditite shot a wave of force at the Dratini from its palm¨C that crashed against a shimmering protective dome around the Dragon type.

    I blinked, and the Meditite had disappeared ¨C wait, no, it had moved so fast I couldn''t see it ¨C and it stood inside of the Dratini''s Protect, having Feint-ed through. It didn''t stop there, battering its opponent with powerful Force Palms that forced it back¨C up until the Dragon type leaned into it, wrapped the Fighting type within its coils and squeezed, then smashed its helpless prey into the active Protect once, twice, thrice¨C until the Meditite stopped moving entirely.

    "Hey, what the fuck." "Yeah holy shit." "Yikes."

    Kahuna Hala recalled his Pokemon, then moved forward to the center of the arena to congratulate the trio on their successful Grand Trial.

    "...That was around two days ago. So, yeah. That''s Grand Trial number one, I guess." Sawney handed off his phone to Hau, and it passed hands, everybody taking a look at the footage. "That''s gonna make waves on the forums - if it hasn''t already."

    "...Congratulations to her, I suppose." Lilliane replied as she declined to take a look, then dropped the phone in my hands. "I guess we know who you''ll be competing against then, Hau? Looks like she trained that Dratini well."

    Clang clang clang!

    We all turned to the source of the sound¨C Rui Tuari, his face black with anger, having dropped his tent supplies.

    "Trained it my ass¨C I don''t wanna fucking believe that she trained that thing to that level in just three weeks. That shit''s fucking unfair."

    He crouched down to pick up his dropped things, hands shaking in frustration. Hau held up his hands and approached, speaking softly to the other boy.

    Where did this come from, anyway?

    Minimizing the video, I couldn''t help but take a look at the text conversation that Sawney had pulled this footage from. Messages of congratulations from people I recognized as my classmates. At the top, the title "Cool Kids'' Club". The side had listed who was online and who was not: Chlo¨¦ and her teammates, Abi''s team, the Mercados, Sawney himself though no signs of the Tuari twins¨C

    ¡­Wait.

    Did this group convo have over half of the class in it?

    Why wasn''t I invited to it?

    "Hakalaua, get the fuck out." On one end of our shelter, Rui''s voice rose and threatened to creep up to a shout. Everyone stopped their commentary and turned to Hau and Rui''s exchange.

    The male twin had risen to his full height and looked at Hau with death in his eyes. The other teen had put his hands up, and seemed at a loss of what to say.

    "I don''t want you saying that to my fucking face." Rui''s tone rose higher. "You don''t get to fucking baby me."

    "...I''m not trying to baby you, dude. We''re all friends and equals here."

    "We''re not equals, and I''m not your friend," Rui lashed out, arm whipping out in a violent motion. "You don''t get to tell me that it''s fair that Chlo¨¦ has all the money she wants for a regional Starter, and a Dragon, and a TM! It''s too¨C it''s too easy for you to say. Look at you."

    "Uh¨C what?" Hau jerked away, taken aback. "What about me?"

    "Do I have to spell it out? Starter that evolved at the first fucking Trial? Kahuna''s grandson? You''re just like her. You were born with a silver spoon lodged in your asshole. Wake the fuck up."

    Hau winced and gritted his teeth. Lilliane, Tuula, Sawney, our Pokemon, we all looked at one another. I struggled to register the situation, conflicting emotions rose through me like a storm¨C This was not the time to think about this! We had to stop the boys from coming to blows¨C

    Tuula slowly approached her brother, brows furrowed, caution coloring her face. "...Hey Rui, let''s just get out for a second¨C"

    Rui took a sudden step forward and Hau jerked back. "Why are you not fighting back?! Defend yourself!"

    "You''re not my enemy, man, I got nothing against you. I don''t want to upset you."

    "I''m already upset. I''m upset you''re not taking me fucking seriously." Rui grabbed a Pokeball from his bag and we all tensed¨C "Let your Pokemon do the talking. We''re gonna fight."

    Hau''s fingers flexed, grasping at the air, frustration turning to something like anger. His mouth opened to contest the decision but before he could say anything¨C Loa slinked out of the shade.

    Her tail whipped. Her back arched and her hairs rose tall. Her bell organ at her neck flared with volatile sparks, embers falling visibly at the ground below and leaving a dusting of glowing ash.

    She glared at Rui and lowered her head, keeping her eyes locked, answering the challenge.

    For a second, her head turned to Hau. He tried to shake his head no. Loa glared only the harder until Hau gave off a defeated sigh.

    "Fine." Hau capitulated.

    <hr>

    Outside, the evening sun colored Route 3 in orange and purple hues.

    To the west, our makeshift shelter rested underneath a small rocky hill - a few paces beyond, the start of the jungle and the official limit to the route. The distant setting sun outlined the jungle tree top in a golden glow, as long shadows stretched from the canopy.

    To the east, after a hundred feet or so, the ground started to slope down into the distant shore.

    For now, we would make do with what flat space we could find.

    Golden drygrass lined our makeshift arena. The field would be mostly coarse earth peppered with boulders and patches of thick, tangled roots. A large crooked tree loomed above, its trunk starting from around the arena center.

    "Standard league rules," Lilliane enunciated. She fiddled with a rock in her hands for a second, as uneasy about the situation as we nearly all were. "One on one. First to faint or surrender loses. We begin once this stone touches the ground."

    For a second, she looked at Rui, then at Hau. One boy threw his pokeball rhythmically in the air, Rattata recently recalled, an angry gaze focused intently at that Iki Town teen. The other boy stood on the other side of the field with clear frustration in his face ¨C frustration and bitterness. Maybe Rui''s harsh words had finally gotten to him and he''d begun to feel genuine anger.

    I couldn''t help but be caught in it, too ¨C I was angry at Rui for going so far to make a battle happen. I was hurt at the idea of Sawney having kept a secret from me since the start of the Challenge. I was frustrated with myself for being so foolish.

    Tuula, Sawney, our Pokemon and I made the audience for this match. Tuula sat on the ground with her Spinda sitting in her lap. Sawney had recalled his Grubbin, taken his phone and started to record¨C and so I squeezed my Oddish a little closer to my chest.

    Lilliane held up the rock that would signal the start of the match. Her Ledyba stayed close, ready to intercept a stray attack with a Barrier or a Light Screen.

    With a deft motion, the rock was thrown and fell.

    Thump.

    "Begin!"

    Two pokeballs flew through the air in a blur.

    Loa the Torracat materialized first. She hit the ground on her four paws, her heavier weight pushing her sharp nails into the earth and gravel. Her golden eyes scanned the field and immediately she bolted forward.

    Killer the Rattata appeared in a heartbeat. All I saw, for a second, was a glimpse of his form: bristly black fur, twitching whiskers¨C and was that some kind of scarf he was wearing? Light grey fabric wrapped around the rat''s throat, keeping secured some sort of spherical lump...

    In other circumstances, it would be hard to call the rattata killer, but in the blink of an eye - "Quick attack!" - he disappeared and I was ready to rescind my statement.

    Loa fell upon Killer''s position¨C and there the Rattata had already zoomed away in a blur of white, the Torracat''s claws lacerating the barren ground and throwing dust around. Loa''s eyes narrowed and she repositioned her back leg, surging to Killer''s position¨C only to find empty air.

    Still, her weight crashed onto the ground and left deep furrows behind. The Rattata had moved again, his eyes shining red from under a narrow tangle of roots closer to the tree.

    For a second, we held our breaths.

    The Torracat''s stance widened, back arching and head lowering to the ground, paws pushing and digging into the earth. Her flame sac flared and burst with glowing embers, red dots falling onto the ground below. For a second, I couldn''t help but root for her opponent, so small in comparison; If Loa could get her paws on him, the fight would end in an instant.

    Two orders were thrown; cat and mouse clashed. Loa rushed down to the ground and her paw squeezed through the narrow knots, wood creaking against her strength, claws scrambling and drawing streaks wherever it can reach¨C another blur of movement and Killer had jumped up onto the feline, bit into her shoulder and sprung away once more.

    Loa hissed and recoiled. She repositioned, scanned her surroundings frantically, eyes narrowing and locking onto the Rattata, standing perched on a nearby boulder.

    In a mad rush, Loa surged to Killer and unleashed a flurry of attacks: a strike of her meaty paw, crashing onto stone, a dart of flame grazing black fur, and with a spin her tail smashed against the Rattata''s chest. He was thrown a few paces away, rolled and stumbled on the ground until he caught and righted himself up with exertion.

    On one end, the Rattata''s breath came out in gasping, erratic spurts, wind taken out of him.

    On the other, the Torracat clearly cradled her hurting paw, having struck solid stone with her Fury Attack.

    "Rui, this sucks!" Hau snapped out. "You''re allowed to be angry and all but I can''t help but feel like I''m the wrong target, here!"

    Rui stomped the ground and gritted his teeth "You''re exactly the right target. You''re a rich privileged fuck who gets to have everything handed to him."

    "...If you wanna talk to my grandpa, it shouldn''t be a problem!"

    "You shouldn''t get to meet the Kahuna because you just asked his grandson, goddamnit! That the fuckin opposite of what I wanna hear!"

    "Then stop yelling and tell me what you want, then!"

    A sharp impact lit up the clearing suddenly¨C Rui''s Rattata rolling off with smoke trailing off his form. Loa had shot a quick Ember without Hau''s order and it had finally found its mark.

    My heart thumped in my ears. A few paces between us and the field, Lilliane''s shoulders relaxed ¨C her duty would surely finish soon¨C

    Drips of liquid fell from Killer''s maw. His jaw bit into a blue fruit - rawst berry - held tight in the grey scarf he wore for it. His burn wounds slowly receded, and he slowly ambled up to an upright position, ready for battle once more.

    "This one was a fucking freebie, Hakalaua," Rui asserted. "Next time you won''t be so lucky. Killer, Laser Focus!"

    Killer''s stance straightened. In the span of a breath, his pupils contracted, all four limbs tensed, and he prepared to leap¨C

    The Torracat crashed into his position ¨C the Rattata''s shining eyes hidden under her chest ¨C she raked her claws back ¨C and Killer scrambled up her shoulder, biting deep into one ear¨C

    I shook my eyes, vision feeling like it was starting to blur. It wasn''t that the Rattata was any faster than he was before - it was that he was far, far more reactive, and it became all the harder to follow his movements properly. Could his senses be stronger, as well?

    Turning my head around, I saw other spectators similarly stumped; Sawney''s eyes drifted from his recording phone to the fight repeatedly as though one was going to be easier to watch than the other, while Tuula gnawed nervously on a nail as her Spinda cheered eagerly on her lap.

    "Rrra-yowl!"

    A loud wail from the Torracat brought me back to the fight.

    The cat and mouse''s back and forth had brought them closer to the central tree. Loa stood awkwardly with one back leg raised, back arched, blood running down from a piercing wound on her ankle. Two more wounds marked her ear and shoulder.

    Killer hid once more into the tangle of roots, the reflection of light in his eyes the only sign of his presence.

    Fury danced in Loa''s eyes. Her throat sac glowed brighter than before, accompanied by ringing sound buzzing louder and louder.

    "Loa! Snap out of it!" Hau cried out, his tone tinged with growing panic. "Shoot Embers on the ground around yourself, you can breathe it but he can''t!"

    She registered it only a little too late, acting on Hau''s order not before Killer got a chance to bite into her front paw. She pushed off the Rattata and breathed a fine stream of fire at her feet - no longer single globs of fire but a surge of fine flames licking at the roots and sending them ablaze.

    All of us took a step back - what was Hau doing? Did he want to set fire to the whole clearing?? I saw Lilliane keep an eye on the growing flames, getting ready to stomp on it if need be. I understood how one would start being reckless during a fight, but we weren''t exactly in an enclosed arena where fire wouldn''t spread¡­

    Nevertheless the Torracat had surrounded herself in a wall of fire. She stood painfully on her feet, two legs aching from her wounds, strength starting to fail her.

    The Rattata had hidden behind a boulder. Though he''d only taken one hit - exhaustion was still clearly apparent, and the strain of keeping up Laser Focus had taken its toll. His whiskers twitched as he took in quick swift breaths, and surely breathing in the slowly growing cloud of smoke would make everything worse.

    "I have nothing to prove, Rui¨C I''m not here to undermine you or whatever."

    "Tch," Rui scoffed, and he let out a disappointed sigh. "You''ve proven that you stand for nothing alright, Hakalaua. Nothing at all."

    Hau gritted his teeth. "Loa, we have one shot at this. Get ready."

    Rui''s eyes did not move away from the fight; silence his only response.

    Nothing but the sound of embers crackled on the field.

    Two sudden blurs of movement, two voices barked out separate orders¨C

    "Take Down!"

    "Counter!"

    Somehow my eyes kept up.

    Killer rushed from below, the white of his eyes tracing a faint line through the air, dust clouds left in his wake.

    Loa tensed. Her ears followed the Rattata''s movement and she flexed open her jaws, fire gathering at her fangs, charging a move that had nothing to do with Counter¨C

    The Rattata pivoted, leaped onto the tree trunk and jumped from it to crash headfirst into Loa''s temple.

    Loa''s eyes went blank.

    Fire in her maw fizzled out, as did the flames around her as control over her energy dissipated.

    She toppled and crashed onto the ground, unmoving. Killer the Rattata landed next to her, limbs trembling.

    We all held our breath.

    Three seconds passed.

    "Hau''s Torracat has fainted. Rui wins."

    <hr>

    The aftermath of this battle resolved itself in a strangely muted way.

    There had been no gloating from the victor. Rui had looked at Hau as though he expected something more, but Hau had just frozen in place, disbelief in his eyes. Rui simply returned his starter, and got to his tent.

    A few seconds after, Hau rushed to his Pokemon''s side and gently gave her first aid, hands trembling. Lilliane had joined his side soon after. For the first time in my life, I heard the faint sobbing of a fifteen year old boy.

    I tentatively approached, and laid a hand on his trembling back.

    We wouldn''t understand the ramifications of this loss until the next day.

    It had begun with the sound of rustling. The usual echo of one''s body tossing and turning, of claws and fur against fabric, tearing, the pitter-patter of paws on the ground.

    Then had come confused mumbling, a pause from shock and disbelief, speech growing quicker and quicker with panic and now Hau''s voice now loud enough that we''d all peeked out of our tents with our heart in our throat¨C

    Hau had stepped out of his tent. The latter''s entrance had been ripped open, faint scorch marks reflecting on the plastic and the ground.

    The boy was breathing quickly¨C too quickly for comfort. Eyes open wide and unfocused. He''d paused on his tracks for a second, seemed to come back to his senses as he saw us, and he gasped:

    "Loa took her ball and left."

    No-one moved.

    "I''m going after her," he rasped,

    then rushed after the trail of embers

    off route, into the jungle.

 Chapter 15: Forest Fire I

    Strange plants and vines slithered around my ankles as we rushed through the jungle.

    My body had gone on auto-pilot as I''d heard the news from Hau; if Loa the Torracat had gone alone into the jungle, then we had to run after her.

    We''d collected our things as fast as we could. Camp supplies hadn''t been packed, they had been shoved inside, the tent hadn''t been folded in as much as rolled into a burrito I could tie up in rope; and so we rushed after Loa''s trail as soon as we were able. Hau in front, Petal the Oddish held to my chest and Oran the Dunsparce recalled in his ball, Lilliane and her Pokemon behind.

    I had no idea whether the other team had followed.

    If they were smart, they probably wouldn''t.

    Humidity had gradually set in as we went deeper and deeper through the brush, a heavy weight that seemed to stick to the clothes and skin uncomfortably. I found myself panting with exertion as we cleaved a path through thick undergrowth and under hanging vines, like a green ocean we had to cleave through - except the ocean was plants and they were so many hiding spots for a weird bug or snake to bite my leg at a moment''s notice.

    What we were following were nothing but embers, scorch marks, paw prints, clear signs of the Torracat''s distress. At the same time, we were keeping an eye out for signs of other pokemon too; weird movement out of the corner of our eye, distant audible chittering, claw and paw marks imprinted onto the wood and ground of the surrounding jungle.

    "Huff¨C how bad¨C how bad is it?" asked Lilliane.

    Hau didn''t stop¨C but he did slow down, and we heard him gulp loudly to try and bring saliva back to his parched throat. "...What?"

    "Going into the Melemele jungle, off-route¨C huff¨C how bad is it?" It had been a while since we''d last heard Lilliane''s voice dip into a truly fearful tone.

    "It''s kinda¨C it''s¨C it''s not good!" I snapped back in Hau''s place, panic driving me forward. "It''s not allowed! It''s¨C it''s dangerous, we''re told. Trial-goers sometimes return here to train, but only after they''ve cleared two islands worth of Trials¨C so yes, we''re really out of our depth."

    Gears turned in Lilliane''s head, and she almost tumbled as her foot bumped into a thick tree root. "Agh¨C are you sure that we can''t contact the Rangers and ask them to go after her?"

    I saw Hau look back and shake his head no, the mental image of telling my parents that my partner''s Pokemon had run into the jungle became clear in my mind, and I decided here and there that I wanted none of it¨C "Absolutely not. We just need to find Loa, g-grab her, and get back¨C find our way back to the Route quickly, before we anger some local Pokemon, or¡­"

    "You two can go back."

    Now it was Lilliane and I''s turn to look at Hau like he''d grown a second head.

    He''d stopped his movement, hand against a nearby tree, eyes still scanning the ground for signs of Loa''s trail. He turned to us, sporting a truly pained expression.

    "This whole thing is my responsibility¨C my fault. I''m¨C I''m thankful for you two coming with me so far, but I shouldn''t force you to deal with my mistakes. If you don''t want to rush into danger," his eyes turned to Lilliane for a second, "then you two can make your way back to the route. I can continue alone."

    "Hau, you¨C you don''t have any Pokemon, right now." He visibly winced at my response, reality slapping him in the face. "You won''t be able to defend yourself if you''re attacked."

    "None of us would be able to defend themselves if we''re attacked by anything here."

    "Still, if we stay together together, we¨C"

    And there, a firm hand pushed me aside, Lilliane''s head came into view, face red in anger; shoving herself into Hau''s personal space and staring daggers at his face.

    "You¨C you catastrophic idiot!" She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "You unbridled moron, you!"

    "I¨C I don''t understand¨C"

    "Do not say that again, is that clear?? Stop trying to¨C to kill yourself constantly. We''re coming with you, and that''s final." She regained her composure, stepping back, straightening out the creases she''d just added to Hau''s clothes. "It''s as Selene said. We find Loa, grab her, and leave. That''s it."

    Hau''s face went through a flurry of emotions; shock, shame, relief, eventually it had settled on something of a small mareepish smile.

    A sleepy Petal the Oddish seemed to approve, nodding in my hold with a nasally cry.

    Nowhere to go but after the feline.

    "I''m still surprised the jungle hasn''t started burning down." Lilliane pointed out another ember and snuffed it with a stomp of her foot.

    "The Incineroar wouldn''t live here if that was the case." Hau whispered back, pushing tall grass out of the way. "It''s got something to do with a pact with Tapu Bulu or whatever."

    "...More and more, it feels like you know things that you shouldn''t be privy to. I''m starting to think that Rui really had a point there, yesterday."

    Hau pouted, cheeks red. "Tell me about it."

    The three of us continued our scramble through the jungle.

    We''d decided to be a lot more quiet about it. As we ventured deeper and deeper, signs of other Pokemon became more and more apparent: deep, jagged claw marks into the trees, bushes that had been striped bare of their berries, shining eyes from the treetops that had us double back and find another way forward.

    Loa''s path was still visible to us.

    Hau stopped suddenly, running his hands across a broken, low hanging-branch. We had seen an increased amount of those on the way, along with three-toed paw marks. In the distance, there was the constant hooting grunts and cries of a pack of Pokemon.

    We''d all come to a realization as to who this territory belonged to¨C the question remained; how long we could avoid them.

    "Shit, shit shit¨C" Hau''s eyes widened and he pushed Lilliane and I back behind a small cranny formed around a mossy boulder, casting a fearful glance up into the tree tops. The three of us cowered behind the rock, Lilliane''s Ledyba zipping down to join his trainer.

    Silence, for a moment.

    Then; faint thumping, the creaks of trees and rustle of leaves, distant hoots and growls of many creatures rushing this way at a frightening speed¨C

    Chaos erupted as we cowered and made ourselves as small as possible. Two entities crashed nearby¨C one impacted a tree with a wet sound, a dark gelatinous body bending around the tree trunk before it caught itself with its many tentacles. Two blue prongs clacked erratically underneath its body as the red caps atop its wide blue head gave an eerie glow.

    Another entity landed onto the ground floor with a powerful pull of its arms, swinging in from the treetops. It crashed feet and fist-first, leaving deep imprints in the earth and shaking the ground, rising its bristly hairy body and releasing a blood-curdling cry at the interloper¨C

    In the span of a few seconds, we''d found ourselves in the middle of a territory dispute between a Tentacruel and a Primeape pack.

    Many, many Pokemon accompanied the Primeape on its warpath¨C we dared not look up and see them but we felt them, shadows dancing across the ground, the impact and creaking of so many leaping across the treetops. Hoots and grunts echoing in the air as so many seemed set on goading the two fighters on.

    The Tentacruel screeched and the Primeape hollered back louder. Then two meaty thwacks in quick succession¨C the Fighting type bounded forward and crashed into the jellyfish Pokemon, meaty fists crashing onto its blubbery body with impact radiating out its flesh like waves. The Tentacruel screamed - a sound so loud and strident it had me covering my ears and eyes in discomfort.

    Forcing my eyes open - we needed out, as fast as possible - I witnessed Lilliane and Hau in similar states of distress. Lilliane had shrunk into a ball as Toku the Ledyba kept a tense vigil. Hau kept an eye on the action, wringing his hands, arms shaking. What we needed was an out, fast, before we were found out¨C

    Two, three¨C no, four swift sounds of displaced air, a sound like blood being pumped and a guttural yell from the Mankey. Us three trainers pressed ourselves harder against the side of the rock like it was our lifeline. We heard a grunt then a creaking sound like many rubber bands being pulled, a whoosh and a crash against the ground and a shriek of pain from the Tentacruel.

    "Come on, this way" whispered Hau as he pulled Lilliane and I a little further away.

    The Fighting type groaned and shrunk back from the Water type in spasms ¨C it pulled and three tentacles stuck in its body shot off, purple liquid dripping off of their pointed tips. It jerked forward and stumbled groggily as purple veins snaked down its arms.

    The Water type wasn''t doing that much better, large welts marking the hardened exterior of its blue domed head. Still it shot half a dozen tentacles at nearby trees and wrapped them around the trunks and branches and pulled itself in the air, and angled its body so that its two prongs faced its opponent.

    Silence for a moment. The cries of the crowd had even stopped in anticipation. Mist seemed to spin and coalesce to the tip of the Tentacruel''s beak, a ball of glowing blue softly forming there¨C

    Then - whoosh-CRACK - a wave of water shot forward like a cannon and crashed against the Primeape head-on, forcing it back by a dozen feet. Water dripped down the ape''s body, skin raw and red where the attack had impacted.

    Before the Fighting type could recover, mist turned to frost, breath fogging up before our eyes¨C and twin colored beams shot off the Tentacruel''s red caps. They collided with the advancing Primeape once more with a sound like glittering bells as ice caked its arms and head, movements starting to become sluggish¨C until it screamed and tore off a tree to use it as a shield.

    The Tentacruel''s Aurora Beam teetered as its bruised cap flickered in and out. The beam veered off-course, hitting an horizontal line around itself, leaving ice formations in its wake - nearly hitting us in the process! - and it righted itself in the air with a flick of its tentacles, directing all of its ire on the incoming ape.

    Even as the tree cracked and split under the drop of temperature, the Primeape advanced. As frost caked the edge of its fingers and the skin turned black, it advanced. Even as he swung out the tree and took the beams head on, covering its head and face in frost, it screamed through it and crushed the Water type with its improvised weapon.

    Squished under the weight, a few tentacles from the Tentacruel meekly rose to try to escape¨C not before the Primeape could pick its weapon and batter it away in the distance.

    With another holler and a shout, the Fighting-type leaped through the jungle. In a flurry of movements, the pack of Mankey followed in their leader''s wake.

    ¡­

    "Are they gone?"

    "...I think so," I whispered back.

    Grasping Hau''s outstretched hand, I pulled myself back to my feet.

    Legs trembling, heart thumping in my chest, Petal the Oddish prodded me in the knee softly. I leaned down to look at them and they reached up with their leaves to wipe the tears blurring the edge of my vision. A quick hug felt so, so well deserved.

    "Aw, shoot." I couldn''t help but whisper out, as I saw the large hole in my shirt where nearby branches had ripped it open. That must have been while we were running through the jungle earlier, or maybe when Hau had pulled us into the underbrush just now.

    "You okay?¨C Oh." Lilliane whipped around with initial worry¨C until she saw the actual damage. "This is nothing. We can fix this in a jiffy."

    She wore an intensity to her eyes I had seldom seen - though she kept on wiping the tears coming down her cheeks. Her other hand gripped hard onto her backpack''s bangle, knuckles white. Her own outfit had been marked with large rips and tears during our initial chase.

    "Um¨C your whole dress is all ripped up, though¡­ are you gonna be okay?"

    "Oh, this?" She held up one long ripped up strand, letting out a ''tsk''. "It''s nothing. I have plenty of dresses just like this."

    This maybe wasn''t the right time, but here my curiosity got the better of me¨C "I''ve always seen you wear the same thing."

    That took her by surprise. Her eyes widened and a blush colored her cheeks - clearly this was something sensitive. Even Hau, who up until now had been keeping a very careful vigil, couldn''t help but tilt his head and wordlessly turn his attention toward our conversation.

    "It''s¨C" and Lilliane paused, her gaze softening as she considered her outfit in tatters.

    "It''s my mother," she sighed out. "I have¡­ appearances to keep, I am told. This is what my whole wardrobe is like." She fiddled with the hem of her wrecked clothes. "I, uh, I allowed myself to change it up a bit when we did the first Trial, but¨C when the others joined us, I couldn''t risk a picture leaking out of our group¨C so I changed back."

    "...That seems unfair," Hau replied. "You should be allowed to wear something better for hiking at least!"

    Once more, Lilliane''s expression took a dark turn, and we all momentarily tensed. "I have been punished for less."

    Something stirred in my heart - it hurt to see her this gloomy, in a way it wouldn''t with someone else.

    "Do you¨C I don''t know anything about fashion or whatever, but," she turned to me as I said that, and I felt my heart speed up in my chest. "Would you wanna try on some clothes together? We don''t have to buy them, just be in a private dressing room and see what you like..?"

    Her gaze turned distant. She mulled it over for a second, then softly said "I would like that very much."

    Hau sighed. He took another careful look around, searching for more traces of Loa''s path. "We should probably keep moving."

    So all three of us came out of our hiding spot.

    We rounded the bend, and¨C

    "Uh."

    Three Mankey had stayed behind.

    There''s a boy in our class - Spencer, a boy I had neatly filed in the ''sports-jock'' box - that has a Mankey as a starter. Said Mankey is a critter that certainly has its way of worming itself into someone''s heart. Even I couldn''t help but crack a smile at the sight of the soft fuzzball, with his spindly furry limbs, twitchy ears and snorting nose; a creature more motivated by his stomach than he is by anything else.

    What stood but ten feet from us weren''t anything like Spencer''s Mankey.

    They stood a foot taller than the Mankey we were used to. Their fur was coarse and bristly, bald patches revealing pulsing veins, scars and welts. Their limbs looked more like tangled cords of muscle and sinew, skin taut, twitching occasionally. Pupils were narrowed to slits, the expression intense and unreadable.

    Far in the distance, muffled crashes and cries echoed through the jungle. One of the Mankey turned its head toward the still ongoing battle, ears rotating to the sound.

    The other two didn''t share the same sentiment. They took a step closer, noses flaring and sniffing, feet stomping aggressively upon the earth.

    "Alola," Hau softly said. "We don''t want to intrude on your territory, here." He paused, arms raised and head lowering, trying to look small and unthreatening. "We are looking for a Pokemon that''s lost a little deeper in the jungle ¨C we just wanna find her and be out of your way."

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    That seemed enough for that distracted Mankey. It gave off a snort and turned, leaping after the rest of the pack.

    The other two shared a look.

    One of them took an aggressive step forward, hackles raised, sharp teeth showing under its upturned snout.

    "Uh¨C" Hau took another step back. Lilliane held her breath. Now, it was Toku and Petal''s turn to advance and protect us, putting on a brave front even though the situation didn''t look good. Could we fight them, even? "Is there any way to resolve this without a fight? We''ll¨C we''ll leave, really¨C"

    "We have berries!" I attempted to negotiate¨C they''d leave us alone if we just gave them a few, right? "We¨C we found a sitrus bush yesterday and I have one in a plastic bag, so if you just give me a second¡­"

    Both Mankey released their tension, locking their intense eyes onto mine and waiting for me to move. I carefully removed my bag from my back, keeping my eyes on the Fighting types to study their body movement.

    They watched as I zipped open my backpack, slowly moved my laptop out of the way and got the berry in a cellophane bag.

    Gently, I put the berry on the ground and rolled it toward them. The lead Mankey grabbed it and gave it to its second, watching it sunk its teeth into the sweet fruit.

    Then it pointed at me and grunted.

    I shared a look with Hau, Lilliane and our Pokemon. "That''s, uh, that''s all I have so¨C"

    The wild Pokemon now snarled and shrieked, eyes narrowing and shaking its pointer finger in my direction. It took me until I followed its finger to my bag that I realized that it meant¡­ "My laptop ?"

    It turned its palm and made a beckoning motion.

    There are primal reflexes that the brain calls to in these moments of pure panic ¨C here, there was no freaking way I would hand over my whole computer to a wild monkey in the Melemele jungle and so my entire body recoiled backwards as I shoved my laptop back in the bag, hurriedly zipping it back up and shaking my head no.

    Whether that was a good idea did not cross my mind in the slightest, heart stuck in my throat at the idea of losing so much of my notes and personal stuff¨C and already, the Mankey barked in indignation, huffing and snorting in anger. It stomped the earth powerfully with its feet, shrieked and lurched forward to loop a furry hand around the strap of my backpack.

    It pulled¨C and I lost my balance as I was dragged forward and fell to a knee on the jungle floor with a painful thud.

    Pandemonium followed.

    All of our pokemon immediately jumped to the action¨C with a nasally battlecry, my Oddish rushed forward to intercept¨C the droning sound of Lilliane''s Ledyba moving closer¨C and just to my side, there was another thud and a yelp of pain¨C

    Then Hau''s hands shoved me back until I regained enough wits about myself to scramble backwards (my backpack still intact!) and finally get a good look at what was happening.

    Hau, unbelievably, stood in a fighting stance with one fist outstretched forward, as the offending Mankey held up its bloody nose and shook in pure fury. He hopped back to narrowly avoid furious claw swipes as Toku dove in front of Hau with Reflect and barely stopped the Mankey''s assault.

    To its side, it looked like the other Fighting-type had given up its berry snack to rush forward¨C only to trip over an opportune root from Leech Seed. It stood back up with its eyes squinting in a coalescing cloud of Sweet Scent.

    I got up and tried to control my hyperventilating as I focused on Petal''s battle. Already the Mankey was grasping the roots of Leech Seed with one hand and ripping them off the earth, leaping toward the Oddish to pummel them into submission ¨C "A-Acid! Wide!" ¨C until Petal stood their ground and sprayed a splash of caustic fluid into the Mankey''s strike.

    Force and pressure collided in a wide spray of acid mist¨C the Fighting type recoiled, shaking its aching paw as my starter was thrown back. They narrowly stopped themselves from colliding a tree, feet skidding into the ground as their head sported a visible bruise.

    The situation was dire but okay! Okay!! This was salvageable! "Sleep Powder, all around yourself!"

    Petal shook their head to clear their dizziness, then focused, leaves blooming as a fine cloud of grey particles was puffed out; enough time for me to scramble to the side opposite our opponent.

    Already it had recovered and rushed forward¨C only to leap, jumping over the cloud with ease and swinging itself off of low hanging branches.

    So it was then that it suddenly found itself dangling there, those same branches having snaked and twisted themselves around its wrists as Petal focused on Leech Seed!

    In a tumble it crashed into the cloud of Sleep Spore, huffing and puffing in exertion against its restraints as more vines moved to constrict it. It would take a little while for drowsiness to set in but it couldn''t hurt to try.

    For the moment, Petal had it covered ¨C I took a quick glance toward the other fight.

    The smaller Mankey was crashing its fists against the shimmering Reflect of a struggling Toku. Hau cradled his bleeding nose with a bruised fist as Lilliane held onto the boy and gave desperate orders to her pokemon. Was that a new black eye on that Mankey?

    Both fighters moved in an erratic dance - the Mankey trying to gain ground and side stepping quickly, the Ledyba flying into the Mankey''s attacks and blocking it on every turn. Every few strikes, Toku let his shield flicker out long enough to shoot a quick psybeam¨C and narrowly blocked the next attack.

    The dance was tense. The Mankey was furious, unusually so, fists slamming into the Ledyba''s Reflect again and again, Toku straining against the pressure. With every blow, cracks in his defense widened a little bit more, and with every volley, retaliation came a little too hastily.

    "Oddish!!"

    Focus! Don''t stay distracted!

    The lead Mankey rushed toward my Oddish in renewed fury. Its arms and legs portrayed new bruises, skin rubbed raw where its bindings had once restrained it. It seemed just as, if not more active than before¨C had the Sleep Powder not worked at all??

    In a quick flurry of motion, its furry mitten closed over the base of my Pokemon''s leaves¨C and immediately it raised them off the ground, over their head and slammed them into the earth.

    My breath caught in my throat. It raised my starter by the root once more, cocking its head curiously at the downed pokemon.

    As dust cleared off and revealed the dangling Oddish, Petal glared weakly at the offending Mankey, a spray of poisonous spores coating the arm holding them up.

    One violent blur of movement, and Petal was thrown onto the ground once more.

    Dirt was thrown in the brutal outburst¨C my Oddish now unmoving.

    Wuh¨C

    What do I do, now?

    The Mankey began to approach.

    Shadows of the jungle grew tall. I felt alone, helpless¨C last time Petal had fainted, it had been a matter of giving them a few potion sprays and access to a center not far ¨C could we get emergency aid? Out there, in the woods?

    Why did we even come here?

    A few paces over, repeated strikes against a Reflect made sounds like bells ringing throughout the jungle. Toku the Ledyba struggled, exhaustion clear in his eyes, limbs trembling in exertion, no longer trading back with his opponent to focus entirely on maintaining the forcefield. His opponent grinned manically as it kept up the assault.

    Lilliane and Hau watched helplessly as cracks formed across Toku''s Reflect.

    It made sense, in hindsight¨C we had no chance of fighting against denizens of the jungle, and they themselves didn''t need to use complex strategies when they could just overpower their way through. What were we, if only trainers and pokemon a month into their junior Challenge?

    Lucidity flashed through my brain ¨C not a solution, but a reminder; I quickly recalled my fainted starter and brought my trembling hand to my Dunsparce''s ball.

    What for, Selene?

    The Mankey got closer, its snorting breath within breathing distance. Its furry hand reached to me.

    What do I do? This is not an animal, this is a person¨C a very angry one, one that wants my belongings and won''t take no for an answer¨C I know we''re here to look after Loa but for once I wish, I wish so so badly I were at home with Mom right now¨C

    "Get the fuck OFF, you creep!!"

    Out of the corner of my eye, a little furry thing with white fur and red spots just blurred into view¨C and the Mankey recoiled in pain, a psychic blast having hit it head on!

    "Selene, you okay?" Unbelievably, I felt Tuula''s hand on my shoulder, the worried pink-haired teen helping me to my feet. Shock continued its paralysis over me as I witnessed the other members of her group burst out of the jungle and into the action.

    Rui''s Rattata speared through my original opponent with frightening speed. The little rodent weaved its way through its legs, gnawing precisely at its ankles and wrists and drawing blood with each bite. The Mankey tried to retaliate¨C but its attack was sent off-kilter with a twirl of Tuula''s Spinda, the Mankey''s attention drawn unnaturally to its psychic sparkles and twirls.

    Sawney''s Grubbin practically shot out of the ground, mandibles open, and crushed them brutally over the other Mankey''s leg - giving Lilliane''s Ledyba an opportunity to shoot a volley of Psybeams.

    "You came?" My voice felt small and weak.

    Tuula''s nervous glance around broke as she answered me with something of a pout. "Of course we did¨C you could have waited for us! Or asked us, at least."

    "I thought¨C I thought you guys wouldn''t come," gasped out Hau, disbelievingly.

    "I have my beef with you, Hakalaua, but that doesn''t mean I''m fucking heartless!" Rui shouted out another order to his Rattata, then held a hand for Hau to help him up. "Eugh. I would have to be a real ass to let you go alone in the woods."

    With the combined effort of four Pokemon, now¨C we actually had enough firepower to push off our assailants. Already, I could feel Tuula''s tight hold spur me forward, and four Trainers and their Pokemon followed in our path as we continued our desperate trek deeper in the jungle.

    ¡­

    "Hakalaua, before we actually continue this, you''re gonna have to answer me a question."

    We were following Killer the Rattata''s nose, now. That was how they were tracking us, once they went after us in the forest. Good thing he was here, as we had completely lost track of Loa''s trail at this point.

    We''d all filed in a packed line - we had a clear guide now, and no intention to stick our noses anywhere they didn''t belong. Sawney and Tuula were in the back, keeping an eye out to make sure we weren''t followed. Sawney practically trembled and clacked his teeth.

    Hau, Lilliane and I were in the middle, with Lilliane''s composure starting to break, her starter still safe in her ball and her bruised Ledyba trying his best to console her. We had stopped a minute for me to spray potion over Petal''s bruised body, then back in their ball they went, safe until they could rest.

    Hau stuffed a bloodied cloth into his bag - his nose bleed had finally stopped, though a black bruise remained on his face. Killer the Rattata stood in front with his trainer in tow, Rui Tuari turning to Hau with a scowl.

    "Your starter¨C your nation-mandated golden fucking critter¨C ran away." Rui stopped suddenly, getting his face really close to Hau''s, staring daggers into his eyes. "You being violent with your Pokemon, Hakalaua?"

    "What the heck? No! I would never!" Hau couldn''t look more mortified at the idea, shaking his head and waving his hands side to side.

    Tension I hadn''t felt dropped. Rui made a motion at his Pokemon to continue, and we all resumed our walk. "So why did she run, then?"

    Hau dragged his hand over his face and gave a big sigh.

    I couldn''t help but listen intently.

    "I think I figured it out¨C just after you beat me, actually," Hau began, with an unusually grave tone. "You really got me thinking, about what I wanted to do with my life beyond the challenge. What I stood for and all that."

    He had taken off his bag as he spoke. Rummaging through it, he retrieved a bundle of papers¨C crumpled now after weeks of travel unprotected in a bag.

    "So I don''t know¨C I re-read all this stuff, here, ''cause it''s bullshit that the school gave me when I was given Loa and I originally gave it a skim through. All rules and expectations and junk and¨C" He sighed once more, breath heavy. "I mean¨C this shit''s heavy, you know? But a few things started to actually click."

    He flipped through the pages, pointing out paragraphs of it outlined in blue. "Here, it said that Loa is, uh, ''of mature age plus one'' which I understood means that she is a year older than the usual National Starter. In this other page, it''s mentioned in a special note section that she is, uh, ''reassigned'', and that''s super weird, right?"

    Nods from all around.

    "And here, finally," he pointed out to a paragraph circled and outlined many times in blue pen ink, "This is the important part. Ahem. ''In the events that the applicant has failed to reach and surpass the Akala Grand Trial (equiv. to Four (4) standard issue Pokemon League Gyms) by the end of the Challenge, the applicant will have to relinquish ownership of their National Starter for reassignment.'' "

    Six trainers and four Pokemon blinked at once, the pin finally dropping.

    A Litten ¨C one that is proud, temperamental, stronger and older in a way younger Litten aren''t. One that strives so, so hard to succeed and feels so, so much when she fails. Scared of connecting and opening up to her trainer, keeping her distance, hurt in a way that is obvious that something happened in the past we didn''t know anything about.

    "Loa didn''t evolve early¨C she evolved late." I gasped it out. Everything started to make sense. "She was someone''s National Starter last year. And that person didn''t make it through four Trials and then the second Grand Trial¨C so she was taken away from them. And this year, she was ''reassigned'' to you." Hau gulped and nodded.

    This was¨C this was horror. I couldn''t imagine any of my Pokemon being torn away from me.

    "I¨C I don''t know. I don''t know if she ran because she felt shame at her defeat ¨C or because I wasn''t good enough of a trainer for her. But that shit doesn''t matter. What matters is that she''s still hurt, and she threw herself into danger." Hau turned to Rui once more, conviction returning to his voice.

    "So yeah, Rui, you were right. I don''t deserve a Starter like her¨C but her safety and happiness is still my responsibility." His knuckles clenched and he grimaced, tears brimming at the corner of his eyes. "We''re going to rescue her. We''re going to rescue her, and I''ll ask her if¨C being Starter is her choice. If she''ll give me another chance.

    "And if she really wants to leave, then¡­ I''ll let her go."

 Chapter 16: Forest Fire II

    No time to lose.

    We continued our chase through the jungle. Hau¡¯s revelations on the specifics of the National Starter Program weighed heavily on our minds - something that we couldn¡¯t help but discuss among ourselves.

    Petal the Oddish would be in their ball until it became absolutely necessary, and Oran Juice the Dunsparce slithered right behind me as we plowed forward.

    Cries and screeches. We were deep in wild territory, now, and we methodically navigated around the roaming threats.

    Tuula and Sawney lagged behind, their brightly colored hair sticking out like sore thumbs in the underbrush as we slowly moved through the greenery. They muttered worriedly to one another, clutching tightly their respective starters like they could be taken at any moment.

    They would not be taken, of course, that seemed to be a possible outcome to only those who earned a National Starter through the program. But still. Hau was at a risk of something like it ¨C if his Torracat hadn¡¯t decided to leave him by herself.

    Cries and screeches.

    ¡°...How is this possible?¡± Lilliane whispered under her breath. She, too, clutched her Pokemon¡¯s small hand as we walked and her Ledyba buzzed softly to her side. Her own starter was safe in her ball where she¡¯d been since this morning. ¡°I¨C I haven¡¯t heard of anything like this back in Kalos. This is¨C this is barbaric¨C¡±

    ¡°Um! Uh, I think I heard of something like that a few years ago.¡± And indeed I did ¨C mom had narrowly avoided the time it had been implemented, but now I could recall her talking about it with dad in very cross terms just five years back. ¡°It¡¯s something to do about how, uh, the Incineroar and Primarina colonies are too small, and not enough first-stages volunteer as Starters, so there¡¯s not enough for everybody. Obviously it¡¯s really bad, but I think that was the practice in Kanto-Johto when they first implemented the Gym Challenge.¡±

    ¡°I suppose - eugh - that makes sense. But the solution shouldn¡¯t be to just¨C tear apart the trainer¡¯s bond because numbers are too low!

    ¡°It¡¯s the foreigners¡¯ fault,¡± Rui said flippantly. He did not avert his gaze from his Rattata as it continued to sniff out the Torracat¡¯s trail.

    Hau balked back. ¡°What the fuck, Rui.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just saying¨C it¡¯s not that the colonies are too small, it¡¯s that we got too many people in Alola now. Tourists from all over come in, they find the islands sooooo nice, and then their kids need pokemon with the best genes because they won¡¯t settle for a Pikipek or whatever.¡±

    ¡°Rui, cool it.¡± Tuula warned, her eyes narrowing as she whisper-shouted from the back of the line. ¡°I¡¯m warning you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± He angrily shoved back a branch as we ventured deeper in the forest, and perked up as his Rattata chittered something to him. ¡°Killer found something.¡±

    My heart started to beat faster in my chest. We sped up as Killer the Rattata picked up the pace, bouncing over knots of roots and through tall grass.

    We¡¯d been very careful in our travel, now, stepping very carefully around Pokemon territory ¨C so careful that I feared we would lose the Torracat¡¯s trail, or worse, we would find her in an injured state.

    The Rattata¡¯s frantic chase stopped, peering at something glinting on the jungle floor.

    Hau stepped closer - I followed suit - and he gingerly lifted a spherical piece of metal.

    The Pokeball in his hands was now covered in dents and scratches. Ash and flecks of paint dislodged as he lifted it to his face, and he winced, holding the pokeball with the very tip of his fingers. A pokeball is exceedingly hard to break, we knew, and while this one¡¯s paint had all but burned off it would most likely still be functional¨C and indeed, it expanded as he pressed the center button.

    He gave it a short toss¨C but as expected, no Torracat was hidden inside.

    No one needed to spell out what this blackened, burnt and scratched pokeball meant.

    Hau grimaced. We all stewed in silence. My Dunsparce gave out a quiet bray, confused at the situation.

    Rui gave a terse nod to his Rattata who just answered with a small shake of the head.

    ¡°...Hau, bad news. I think that¡¯s the end of the lead.¡± Rui trained his eyes on the Iki Town teen. ¡°It¡¯s already 1 PM or so. I know this sucks, but If we can¡¯t find your cat now, we should turn back if we want to get back on route before the sun sets.¡±

    Hau couldn¡¯t look back. He gripped the pokeball gently, ran his fingers across it, hands turning black with ash. Tears ran down his cheeks.

    In the distance; a cry, and a screech.

    Hau froze.

    ¡°I hear her.¡± He hopped to his feet, eyes wide, his head zero-ing onto a direction. ¡°I heard her!¡±

    The landscape around us became a blur.

    Branches and leaves whipped us in the face as we desperately rushed through.

    The sound of gasping breaths was the only thing I could hear as we threw caution to the wind.

    Gradually, the clashes of battle became faintly apparent: yelps, yowls, alarming shrieks, the pitter-patter of paws racing on the ground and the crash of bodies against trees¨C

    We finally broke through the treeline and beheld the battlefield.

    This was a clearing, a momentary patch of space within the jungle, though the trees still enclosed us tight. Faint flames clung to roots and branches of the space; remnants and shots of Embers that hadn¡¯t found their mark. Anxiety grasped my heart as I feared for a forest fire, but I recalled Hau¡¯s words prior; the Incineroar colony wouldn¡¯t have settled here if the trees could easily burn. Still, a faint warm haze coated the area as an orange glow outlined the shapes within.

    What intimidating shapes they were.

    It stood above its fallen prey. One gnarled foot curled upon the fallen stump of a tree, sharpened claws digging into bark. A long, crooked neck outlined in a collar of ruffled feathers held its head aloft as it pecked forward in a repetitive motion. Its beak, like a long blade with a curved tip, fluid running down its edge. A crest of red feathers ran up its head, shining crimson in the flames¡¯ glow.

    The Fearow narrowed its beady eyes at Loa¡¯s limp form. The Torracat dangled limply, held around the waist between the predatory bird¡¯s talons, twitching once or twice as the Fearow poked it with its beak.

    Two red gashes ran across Loa¡¯s form. One from her right cheek to her neck, the other running down her flank hidden from view. Both ran blood down in rivulets.

    Hau moved with desperation, scrambling to recall Loa back in her ball¨C but the Fearow moved in a jerking motion, craning its body and moving one massive wing to shield the recall beam from connecting with the Torracat, and Hau found himself just staring and trembling at the predator.

    A cold anxiety fell upon us like a cold blanket. Hau¡¯s Starter was here¨C she was not dead ¨C we had the medicine needed to stabilize her before we could give her proper medical care ¨C but she was grasped in the claws of a predator that had truly and well defeated her, and lest we act it would fly away with its quarry.

    She would be truly gone, then.

    Tension suffused the clearing. My fingers ached and beads of sweat dripped down the brow of us trainers.

    It was difficult for me to think about the reality of predation.

    Pokemon do not fight in vain. They fight to protect their territory, they fight to secure a ressource, they fight to settle their differences; they rarely, ever so rarely fight to kill.

    The last true carnivores had died tens of millions of years ago as sentience slowly dawned on Man and Mon - then by the modern era, no known creature ever had meat as its primary food source. Even ancient humans had evolved away from their meat-eating cousins; we no longer had the bacteria required to digest meat proteins, now.

    And yet, it was a known danger of wilderness that some wild Pokemon would hunt, would prey, and would feast.

    The Fearow turned its gaze to each of us in turn and considered which of us it could fly away with next.

    Hau abandoned the attempt to recall Loa to instead rush forward at the Fearow. In two great wing beats, it moved back and up in the air five feet and slapped the teen boy away to the ground.

    Loa¡¯s limp body dangled from its claws.

    A flurry of orders came from us trainers¨C frantic, panicked, desperate, but orders nonetheless, and our pokemon sprung into action to get the Torracat off of the Flying-type¡¯s clutches.

    Rui¡¯s Rattata reached it first despite its airborne position - it jumped off of a tree to nick its incisors into one of its legs, the Fearow cawing in indignation. Another blur of movement, and it stabbed the ground with its beak just where the Rattata had once been, then spun and dodged another Quick Attack from its opponent.

    In a test of speed, it seemed like the Rattata had the edge. And yet, sudden displaced air off of the Fearow¡¯s wings was enough to send its opponent off balance and crashing into the ground. It reached with its unoccupied claw to gore the Rattata open¨C and it missed, its attention suddenly swerving to its side as Tuula¡¯s Spinda gyrated its body in such a confusing manner. Even I felt my attention finding itself captured by the Normal type¨C

    So the Fearow was going after the Spinda next¨C Love Tax the Spinda teetered and tottered, balancing itself on one foot before somersaulting backwards to avoid a sudden strike from the Fearow¡¯s beak. Another blur of motion, and Rui¡¯s Rattata nicked off a few more feathers with its Quick Attacks as it was distracted.

    Tuula gave a snap order and her Spinda spun on its axis and suddenly moved like the Fearow did, folded arms as its side like wings. It hopped up to the Flying tip and bopped its beak with its paw with a surprisingly powerful slap sound - did it copy the Fearow¡¯s Wing Attack? - only for the Fearow to retaliate with a brutal bash forward strong enough to leave the Spinda with an ugly blue bruise.

    Tuula let out a gasping cry. Even Sawney, as visibly afraid as he was, gave an order to his Grubbin that he kept holding on to¨C the truth of the matter was that our opponent¡¯s beak was a foot long spear that would surely skewer our Pokemon if it landed a blow¡­

    As Rui¡¯s Rattata kept up the assault at a slower, more cautious pace, I steeled myself and asked OJ to get in the fray as well. I was terrified for his safety but I understood that he was, sans Torracat, the heftier Pokemon we had; he¡¯d be able shoulder a few hits if the Fearow got some in.

    My Dunsparce reached the ongoing brawl through the ground, tentatively popping out to throw himself at the Fearow in a Rollout or a Flail and squirming back into the jungle earth.

    I took a step back.

    Love Tax the Spinda stumbled back and was scooped up by its trainer. Hau waited in the wings, grimacing, looking for an opportunity to get in and grab Loa. Lilliane and Toku the Ledyba played keep-away with a combination of his usual protective Moves and projectiles, his trainer trembling but giving orders still. Killer the Rattata and Oran Juice the Dunsparce kept up the assault - tackles and lunges, weaving in and out of the brush layer - easily avoided by the Fearow. Given the density of vegetation, it exerted a lot of effort weaving itself around the vines and branches of the canopy.

    Its wingbeats sent out buffeting winds at us - not trying to hurt us, or by some control Flying-type of wind, but purely from its physical strength as it moved. I expected a Flying type to get to the air and stay airborne for the entirety of the fight. Yet, here, we found the evolved Pokemon pouncing from perch to perch, prodding and slapping with its beak and wings, shrieking out mockingly with its prey grabbed tight.

    It was toying with us.

    And yet, its grasp on Loa tightened and a little more blood seeped out the dangling feline.

    Focus, Selene, remember what you know¨C I stumbled back as another of the Fearow¡¯s wing beats sent a gust of wind my way¨C

    The Fearow is a lone hunter and a very efficient creature. Its loud shriek allows it to warn its brethren over a kilometer away as a Spearow, or scare off its rivals once it evolves. Its stamina is unparalleled among the Flying-types. Coordination of Its wings allows it for tight, sudden snap-turns, which it uses to stab with its sharp beak. The legs and claws have powerful muscles which it uses for swift slashes.

    I looked at this creature and saw a predator used to a static, if crowded environment; a creature that often faced prey with sensitive flesh and delicate skin¨C

    My heart beat so, so fast in my chest. We were in grave danger and scared out of our wits ¨C but we were still six trainers with more than six pokemon to our name. I had a strategy.

    I felt Petal¡¯s pokeball in the palm of my hand and released them in my arms ¨C my Oddish would be at their most sluggish in the middle of the day, and they¡¯d be especially vulnerable to the Fearow¡¯s attacks ¨C and whispered my plan to my groggy plant. Their response was a tired nod.

    As more orders were thrown by the other trainers, I inched my way toward Sawney - a ball of anxiety suddenly forming in my throat - and enlisted his help. His Grubbin and my Oddish would be working in concert for this.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Next up¨C ¡°OJ! Throw everything at it with Secret Power! Do it until you hit rocks!¡± and the little snake popped out of a hole and twirled in a blurry of motion.

    His tail scraped the ground and threw a constant assault; dead leaves and fallen bark first, blooming strangely and suddenly, scattering spores up into the air; then sprays of dirt and gravel, coating the area in an irritating film of dust. The fight slowed down; the Fearow pushing out the spores with beats of its great wings then shielding itself from the sprays of dirt.

    While it was distracted, Sawney and I inched around the battlefield as our Pokemon worked their magic. His Grubbin sent out precise String Shots over and across the battlefield, connecting tree trunks and branches¨C while my Grass-type focused in the earth and slowly shifted the vines around, looping them around the newly-made ropes to slowly, surely make a web¨C

    A yelp rang out¨C Rui¡¯s Rattata fell mid-jump, two lines of red painting his dark fur across his right flank. He stumbled as he attempted to get back up, and was recalled in his pokeball in a flash of red¨C a second before the Fearow¡¯s beak skewered the ground.

    My hand clenched around my other wrist. Two of our Pokemon were down; three were still up. Second part of the plan. ¡°OJ, coat yourself in rocks!¡±

    My Dunsparce rolled in the earth once, then twice - the faint glow of Secret Power covering his body, as pebbles and gravel stuck to him and compacted into a carapace. He flexed, he grunted, and cracks in the shell filled in as he focused on Defense Curl. We had only just started working on this trick a few days ago, and it was still in its drafting stage, but hopefully adrenaline would help with the rest.

    The Fearow looked at Oran Juice with an amused glint and adjusted its grip on the fainted Torracat. Its eyes focused on my Dunsparce, now tentatively approaching with his newly made suit of armor¨C

    Sawney and Rui grabbed Grubbin¡¯s String Shot and grunted in exertion as they pulled as strong as they could.

    The rope caught onto one, two, three, four knots around the battlefield, rapidly tightening a tapestry of web and vines. The Fearow caught our plan at the last second and moved¨C but not before the net bound around its right wing and leg and tightened the two together.

    In a tangle of limbs, the Fearow crashed to the jungle floor.

    The net of string and vine creaked and strained under the pressure of the evolved Pokemon¡¯s struggle. It managed to push its bound leg to the ground to get a semi-crouched position, one wing completely stuck to its side, two to three ropes pinning the Flying-type to the center of the clearing¨C and there my Dunsparce crashed into the Fearow with his rock-covered body.

    With the Fearow bound and cowed like this, we maybe had a fighting chance - still, despite losing access to a wing and being stuck to the floor as it was, its grip on the Torracat remained as solid as ever. Oran Juice sprung himself at the Flying-type, striking its bound wing with a rock-solid tail attack. It squawked in indignation, hopped back and retaliated in a furious flurry of beak-tip attacks, chipping bits of OJ¡¯s armor as he advanced.

    The struggle continued. Sawney and Rui desperately kept their hold on the makeshift net, ensuring that it kept the Flying type at bay. It fought against its bounds, unable to fully maneuver itself, raging against my Dunsparce with barely contained fury.

    With every hammering blow that OJ could land, his opponent cracked his armor a little more. For any time wasted at consolidating the armor with Defense Curl, the Fearow¡¯s bounds creaked and strained a little harder.

    The limp body that the Flying-type held in its claws twitched.

    Everything happened all at once;

    In a desperate attempt to knock out his assailant, Oran Juice curled into a ball and spun in place ¨C with all this time focusing on Defense Curl over and over again, his armor had become a cracked smooth ball of stone ¨C and the resulting charging Rollout barrelled toward the Fearow at top speed, clouds of dust in his wake¨C

    The Fearow screeched and pulled against its bindings, once more ¨C I heard the boys at my side cry out as the rope they were holding to snapped and our makeshift net unraveled, vines giving and snapping and freeing its wings¨C

    Hau took his chance and charged at the Fearow¨C

    My Dunsparce crashed into the Fearow with a crack that echoed throughout the jungle; his carapace of stone didn¡¯t crumble as much as it exploded, sending out rocks and gravel into his opponent¡¯s torso. The Fearow jerked away with a pained screech, and as spasms rocked its body, its foothold on the feline slipped out and Loa plummeted to the ground.

    Hau dove and caught her in his arms, landing safely on the floor. We had her.

    All us humans converged, eyes wide at the recovering Fearow. My Dunsparce wrestled with his balance and slithered our way, Lilliane¡¯s Ledyba flew between us and our opponent ready to intercept. We weren¡¯t out of the woods yet.

    The Flying-type shook its head and flapped away the gravel and dust from its battered body. Its head looked at its empty talons then glared daggers at us, pupils pinpricks and red at the corner of its eyes.

    In one wingbeat it pounced and its beak drove like a missile¨C

    With a strident crash it smashed into a Barrier that Toku had summoned. The Ledyba strained against the Fearow¡¯s enraged efforts as it speared its beak again and again into the forcefield.

    We all huddled and cowered as the Fearow¡¯s head jabbed relentlessly. With every strike, the latticework of Toku¡¯s Barrier lit up and illuminated our frightened faces, painting the edge of the Fearow¡¯s beak in bright white. With every blow, I saw stamina leave the Ledyba¡¯s limbs.

    One after the other, each of Toku¡¯s arms fell to his side. Finally, he collapsed, utterly spent¨C and the Barrier came down with him.

    A flash of red and Lilliane recalled him inside of his ball. The Fearow advanced, head low to the ground, breath heavy, eyes red with murder. Its wings spread out, blotting out the light.

    Tuula and Rui¡¯s Pokemon were hurt or down for the count at that point. Sawney¡¯s Grubbin and my Oddish were still up but utterly exhausted, both drained by the net plan. Twenty feet from us, my Dunsparce struggled to get out of his Rollout-induced daze.

    Hau was cradling the unconscious Loa still.

    Lilliane stood in front of us, Toku¡¯s ball in her trembling hand. She put it in her bag and retrieved Stella¡¯s. Up to now, she had been the only Pokemon unreleased and uninjured.

    We stood in silence as the Fearow stalked forward.

    She hesitated.

    I didn¡¯t need to see the faces of the Rui, Tuula and Sawney to know what they were thinking: here we are, in a life and death situation against a rowdy wild Pokemon, recall your injured and send off your healthy fighters to combat. We all did, why not you?

    Ball raised toward the Pokemon, her lips trembled¨C I saw her try and attempt to say the release words, but her breath caught in her throat, sobs clogging up her neck.

    She was taking too long. The Fearow was a lot closer still, ready to stab its beak into Lilliane, now, or just snatch Stella¡¯s ball altogether¨C

    And the clearing suddenly lit with red.

    Something akin to a fireball suddenly collided with the Flying-type¨C not a fireball, but a flame-cloaked Torracat that had pounced off of Hau into the Fearow.

    The two wrestled brutally in a tangle of limbs and flame. One screeched and struggled, the other clawed and bit, feathers flying off¨C

    The Fearow slashed across Loa¡¯s chin and we all gasped. She yowled, backed off and stumbled as blood dripped down her jaw, and the Fearow advanced, neck retracting to stab once more.

    A flurry of motion¨C and Hau stood in front of Loa in a fighting stance, Fearow¡¯s beak pushed off to the side. A reddenning line to his flank marked where the Fearow¡¯s beak had cut into his shirt.

    In one swift motion, he grabbed the Fearow by the beak and neck and kneed it violently into its throat.

    The predator made a deafening sound like a flock of Zubats rushing out of Groudon¡¯s cave, then pounced away and up into the treeline.

    As soon as we realized that we¡¯d driven off our assailant, we ran and did not look back.

    <hr>

    We would not be able to leave the Melemele jungle until the next day.

    This is what occurred to us, once we¡¯d realized that Hau had fallen behind ¨C the slash across his abdomen actually stung too much for him to continue running.

    Despite how spooked we were in this forest, we had no choice but hunker down.

    I was no stranger to using ether as a way to give my Pokemon a little stamina boost when it was necessary ¨C my Oddish is nocturnal, yet insists on accompanying me on day-time events, so giving them ether or an elixir tablet once in a while was a way to make that happen.

    It worked just as well on my Dunsparce as it once did on Petal. We¡¯d stopped at a deserted glade with a large, overlooking tree, and Oran Juice had gone to work ¨C half an hour later, my Dunsparce had dug out for us a sizeable den for all of us to hide in, and we¡¯d covered the entrance with moss and roots. His task finished, OJ curled up into a ball against Petal and fell asleep on the spot.

    In the meantime, we applied basic medicine to anybody that needed it ¨C some sprays of potion for Rui¡¯s Rattata, Tuula¡¯s Spinda, Lilliane¡¯s Ledyba and my Dunsparce. Hau and Loa needed some more urgent care, which was why finding a place to sit down was so needed.

    So now, we were all huddled in the cramped, dirt-covered den ¨C we had laid all our blankets on the floor and shook off the dirt outside. With the sun peeking through the roots at the entrance and two of our lamps, it made for a dim ambiance.

    I was so tired.

    Adrenaline had completely worn off for all of us. Sawney and the twins had started breaking down into tears and sat against the wall, all of them hugging one another and their battered Pokemon tight. I was about to sit down and do the same when my gaze drifted to Hau and Loa¡¯s bloody bandages ¨C my starter, bless their soul, tiredly tugged on my sleeve and hushered me forward.

    Hau was sitting down on a blanket with his starter to his side. He¡¯d tore up some cloth from his bag to make it into a makeshift bandage and applied pressure to it with his arm. Laying on her side, Loa had gone limp not long after.

    She still breathed, thank the Tapus. Her body was covered in cuts and scrapes, with three bleeding wounds that we had bandaged as tightly as we could; two on her torso, one on her chin.

    ¡°Potion won¡¯t be enough to treat her wounds¨C y-your wound, too,¡± I told Hau. Trainer medicine could work wonders nowadays - but what we had was the low grade stuff, and better potions were expensive.

    Post-battle care as a rookie trainer was simple, normally. It had been drilled into us less than a year ago. Check for the severity of the wounds and bruises; if it¡¯s all superficial damage, spray with potion, clean up and move on with your day. Anything beyond cuts, punctures or abrasion of a certain depth, and it was recommended to put the patient in pokeball stasis and bring them to a center as soon as possible.

    That was assuming the Pokemon was the one injured. Humans are often far less thick-skinned.

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t really have a choice, do we? I¨CI should be fine until we reach Iki Town. I¡¯ll get some proper care then.¡± He motioned with a hand and winced. ¡°Take care of Loa first.¡±

    That was assuming that his stitches wouldn¡¯t break as he walked. I brought out the stitching set out of the medkit and saw him grow pale.

    None of us wanted this, but we didn¡¯t exactly have a choice.

    There was a flash of red and I heard the cry of Stella the Cleffa after being released from her pokeball. She immediately fussed over her worn-looking trainer, Lilliane taking deep, deep breaths and trying to center herself.

    She laid a hand on my shoulder, and steeled her nerves. ¡°I¨C I can do it, Selene.¡± She turned her attention to Hau next. ¡°Hau, Stella and I have not done this in over a year, but we¡¯ve been trained in pulse-assisted care.¡±

    Wait, she has?

    The next step after basic first aid was pulse-assist ¨C any kind of medical care performed by a human professional and involving a Pokemon healing Move. Healing Moves were not magic, I had been told; they did not heal battle damage out of nowhere ¨C there was often a drawback, or some sort of guidance or expertise needed for the cells to regenerate properly. It was forbidden for trainers to use certain types of healing moves without a specific license, especially those that healed someone else.

    The teen boy didn¡¯t share my appreciation, almost shooting off his seat in surprise. ¡°Well, shit! Why didn¡¯t you say so before?¡±

    ¡°...Hau, my Kalosian license doesn¡¯t actually extend to Alola. I was taught only to treat little nicks and hurts, not a bleeding wound.¡± Lilliane wrung her hands in worry. ¡°Stella and I could probably help ¨C we could also do a lot more wrong. What if we mess this up?¡±

    He raised the arm he wasn¡¯t holding against his cut and laid his hand on her arm. ¡°If there¡¯s anybody I would trust to do this, it¡¯d be you. Pulse me¨C uh, pulse her first. Or pulse me first if you need a practice dummy.¡±

    The next few minutes happened in restful silence.

    Lilliane retrieved a separate medicine kit and some sort of field manual from within her own Sylph handbag. Carefully, Stella and Lilliane removed Loa¡¯s bandages and cleaned up her wounds with water. Loa¡¯s only response were slight winces, trying to avoid eye contact.

    Her anger seemed drained out of her.

    Methodically, Lilliane poured some sort of ointment from a bottle¨C Stella rose her hands, and the ointment started to float in mid-air, snaking its way over Loa¡¯s wounds and draping itself over the large cut like a veil.

    Hau looked over the procedure with a concerned eye. His cowed Pokemon sighed as the flesh began to close before her very eyes. She glanced towards Hau and their eyes locked.

    ¡°Loa of Mauna Kea, I¨C I¡¯m no good at this sort of stuff,¡± he blurted out. Mauna Kea, one of the smallest Incineroar colonies. ¡°I was so¨C so fucking scared. I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯re safe.¡±

    Her eyes drifted to Hau¡¯s own wounds and quickly looked away in shame. Lilliane tutted and Loa stopped wiggling. Hau chuckled and winced. ¡°Yeah¨C that thing did a number on both of us, didn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re strong enough to handle Fearows on the regular. But we¡¯ll get there.¡±

    She looked away, disbelieving.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±

    A bit of silence followed. Lilliane instructed Loa to get on her flank, and she obeyed.

    ¡°You know, I see Grandpa¡¯s Hariyama train up the little local Makuhitas from time to time,¡± he began wistfully. ¡°He¡¯s a harsh teacher. They group up in a class of a dozen students or so, and they¡¯re at it for hours at a time. Sometimes they figure out their moves immediately, sometimes they¡¯re having an awful time with the beginner katas and they keep tripping off their feet. But they keep getting up¨C because that¡¯s what they¡¯re passionate about, and¨C I don¡¯t know.¡± He rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I think they were also lucky to have a good teacher.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened in your past, Loa¡­ but I can tell it¡¯s weighing heavy on your mind. Maybe you didn¡¯t have a gentle hand to help you, then. I know talking about it between us is gonna be difficult, and I¡¯m not gonna force it ¨C but whatever it was that happened, it¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    A war of emotions passed between Loa¡¯s eyes. She shook it out, growled and glared at Hau in indignation. He straightened his back and returned the glare tenfold.

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t give me the stink eye!! I¡¯m serious about this. You¡¯re serious and crazy determined, Loa. And I can¡¯t speak for your previous trainer, but I know you did your best then.¡±

    Her nuzzle morphed into a pout and she looked away. Hau maintained the stare still.

    ¡°Lemme put it this way¨C¡± Hau lifted up an arm and gestured to the exit. ¡°Loa, is that what you want? Is that what you stand for? Run off in the woods and train on your own? Get yourself killed?¡±

    Anger flashed across her face, then shame, and finally resignation. She deflated and only gave a tired shake of the head.

    ¡°Then we¡¯re going to keep training, simple as that.¡± He gave off a heavy sigh. ¡°You and I¨C we don¡¯t work or think the same way at all. But I don¡¯t want that to stop us from being a team. I¡¯m too optimistic and you¡¯re too stuck in your negative emotions. That¡¯s our weakness. Let¡¯s learn how to surpass it.¡±

    Tentatively, wordlessly, Loa responded with a nod.

    From the corner of my eye, I could see a smile finally settling on Lilliane¡¯s face. As she and Stella listened, they finished their work on Loa¡¯s wounds; and a faint layer of sensitive scar tissue had been woven over the cuts.

    Lilliane moved to tend to Hau next, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. ¡°Hey before you get to me, there¡¯s something I gotta do. Can you get my bag for me?¡±

    ¡°Hau, I do think we should get to you as soon as possible¨C¡±

    ¡°This will take just a minute, I promise. It¡¯s important. It¡¯s¨C it¡¯s the thing we worked on together,¡± he said to Lilliane, and she relented. He moved to get up and knelt down to Loa¡¯s side. Lilliane and Stella helped him up, though I could see that they didn¡¯t approve.

    A silence settled over our den.

    The piece of fabric that he retrieved from his bag was colorful. A woven sleeve of red fabric, embroidered in geometric symbols of earthy colors, with two straps to tighten it securely. He presented it forward to her, and I watched as her eyes grew big as dinner plates, pure surprise on her face.

    ¡°Loa of the southern tribe, Mauna Kea, the trials of life have been harsh to you. They will continue to be harsher still, and you will rise to the occasion with bravery and pride. You enter the age of maturity.¡±

    She looked at the armband with shock, then back at Hau, eyes still wide. She rose a paw and stretched her arm forward.

    Hau slipped the armband on her until it reached her shoulder and secured it.

    Loa looked down at her arm where the armband rested, disbelieving. Tears brimmed at the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°You make your own choices, now. My responsibility as a trainer is to help you become your best self¨C your own self. What will that be?¡±

 Chapter 17: Return to Pasture

    Night had fallen.

    Impossibly, we hadn''t been harassed by wild pokemon yet.

    With the tension dying down, our group had risked making dinner and setting up our bedrolls, still staying cramped up in the den that my Dunsparce had dug out for us. We needed the night and the rest for everyone to recover. Half of our Pokemon were nursing their wounds, and while potion was enough to disinfect and stop the bleeding, this was nothing of a full recovery ¨C not to mention Hau and his Torracat''s injuries, who would probably need help to walk.

    At least, Loa had agreed to return to her pokeball for as long as she could risk reopening her scars.

    Lilliane and her Cleffa''s pulse-assisted care had been a miracle.

    As the whispers of our group died down and the sun set, the sounds of the jungle nightscape began to emerge. Some of the nocturnal life were starting to prowl, shapes shifting out in the gloom as little light escaped the canopy.

    We had closed off the entrance to a little window and decided that we would need to keep a night watch. I think in any other circumstance I would have found the thought a little silly, like I was a character in a roleplay rolling dice to see if my party would be jumped ¨C but here I was, laying against the wall of our den looking out the window with Lilliane at my side. We were the second group to take watch; the Tuari twins had been the first.

    Petal the Oddish wiggled in my lap to find the most comfortable spot. They were fully awake, now, but there would be no wandering and exploring in the jungle until we were back on-route. Lilliane scratched a splayed out Oran Juice the Dunsparce on the belly, him thoroughly enjoying the attention as her own Pokemon continued to sleep in a snuggly pile.

    "It''s a shame we can''t see the stars," Lilliane whispered. "You have so little light pollution, here."

    "...You have light pollution?" Now that seemed a little silly to ask. I couldn''t imagine a sky without stars. I was aware that other regions had it tough, I had seen pictures, but I felt like it wouldn''t do the real thing justice. "Huh."

    "We certainly do. They call Lumiose City the ''City of Lights''¨C but it does miss out on the night sky." She wrung her hands, smoothing over her dirtied and ripped up clothes. "The sidewalks are practically glowing from the shopfronts and the streetlights. But the sky is just¨C big, black and empty."

    I tried to picture it in my head. A city at night, a massive expanse of dark above, the buildings around lighting up like trees during Winter''s Eve.

    "...Hm. The streets must be pretty, though."

    "They really are. I''m not one to go out late, but there''s a lot of shops and caf¨¦s that close way after the sun goes down, so there''s still a lot of traffic until late at night. The city is very active." She spoke of it with a certain fondness that couldn''t help but draw out a smile. "The Pidoves go to bed and Zubats take over¨C others would disagree, but I think the Zubats are really cute."

    We had been whispering to one another for a while. Keeping an eye out on the gloom outside, my eyes drifting on the moonlit silhouettes of the jungle. For a moment, my gaze fell to Lilliane''s face ¨C golden hair almost silver in the gloom, the faint outline of her jawline, her brows furrowed as her brilliant green eyes that looked at me¨C focus, Selene!

    "Selene." Lilliane swallowed, and for a moment her own anxiety seemed to betray her composure. Softly, she asked: "When we ran after Loa, earlier today¡­ did you really think we would make it safely?"

    "I wasn''t exactly thinking, when everything went down, you know." I would be the least prepared for an adventure like this¨C this had been the first time in my life I had gotten myself voluntarily in such danger. "Hau was already going, and we''d all been really worried about Loa for a while¨C I couldn''t leave any of them alone in that jungle. I think I¨C I shared a look with Petal, and I knew that we had to go."

    Lilliane looked away, pensive.

    For a minute, she had nothing else to say. The faint sounds of the jungle resonated beyond our window.

    "I don''t think I was thinking either." Lilliane''s voice broke me out of my reverie. She looked at her hands, and I wondered for a moment if I had said something wrong.

    We locked eyes and she looked suddenly embarrassed. "I''m just¨C I worry, you know. It''s stupid. I think¡­ I think that in my head, I really thought the Island Challenge would be all roses. We''d breeze through the Trials and everything would be fine. Like Stella and I could return to something normal."

    Oh. Oh! Lilliane''s whole deal!

    It was a bit of a scary reminder ¨C I still felt like I understood so little of what had happened to Lilliane''s family. Her father had disappeared, her brother had gone rogue, her mother was involved in shady deals and Lilliane had backed out on going against her mom at the last second ¨C it would make sense that she had wanted a return to normalcy.

    It''s hard to describe our Challenge as anything but abnormal. Our Trial attempts had either been a total failure or on the edge of disaster, and now we had just rushed off-route into what I could only assume was tier four territory right after clearing tier one. My shoulder had only just stopped feeling sore from the fall during that first Trial attempt, even.

    "I''m so sorry Lilliane, uh¨C I''d like that too."

    She sniffed and blinked, glimmering at the corners of her eyes. She drew her legs to her chest and hugged them.

    "Don''t be," she sighed. "I just have a lot on my mind."

    With one thumb of her hand she wiped the beginning of tears off of her cheeks, brow furrowing.

    I wanted to help her. She was hurting¨C her mind was spinning, I could tell, thoughts spiraling as she wrestled with something she tried to understand and that kept hurting her. How could I help?

    "...What are you thinking about, Lilliane?"

    Our eyes locked again. Brilliant green matched my gaze and held it again. She drew in a breath.

    "We''re okay. I¡­ I didn''t think we would." She hugged her legs tighter. "We healed them."

    "Is that a bad thing?"

    "It''s not, of course. It''s just¡­ My Pokemon and I, we were there. We actually made a difference. If we weren''t, things could have been so much worse off."

    She spoke of it like she couldn''t believe it, and she was there. Toku''s Barriers had been instrumental in keeping heat off of the other battlers all day ¨C and I couldn''t imagine how we would be doing if we hadn''t had Stella to treat Hau and Loa''s wounds.

    Still, she was distraught about it¨C I felt like we were walking in circles. How could I phrase this?

    "You seem so upset." I shimmied my butt a little closer, my thigh touching hers. "What''s wrong?"

    She sighed once more. The warmth of her leg against mine, she leaned into me and I almost jumped, her head and shoulder against mine, warmth radiating out like a bonfire. Her hands fidgeted in her lap.

    "We helped. We made a difference. We did." I felt her shuddering breath not far from mine. "I never thought I could help, before. I thought¨C I thought that I just had to do what I was told and take care of my own. And here we are, deep in a jungle off-route, and everyone is okay."

    It tore me inside to see her like this.

    "There''s a tightrope in front of me that wasn''t there before," she continued. "It stretches out into the darkness. If I walk the rope and I fall, my Pokemon and I are hurt in ways we can''t recover from. If I stay in place, someone else would be hurt in their stead."

    It flashed into my mind, this mental image of something she had once told us¨C of finding a strange unknown Pokemon in a metal container, of suddenly worrying about what would happen to her own Pokemon if she were to release it, risk it all to make it free¨C

    "I convinced myself that I had no choice in the matter¨C that I should do nothing and let it pass but now I''m feeling like a fool. Like a monster."

    A part of me agreed.

    It had been a rough confluence of emotions when she had told us the story, that first time. I could understand putting your Pokemon and yourself first. I couldn''t understand not helping a distressed soul when you saw one ¨C but if you had no one to rely on, if your Pokemon or one you didn''t know were your only two choices, then¡­

    "Y-you were all alone then," I assured her. "You couldn''t exactly do it all on your own."

    "I know, but still¨C"

    My body reacted before my brain did.

    My fingers felt hers and I gently grabbed her slender hand. She stopped.

    "L¨CListen. It''s unfair, I know. I can understand freezing up when things get too scary. But, uh¨C" I tilted my head towards the sleeping people behind us. "Look how many people went after us. Look how many people followed after Hau and Loa ¨C whatever you got going on, we can''t let you do it alone. Your Pokemon won''t let you do it alone."

    She looked back at her sleeping Cleffa and Ledyba, for a moment. Her hand squeezed mine.

    "But¡­ but I''m doing it for them. I want them to be safe." Her voice was so quiet, I almost couldn''t hear it.

    I put my other hand over hers and squeezed her hand back.

    "Me too," I whispered. "But they should also have a say in it. Stella is the most dedicated Pokemon I''ve seen, and Toku chose you as a trainer. When everything went down with your mom, and you found that caged Pokemon¨C if you had asked your starter what to do then, what would she have said?"

    Lilliane''s eyes went wide. I could see the events replaying in her head, and she knew her starter better than anyone, I''m sure she could come to her own conclusion¨C

    Her arms drew me in and I found myself squeezed tight. Her shuddering, warm torso breathed oxygen in spurts, and as she buried her head on my shoulder I wondered if I had said exactly the wrong thing.

    "Selene, I made such, such a huge mistake," she sobbed out. I could feel her tears start to wet my shoulder. "I never should have left that Pokemon there¨C I should have freed it and hidden it in a bag or something¨C "

    She fell into blubbering and mumbling then, and I felt her torn between bursting into tears and keeping quiet for our sleeping friends. Hugging her head, I laid my hand against her hair and gently rubbed..

    Tears came to the corner of my eyes then, caught up in the storm of emotions.

    From the corner of my eye, I saw the sleeping form of her Cleffa.

    Our eyes met.

    She gave me a smile, a faint nod, then returned to sleep.

    <hr>

    "Oh, Tapus above, we''re actually out," Hau moaned.

    I let out a breath I didn''t realize I was holding in. I practically scuffed my knees collapsing on the grass then, now that the canopy didn''t loom over us like a trap waiting to be triggered.

    Another day of travel through the jungle. We hadn''t been able to get out the way we had gotten in, so we''d elected what would be the shortest path out: trusting in our compasses and trekking south-east. With Hau needing help to walk and a desire to avoid combat at all costs, we''d taken our sweet time navigating through the jungle and its denizens.

    We''d teased Hau about the way to the elusive Incineroar colonies ¨C and he did know the way, he said, but he wasn''t exactly allowed to tell anybody. Still, he knew the jungle best and we had to trust him.

    A few miles south and we had stumbled upon a low river. Following it east, we would eventually find a ravine going under route 3 and reach Kala''e Bay, then we would have to double back south and around the coast to Iki Town. Instead, Hau had directed us west following the river, heading at a slight incline uphill. Despite how hard it would be for the boy, he insisted on taking the path that he thought would be fastest for us. He owed us, he told us then, and would rather take the shortcut than the longer path.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Lilliane had called him stupid and I almost did, while the other team trio eagerly accepted. I don''t think I could blame them.

    A few hours later, we were finally out of that jungle.

    What greeted us had been a snaking mountain pathway, clearly maintained. Travel markers hugged the trail from both sides every hundred feet, stacks of stones painted in colorful colors and decorated with fluttering ornaments. We had seen these markers back in Route 3 every half a mile, so clearly this path was treated with more reverence than the route was. Weaker pokemon now roamed around, Weedle and Bounsweet in the bushes as Spearows cawed from the skies ¨C we couldn''t help but give the Flying types a wide berth.

    "So, uh, that''s Mahalo Trail," Hau began. One arm rose to point at the southern end, leaning against Rui for support. "In an hour or two this way we''ll be at my family''s ranch¨C I, uh, we gotta stop at the center beforehand but y''all can stay home for the night for sure!" A pause, then he added, "If y''all are cool with it, yanno."

    Sighs of relief all around. After a week and a half of travel through the route - a month since we had set out on our Island Challenge - we were finally back to civilization.

    "Hey, Hau¡­" Sawney began, typing in numbers on his phone. He looked back into the jungle like he''d seen a Ghastly, then turned back to Hau, shoulders limp. "I''ll, uh, take you up on the offer some other time. I''m gonna get my parents to pick me up in town and crash at my place."

    Rui shrugged, the motion jostling Hau. "Whatever¨C as long as I can get a shower and sleep til noon, I''m game. You sure your folks are gonna be alright with that?" He looked back at the teen that he was helping walk, his sister coming over the other shoulder. Hau gave an eager nod.

    "Cool," Rui continued. "You and your cat heal up, and we fight again when you''re good, got it?" Hau only grinned and gave another nod.

    Lilliane fumbled with her phone and gave a heavy sigh, as Stella the Cleffa patted her on the thigh where she peeked out of her trainer''s bag. Lilliane had changed clothes to another pristine white dress; we now understood that her mother was strict on the matter. She looked at her phone intently, brows furrowing.

    There was something I didn''t know¡­

    "Where do you sleep, Lilliane?"

    She blinked in surprise, looked at me then at everyone else, suddenly unsure. She gathered her wits and gave her response. "My parents live¨C erm. I suppose we have a home in Ula''ula, but I figure you''re asking where I want to sleep tonight." She clenched her phone once more, then turned to Hau with a faint smile. "I suppose I''ll be in your care, then."

    Hau''s attention turned to me and I gave him a tentative nod as well. I think mom or dad could have picked me up or I could have taken the bus back to Hau''oli ¨C but at this point I was exhausted, and if Hau was going to offer it would be rude to refuse.

    My only hope was that Hau''s family wasn''t one of those enormous families where you would meet all the siblings and cousins at once. I only had so much energy for social stuff at this point.

    Still, my gaze went southward.

    Soon, we would finally be home.

    <hr>

    Within half an hour of walking down the trail, the first few roofs of Iki Town had come into view and we''d all let out a huge sigh of relief. We had passed by large, fenced off grazing fields where Miltank and Tauros herds grazed, and eventually Hau had pointed out a set of farmhouses.

    Hell broke loose when we knocked at their door and Hau greeted them with a limp and bloody bandages at his side. We weren''t even given time to say hello before all of us were herded into a truck and someone ¨C Hau''s older sister? His aunt? ¨C drove us into town and at the pokecenter, her partner Trumbeak flying after the truck.

    So here we were. We all had given our own Pokemon to get checked and now we just kicked our feet, waiting for Hau and our ''Mons to get discharged ¨C Hau and his aunt had been ushered into care by a nurse and floating Comfey while Hau''s relative''s Trumbeak had settled onto a nearby shelf.

    Sawney had left almost as quickly as we''d arrived, his Pokemon needing little to no care. Sure enough, out the door he went.

    Looking after his departing shadow, I couldn''t help but feel a sour taste in my mouth.

    Five minutes into our wait, and Lilliane had been called in by the nurse. She gave us all a grimace then was ushered in.

    For now, I had gotten on the free use PCs of the center ¨C portable two-way video calls were expensive or clunky technology, only available to those that could invest their money in the very expensive, very new rotomtech ¨C nothing that was available at Alola quite yet. Everyone still made their calls at pokemon center PCs or by renting one at a call shop. I typed in my home PC number hoping my mom was home, pressed the call button, waited until¨C

    "Congratulations on your Trial, my precious flower! I''m so proud of you!"

    There on the PC screen, my mom exclaimed proudly while holding out Meowy the Meowth and her voice played out loudly from the headphones. I winced with an embarrassed smile.

    "Ah¨C thanks, mom. Yeah, it''s great." Honestly, in the rush of everything that had happened, I had completely forgotten about our success with the first Trial. The Island Amulet dangled from my bag still, the first Trial bead attached to it. It would probably need a little bit of dusting and polishing, but it was otherwise brand as new.

    "I can''t wait to meet your little new pokemon, Selene. He looks adorable from the pictures! And naming him Oran Juice, ah! What does he eat? You think the mammal berry mix that Meowy eats is going to be okay?"

    "No problem, mom, berry mix is fine." I waved her off with a hand. For a second, my eyes flitted to the deep tears in my clothes, wondering how I was going to explain that.

    Mom looked at the clock in the wall and tutted. "Your dad''s going to pick you up around 8 PM, he should finish work sometime soon; are you good to hold on until then?"

    "Oh, uh, it''s fine mom, we''ll be staying at Hau''s house tonight." Her eyes and mouth widened in surprise¨C I wasn''t one to stay at someone else''s house most of the time. "We''re at the center right now. We''re waiting for him to be discharged and then we''ll be going."

    For a second there, I saw her stuck between surprise and worry, her eyes scanning over my clothes. "Oh¡­? Everything alright, baby? Did you get yourself hurt?"

    I couldn''t exactly tell my mom that we''d gone into the Melemele jungle¨C that we had fended off a newly-evolved Noivern, that I had done a grass dance until I tranced and vomited all over my shoes, that we had fought a pack of thieving Mankeys and a predatory Spearow to rescue Hau''s Torracat, that we had skulked through the woods until we had reached an exit on the other side¨C

    "Not me! It''s¨C all good, everything good, just doing a checkup!" I looked down at the rips in my clothes. "Hau got¨C uh, some scratches, but he should be fine."

    "I''m talking about you, dear. Are you okay?"

    Was I?

    My mom was doing the eyes at me, gaze intense and piercing as I scrambled for an answer.

    Physically, I was okay. There had been some panic in the scuffle of the last few days that had caused me to scuff my knees and elbows a few times ¨C but it was nothing out of the ordinary. The soreness from the fall I suffered during the first trial attempt had practically faded at this point.

    Emotionally, though¡­

    Well, there had been two¨C no, maybe three near-death experiences. That wasn''t too good.

    It''s¨C strange, though. I had been so scared at the moment but also so focused, like my body had gone on autopilot with the adrenaline¨C and then poof. All gone. I remember being worried about my friends and myself afterwards, but that''s kind of my default state of being here. Was that okay?

    My mind flashed to the view of the separate conversation that I had seen on Sawney''s phone before Hau and Rui had fought and Loa had run away. I had forgotten about it with everything happening, but now the thought was free to spin around in my head and I could feel my mood coming down about it. So maybe he wasn''t my friend! Maybe he''d lied this whole time! I couldn''t help the sour expression from coming onto my face, then.

    "...It''s nothing to worry about, mom. Just some dumb stuff."

    "None of that stuff is dumb. Don''t you wanna talk about it?"

    I did¨C but also I didn''t, I didn''t want mom to send dad to pick me up when Hau was inviting me to his place and I didn''t want to leave Lilliane all alone¨C

    "The amulet¨C show it to me."

    I felt the Island Challenge amulet against my bag¨C tracing my fingers against its wooden side, I could feel something new. Three small grooves had been embedded on the side, the size and shape of, say, Mankey claws, and now I wondered¡­

    "See, I told you that Meowy would protect you in spirit!" The cat in her hold gave a proud meow, grinning at me through the screen. "The magic should be almost depleted, now, so how about tomorrow we weave a little bit more of Meowy''s fur in it? You can tell me all about your troubles then."

    Gosh. I couldn''t help but smile. "Sure, mom, that sounds nice."

    "I''ll see you tomorrow, then. And love; if you ever need me to pick you up because the mood is a little sour, don''t be afraid to send me a call."

    "Hmm hmm, okay mom, I gotta go, now¨C" I looked back at the center counter and¨C sure enough, here was Hau''s relative coming up to talk to the rest of the group¨C "I love you, bye¨C"

    I saw her waving back at me a split second before the screen closed and I rushed over to the other group. The Tuari twins stood up from their seats and looked mareepishly at the tall, imposing woman that had brought us here tapping her feet, her arms crossed, her Trumbeak on her shoulder. Lilliane was trailing behind her, arms at her side. Her feet dragged on the ground as she walked. Had something happened?

    "...Where''s Hau?" I couldn''t help but state the obvious. The taller woman looked down at me and I couldn''t help but feel like I was being stared down by a Pyroar.

    "My nephew and his ''mon will need to stay at the center for a few more hours." She stated, and my blood ran cold for a second as the twins balked. She sighed. "Y''all chill. He''ll be okay. But he was scratched up real bad there, and then you bunch had to walk for a while still, and he''s good at fakin'' being fine. Little miss did a¨C eh, an okay job on the healing, but she ain''t exactly Saint Joy yet."

    Lilliane looked away trying to hide her blush, stuck between deep embarrassment and mortification. Ouch.

    "There''s some other legislation business that little miss got in trouble for¨C I don''t care about it too much. You got Hau outta the woods and that''s what matters." She patted Lilliane on the shoulder at that. "You''ll be doing that class before you take on the next minor Trial, alright? Practicing healing arts is real good and all, but don''t be makin'' mistakes again, ya hear?"

    Meekly Lilliane nodded, then she tiptoed over to our side.

    "Alright." She looked back at the door to the clinic; Hau was taken care of deeper inside. Hopefully he''ll be back soon.

    Hau''s aunt looked down at her watch and tutted. "Well, if we''re just wasting breaths ¨C might as well get a move on." She gave us all a friendly smile ¨C and there I recognized where Hau had gotten some of his charisma from.

    "How about I gave y''all a little tour of the family home?"

 Chapter 18: Greenhouse

    Oricorio statuettes on the dashboard of Miss Lou-Ann''s truck rattled as she drove us across the bumpy Iki Town road.

    Hau''s aunt had finally introduced herself and her Pikipek properly¨C and once Lilliane, Tuula, Rui & I finally got our Pokemon back from the center, we were ushered into her car and driven back to the Hau household.

    My Oddish fidgeted in my lap as we sat in the car, clearly anxiously happy about our safety and hugging me with half of their leaves. I absentmindedly petted the top of their head as Iki Town longhouses passed by. Mom and dad had brought me there once or twice in the past but still, it staggered me how green this place was ¨C while the road was concrete, the sidewalks were not, with creeping plants growing on the walls and long grass bursting from every crevice. The bushes and trees teemed with scampering Pokemon I thought I''d only see in the wild; Bounsweet, Grubbin, Caterpie and even a Mankey¨C

    I still felt on edge. Hau was taken care of at the center, we had arrived safely at home ¨C but it''s not like I had had a chance to sit and relax. I couldn''t be the only one anxious about our arrival. Rui tugged on the side of his Skull-brand tank top as his freshly healed Rattata looked out the window like he was keeping watch. Tuula didn''t seem particularly stressed, looking something up on her phone with a nonchalant expression. Her Spinda swayed as it listened to something on her headphones. Lilliane had taken a brush out and was combing her hair, her Cleffa helpfully holding out a hand mirror for her.

    "You know, it''s kinda funny," Tuula remarked, "just a few days ago you were ready to clock Hau over the head."

    Rui balked and elbowed his sister as he whisper-shouted a shush.

    "I''m just saying¨C you were real vocal about how unfair it is to be the Kahuna''s grandson!" And there Rui was now trying to physically stop his sister from speaking out as she gleefully held him at distance with her arms. "Funny how things turn out!"

    Rui shot back through clenched teeth, "Shhhhut up!"

    "Language, young man," Hau''s aunt warned us. "I can trust you won''t be using those words around the little ones, hm?"

    The twins stopped fighting on the dot, and quickly returned to a neutral position. "...No, ma''am."

    Taking on the Grand Trial against the Kahuna was one thing ¨C spending time with him and his family out of the blue was another.

    It was difficult to reconcile this with my growing anticipation.

    "Aight, get off now," Miss Lou-Ann drawled. The plastic Tirtouga charm hanging from her rearview mirror dangled to a stop. Her weight quit the vehicle and her Pikipek flapped to land on her shoulder.

    On the outskirts of town, large grass fields filled our view. Herds of Miltank and Tauros grazed the meadow as Cottonee roamed above, and we could see a set of pole houses arranged together with tall pointed roofs. The fields were massive and endless around us, and beyond, we could see the rolling hills and mountains of central Melemele.

    Was this connected to the Melemele Meadow, then? It didn''t have the strange¡­ vibe that the Meadow carried with it. The fields of the Meadow had been so thick with Grass and Fairy types that it had made the idyllic landscape almost dreamlike¨C this was just normal pasture.

    We walked the path to Hau''s house and Petal jumped off my arms to walk on their own two feet, eyes wide at the grassland around us. Lou-Ann beckoned us further, we walked under an arch beyond the fence and deeper into the farm, following a path around the house¨C huh.

    In the field, standing in rows, were a group of about two dozen fighting types ¨C Makuhita, Meditite, Pancham, a few odd ones like a Steenee and an Elekid ¨C all facing the same direction. A massive scarred Hariyama stood in front, monitoring their movements.

    The Hariyama moved to a Meditite that stumbled in their movements - so they kneeled and brought a massive hand to the smaller Pokemon''s limbs, correcting their stance, giving them advice in a few grunts and growls. The other Pokemon executed a set of martial arts movements in unison, limbs coiled and tensed. With synchronized shouts and cries, the mass of ''mons punched, they kicked, sweat drifting off their forms as the evening sun cast its last lights.

    "Aye, it''s about that time, ain''t it." Miss Lou-Ann remarked. "Don''t mind the wild ''mons that much. They know not to cause problems."

    An unspoken breath was released, and Lilliane''s voice rang out in a disbelieving tone, "...You have wild Pokemon here?"

    "Just as much as you have Rattatas in the street and Bounsweet in the bushes, I reckon." This wasn''t very convincing to our shared glances, and so Hau''s aunt added with a huff, "Don''t make those faces! We have a ton of Pokemon here. The herds in the fields are registered as part of the ranch; all the adults have what''s remaining of their personal teams, and Hariyama here is watching them like a Talonflame." She pointed at the mass with a finger. "None of them are steppin'' out of line."

    That shut us up. Still, the synchronized grunts of the Fighting-types filled the silence, and Miss Lou-Ann resumed her walk to the porch of the door.

    Tuula''s Spinda, Love Tax, waddled up in front of its trainer, rolled its shoulders like a boxer preparing itself for a match. Only two or three days ago, it had been slapped in the head by a Fearow and had fainted on the spot.

    Tuula put her arms behind her back and innocently asked, "So¡­ they''re just here to train?"

    "Hm-hmm. Every other day, around the afternoon, yes."

    "And it''s just¨C wild Pokemon from routes and junk, and they just come here and it''s cool."

    "Yyyyup."

    "...Say I wanted me and my Pokemon to join ''em, they''d be fine with it?"

    Lou-Ann visibly paused there, and her head tilted toward the younger girl. She seemed to chew on her thoughts for a second, then just shrugged and responded with, "I s''pose so. Knock yourself out."

    "Okay! Thanks lady!" And without another word, Tuula brazenly walked up to the Hariyama, Spinda at her heels. Lou-Ann just shed off her jacket and turned to the open doors of the house, calling out to people inside.

    I unfroze¨C I''m not sure how long I had stood there just watching the display, and now I turned to see the other teens in various states of surprise. There''s a level of recklessness that I couldn''t help but fear and admire, there, as her Spinda seamlessly joined the other off-typed ''mons like the Steenee and the Elekid and attempted to mirror their movements. The Hariyama ¨C Kahuna Hala''s Hariyama, it had to be ¨C began adjusting LT''s motions as training continued in kind.

    A part of me couldn''t believe how simple it had been for her to just¨C to just walk up to such a respectable Pokemon and ask them to join their lesson. I tried to look to the others for support, but found only Rui''s frowning pout as he buried his hands deeper in his pockets and continued through the entrance to the house.

    <hr>

    "...Your older cousin will be back at the house after dinner, okay? You''ll have to be patient. I''m sure he''ll have lots of stories to tell you." Hau''s aunt spoke gently to the two boys as we filed into the room, and I couldn''t help but feel like I was intruding on something private.

    The inside of Hau''s home felt old and cherished ¨C the structure was all wood, with wide rooms and walls covered in photographs and trinkets. Here, a small bowl housed sets of keys, a medal and a wooden figurine; on the floor, colorful woven rugs in intricate patterns cushioned our steps; on the wall, photos of the family at a gathering or surfing on Mantine. There, next to a living room table with discarded drawings and crayons, two younger boys had come up to Lou-Ann and their excited voices filled up the space.

    She rose her voice, calling out to someone else in the house. "Dad! Mom! We have guests!" She stood up then and turned to us, before adding in a quieter tone of voice, "Y''all want anything to eat or drink? We''ll have dinner in not too long, but I imagine you''re probably famished after all that traveling. Sit anywhere you like."

    "Uh, nah, I''m good. I''ll just stand." Rui tugged on his shirt as even he looked unsure of where to place himself.

    The two young boys walked to Lilliane then and asked her questions in squeaky voices¨C my attention was caught by soft steps at the back of the room, as a Poliwhirl and a smaller Poliwag walked up to the table to clear the crayons and drawings. Their eyes caught mine and they gave a friendly wave, which I tentatively retaliated.

    A duo of scampering Mienfoo slipped from under the table and away out of the door, tippi-tapping paws thundering out.

    Above, I heard multiple footsteps and low muffled grumbling ¨C some human and some not. Hau''s aunt moved away in another room¨C it occurred to me that the people that she had called to were likely to be Hau''s grandpa¨C the Kahuna, then, and once more a chill went up my back. The voices faded and the footsteps moved.

    I looked one way ¨C Rui leaning against a wall, Rattata at his side, being sniffed at by a Mienfoo ¨C and another ¨C Lilliane was sitting on a chair, lending out a brush to one of the boys to comb her Cleffa with ¨C and my attention caught something else still, a trio of footsteps as multiple younger voices called out.

    I stepped out of the room and back into the corridor.

    Breathe, Selene, breathe. Leaning against the wall, I felt the comforting touch of my starter''s leaves around my hand. I looked away and outside, gaze unfocused.

    This was a lot of people.

    Breathe.

    I think I had prepared myself to meet¨C maybe Hau''s Grandpa, maybe his parents¨C but now it finally occurred to me that his entire family lived here among these houses, that these were his cousins and relatives, that the Kahuna and his wife were right around the bend¨C

    I felt myself drowning.

    My back slid across the wall until my butt touched the ground, and Petal nestled themselves between my legs and worriedly held my head. I buried my face in their leaves, hugged them tight and drowned everything out.

    Mint. Pepper. Dirt. An Oddish has an aroma that is every smell at once. It''s like they''re trying to mimic the smell of every cooking herb in the pantry, and the bouquet they end up with is simply overwhelming ¨C but it''s just chemicals. There''s nothing harmful to it.

    Breathe.

    The torrent of anxiety slowly receded. I just needed to anchor myself to the now and hang on to shore.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Voices and footsteps from within the living room. Pitter-patter, once more, from critters moving about. Outside, the distant sounds of wind, of synchronized cries and disciplined grunts, exchanges between eager students and a stern master.

    You are here, Selene.

    "You doin'' alright, little lady?"

    My toes momentarily curled in my boots. I exhaled and looked up to the masculine voice.

    Soft grey eyes. The man standing over me looked with a concerned, weary gaze, dark, greying green hair tied back. His hand rested heavily on a harness handle worn by a Furfrou who stood by the man''s hip. He leaned over the canine like he bore a great weight, and it occurred to me that that wasn''t by choice; I read "SERVICE MON" embroidered on the side of the Furfrou''s harness.

    "Y-yes, sir. I''m okay."

    His eyes squinted, searching. Loud voices rang out from the other room and a shudder went through my body, unable to stop myself.

    Petal turned around and fixed the towering man with a focused glare. They studied the man, reaching out with a leaf to poke his leg, and seemed to consider something, focus swapping from the man to his helper. In their back, they signed to me covertly, [Good].

    He simply looked down at my Oddish curiously and released a low chuckle. "You''re a little warrior, aren''t you? Fierce and scary, too. I heard that the last leg of the journey was difficult; your trainer must be tired." His voice was low and soothing, and he turned his attention to me next. "You need your mom or dad to get you?"

    I¨C

    I kinda wanted to go home.

    It had been over a month since we had left Hau''oli and I missed it terribly ¨C this room and this bed was nice, but I yearned for my room and my bed, look at my stupid posters on the walls, pet my Meowth and hug my mom tight.

    My eyes looked out the door out into the meadow. Soft wind blew waves across green fields. The Miltank and Tauros roamed playfully, dots of color on the verdant landscape.

    Out there, a teenage girl stood alongside her starter in a clumsy fighting stance. Her and so many fighting types stood side to side in synchronized motion under the watchful eye of the Kahuna''s Pokemon. She threw a punch in the air, parried a blow to her side, and attempted a roundhouse kick that had her falling tail over tea kettle and making a mess of herself in front of many strangers ¨C but she just laughed it off, accepted her Spinda''s help to get herself up, and got right back to practicing.

    This was silly. I was hiding in the corridor because I was overwhelmed by Pokemon and children? Others out there were boldly making a fool of themselves or showing up with punk gear in front of the island Kahuna.

    I would be fine.

    "I''m¨C I''m okay. I can stay for the night." I locked eyes with the man and shook my head no. "And, uh, Lilliane and I have to meet up with Hau as soon as he''s feeling better, anyway. Plan for the Grand Trial and everything."

    The man released a sigh he''d been holding, and his face softened into a gentle smile.

    "I''m very thankful for your help with my son."

    Oh. OH!

    "He has¡­ big, big shoes to fill, I''m sure you figured. So I''m glad he''s got responsible people to keep him in check. You call me Kekoa, ya hear? And you stay here as long as you like."

    <hr>

    Mr. Kekoa talked with me for a while.

    We ended up chatting about our respective experiences with assist Pokemon ¨C his Furfrou, Jasper, was one that was assigned to him five or so years ago and had been helping him with everyday tasks since then. His "arms and legs", he''d called her.

    It was hard to think of Petal as just my assist Pokemon ¨C they are my best friend, my starter, and they helped me as much as I helped them. But I could see where he was coming from, and I could tell how much trust he shared with the canine. I couldn''t exactly ask how his injuries came to be ¨C I wouldn''t be polite to pry ¨C but I hadn''t spent a month with Hau and learned nothing; his dad had been some kind of training prodigy during his time, and evidently he had hurt himself in a major way¨C in a way that the medicine of the time wasn''t able to heal.

    For a time, I recounted our travel through the first trial and route 3, and he told me of Hau''s family and their lives.

    "...We have some more cousins on the other islands, so during festival days it gets real crowded real quick. You already met my sister ¨C Hau''s aunt ¨C but my younger sister, her husband and children and all of their pokemon also live in the other house. Can''t blame ya if you got a little overwhelmed."

    I had rejoined Lilliane, Rui and a wincing Tuula that had injured herself during practice. Hau''s aunt was applying a numbing ointment onto her ankle, as Tuula''s Spinda hovered around its trainer like a worried child.

    Eventually, the rest of the family had filed in.

    Miss Lou-Ann had directed her young children and duo of Mienfoo to sit at a table fit for their height. A cheery stocky man, Lou-Ann''s husband, arrived with the plates and cutlery and gave a firm handshake to us guests. A Hawlucha opened the door and a mousy middle aged woman entered ¨C Hau''s other aunt ¨C after which a Poliwhirl waddled in with bundled babies and a Poliwag.

    A real carnival of faces that Mr. Kekoa assured me I didn''t need to memorize.

    At some point during dinner, Kahuna Hala and Hau''s Grandmother had come in, sitting on the far end of the table¨C and before I could blink, dinner had ended, and we were shown our rooms for the night.

    Washed and clothed, we had all unrolled futons and bedrolls onto the floor and found ourselves talking deep into the night, waiting for Hau''s return. Oran Juice the Dunsparce had been fed and then rolled himself into a little ball, snoozing immediately; Petal the Oddish had scampered off to explore the nearby plains and gather some tasty starlight for the night.

    On one side of the room, Killer the Rattata and Love Tax the Spinda chased after one another, jumping off Rui''s prone form on his futon. On the other side, Lilliane''s Pokemon were resting on the open windowsill, looking into the night sky.

    "I can''t believe the Kahuna said nothing about your clothes, you fucking goon."

    Tuula''s sneering tone immediately raised Rui''s heckles, and he retaliated with, "At least I didn''t sprain my ankle doing push ups or whatever!"

    The two continued bickering off¨C but in all honesty, looking at the Skull logo on Rui''s discarded tank top, I should have figured that that could have been a problem. If anybody would have had beef with a rebel movement from ten years ago, it would have to be the Kahuna at the time.

    "I''m not sure I follow. Are those improper to wear?" Lilliane asked as she pointed.

    "Um." Oh. She didn''t know? "Erm. Skull was an art movement from, uh. The 20s to the 30s." People argued that it wasn''t over¨C it was still very recent. "A lot of their messages are about calling for a reform of the government and education, that sort of thing. Pretty rude to wear in front of the island Kahuna, you know."

    "It''s like a fashion statement," Tuula added. "Wearing Team Skull stuff is like screaming at everybody in sight ''The Challenge sucks!'' then flipping them off and doing a backflip or whatever."

    Lilliane''s face settled into a frown, clearly mulling onto this information¨C she probably hadn''t been taught the same history at school. "I¡­ I don''t think he minded. He seemed nice."

    I couldn''t tell. In the whirlwind of people that we had met, it felt like I had completely missed my chance to talk to the Kahuna this evening. I''m not sure what I would have asked but after speaking with Hau''s dad, I wondered if his granddad would have tried to give us the same treatment.

    The door opened with a creak and all of us quieted¨C

    A bandaged, grinning Hau entered the room, a plate of crispy manjus in his hands. Loa the Torracat slinked back inside, head low, gauze around her waist and bandaid on her chin. The armband that Hau had given her was still on her arm, a patch of earthy colors on her dark fur.

    "Evening, dudes and dudettes. Catch!" Hau threw a pastry in my direction and I scrambled to catch it properly.

    The teen boy settled next to us, wincing as the motion pulled on his bandages. Lilliane worriedly got up to grab the pastries from him and give him a hand. "...Are you feeling better?"

    "It stretches and stings a little, but I''ll be alright." He sat criss-cross applesauce as his Torracat pawed the wardrobe, pushing it open and slinking inside. When she was done, she was settled in a pile of clothes, peeking at us from inside with one eye. "Sorry for not being there to show you around¨C everything went well?"

    "My dumbass sister sprained her ankle training with your granddad''s ''mon, but nothing other than that." An indignant ''Hey!'' sounded from Tuula, and their bickering resumed.

    "Glad to hear it. I, uh¨C" He sighed and rubbed the back of his head; beyond embarrassment, he seemed genuinely regretful. "I''m not gonna lie, I got kinda blasted by my dad and granddad when I got back, so..." He closed his eyes. "I''m grounded."

    Uh-oh.

    Our faces paled. For how long? And where? I couldn''t help but imagine the worst possible scenario¨C they wouldn''t keep Hau from doing the rest of the Challenge, would they?

    He must have seen the growing panic because he quickly cleared the air. "Okay, uh, let''s be clear. It''s just for a bit until we take on the Grand Trial, alright? I''m just¨C not gonna be visiting you guys in Hau''oli or training around on Route 1 any time soon, is what they meant."

    Lilliane and I leaned back as we released the breath we didn''t know we were holding.

    "What we did¨C everything that happened, it was real dangerous, you know? And, well¡­ the scar is gonna stick."

    Lilliane deflated at that, wringing her hands together. "I''m sorry, I should have done better¨C"

    "No, no! Don''t blame yourself on this! It would have been way worse if you weren''t there to do the healing moves on me, you know? I''m really thankful." He gently put a hand on her shoulder. "You saved my skin, for real. And hers'', for that matter."

    He motioned at his Torracat, lounging on a little nest of clothes, stoic but present. Her eyes locked on Lilliane and she gave a slow nod, then looked away once more.

    "I''m stuck at home for a bit, but¨C we shouldn''t let this stop us from training, yeah? And we''re going to need it. After all...

    "We got the Grand Trial next week."

 Chapter 19: Grasping the Nettle (Melemele Grand Trial)

    "Machop: Karate Chop, Revenge, Focus Energy. Makuhita: Arm Thrust¡­ uh¡­ Sand Attack? Hmm. Fake Out. Stufful¨C"

    My fingers pinched a little too hard and the flashcard creased and slipped from my fingers, fluttering to the ground between my shoes.

    A week had passed.

    In the wooden waiting room of the Mahala Arena, Hau, Lilliane and I were sitting waiting for our Grand Trial to start. Two other groups had gone before us for the morning, and we were the last to pass before noon¨C outside, the sounds of the crowd were faintly heard, cheers and hoots from locals and families. My pokeballs rested heavy on my belt, cool weight and faint wiggling from the Pokemons inside.

    Time was taken to prepare for the Trial as much as possible. Afternoons were spent honing my Pokemons'' skills; evenings spent looking over the Hakuna''s previous trials, what Pokemon he employed and what tactics he used; late night discussions were had with Hau and Lilliane to figure out the optimal strategy. The last week had been spent preparing, studying and training, and now here we were.

    Ready. Nothing more to be done.

    To my left, Hau balanced and bounced his leg on his other knee. He''d reclined back on his chair, arms spread and hands folded behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. ''Oddly calm for one about to take their first Grand Trial'', one might guess, but the unbroken silence that permeated the room betrayed his true feelings.

    To my right, Lilliane held her pokeballs and stared at them intently. In one, Stella the Cleffa, her starter; in the other, Toku the Ledyba¨C we had only planned for her to use the latter. She had been spending the last few hours doing her nails and hair and makeup like a calming ritual, and now she had run out of parts of herself to fuss over.

    I had taken out my flashcards one last time¨C the strategy was fresh in my head but the Pokemon that Hala could use weren''t. It didn''t help that the Pokemon he employed often changed from year to year, volunteers from the training club that his Hariyama ran.

    I pinched the flashcard too hard and it creased again. The microphone on my collar made my neck itch.

    I wish Petal was there.

    ''No Pokemon in the waiting room.''

    Why, though? There was no way for me to cheat or anything; how could I give my Pokemon some advantage at the last minute?

    I lifted my feet and hugged my knees just a little tighter. No fair.

    The scarier truth was that this Grand Trial wouldn''t even be something like a private test ¨C nothing like the privacy of myself and my pen sitting at a desk; we had been outfitted and powdered, there was a crowd and there would be cameras, and our performance was to be recorded for all to see. If we failed there, people could rewind and watch our failure over and over and over. Witness the fool trainer and her Oddish trying to put to sleep a Mankey, notoriously known for their high levels of adrenaline and cortisol.

    If we failed, I''m sure that all my mistakes would be made into a compilation on the internet somewhere.

    "...Are you okay?" Lilliane asked.

    She had paused her own contemplation, piercing green eyes staring so deep into me I couldn''t help but let out a shiver. There has been a real restlessness in her lately.

    "Ah, uh. Mhmm." I stammered. "The anticipation is just bad, you know."

    Hau''s head slid in at the corner of my vision, bending so far on his chair that he was almost hanging from it. "We seriously got this. And I''m not saying this just to cheer you up ¨C we''re so ready." At his waist, his Torracat''s ball wiggled in earnest. "Loa wants to prove herself since her fight with Rui''s Rattata, too."

    "I believe you," I returned. I was growing used to Hau''s Hau-isms, but this wasn''t anything that he could help me with. "I''m just not, you know¡­"

    I shrunk into my seat a little more.

    "I''m not usually separated from Petal when I''m stressed like this." I squeezed my body a little tighter, feeling like a child. "Sorry. It''s dumb."

    Lilliane''s head tilted to the side, and she shared a look with Hau I couldn''t discern.

    "It''s okay," she whispered. She took my hand in hers then, and my mind blanked. "Even if Petal isn''t here, we are, okay? We''re doing this together."

    I looked at her with wide eyes, a great heat warming up my face¨C she blushed too, a small uneasy smile on her. Her fingers clenched my hand a little tighter.

    Uh.

    I tightened my fingers around Lilliane''s hand and somehow,

    Impossibly,

    I felt just a bit better.

    <hr>

    Seven days earlier.

    Entering the apartment complex, through the small courtyard, through the damp corridor, up a creaky flight of stairs, my Pokemon and I finally got to my family''s flat.

    Getting there with my Dunsparce out of his ball had been a jarring experience, for him and I both ¨C I hadn''t realized how spooked the little snake would be by practically everything on sight in Hau''oli.

    ''That''s just cars, OJ, they''re not going to leap out the road to eat you.''

    ''So you see, we can move across when the light turns green¨C no no no, don''t tunnel there¨C''

    ''Oran Juice¨C I know it smells good this way, but that''s someone else''s home and that poke door is really not made for you; Petal, can you help me tug him out?''

    Even getting up the stairs had been an ordeal. It was no surprise that the Dunsparce would have trouble climbing up the steps with his pudgy snake body, so I had elected to just carry him up as my Oddish cheered me on. It had been fine up until we had reached the first floor, after which I found him trembling and twitching in my hold, spooked by the rising elevation.

    But we had finally made it, and he seemed to be calm as long as I held him in my arms.

    "Alola, my little flower! I''m so happy to see you!"

    Mom welcomed us in with a warm smile and a tight hug, with OJ squeezed in between the two of us and Petal hugging our legs.

    "And is that your new team-member that I see? Alola to you too, little guy." She lowered her face to OJ''s with a gentle smile. "Do you need me to explain how things work in the house, or are you going to be okay?"

    "...He''s a little scared of the elevation, mom, so I''ll probably keep carrying him for now." I adjusted my grip on my Dunsparce, feeling him turn his head to and fro to look at all corners of the room. I tapped his body with my finger and addressed him directly. "Uh¨C you let me know if you need anything, okay? Even if it''s to poop and stuff. Petal will show you how the poke door works, so you''re free to go outside any time."

    There''s nowhere like home.

    ''Here are my books; here''s the TV and the couch; this is my bed¨C you can climb if you promise to not tear a hole through it, okay? This is Petal''s pot of dirt¨C you''re not allowed on, that''s theirs, unless they say it''s okay.''

    ''Have you ever had a warm bath, Oran Juice?''

    Bundled in fresh towels and laid out on the couch, an utterly blissed out Dunsparce snored faintly. His scales practically glowed; a lifetime of grime and dirt scrubbed out by his diligent trainer. My Oddish had planted themself in their favorite pot and splayed out their leaves to catch rays from the afternoon sun. After sprinkling them with a little bit of water, I put on their favorite music and joined my mom at the table.

    I couldn''t help but wonder ¨C life with humans must seem like a luxury to pokemon, right? In the wild, OJ had to fight or barter for food or a place to sleep. Here, he had yummy food and warm shelter and he''d been pampered and made pretty.

    Absent-mindedly, I began petting Meowy the Meowth who had jumped into my lap and curled into a ball. His purring reverberated through my arm and my legs like the world''s fluffiest radiator.

    In her hands, I watched mom diligently clean and polish my Challenge amulet. "It''s been hectic at the shop lately, but that''s to be expected. This is close to the busiest time of year. People are taking time off at the office to watch the Grand Trials, which means your father has a little bit more free time. Oh, if I didn''t have to work, how I would have loved to accompany you on your journey!"

    "Mom!! You¨C you can''t do that. That''d be so embarrassing."

    "I''m kidding, I''m kidding." She paused, turned my amulet around and her fingers traced along the grooves left by the Mankey''s claws. "Oh honey, how did that happen?"

    "Um." What could I say? "...Wild pokemon?"

    "You have to be more careful than that, honey. Did you get scratched anywhere? Bitten? What do I always tell you, twenty feet away¨C"

    " ¨Ctwenty feet away, ten feet behind my ''mon. I know, mom, I know." I shrinked a little but suppressed the panic in my voice ¨C it wasn''t often I purposefully kept secrets from mom. If I could avoid having to explain my ordeals during the challenge, that would only be for the best. "I''ve been nothing but careful, mom."

    "Pokemon are good at taking hits, but we aren''t, always keep that in mind." She looked wistful then, and my eyes traced a line on her covered arm that held an old scar. "Looks like Meowy''s luck did rub off on you, though, if you''ve come out with nothing but scratches on your charm."

    That got a smile out of me, at least. How strange was it that kantoan Meowth were seen as symbols of luck when alolan Meowth were not. "I''d like more of that luck for the Grand Trial, please."

    "How do you feel about it, Selene? Do you think you and Petal are ready?"

    "...You know. I just need to study the Kahuna''s fights, I guess," I mumbled. How would I even know I''m ready?

    Mom hummed. For a minute, only Meowy''s purring filled the silence.

    "...Did I ever tell you how my first Grand Trial went?"

    I shook my head.

    "I was a very brave girl," and her smile, warm as it may be, hid something more sour. "But a very silly one, too. You''ve seen photos of Misha, the Slowbro ¨C a Slowpoke, at the time ¨C and I was convinced that she was the smartest Slowpoke in town. The little thing followed me faster than any other Slowpoke her age, and I truly thought she could read my mind."

    I could see the picture right there on the counter ¨C a younger woman of olive skin, traits familiar yet strange, kneeled on the sand and smiling at the camera. To her side is the upright figure of Misha the Slowbro, gaze vacant. Perched on her shoulder, a Wingull is grooming her hair diligently. Somewhere to her side, a Bunnelby distractedly dug in the sand.

    They had a true bond, she''d assured me, but they weren''t made for city life in the end.

    "Grand Trials weren''t anything like group fights like what you do now. They were duels with the Kahuna, and while my friends were here to cheer me on, it fell to me and Misha to pull our weight." She rested her head on her hand, elbow on the table, and rolled her eyes. "I started bawling my eyes out just five minutes into the match."

    "...Wait, really? You did?"

    "Loudly, in front of all my friends and family, dripping snot and all." She smiled wistfully, recalling the moment like a fond memory. "Misha was fighting a¨C a Machop, I think, and I was so intimidated by Kahuna Hala ¨C this wasn''t anything like exploring a cave or traveling and fighting wild Pokemon, this was a big man, a trainer with a trained Pokemon shouting moves like they were orders.

    "And he stopped the match five minutes in! He got to the center of the field and motioned for me to get closer, and I really thought here and there that I had disappointed everyone and failed the Trial entirely. But he put a hand on my shoulder, spoke to me low so only I could hear. And¡­ Hmm¡­

    "...After your Trial, I''ll tell you," she mused after a pause. "The important part is that he helped me think about battling differently ¨C and that we weren''t going to cancel the match or anything then. So I wiped my snot with the back of my shirt, we got back to our places and we restarted the match from scratch. And I passed!

    "I know you''re preparing it like it''s a test, but it''s not just a test, Selene. It''s a trial, it''s a test, it''s a lesson."

    <hr>

    The crowd roared and applauded as we entered the arena.

    My parents had brought me to Grand Trials before; teams of Trial-goers that one half-remembered from places in town. Here, that teen girl we''d cross paths with at the grocery store; there, that boy was this person''s older brother; and over there, this one fed used batteries to wild Magnemites when they thought no one was looking.

    You''d go to the first Grand Trial to offer your support to the Trial-goer ¨C to someone who is family, who is your friend, who is your neighbor or just the person you wait for the bus with.

    So now our turn had come. A kaleidoscope of people sat on the rafters, shouting and singing the hymn, waving colorful fabric like rallying flags. The ground shook with stomps and the air vibrated with anticipation. There must have been hundreds of people in the stands, of all colors and walks of life; parents and older adults (Where are mom and dad? I don''t see them), other teens our age (Some from our class, probably) and all of their accompanying Pokemon.

    ¡­And there were cameras, as well.

    I swayed on my feet, stunned.

    I had seen what this was like from the outside, but still¨C this was¨C

    I felt a tug on my sleeve.

    One foot after the other, as the crowd chattered, we walked to one end of the arena.

    Our field of battle would be simple: a wide, rectangular expanse of flattened dirt. A Pa''u Oricorio swayed on the sides, providing a rudimentary psychic barrier. I had seen videos where Kahunas ¨C or in other regions, Gym Leaders or Elite Fours ¨C set up artificial fields that would reflect their typing preferences; this opponent would face us in battle with no tricks and no artifice.

    This opponent: on the other end of the arena, the Kahuna.

    There is a presence to powerful trainers.

    Here is an older man like any other; his skin is sallow and pockmarked, his face creases with the ravages of time, his hair turns white and brittle with age. And yet, his stance is wide and firm, feet spread, legs bent and one hand solidly on the ground. His body is healthy and stout. He wears garments of gold and white and blue like the ones his ancestors and his ancestors'' ancestors wore, clad in tradition like armor. This is an old man whose discipline radiates through every limb and who makes it through his old age with diligence and spirit.

    Kahuna Hala was somehow familiar yet frightening.

    The Kahuna stood, held a hand and made it into a fist¨C

    All sounds from the audience stopped.

    "...Today, we welcome three into the rungs of adulthood. The Tapus see you."

    "The Tapus see you," echoed the crowd.

    "Trainers, I will face all three of you in single combat. Each of you may use one Pokemon of your choosing, and you will face three of mine." His low voice bounced off the walls of the arena¨C we heard him just as well as if he was next to us. Unlike us, he did not need a microphone. "You may go in the order you choose, and there will be no switching. Fight until you prevail or surrender."

    The Kahuna retrieved a ball from his pocket, and his gaze drifted through the three of us¨C

    I couldn''t help the shudder going through my body. There it was¨C the deep fear that I was so familiar with, rearing its ugly head, the unfortunate instinct that told me that to be perceived is to be scrutinized. My hand instinctively went to my pokeball for support, while the other hand tightly clenched my arm.

    Lilianne adjusted her posture. Head high, back straightened. While her stoic mask had been applied with care, I could see from here the clench of her fingers in one hand and knew that she was more scared than she let on. The other hand slipped into her bag, she masked her trembling as much as she could.

    Hau took a deep, shuddering breath and reeled in his enthusiasm. He grabbed Loa''s ball from his belt and took a few steps forward.

    The Kahuna gave a small, terse nod to his grandson, then addressed us one last time. "Are you ready?"

    We nodded.

    Hau and the Kahuna threw their pokeballs and we held our breaths.

    Loa stepped onto the field. She landed with a thump, her newfound weight pushing onto the dirt below ¨C and immediately she arched her back and hissed, the sound halfway into a roar. On her leg, the earth-coloured armband that denoted her as a mature member of her kind. She had proven herself as an adult, and it was now our turn.

    On the other side of the arena, a crab came into being.

    It''s easy to look at crustacean Pokemon and assume that they are purely Water type. Most (if not all) of them possess the ability to produce water or manipulate it, and they often have the associated aversions and affinities of the type. A majority of them have gills on their underside to breathe oxygen in water¨C this was not the time to reminisce all of this¨C

    The Crabrawler line is a small exception to that rule.

    Four rear legs clacked with erratic precision, firm on the field. Two upright antennas were pointed to the sky in defiance. It raised its front legs and adjusted its massive pincers, taking on a boxer''s stance, its eyes locked on Loa and narrowing.

    "Hiya, Crabrawler!" Hau shouted. "Let''s have a good one!"

    In one lumbering movement, Loa pounced on her assailant. She crossed the distance in great leaps of her powerful legs, and clashed clawfirst with the crustacean¨C three sudden strikes of her claws raked across its pincers, and¨C

    "Rock Smash!"

    The Kahuna''s voice boomed over the arena and I found myself stunned, clutching onto Lilliane for support¨C the Crabrawler''s left pincer shot forward with a sound like a cannon, and an explosion of dirt rained around the fighters for a moment.

    A shape shot out or the cloud¨C the Torracat, fur raised over her back but unharmed, stunned but in control still. As the smoke cleared, the shape of the Crabrawler gradually came into view, retracting its powerful pincer from the crater it had just made in the ground.

    "Phew," Hau whistled. "Strong. Aight, Loa, lesson learned." Hau rubbed the tip of his nose, eyes focused. "Keep your distance. Test out his range."

    Her head lowered to the ground, back arched, prowling around the crustacean. Though I couldn''t see her Leer from there, I saw the shudder that went through her opponent as its stance lowered.

    In three bursts of light and three ringing sounds of her flame sac, three embers shot out towards the¨C "Bubble Beam!"

    Another loud voice burst that echoed throughout the arena¨C I was wondering if the Kahuna was using a badly tuned microphone not unlike the ones we wore; but no, his voice could just be this loud.

    The Crabrawler moved, its legs skidding on the dirt field. It shot a faint line of glowing bubbles at the incoming projectiles, arching faintly like a whip being thrown. And like a whip, the line cracked as it collided with the projectiles in a burst of mist ¨C not with enough strength to dissipate the Embers but with enough force for it to slow and sidestep around them.

    Three bursts of fire crashed into the ground behind it. The Crabrawler wasn''t fast by any means but it was reactive, and it seemed like it could just keep up with Loa''s attacks.

    "Loa, shoot him up! Don''t let up!"

    And so it continued. The two fighters fell into the dance; the feline weaved in and out of range with swift leaps, bursts of Ember and strong paw strikes; the crustacean moved in erratic spurts, blocking Loa''s attacks and looking for an opportunity. Here, Loa''s claws raked across one of its pincers and only narrowly nicked one antenna; there, a terribly strong punch missed Loa by inches and crashed into the earth.

    Both trainers were focused intensely in the battle, shouting out orders like Loa shooting out her Embers.

    Each fighter could only make scratches on the other''s hide, this battle starting to turn into a war of attrition.

    This wasn''t sustainable for our plan¨C Loa was getting tired by the minute.

    "Hau," I whispered, mindful not to break his concentration. "I don''t think you can beat it in stamina."

    Hau''s eyes did not leave the field, focused on the action. Before I could repeat myself, he gave me a grin and a quiet response without glancing back: "Like I told you, cuz. He''s trying to teach me something. I got him."

    Once more, both fighters threw an exchange of attacks. Blunt pincers came shockingly close to Loa''s head; cat claws raked across hard carapace.

    Hau''s grin grew suddenly, and swiftly he shouted: "There! Sand Attack!"

    The Kahuna''s expression steeled¨C

    Loa sidestepped one of the Crabrawler''s strikes and in the same motion she spun on her axis, raking her paw across the ground¨C at the same time, the Crabrawler recognized the move being called, and instinctively guarded its eyes with its claws.

    What should have been a spray of dirt turned into a twist of the paw as Loa sprung to the side then behind the Crabrawler entirely in one continuous motion ¨C a feint! ¨C which she followed with two devastating kicks into the crustacean''s back.

    Crack, crack¨C the Crabrawler was thrown forward and traced a line into the wet ground, dirt smearing across its pincers as it found its footing once more¨C then turning on the dime to narrowly block another set of Fury Swipes.

    Silence. The crowd quieted and the fighters stopped.

    Wind blew on the arena. The Kahuna''s jacket fluttered with a rustle; stern stoic gaze locked on his grandson.

    "Hm." An eyebrow raised as he mulled it over; the first sign of concrete emotion we''d seen from the older man. His arm swept in an arcing motion, pointing at his Pokemon. "You see that, Crabrawler? My grandson ain''t being challenged. What do you have to say for yourself?"

    The crustacean turned, the carapace over its back sporting a visible crack¨C if it had visible veins, I could have seen them bulging right now as froth bubbled from its mouth and it practically vibrated in anger.

    "Grandson," the Kahuna continued, "Crabrawler and I have been playing nice so far, and maybe that ain''t too fair to your comrades. This is a Trial, not a game, and I want you to take it seriously. Now go!"

    The crustacean scrambled¨C its movement turning sudden and confusing, it rushed in Loa''s direction, zig-zagging its way at full speed across the field. The Torracat looked to and fro, at a complete loss of where to focus¨C until a wide blast of water threw her off her feet.

    "Loa!" Fear gripped my heart as Hau shouted in surprise.

    She tumbled a few feet to the side, then rose on her feet with a slight tremble to her legs. She wasn''t out for the count, but the damage had been done. Still, she jumped away from another attack once more.

    The dynamic of battle shifted ¨C the Crabrawler advanced onto the Torracat with renewed fury, shooting daggers out of its eyes while Hau guided Loa back, on the defensive, unsure on how to retaliate. The Crabrawler rushed at the feline by moving on an arc on its side, only stopping at the last second to try and land a brutal strike of its pincer or a sudden shotgun blast of water.

    Hau''s eyes darted around, concentrating intensely on the fighters'' movements. "Hey, Selene¨C a buncha mud is good for Petal, right?" He addressed me once more, talking without taking his eyes off the action.

    "Uh¨C" The Crabrawler shot a wide spray of water once more and turned dirt over as it brutally overshot its attack. It almost slipped in the movement but corrected itself, its leg sinking into the damp watered field with a bloop. "Oh! Yes! Yes, that helps a lot!"

    "Coolio." Hau straightened suddenly, and he cleared his throat before shouting. "Get in! Now!"

    Loa''s paws skidded on the field as she suddenly stopped in her tracks. In the same movement, her body bent and she pounced, dashing towards her opponent at full speed. The Crabrawler saw her offense and squared itself, raising a fist in preparation to attack¨C

    Only for the Torracat to dive and slide on the slippery mud beneath.

    In one motion, she twisted herself and stopped her momentum with a paw wreathed in flames, drying the ground and stopping her in her tracks. In another motion, she leapt on the crustacean''s back and sunk her glowing maw onto its injured back, fire crackling at her lips¨C

    Boom!

    <hr>

    Four days until the Grand Trial.

    Hau was still grounded. Our group convo had been flooded with training videos of our respective ''mons and appreciative comments from each of us.

    And a flood it truly was¨C what had begun with haphazard scans of Loa''s performance chart had been followed by a selfie of Hau and Loa exhausted after a training session; photos of Lilliane''s Cleffa and Ledyba is cute costumes; a snapshot of my Dunsparce being introduced to the dishwasher; an unbelievable picture of Loa being petted and returning the affection. We had begun to make a separate conversation for us to send stupid things to one another and soon enough it had been filled with Detective Pikachu memes.

    The topic often circled back to training¨C and training was often a frustrating endeavor. Hau had sent us lots of recordings of previous Grand Trials to look at. I suppose I had sat down and studied them, but¨C what was I supposed to see, here? I could list the Pokemon and Moves that the Kahuna used, but he seemed like a very straightforward trainer ¨C he showed little emotion and just stoically shouted out his Pokemon''s moves each and every time.

    I wasn''t any good at reading trainers'' tells¨C so instead, I poured all my focus into my Pokemons'' progress.

    First, I consulted the local Pokemon center for information about my Oddish''s powder moves. There are, as it turns out, laws on the usage of poison in battle, especially at higher levels of competitive battling. Low rank Pokemon don''t spew poisons that have long-term effects, but hey, better safe than sorry!

    A few medical tests later and I was given (almost) all the answers to my questions: Petal''s Stun Spore needs to get in the bloodstream, basically makes blood flow slower and gives really bad muscle cramps. Painful, but ultimately benign. Their Sleep Spore is apparently a mild anesthetic¨C it causes some kind of chemical reaction that makes people faint, and I wouldn''t be able to understand it unless I studied medicine for a while. Bummer. Anyway, it would take a solid minute of breathing it in to make a ¡ämon their size faint; probably a lot longer for bigger creatures. Not a serious threat to anyone in the long term.

    Now, Poison Powder. This is the problem.

    I watched the nurse''s face make all sorts of expressions, landing somewhere between ¡äresigned'' and ¡äexasperated'', which ended with her sitting me in front of the pokecenter PC and leading me to read stuff on an ancient-looking League website.

    I started to understand the nurse''s frustration a little bit better.

    Sigh.

    Ahem. Type Energy is a barely perceptible form of particle that is present in the atmosphere of our world. ''TE'' sticks and congregates around sentient lifeforms in varying amounts, and can be consciously or unconsciously interacted with to perform supernatural feats¨C namely, break fundamental laws of physics. One common example is how Water-type Pokemon are able to ''conjure'' water effectively out of thin air, which eventually returns to nothingness.

    There is a point in Pokemon study where it is no longer science ¨C it''s magic.

    It seemed Petal''s use of Poison Powder (and their Leech Seed, for that matter) fell under pure Type manipulation, which means that conventional physics stop making sense¨C or rather, I would have to look at it through the lense of Type Energy philosophy, esoterica and mysticism. Sigh.

    ''Poison is the aspect of intrusion and subversion. Poison is an insidious force that slips through the cracks and defenses, that peels back the layers and exposes the secrets within. Poison is the intruder which¨C'' EUGH! It''s so awful. The flowery wording immediately went above my head and I decided here and there that we could figure this out another time.

    My Dunsparce was ultimately a much easier Pokemon to train, by comparison ¨C no need to figure out the physics behind supernatural abilities and ways to make them more efficient. Not that I wasn''t having fun helping Petal reach their full potential, but it certainly was a lot simpler to set an exercise course for the little normal type.

    Runs, jumps, pounces and headbutts, switching in and out of Rollout, popping in and out of the ground; record his performance and slowly push the goal posts. My little snake steadily increased in stamina and speed, fueled by an endless appetite for human-made food that I could narrowly meet. I suppose it wasn''t the healthiest diet but I could hardly stop it!

    That said, I didn''t know if OJ wanted to grow strong in the way that Petal wants to become a Vileplume; he seemed content being his small little snake self. Did he even want to evolve?

    One question asked later; a shrug was his only answer. I''ll mark it down as a yes.

    Sitting late at night at my desk, I absentmindedly twirled the cords of my earbuds, pooled onto my journal.

    Right down from the window, I could see the dimly lit courtyard where my Pokemon were playing. Petal, OJ, and a few Trubbish from the neighborhood chased after one another, as my Oddish attempted to catch the others within grasp of their plant control with Leech Seed.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Notes scribbled over and over as we had experimented many times on their use of the move and how it worked ¨C how did they make plants grow, really? What was the physics of it, and at what point did Type Energy fill in the blanks? The answer wasn''t yet clear.

    "I think Toku is really getting there." Lilliane''s elegant voice spoke in my ears, carrying a twinge of frustration and echoing with the static of long-distance communication. "He''s motivated, truly, but I think he needs a little bit more time."

    Hau was quick on the draw, part of the same conversation. "Bummer. Honestly, maybe have him focus on his flying instead, then."

    This was our third group call in the last few days ¨C as we trained on our own, we made an effort to keep touch with one another on our phones. We couldn''t exactly meet up as a full group with one of us confined to their home.

    Absent-mindedly, I scrolled through notifications as we spoke. Missed call and a few unread messages from Tuula¨C I could¨C I could call her at another time.

    "Oh!" I heard Hau snap his fingers over the receiver. "I wanted to check with yall¨C did you check the videos on my grandpa I sent you?"

    "Uh¨C I did," I responded, and Lilliane acquiesced in turn. "I''m not sure what you want us to see. The Kahuna is an impressive fighter, but, uh, Lilliane and I aren''t exactly the best at reading fights."

    "Eheh, yeah, he''s pretty badass." I could hear the widening of his smile in his voice. "But yeah¨C that''s fine if you didn''t get it at first. I just wanted you two to have them as an example. The way he runs the whole Grand Trial shebang is nothing too complicated; the gist is this: all of his mons are stronger than they appear." He paused. "They''re basically holding back at his request. They can go harder or hold back and let you win¨C and it all depends on whether he thinks you learned something. He looooves to teach."

    That doesn''t sound too bad¨C I do like to learn.

    "But like, teaching in battle basically means he''s gonna find your Pokemon''s weakness and poke it with a stick. If you surpass, he lets you get a win, and he can move on to the next member of the team¨C which often means beating you black and blue with the next ''mon he throws in."

    Okay. Scratch that, that doesn''t sound good.

    Hau continued. "So! The important part is that you should expect to be tested on what you struggle with. You two are goin'' with Petal and Toku, yeah?" A chorus of ''hmm-hmm'' was our response. "Okay. So, your Oddish is a stalling machine, and Toku''s a living shield and that''s nice and all, but I think my granddad knows how to deal with that."

    What had he said about Petal? "Petal is a what..?"

    "Like¨C Petal''s strategy is all about playing keep-away. You got a bunch of stuff that hurts over time, like poison, and then a bunch of tools to box yourself in and keep the opponent away, like Petal''s plant growing trick. That''s stalling."

    Down in the courtyard, my Oddish had made the game a little bit more complicated by adding Sweet Scent to the mix. Faint clouds of ineffective gas cluttered the courtyard and boxed the players in as they scampered and giggled.

    I focused on the conversation once more. "I¨C I know what stalling is." Hmph! "So, do you think that¡­ hmm¡­ Kahuna Hala might try to block their Leech Seed or Poison Powder in some way?"

    "I don''t think he''ll send a Pokemon that''s immune to that kinda stuff, if that''s what you''re worried about. I think you just gotta expect to face a real slippery opponent¨C honestly, train up on Petal''s reaction speed and physical attacks and you should be set. But yeah¨C Lilliane, what do you think? You know what could be Toku''s weaknesses?"

    She hummed, then tentatively responded with "He still struggles with Light Screen. But to be honest, there is a bigger problem, I think. His attacks are just¡­ not very strong. No offense, honey." In the distance, the sad squeak of her Bug type could be heard.

    "Yeah, that''s what I expected. Firepower comes with practice and time, so he''ll get there, but we don''t exactly have a lot of time left right now¡­"

    I considered it, and thinking about the format of the fights, I couldn''t help but wonder¡­ "Say ¨C if all three of us fight the Kahuna''s Pokemon in order ¨C is it possible to soften up someone else''s pokemon for them?"

    "Oh, yeah, totally!" Hau exclaimed. "Honestly, that might be our best option at the moment. Get momentum, put the hurt on the next fighter and leave the next fight as easy as it can be."

    Lilliane sighed loudly. "Augh. So sorry for dragging you down with this."

    "It''s all good! Selene and I, we gotta go far in this challenge, so that''s just more experience, yeah?" Hau was quick to bring the mood up. "OK¨C Let''s say Loa and I face gramps first. Knock out his first Pokemon and push hard to put the hurt on his second; that gives Selene and Petal a lot of leeway to carry on that advantage. Makes Petal''s poison more potent, lets Petal breathe a little easier, and gives you more space to do the same on the opponent Toku will face."

    The plan was starting to form, but there was something seriously nagging my brain still. Something that Hau had said had warning bells ringing in my brain¨C

    Lilliane beat me to the punch. "Are you going to be fine fighting the Hakuna, though?"

    "Oh, a hundo percent. my grandpa and I we fought a bunch in the past! I''ve seen all of gramps'' matches of the past few years. I got him analyzed¨C solved. Like math." I could practically visualize Hau tapping the side of his temple with a finger. "Downloaded."

    "...How often did you have practice matches against your grandfather?" Lilianne asked, unconvinced.

    "Like. Once a week for the past¨C forever, I guess."

    "You do realize he must have you ''downloaded'' as well?"

    "Yeah, yeah¨C."

    I got up from my chair and gripped the cord of my earbuds a little too tight. It¨C it didn''t feel right. I liked Hau and I respected him, but I don''t know if I could accept him constantly making jokes about it. The words left my mouth before I could stop them¨C

    "...Can you take it seriously? Please? This isn''t a game."

    Silence.

    Hau''s voice returned, uncharacteristically small¨C small, but driven.

    "I¨C I am taking it seriously, Selene. Battling is a game. It''s fun.

    "My grand-dad makes a big deal out of it but¨C he''s lookin'' at it wrong. He''s real solemn about it. He says things like ''battling is how you talk to people and find solutions'' but that''s kinda dumb, you know? Talking is how you solve problems.

    "Battling is¨C it''s fun. It''s putting your body to the test, connectin'' with your Pokemon, puttin'' on a show¨C reverence to the Tapus an'' all that." He cleared his throat, emotion weighing on his words. "That''s what battling is. To me. Maybe I''m lookin'' at it wrong. But you gotta believe me to be going at it 100%. Please."

    I thought back to all that Hau had showed us the past few days ¨C

    A messy graph of him and Loa''s performances.

    Hau hyping up his Torracat as she unlocked new techniques.

    A Loa unlike we had ever seen her before, showing affection.

    "...Okay. I trust you, Hau."

    <hr>

    The blast of fire sent both fighters rocketing to opposite sides of the arena.

    On one side, Hau''s Torracat tumbled across the ground, covering her already dirty fur with another coating of mud. She stopped her momentum with a foot then awkwardly stabilized herself, raising a glowering stare to her opponent. Though her footing was faltering and her fur plastered against her skin, she sent a look of defiance at the Kahuna.

    On the other side, the crab Pokemon collided with the watered ground with a splash that sent out mud in all directions. It tumbled for a few feet then finally laid prone on its side, one leg twitching. Smoke rose from its blackened carapace.

    Hau gasped, breathless. His face was split with a wide grin, pride in his eyes, as he looked toward his grandfather and waited for a response.

    The Kahuna had frozen. His eyes blinked, he beheld the battlefield and his defeated fighter. Tension grew, until¨C

    "Hah!" Kahuna Hala released a single, bellowing laugh. "You little trickster! You were never challenged, were you?" A tired smile blossomed on his face, and he seemed like a kind old man once more. "Fooled me twice, even."

    "Sorry, old man!" Hau shouted, cupping his hands in front of his face. "We''ve got other Trials to do¨C can''t afford to waste time now!"

    The Kahuna rose an eyebrow at his grandson''s gall, recalling the Crabrawler with a flick of the pokeball. He grabbed another from his pocket but refrained from throwing it just yet, eyes searching and expectant.

    "...What now, then? Your companions have a tough act to follow." The Kahuna said. The kind old man was gone, and the disciplined master had returned.

    Could he¨C could he make the Trial harder because Hau and Loa had proven themselves in such a way?

    "You shouldn''t count us out just yet, old man! My Pokemon still stands!" He pointed out his Torracat, who rose the hairs off her back and hissed. He swept his palm upward and cocked his fingers toward himself in a taunting motion. "Bring it!"

    The Kahuna''s mask broke for a second, a small smile returned to his face¨C then he threw his second Pokeball and the fighting resumed.

    Light coalesced and materialized into a running figure¨C small feet crashing on the ground with surprising weight, a pudgy body betrayed by its speed, topknot of fur flapping in the wind. The newly-released Makuhita rushed toward Loa with increasing speed¨C

    With a loud clap, its hands crashed against the Torracat''s cheeks in a stunning blow. She flinched back, suddenly weak on her feet. Hau choked on his own spit in surprise, narrowly managing to send out a split second in response. "Guh, cough¨C Counter!"

    While she had been weakened by the previous fight and taken by complete surprise, her limbs still tensed and energy coalesced around her¨C the wave of force from the Makuhita''s Fake Out snapped back toward her and she bounced back toward the Makuhita, shoulder checking it brutally with a blast of orange energy.

    Her opponent grunted and took the attack head on.

    Loa crashed into it and the Makuhita caught her in its meaty grasp. It winced, its feet digging into the mud and sliding back a few inches, but just as quickly drove a few brutal Arm Thrusts into her side.

    She yelped, attempting to retaliate with a Scratch that it parried with a slap of its hand. A second later, she jumped just as the Fighting-type''s foot crashed into the ground and the field rumbled and shook with the force of a Bulldoze.

    This wasn''t an opponent that Hau could beat with fire¨C we had gone over it together. The Makuhita''s fur and flesh have a strong insulating property, while their strong constitution made them especially resistant to poisons and burns, which meant that it was time for Hau to set up the third part of his strategy¨C

    "Kicking things into high-gear, Loa! Come on, hop hop hop!"

    The Torracat narrowly avoided another fast thrust from her opponent and jumped back a dozen of feet away. She seemed to be on her last legs, losing steam and losing speed, which was something we could not afford.

    She thrust her snout into the pocket of her armband¨C because this is what the armband was for, ultimately. It was a pouch to hold something for emergencies.

    We weren''t given any time, though. She''d already had to jump back to avoid another attack, but this time her snout was stained with the juices and bits of a berry that she quickly finished off.

    Hau had suggested this, inspired by his last fight with Rui.

    Her breathing quickened, and for a second I could see her pupils dilate slightly. She jumped once more but with more pep in her step. Dashing at a much greater speed, she began running circles around her opponent, the colors on Loa''s armband shining through her dirt-caked fur like a beacon for our eyes to follow.

    The Makuhita moved to attack with a powerful backhand but she narrowly stepped around it and into its blind spot, drew blood into its side with a single Scratch, and jumped away from the following blow in one continuous motion.

    Now the pace of battle shifted, because this wasn''t just the effect of the salac berry''s adrenaline coursing through her system¨C this was a complete change of battling that Hau had prepared and that the Kahuna had to adapt to.

    The dance continued. The Makuhita at the center found itself helpless at the mercy of a thousand cuts, each Scratch and Swipe tracing more and more lines of red into its body, until¨C

    "Finish her," ordered Kahuna Hala.

    The Makuhita focused, faint energy seeming to gather around its head and its eyes as it stepped around Loa''s next attack, grabbed her by the scruff and suplexed her into the ground.

    "Oh," stuttered Hau.

    Kahuna Hala''s wounded Pokemon stepped away, revealing Loa laid on her back, fur caked in mud, one paw wriggling weakly in the air. Finally, she gave up and went still.

    "...That''s an impressive trick, Hau, but I''d like to see what your companions have to offer now."

    Hau shook off the shock from his system and chuckled mareepishly, recalling Loa into her pokeball. "Thanks gramps¨C that was a real good fight."

    The Kahuna gave him a nod. Hau turned around to give me the space to step up, patting me on the shoulder and shout-whispering to me, "A little close at the end, but hey! You got this!"

    I gave him a small nod in return. It was a difficult act to follow, but the vote of confidence was nice.

    Phooey. No pressure.

    Remember mom''s words, Selene.

    Trial, test, lesson.

    Stepping up to the trainer''s dais, I unlatched Petal''s ball from my belt. The murmurs of the crowd seemed to quieten, the Kahuna''s attention finally set on myself. In front of me, a wasted field of dirt and mud. The water from the previous fight with the Crabrawler had all but evaporated or seeped into the turned earth.

    The cold metal of Petal''s ball made my fingers tingle. I felt a faint wiggle from within.

    "I didn''t get a good look at you, the other day," said the Kahuna. "Now we can properly meet one another."

    Gosh¨C my arms and legs were trembling. I couldn''t look him in the eye proper, as hundreds of eyes locked in on us. I just gave the Kahuna an awkward nod and threw Petal''s ball in.

    With a burst of light and a triumphant squeak, my Oddish materialized into the field. They shook their leaves and spread out their legs, planting themself in the earth.

    Their opponent smashed a fist into the other, brushed off some of the blood from their wounds, then moved forward to attack.

    Okay. Makuhita, the Guts Pokemon. Strong, hardy, traditional. They''re known to be prideful and resilient, with a tough constitution that handles toxin and temperature very nicely, so Poison Powder was out of the question here¨C Selene, Selene, do something, act¨C

    "S-Spread out, Petal! Set up!"

    The fight was already progressing too fast for me to focus. The Makuhita had gotten to my Oddish in no time and attempted a series of Arm Thrusts with no order from the Kahuna. While one did land and squeezed out a cry from Petal, my Oddish soon put into practice our mobility training with swift Tackles to dodge each attack.

    This was a little slower from the previous fight still¨C either the Fighting-type had grown tired from Loa''s cuts, or Kahuna Hala was testing out the waters.

    What little time we had from this volley, we made sure to capitalize it¨C between every dodge, a faint wave of green spread out from Petal''s landing on the ground, like the echoing steps of a dancer.

    Hau''s work certainly hadn''t been for naught¨C this muddy field was the perfect place for Petal to perform their craft, and the influx of energy in the earth was just the fuel and trigger for flora to sprout in abundance.

    It began with little green dots on the ground; a constellation of little stems and blades of grass peppering the field with growing patches of color.

    "Petal! Sweet Scent!"

    My Oddish Tackled one more time¨C not away, but into Makuhita''s space, releasing a cloud of acrid gas directly at the Fighting-type''s face. It recoiled up and away, pained expression on its face, with enough reflex to kick away my Grass-type and push them away.

    Still right on their feet, they released a large cloud of Sweet Scent over their position¨C if the Makuhita wanted to get to them, it would have to enter the cloud.

    Okay Selene, you have time, think¨C this wasn''t an opponent that Petal could beat with physical strength, even if they grew their bulk with Growth. We couldn''t rely on poison either; this line of Pokemon were known for their endurance and we wouldn''t beat them in a fight of stamina. What else was there? How do we beat an opponent defined by discipline and tradition?

    ¡­Tradition?

    "These are all neat tricks." The Kahuna shook his head. "But this doesn''t help in defeating me. Whirlwind!"

    The Makuhita stopped its advance and took a wide stance. Its arms spread out, it started to gyrate its hands in front of itself as the wind started to pick up. At the same time, Petal continued to focus everything they had in keeping up their Leech Seed. Dots of green had begun to grow into longer proper tallgrass that surrounded and spread out around the Oddish.

    Makuhitas have deep, deep roots in Hoenn. They are at the center of an ancient martial art that is still practiced in Dewford, where Pokemon and humans alike face another in a circular ring¨C an ancient art created by the Makuhita themselves and adapted to modern use.

    This¨C this could work. We just needed to find some way to make it lose its balance.

    The Fighting-type continued its motion, pushing air as though it were waves off a pool, and the forming Whirlwind sent out gusts of wind that blew away all Sweet Scent from the battlefield. The tall grass and the leaves on top of Petal''s head flapped violently as they tried to stay in place.

    Could we ''defeat'' this Makuhita by beating it in its own sport?

    "Petal! Uh¨C we''re doing the ''sting''! The ''sting''!"

    The Hakuna raised an eyebrow. My Oddish stopped holding on from the buffeting and stumbled deeper in the den of tall grass they had created for themselves, faint waves of green shooting through the blades.

    The Whirlwind abated. The Fighting-type rolled its sore shoulders, cuts from its previous fight still apparent through its short fur. It began to advance with great steps through the undergrowth that Petal had made, grabbing fistfuls of grass and tearing it off as it got through.

    My Oddish''s eyes and leaves barely peeked through the grass as the Fighting-type advanced, one step and one fistful at a time. It meticulously tore through the field, slowly moving to my Pokemon until it could reach its paw into their den of tall grass and finally grab a hold of them¨C

    Petal jumped back and pulled. Grass all around the Makuhita circled around its arm, its legs and ankles and pulled it in and through, and the Fighting made a loud series of yelps as it realized the mistake it had made.

    My Oddish had had a breakthrough over the week with Leech Seed¨C what we wanted was to be able to form different types of plants as needed, no just grass or moss or weeds but plants that have their own defense mechanisms;

    Thorny plants like roses or nettles.

    The Makuhita came out the other end of the tall grass with all manners of needles and prickles sticking out of its arms and legs, exacerbating its existing wounds, its face in a rictus of pure pain. It looked at my Oddish with a look of fury then lumbered forward with a stumble in its step, readying itself to clobber my Grass-type over the head¨C

    Its muscles suddenly jerked, tensed and locked it in place.

    In this case, it hadn''t been the previous thorns that stopped it in its tracks but the Stun Powder that Petal had spread all over them, with all these thorns digging into its body just a few seconds prior and getting the chemical deep into its bloodstream. Its muscular body had locked up all at once, limbs occasionally animated with painful twitches and jerks.

    "Grab it, Petal! Pull it down!"

    My Oddish physically grabbed the slowed Makuhita with their leaves, hefted themself over its back and pulled one of its legs back¨C and with a faint thump, it fell to the ground.

    "I¨C I call kimarite!" Winning technique in ancient Hoennan, announced when a fighter has touched the ground with anything but their feet.

    The Makuhita grew still.

    With Petal still on the Makuhita''s back, and still overtaken by twitches, it acknowledged the call to end the match and rose a hand in surrender.

    The Kahuna blinked, momentarily stunned¨C this was, ultimately, a completely stupid idea from my part, but I hoped that that would still count as a legitimate victory.

    "...You don''t talk much, but you think lots, don''t you? It''s been a long time since a Trial-goer pulled that one on me." Kahuna Hala shook off the surprise.

    Tapus watch me, that had worked.

    He chuckled once, then returned the downed Makuhita to its ball. "You win this one. I don''t think he would continue fighting even if I ordered him to do so, so that''s a win for you. You be careful in the future; that trick won''t work in other Grand Trials, you hear?"

    My hands trembling from the relief ¨C I''d done it! I''d done my part! ¨C I could only nod.

    "Good. Now, for the third and final part of this trial."

    Oh. Not quite, no, this wasn''t quite over.

    He lobbed one last pokeball onto the field.

    The ball arched as though in slow-motion and light caught into its metallic exterior. I considered the state of the battle: Petal wasn''t very injured but they had depleted their reserves quite a bit; the field was partially covered in plants, especially closest to our side.

    Lilliane had brought a trembling fist to her mouth, looking out at the arena in worry. It had been a series of tense battles, and no wonder that the Kahuna wouldn''t hold anything back against her either.

    The ball was still in our court. If Petal could injure or poison the next opponent, this would guarantee the highest chances of success for Lilliane''s Ledyba.

    The Hakuna''s pokeball hit the field.

    A Torchic materialized into being.

    <hr>

    The day before the Trial.

    "Would¡­ would you like to shop around after?"

    Lilliane''s eyes widened in shock, caught in the act. She looked away from the shop windows she had been ogling for the past minute, taking a too-big pull of her bubble tea in the process, nearly choking on her drink. She coughed once, then responded with an embarrassed smile, "I¨C I should not. But thank you."

    We''d decided to eat out, having found a fancy coffee shop where we had a nice view of the Hau''oli shopfronts and harbor. Seated on a table of our own, with nice pillows and couches for our Pokemon to rest on, we''d treated ourselves to mago-filled mochi and other Alolan pastries that Lilliane was unfamiliar with.

    Oran Juice had been happily eating malasadas (I had to wipe off his powdered-sugar covered mouth every few minutes) while Stella the Cleffa instructed Toku the Ledyba in how to properly eat an iapapa bar with a spoon (which was a little silly, honestly, they could have eaten it with their paws and nobody would have batted an eye). Petal had been happy to simply rest under a sunbeam and doze off.

    My friend could hardly seem to enjoy her own snacks, however, she only seemed to have eyes for the view of the shopfronts on the other side of the street.

    "Why not, though?" I insisted.

    Her eyes flickered back to the shops, a rainbow of styles showcased through the windows. "These¡­ these wouldn''t be proper." She could try to hide it from me, but I could hear it as obligation colored her response. She straightened her white sundress; designer, expensive.

    I wrung my hands beneath the table. "Says who?"

    "I don''t know. Everyone, I guess." She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear, distractedly.

    "Um. I don''t know much about fashion or whatever." I am a little out of my depth here, and I don''t want to push it, but¨C "But I think you''d look nice in the pink open jacket, here."

    "...Oh, I would?" Her face pressed against the window eagerly as her eyes searched around the window fronts. Stella stopped her lesson to Toku then, getting off her seat to jump on the table and search with Lilliane. "Where?"

    "Yeah, uh¨C" I pointed out, "It''s at the Appasho store, on the left. Do you see it?"

    "Ohhhh¡­ it is nice!" Stella squeaked out in approval, and Lilliane rested her head on her palm, elbow on the table, looking out wistfully. A real, genuine smile blossomed on her face.

    That''s when she looks her happiest.

    "We, uh, we don''t have to go inside if you want to," I stammered. "But that''d be nice to know what you like."

    She inched away from the window, mulled my question over as she thumbed the straw of her drink. It was strange, ultimately, to be this distraught over just clothes, but clothes was just one of many things that Lilliane wasn''t allowed to make choices about.

    If she wanted to go after her mother, eventually ¨C What a scary thought! ¨C she would have to make her own choices, wouldn''t she?

    "What do you like, Selene?"

    The change of spotlight suddenly took me by surprise "...That''s. Um. You promise not to laugh?"

    She chuckled reflexively and moved to cover her mouth with her hand. "Yes! Yes, I promise."

    "I¨C I don''t think that''s stuff I can wear right now, you know, just being young and all, but¨C" Maybe? Yeah, no, no way I could pull it off. "I like, uh, professional clothes? Serious stuff that makes you look mature. And, uh, also flower patterns."

    My voice had gone higher and faster in cadence as I revealed my embarrassing tastes and Lilliane only grew a wider grin in response. "And flower patterns? Selene, that''s adorable! Oh, we should shop around for a dress!"

    "Lillie!" I whined loudly, covering my face with my hands. "I haven''t worn a dress since I was, like, ten."

    She paused, and blinked for a second, then took a deep breath. Stella the Cleffa took notice and stared.

    "Can you¡­" she paused, suddenly unsure, then gathered her courage once more. "Can you call me that again?"

    "Oh? ¡­You mean, call you Lillie?"

    "Yeah." She smiled a little smile. "Call me Lillie."

    <hr>

    Fire raged around the arena. My Oddish fell, leaves scorched black.

    This was carnage.

    The Torchic had been a complete surprise¨C there had been a few non-Fighting types in the list of Pokemon I researched in preparation for the Trial ¨C Shroomish, Poliwhirl, Buneary ¨C all Pokemon that had serious Fighting-type potential, but how could I have not accounted for Torchic?

    The Fire-type had shown itself to be a ruthless, meticulous fighter that could zip around the arena with ease, shooting out Embers with higher speed and precision than Loa even had earlier. If Petal stayed away and attempted to stop them with Leech Seed, it would simply burn away their plants with overwhelming fire-power ¨C my Grass-type could hardly control flora that had been burned to a crisp. If Petal tried to close in and coat it in spores, it would overwhelm them with brutal kick attacks and vicious Aerial Aces.

    In what seemed like barely a minute or two, my Oddish had been completely neutralized with nary a scratch on the Fire-type. What grass we had spread around the arena had now caught aflame, painting the field in oppressing orange light and dark smoke clouds.

    What advantage we had gathered for Lillie''s Ledyba had been completely negated.

    This was the worst outcome.

    "Your little song and dance has been pretty interestin'' to witness, but I''ve been eager to face you," he said, pointing at Lillie. "Selene, recall your partner. You Athier girl, come up."

    I complied. Hau looked back at the arena, grimacing, actual worry on his face. Risking a glance at Lillie, I could see her putting on a brave front¨C but the clenched fingers around the hem of her dress betrayed her true feelings.

    Still, she stepped on the trainer''s dais.

    "You have experience in the Gym Challenge, I hear. Not too different here, in the end," the Kahuna began. Flames rolled over the battlefield, the Kahuna''s Pokemon casting shadows in all directions. "But. I do not see a girl with a badge here today¨C I see a girl who has dimmed her light."

    Lillie shuddered, her hand slipped into her bag to grab her Pokeball.

    The Kahuna spoke in a low voice as the wind made flames dance and flicker. "There is a fire in you, girl. There is a fire in you and I see it choked. You draped a veil over it and now it suffocates¨C but the light wants to be free, girl. How long can you keep this up? How long till the fire dies down, or till the veil catches flame?"

    Lillie''s eyes searched, desperately, for an answer. Tears glittered at the corner of her eyes. Feeling my fingers flex, I wanted to reach out to hold her hand¨C but couldn''t find the courage.

    "What will you do, Lilliane Athier? Will you choke, or will you shine?"

    Lillie closed her eyes. Tears spilling out, she grabbed the Pokeball in her bag and threw.

    The ball bounced off the field.

    Stella the Cleffa materialized. She blinked in surprise, gasped, and turned to face her trainer.

    "We," Lillie cried, "We will shine! Stella, we fight!"

    Surprise and emotion overtook her Pokemon, and her Cleffa evolved with a triumphant light.

 Interlude â€“ Parallels

    Evolution is a worldly miracle.

    It comes in when the Pokemon¡¯s mind and body deems itself ready to move on to the next stage. The body usually makes preparations; a slight change in fur color, a sudden growth spurt, an increase in appetite and energy needs. The mind is aware, the Pokemon understands that it is at the precipice, ready to make the plunge.

    It is mentioned often but seldom seen face to face. We all see it in movies, you read about it in books, you learn about it at school¨C but there¡¯s a huge, key difference between hearing about it and seeing it with your own two eyes.

    For one, it is beautiful.

    My starter, Stella the Cleffa, lit up with an ethereal light so bright it practically dimmed her surroundings.

    White, red, yellow, green, cyan, purple¨C the light fractured into a prism of colors that danced across her body like reflections across water. It was enchanting and otherworldly, a sight that commanded attention and reverence, where the world stopped to witness and none dared to halt the miracle.

    Her body began to float off the ground slightly, small paws trailing beneath her. The light brightened and she gasped, tears glimmering and floating off the corner of her eyes. Her body grew in size, her proportions shifting, limbs and fingers on her paws lengthening slightly and ending in small claws.

    She gasped once more, and faint wings fluttered on her back.

    The light dimmed. I released the breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding as movement returned to the world¨C I felt moisture on my cheeks. Oh no, was I crying?

    Stella turned to me, adjusting to her newfound weight and size and she rose up a hand to wave. ¡°Clefairy!¡±

    ¡°Stella! Oh Stella, I am so, so happy¨C¡± and I stopped myself there, throat choked with emotion.

    My Cleffa, who I had seen hatch, my Cleffa, who I had been raised with, my Cleffa, who had been my partner, my best friend, my little sister for over a decade.

    My other half had become more. I could feel no greater pride.

    The world hadn¡¯t stopped turning, however.

    To my side, Selene and Hau cheered and congratulated my starter on her evolution. Both looked hopeful and anxious, Hau giving me a comforting pat on the back.

    Faint flames danced across the scorched earth as the Kahuna¡¯s Pokemon stood, the Torchic in the middle of its element. The Kahuna was probably waiting for me to sort my feelings out¨C

    I had to swallow the immediate, reflex fear that welled up.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s been a bit, Stella. I¡¯m trusting you.¡± I told my starter, my Clefairy, then turned my attention to my opponent. ¡°My apologies for the wait, and my thanks for your patience. I am ready to face you, now.¡±

    ¡°...Let¡¯s get going then,¡± he rumbled, stretching and rolling his arm in his socket. ¡°See if you burn bright enough.¡±

    He barked out an order, and the Torchic took off.

    A few months ago, when the truth of Mother¡¯s actions had been revealed to me and my brother, I had felt emotions like no other before. Confusion, disbelief, fear.

    Maybe I wasn¡¯t too unfamiliar with the latter¨C or at least with cautiousness; the understanding that parents have high expectations and what consequences would befall us if they weren¡¯t met. Father strived for moral excellence, mother demanded perfection. Father wanted us to be kind and smart, mother wanted us to be great.

    Then Father disappeared.

    Thus marked the start of the hostilities. Mother expected even more of us, as though there could be something attainable beyond perfection. Public appearances, photos, soirees¨C we were brought to a slew of social events in Lumiose where our image had to be paramount, pristine and chiseled like marble statues.

    Things took a turn for the strange. More erratic behavior from Mother¨C more erratic than we had been used to. We moved to Alola. Gladion and I found documents, missives, reports on experiments that seemed far too strange to be anything but illegal.

    I felt like a Deerling in the headlights.

    The Fire type zoomed across the battlefield, dashing through fire and smoke alike. The latter cloaked the arena in a murky haze, occasionally obscuring vision of Kahuna and his Pokemon¨C multiple Embers suddenly shot out of the smoke!

    Stella wasn¡¯t fast enough¨C she narrowly bounced away and while one Ember crashed harmlessly against the arena¡¯s border, two shots rammed into her leg and arm and she let out a sharp yelp.

    I choked out a gasp as a chill went down my spine¨C my heart beat fast and loud inside my chest, thundering in my head like a blaring alarm. She was hurt, she was hurt and she could die¨C

    I felt a hand shake my arm¨C Selene¡¯s worried eyes met with mine and I blinked away the shock that flooded my system. I couldn¡¯t let my fear take control of me like this.

    Stella righted herself up, scanning around to find the torchic in the haze. She turned around for a second, giving me a thumbs up. Two faint scorch marks darkened her fur where she had been hit¨C she was fine.

    Stella wouldn¡¯t be able to stay far away; what other options did we have, then? Wasn¡¯t Torchic a Pokemon that would eventually evolve into the Fighting-type¨C going paw to paw with one would probably not be a good idea.

    How do we beat it?

    My life had stopped making sense.

    All of my life, recontextualized. My Mother, some kind of monster that lied and permitted experimentation on helpless creatures¨C who knows what even had happened to Father!

    Gladion was filled with a drive like I had never seen before; a sense of justice, a desire to stop my Mother in her tracks, a duty to avenge Father if that was what happened. He moved and planned a heist and a grand escape, presenting it to me like the answer to fix everything.

    Mindlessly, I followed¨C in truth, my world had been too shattered for me to make any decisions. What could we even do as kids with no fighting experience? What was I to do, when my mentor in life was rotten to the core? What kind of person was I, when this monster¡¯s blood flowed in my veins?

    Weeks passed. The time came for Gladion to enact his plan, and for me to do my part.

    Another exchange of projectiles¨C this was a battle of aiming and dodging and our opponent was winning. Embers and Swifts streaked through the smoke-filled battlefield.

    My Clefairy fluttered her wings, and with it came a sudden burst of movement that would send her careening in a different direction. She couldn¡¯t quite fly ¨C and to my knowledge, she would never be able to, anyway ¨C but theoretically she could float and propel herself away from harm.

    Another yelp as an Ember clipped one of Stella¡¯s ears and I had to bite back the wince that went through my entire body.

    This hurt. This hurt her, and this hurt me, and I was terribly afraid of how much more this could hurt in the future¨C but¨C

    This time¨C this time, I didn¡¯t want to back out. I didn¡¯t want to flee. I couldn¡¯t hide my head in the sand again and pretend the problem did not exist. Lilliane Athier, Stella, how do you fight back?

    Ever the performer, Stella gracefully twirled and another set of white stars popped into existence around her ¨C white lights against the dark backdrop of smoke ¨C before flying toward the Torchic. Her opponent zipped in a zig-zag pattern, letting the white stars crash into the ground at its feet, before shooting off another set of Embers at my starter. The fire pellets shone just as brilliantly as our Swifts did. Was there any chance that we could¡­?

    ¡°Stella, darling!¡± I yelled. ¡°Get in the smoke! We¡¯re going to try a magic trick!¡±

    The nature of the Clefairy line is that their biology doesn¡¯t quite make sense, that they don¡¯t exactly need lungs to breathe or eyes to see¨C what could a little smoke do to them?

    Stella disappeared in the murk. Now she was just a dark shape in the cloud, and as she conjured her Swift, it shone as brilliant stars twirling around her body.

    Three more Embers shot into the cloud toward my starter, and as they reached her they shone just as bright, indistinguishable in the smoke from her own stars.

    ¡°Now, Stella!¡±

    Stella side-stepped and spun like a ballerina, arms outstretched and fingers pointing at the projectiles, and as she did the Torchic¡¯s Embers and her Swift curved around her like they were captured by her gravity¨C disappearing in the blind spot behind her.

    In the gloom, two sets of light now spun around my starter. Two sets of light were fired at opposite angles, curving back toward the Torchic as it stood flabbergasted, its own fire stolen and turned back toward it¨C

    Its reflexes kicked in and it hurled itself out of the way. Fast enough to avoid a set of stars but not fast enough to avoid the second, impacting into its feathers with a burst of glitter, sending it thrown back.

    My Stella¨C she must have been training in secret, hadn¡¯t she? The little magician loved to put on a good performance. As the smoke dissipated, she held her finger in front of her and proudly blew over it like one would a smoking firearm.

    My attention was brought to the Kahuna, and to his recovering Pokemon.

    ¡°Aye,¡± Kahuna Hala spoke. ¡°You still burn yet. Let¡¯s see how you handle close quarters, now.¡±

    This was a mistake. This was such, such a terrible mistake.

    My brother¡¯s plan was well underway, him at a separate level grabbing what data he could, while I would go to free as many Pokemon as possible. Get into her computer, set it to copy everything to a drive, look inside her drawers and take what pictures I could, and¨C

    Hit the hidden button, enter the hidden room. Let loose the Pokemon inside.

    The light of my phone shone through the translucent glass of the cage, illuminating yellow fur within. The Pikachu inside was suspended in mid air as though it was simply swimming in water, though its body did not move an iota ¨C no breathing, no pulse, no twitches ¨C yet a small screen read out its vitals, confirming that the Pokemon inside still lived.

    This wasn¡¯t an experiment. This was ¡°art¡±.

    Ice in my veins, dread in my heart. My fingers trembled as I inspected the cage; no release dial in sight.

    Two more enclosures of a similar make. One with a Pyukumuku, another with a Slowpoke.

    Beyond, the vault.

    Inside was a creature like nothing I had seen before; a patch of night plucked out of the sky, a little dark nebula with swimming stars, a stripe of gold bisecting its body. The center of it was black, and faint light shone through its closed eyes.

    Only a small window of the blast door let me see the  Pokemon within. Screens showcased data, graphs and nonsensical readings, the critter¡¯s biology laid out for all to see. It felt like peering into the privacy of this Pokemon, like it was being dissected before my eyes¨C

    My knees hit the cold floor as I collapsed before the Pokemon¡¯s prison, tears falling down my cheeks as I tried to quieten my sobbing as much as possible. How could this happen? How could anyone do this?

    How could the world be so cold?

    I couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t think. In my head, all I could see were the faces of people working here, their partners, their Pokemon¨C how many let this pass? How many tolerated it? How many Pokemon saw their own in cages or in stasis and allowed it?

    If we escaped with Pokemon in tow¨C where would we even go? Who could we ask for help in this unfamiliar region? How would I live my life without any of my parents?

    What will Mother do, not if, but when she finds out what we did?

    And I pictured it clearly¨C

    I imagined my Cleffa in its place.

    The dynamic of battle shifted.

    The Torchic¡¯s feet raked across the battlefield as it rushed down my Pokemon. The two were now stuck in a furious dance; a frantic exchange of talon and claw; a flurry of blood and fur.

    The Fire-type moved with a ferocity it hadn¡¯t shown before. Its body bruised by the prior Swifts, it led its charge with vicious Scratches and Pecks that tore lines of red in my Clefairy. She tried to answer this close-range assault with Pounds and Disarming Voices of her own¨C but attempts at retaliation hurt her more than it hurt her opponent.

    Despite it all, she kept up a brave front as she always has.

    I winced, I held back tears as my dear Stella put her all on retreat¨C

    I had cursed myself.

    I had chosen my ¡°safety¡±, and that of my starter, over doing the right thing.

    My life turned into a nightmare of my own making. My brother disappeared. Stella, bless her soul, respected my choice and stayed by my side, adamant as ever. I kept up the front of perfection that my Mother desired, afraid that she would find out the truth. Time passed like nothing had happened¨C I was sent to participate in the Island Trial as though life could just return to normal.

    I spent days in a dreamlike haze, keeping the mask for as long as I could but¨C how could it be called living? How could I leave these Pokemon behind? How could I look at myself in the mirror?

    How could I pretend I wasn¡¯t the same monster my Mother was?

    I focused my breathing. My eyes blinked furiously and I wiped my wet cheeks, tears streaming down, but I refused to look away.

    ¡°St¨CStella! Jump!¡±

    My Clefairy bounced off the floor and floated, four to five feet up, immediately conjuring the bright specks of light that Swift would make. Her hide was covered in the marks of battle.

    I clenched my arms a little closer to my chest.

    The Torchic zig-zagged below my starter as it avoided nearly all the blasts of the impacting Swifts on the ground, throwing dust and sand around, waiting for my starter to float back down¨C

    I am growing tired.

    Tired of lying, tired of posturing, tired of terror from making mistakes.

    Tired of hating myself.

    It¡¯s me. I¡¯m the one holding Stella back.

    My Clefairy delivered a sudden brutal Pound as she reached the ground, narrowly knocking the Torchic to the side. It rolled and stumbled, and Stella bounced away as quickly as she could.

    I needed to look at it differently¨C it¡¯s like I was more hurt than Stella was when she took the blows, and I could see how it distracted her and made her look my way.

    Yet at the same time, I can¡¯t exactly turn off my feelings, can I?

    An arm laced around mine.

    To my side, Selene gingerly locked her elbow with mine, eyes worried and searching. The world paused. Warmth radiated from where our arms touched.

    ¡°H-hey,¡± she whispered. ¡°I know you¡¯re scared¨C but it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re okay!¡± She stumbled across her words, embarrassed but earnest. ¡°I¡¯m not teaching you anything new, you told me as much. Just know that you¡¯re not alone in this¨C we¡¯re here, your Pokemon¡¯s here, and we¡¯re all making it through, right? Nobody left behind.¡±

    A warm hand rested encouragingly on my shoulder ¨C Hau came from the other side, a confident glint on his face. ¡°You¡¯re almost there,¡± he assured. ¡°Stella is holding on, that Torchic is on its last legs and it¡¯s got a one-track mind. Just one more trick!¡±

    My eyes flickered between Selene¡¯s, Hau¡¯s, back to the arena where my starter was still locked in combat¨C

    In this region ¨C these islands of Alola ¨C can I reinvent myself?

    Can I evolve?

    Time resumed. My Stella was bouncing away from the approaching Torchic, trying to gain distance, and I saw something at the corner of my eyes¨C

    ¡°There!¡± I shouted at her, ¡°That patch of grass, to your right¨C go there!¡±

    Stella changed course with a determined look and a flutter of her wings¨C she couldn¡¯t exactly know what I planned with just a word, but the Trainer¡¯s Bond is a powerful thing, something magical even¨C

    Her little leg landed on the patch of grass; the last one left on the arena, where a single flower remained sprouted from the damp earth.

    We would have to take risks. No ifs and buts about it. I could cry about it all I wanted, the facts remained the same.

    I felt the warm touch of Selene and Hau and I knew I wouldn¡¯t have to face the music alone.

    ¡°Turn on the charm, Stella! Get close if you have to!¡±

    In one fell swoop, her hand snatched off the flower and twirled on her axis, holding up the flower and leaned into the charging Torchic; a trick we had learned back when we had faced the Fairy gym during our own junior journey¨C

    Mwah.

    The Fire-type completely stopped in its tracks, its feathers fluffing up its body. My Stella leaned away from the Sweet Kiss, pleased as a plum, the shocked Torchic swaying on its feet.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to wrap this up. This test has gone on long enough,¡± I addressed the Kahuna, meeting his eyes. I took a shuddering breath. ¡°Your fighter is looking awfully tired; Stella, won¡¯t you sing them a song?¡±

    She looked at me with a wry smile, as if to say, ¡®Gladly¡¯.

    The Kahuna shouted an order to snap his Pokemon out of its dizzy spell, and it complied, rocking its body forward with the driving force of a Peck¨C but it stumbled, a sudden vertigo causing its body to slow down and lose balance. Stella simply stepped aside, took its head and one wing and swung it around like they were partners in a dance. Then she swayed with her chosen partner and began to Sing.

    The Clefairy dance is something almost mystical¨C the world seemed to dim, the arena quietened. Stella always knew the song but couldn¡¯t do it properly, but now that she was a Clefairy, well¡­

    Stella sang and swayed, guiding her befuddled dancing partner through the motions. Oh, it tried to fight back, sure, it tried to jerk its body away but my Clefairy simply leaned into the motion, turning it into another graceful swirl. And yes, its eyelids grew heavier, the clouds in its head thickened and thickened, little Mareep jumped over the fence of its mind¡¯s eye, until sleep took it fully¡­

    Gently, Stella placed the unresponsive, softly breathing Torchic onto the grass, and bowed to the Kahuna.

    I held my breath.

    The older man looked upon the silent arena, flames dying down, and nodded.

    ¡°It is my pleasure to welcome you to adulthood, young Trial-goers,¡± he announced, a smile starting to form on his face. ¡°You have much to face in the future. For now, you shine bright enough to succeed on this Trial.¡±

    The world cheered. The audience let out its feelings, Hau jumped in cheer somewhere to my left, Selene gave a shake to my shoulder and a kind word¨C I had only eyes for my Pokemon, bruised and battered, but standing and smiling.

    She noticed me staring and gave me a thumbs up.

    We would be okay.

    <hr>

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    I spoke softly into the dim, dusty room.

    The beast within flinched, then stirred, movement sudden then slow. Paws and talons pushed against the uncovered mattress as he slowly raised his heavy head from where it had rested on his front legs.

    His head turned and we locked eyes.

    What he sees is some kind of foreign boy. I don¡¯t look Alolan, but I don¡¯t exactly stand out here either; my hair is a fucked up blond mess that¡¯s trying to escape from the top of my head. I¡¯m wearing clothes that are two sizes too big and also mismatched. I look like a fucking tool, but at least I don¡¯t stand out.

    What I see is something difficult to describe; this is a monster, this is a beast, this is a mismatch of Pokemon parts, this is DPr. Frankenstein¡¯s monster in the flesh. What jumps out immediately, truly, is that he is fucked up to look at: fur, chitin, scales, skin, this is a chimera that combines too many features to look natural.

    He¡¯s a monster, and he deserves to be free.

    His masked head turned a little too sharply and he flinched again¨C I could see from here where the iron mask dug into his skin and pinched it a little too tight. He let out an echoey whine and froze in place.

    ¡°...Don¡¯t move.¡±

    I picked up my bag and a chorus of hollow clinks rang from within. I slowly approached from the side as his eye trained on me, unable to move without hurting himself. I had to be mindful of the heavy mask and the sharp talons¨C my clothes weren¡¯t covered in rips for nothing, gouges in the cement room floor could attest.

    I sat next to him and slowly laid a hand against his neck and immediately could feel his weight pushing against my hand, head leaning against towards me. ¡°Gentle! Gentle,¡± I warned, and he relented. His finned tail swished once, displacing the ripped sheets and blowing a gust of air.

    I rubbed the side of his neck, gently, close to the place where his mask pinched the skin, feathers breaking under the weight. He softly crooned and relaxed.

    Fishing around my bag with the other hand, I took stock of how much supply we had left. Medicine for his nose and painkillers for his joints; basic potion for the rashes on his skin and his loosening feathers. His meal was being made in the room over, a slurry of protein-based pokechow, nuts and sitrus.

    So began our routine. Medicine, painkillers, potions and salves. A cocktail of chemicals was painted on his whole body. This was a creature that was riddled with health problems, not ones that seemed to threaten his life, but ones that made life difficult and painful¨C his nose would congest, his legs would ache, his skin was surprisingly sensitive to sunburns.

    Next up; the arduous effort of getting him to eat. With time, we¡¯d figured out the best way was to blend or mash his chow¨C I¡¯d jury-rigged a kind of pump with a plastic bottle and a plastic tube, and I could feed the tube into one of the mouth holes and slowly squeeze the food out. It was slow, but it worked, and it didn¡¯t spill food everywhere or worse, drown him in the stuff.

    The real problem was still the mask.

    Cold anger simmered in me. The mask.

    A thirty pound hunk of cold iron, seamless, encapsulating the entire head. His world, reduced to immediate space around his face, with only the eyes uncovered. Panels on the side indicated that there were some kind of electronic component to it¨C but who knew, no amount of bashing or tinkering revealed its secrets.

    He turned his head to the other side and one of the mask¡¯s branches caught onto the mattress with a rrrip, tearing a new hole in the fabric.

    The mask is a piece of hell brought into the world and worn around the neck. It¡¯s heavy, it¡¯s unwieldy, it¡¯s creepy as shit.

    What kind of monster would bring out this poor beast into the world and torture it like this?

    For months now I wondered¨C I thought to myself every night, thinking about the people who would willingly do this. People who would come to work, lie to their family, sit in a lab to create life and outfit it with a fucking torture device, design this tool with crosses and spikes like some kind of fucked up religious icon.

    I was going to kill them. I was going to fucking kill them¨C

    An echoey cry brought myself out of my head¨C the masked beast snorted and nudged me, getting antsy. His eyes searched for mine. I shook my head trying to dispel the angry thoughts and tried to control my breathing, laying a hand against him and whispering soothing words.

    There was a knock. A dark blue muzzle and red eyes peeked in, my starter looking in skeptically.

    ¡°...It¡¯s fine. I just scared him.¡± I hung my head. It wasn''t the first time.

    Rio rolled her eyes and let out a disapproving bark, approaching my side and looking into the bag. She removed the medicine one by one and pointed out their contents, tapping against the bottles with a paw.

    We were getting really short.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get more. You stay here and keep guard, okay? If anything happens, you just text.¡±

    She gave me a thumbs up, then she focused and shuddered, returning to four legs¨C for a moment, her preferred Riolu form shifted like ripples across a lake, dark waves running through her body, fur changing to ash gray and dark red. In one noiseless motion, her form shifted again, and she was back on two legs, teal short fur clinging to the spindly limbs of a Sneasel.

    ¡°Looking real threatening, here.¡±

    Rio grinned and cackled, her voice now higher and squeaky in this illusion of a Sneasel. She brought up her front claws and ran them against one another, sharpening the tips. She scampered off to another corner of the room and retrieved her bag and the crappy pok¨¦nav we¡¯d got her.

    The night air was cool, thrumming with the beat of distant music. A Spinarak skittered around a corner at the edge of my vision.

    I rubbed off some of the dirt off my clothes¨C my only way into the current hideout was through a narrow basement window behind a set of bushes. Well-hidden, but a real hassle to squeeze through.

    Sigh. The me from 8 months ago would fucking hate this place.

    Po Town is a dump. It¡¯s as far and as different from Paradise Labs as it can be, and it¡¯s where I¡¯ve holed myself up for the past few months.

    Naming it a ¡®town¡¯ feels like a mean spirited joke; it¡¯s practically a sprawling city on the northern shores of Ula¡¯ula. It stands squeezed between the island¡¯s massive mountain range, mount Hokulani and the ocean. People get here mostly by boat or by foot, with most of the neighboring roads difficult to drive or in disrepair.

    One would think the people who build this place were trying to build a knock-off Castelia; towering skyscrapers line the hills, fancy manors nest upon the higher levels, the harbor is wide enough to fit a thousand yachts. Then one looks a little closer and sees the actual state of the buildings: like the construction crews came in, gave up halfway through and left it all half-built. Skeletons of buildings remain standing, walls stand erected with no protective coating, holes in the street remain unfilled and expose the inner tubing.

    And yet, people still came to live here¨C coming with their Pokemon to build over the foundations with cheaper materials. Holes were filled with gravel, walls were built with wood and plastic. A weird hodgepodge of shelter on the ruins of overpriced dreams.

    Wild city Pokemon are all over, totally unhidden, in a way I hadn¡¯t seen in Lumiose before¨C black-furred Rattatas scamper the streets, Trubbish and Muks crowd alleyways, Zubats and Murkrows and Skarmories nest on the rooftops. Packs of wilds have taken over city blocks and live there like they own the place.

    Nobody pays attention to one kid in a hoodie, no matter how foreign they look.

    We¡¯re well into the night and still the town is well awake. Bars and clubs keep open till very late, booming out loud music, while street markets hawk their wares. The scent of sweat and street food is all-encompassing. People watch fights from blocky TVs or through crackly radios, this place¡¯s technology stuck twenty years in the past.

    A guy turned around on his chair, looking away from the action on the big screen¨C did he recognize me? Does he know who I am?

    I can¡¯t trust anyone here.

    I¡¯ve grown to be wary of the people around me¨C this is a city that tourists come to to have fun, sure, but I¡¯ve been made increasingly aware that there''re other things that people come to this city for, that these aren¡¯t exactly legal, that the police struggle to control.

    I stuck to the shadows. I¡¯m just a kid like a thousand other kids in the end¨C I just need to stay close to the street walls and keep an eye out not to walk on the tail of a sleeping wild Pokemon.

    On the other side of the street, light and sound radiated from nearby bars. ¡äTil the Threshold swallows us¡¯ one read in neon letters. People chatted loudly as they sipped on their drinks and smoked awful cigars. Light cast off from windows on the side of massive buildings shone like stars. A few drunk tourists stumbled with their Pokemon in tow; and on another end I see a familiar sight, a Passimian making its way over with a stripe of red painted on its face¨C

    Shit. Fuck. I ducked around the corner¨C those wild Pokemon stayed on their side of town normally, and I didn¡¯t want to be here once trouble inevitably reared its head.

    Right on cue, on another end of the street, I see a couple of men and women walking toward the Passimian. All young adults, all hiding their pokeballs. One has a skull symbol on his jacket, the other wears a chain with crossed bones dangling from it. The local authority around, though I haven¡¯t been around this district long enough to find out.

    I can¡¯t trust anyone. I can¡¯t be seen. I can¡¯t be found.

    I disappeared in a nearby alleyway and took the long way around.

    Imagine your Pokemon breaks a leg.

    Any other city and you could just go around the street and stop at the nearest Pokecenter. Big cities easily can have two dozen centers, if not more, to handle everyone¡¯s problems.

    But this is Po Town. You¡¯re far, far from the big cities.

    There is one Pokemon Center. It stands smack-dab in the middle of the least run-down part of the city, all the way uphill. It¡¯s constantly overcrowded and swamped with patients. That center is not League-funded¨C it¡¯s a private establishment, because the League wouldn¡¯t touch this place with a ten-foot pole.

    So if your Pokemon gets really injured, you have two options: go to a private clinic, or self-medicate.

    Aether specializes in the latter. Come to your neighborhood pharmacy, buy all the medicine you need to fix your ¡ämons up. Get all the potion your ¡®mons need to feel better in the morning. If you¡¯re feeling depressed, grab some shitty ether and huff it. Remember, everything¡¯s just a little too expensive in this piece of shit world.

    I¡¯m going to fucking destroy them.

    A cool wind blew in the alleyway behind the Aether store. The night sky cast its dim shadow onto the space between buildings, covering it in a thick veil of dark. A scent of trash and chemicals hung heavy in the air, as the faint sounds of city night life continued to echo in the distance.

    I ran my hand across the Pokeballs in my pocket, then tapped two of them.

    A sudden brightness of red illuminated the space, and then a faint reflection of light replaced it. In the near darkness, only the reflective outline of a metallic, floating sphere Pokemon was visible, accompanied by a faint hum.

    Among the Pokemon I had rescued from the Paradise Labs, only two had offered to remain by my side when released.

    Mag the Magnemite slowly rose, its eye scanning the wall in front of us. Magnemites are notorious city pests, very good at sensing out electromagnetic waves, able to feel electricity coursing through wires even through walls.

    This one was trouble and a half. It had a singular mind, a singular mission: to consume; and I had encouraged it to do so as long as it started its meal with the cameras.

    My Electric-type scanned its way up the wall with an excited chorus of beep and boops and¨C there, it stopped at a point that would be around ceiling height, focusing its intent with a slow turn of its screws and faintly emitting sparks.

    Step two. I pulled up a neck muffler to cover the bottom half of my face. At my feet, I felt the slow rise of the second Pokemon I had released. In the near darkness, you would think I was alone, if not for the faint sound of shifting¨C first on my shoe, then up my leg, then across my chest. The sensation was not too different from being buried in sand, with the familiar pressure settling across my shoulders like a scarf, their face looking at me from my shoulder, shovel tilting forward.

    The Magnemite had stayed for reasons that were clear to me; survival. In Sandy the Sandygast¡¯s case, I really couldn¡¯t guess why they¡¯d decided to follow me, but I wasn¡¯t about to complain.

    A faint childlike whispering rang in my head as they began to exert their influence. Hello.

    With them so close to my body, I could feel my mind slipping into a sort of muted numbness, like descending into a cold bath. The lights of the city appeared to dim. My anger receded into a distant buzz. I was focused. Less distracted.

    I pressed my hand into the concrete wall and felt it begin to part like water.

    My arm slipped through. Sandy¡¯s work made concrete walls like this weirdly malleable, like pushing my hand into mud, like I was a ghost myself. Some part of you did die. You¡¯ll walk it off.

    I pushed a little harder against the wall, first my shoulder then my head, closing my eyes. I came out the other side with a watery sound like a bloop¨C finding myself in a clean, sterile room, the wall behind me closing like liquid filled the space I came through. The air was thick with the terribly familiar smell of chemicals.

    Tilting my head to take a look at the ceiling, I saw the faint flickering of a malfunctioning camera¨C I pulled Magnemite¡¯s Pokeball, plunged my hand into the wall and recalled it from outside, then released it from inside the room, where it returned to the ceiling to continue its snack.

    That was almost all of my tricks¨C I had learned as much as possible from files I had stolen from the Paradise Labs on how they managed their facilities, and the sort of security they used there. If I could slip in, grab what I wanted, and slip out unnoticed and unrecorded, everything would be well.

    Everything will be well.

    Now to get what I was here for.

    In the muted colors of Sandy¡¯s veil, I walked with my bag full and rustling with every step.

    Slowly and methodically, we¡¯d made our way through the facility. Room by room, we had made sure to locate the cameras first, send Mag to deal with them second, and crossed through third. A robotic, scratchy burp had echoed out, and I had frozen for half a minute until I realized that my Magnemite had made the sound.

    We were at our final stop before leaving¨C up a set of circular stairs, past a floor of machines and chemical materials (no Pokemon in sight), we had found a room with desks and computers, with drawers on the side. The light of the city faintly shone through rickety blinders, sending out shadows like prison bars across the floor.

    Mag gave out a low set of boops, our signal that it was good to come in¨C though it wobbled a little. Could Magnemites overeat? That¡¯ll be a problem for later.

    Making my way to a desk, I located the nearest PC, plugged-in a busted-up drive and turned it on. The screen shone with an infuriatingly bright white light, as the grey logo to Aether appeared on a white background. Just as quickly, the screen snapped to black, white words appearing as the Porygon keygen cracked open the computer.

    Escaping the Paradise Labs had been the first step. The second step, now, was to gather more information about their work¨C I had a vague idea but nothing truly concrete. What I had gathered seemed fantastical and impossible, honestly, and here I was trying to understand it through the smaller experiments they sent out to other branches¨C I had visited two, with this as the third.

    Eventually, I could figure out how to expose Aether to justice¨C I just couldn¡¯t go to the cops, I couldn¡¯t talk to the league, I couldn¡¯t rely on anybody but my fucking self.

    But I knew way, way too little, still. What had happened to Dad, what Aether was trying to achieve, why he had been made this way¡­

    Gladion. There¡¯s someone here.

    A horrible, low shudder went through my spine. The hair raised off my back. All the fear and stress I had pushed seemed to return to me tenfold, like a wave of cold coursing through my body, as I became increasingly aware of the presence of someone else.

    There, in the way of the room¡¯s exit. A tall shadow.

    ¡°F¨C Shock them!¡±

    The words had left my mouth before I could even process them¨C Mag reacted on the dot, turning on the man to send out a Shock Wave. A shape suddenly buzzed into view, flying soundlessly as water shot out and captured my Electric type in a sphere. There was a loud zap and a flash that had me close my eyes, and Mag fell to the ground with a hollow thud, its own frame smoking as it had stunned itself with its own Shock Wave.

    Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck¨C I yanked the USB drive out and recalled my Magnemite with a flick, the red glow briefly illuminating the man¡¯s large lanky frame, now a few feet closer.

    Adrenaline in my fucking veins as I bolted towards the window as fast as I could ¨C ¡°Sandy! Through!¡± ¨C and my Sandygast¡¯s ghostly veil fell on me in full force, the world shifting to tones of black and white.

    For a moment, I felt free and weightless. My feet faded not just through the ground, but also into the wall, coming out outside entirely and at a lower level, the steel floor of external stairs rushing up to meet me¨C

    Pain, pain, pain. A chorus of grunts, clangs and bangs as my body crashed into the steel guardrail of the external stairs. There was gasp and a set of hisses from Sandy, their veil immediately broken¨C they had immediately dismissed it, so we would land on the external stairs and not somewhere on the curb twenty feet below. I had felt something snap and bend¨C sudden, radiating, paralyzing pain flooded my body and I yelled out, then reached out with a hand to grasp the guardrail and wrench myself up.

    Pain. Pain still radiating from¨C somewhere around my left leg or my hips, but there was no fucking time. I rushed my way down the stairs, first running then hopping on one leg, pain spiking every time I put my left foot down.

    The bottom of the stairs opened into a side alley. I felt my legs tremble, my body so suddenly weak¨C aware I would have to run a few city blocks, but still I steeled myself and took one step¨C

    My leg fell under me and I tasted the curb once more.

    Ffffucking. One time. That¡¯s all it took. I pushed out my arms, tried to bring myself up¨C but my leg was now a ball and chain, a beacon of pain that forced me to curl up into myself.

    Tears welled up in my eyes.

    What a fucking joke I am.

    A long shadow was cast over my prone form.

    It was the tall shadow¨C a tall, lanky man, approaching with lazy, lumbering steps. Light shone on him from behind.

    ¡°It takes fucking guts, what you just did,¡± he drawled. ¡°But it leaves me the joy of having to teach you a lesson. It¡¯s no fun to kick someone who¡¯s already down.¡±

    He crouched, elbows resting on his knees and getting a lot closer, face still shrouded in shadow. The shape from earlier buzzed above, its wings faintly reflecting eye-like shapes¨C a Masquerain, I now recognized. The ghost on my shoulder cowed.

    ¡°Not a good place to break into, that,¡± he nodded at the Aether building. ¡°Not on my turf. So what will it be?¡±

    What¨C what was he talking about? Slowly, through the pain, my neurons made the connection ¨C I had thought this to be some form of Aether employee, but this wasn¡¯t, this was¨C

    ¡°You got any family, kid?¡±

    For a second, I practically saw red.

    ¡°N-no. No family,¡± I winced out.

    He turned his head. ¡°I can see that, yeah.¡± He returned his gaze to me. I felt the full weight of his attention once more, and he continued to talk.

    ¡°...When I¡¯m told that there¡¯s a new homeless kid around the block, it¡¯s a shame, but it don¡¯t surprise me that much. When I hear there¡¯s been a string of weird little robberies in pharmacies of other districts¨C it ain¡¯t the first time. But I can connect the dots.¡±

    He seized my bag and started to pull it¨C I grabbed it with both arms, clenching it tightly. The bottles inside clinked against one another, damp at the bottom¨C some potions had started to leak.

    ¡°This,¡± he shook the bag lightly, letting the clinks ring out, then released it. ¡°This is medicine for the fuckin¡¯ freak of nature you got at home.¡±

    Fury gripped my heart.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t call him that,¡± I hissed out. ¡°Sssilver. His name is Silver.¡±

    ¡°Silver, huh.¡± He mulled over my words, taking my sudden outburst into consideration. The glint of a smile was almost visible to the low light. ¡°Alright. So either way, what will it be, kid? How are you repaying me?¡±

    ¡°...What for?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± he gestured at my lower half. ¡°You need to see a doctor, kid¨C one that can keep his mouth shut. And you¡¯ll need me and my crew to cover for you, ¡®cause otherwise news of ¨C hah ¨C Silver is gonna leak all around town. So? What will it be?¡±

    ¡­

    I was fucked.

    I wasn¡¯t caught by Aether, but I was still fucked.

    ¡°I¨C¡± I sneered. ¡°I can¨C I can work for you. I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± I hissed it through clenched teeth.

    The imposing shadow of this man grinned wide.

    ¡°Welcome to the team, kid.¡±

    He held out a hand.

    ¡°Meet your new boss; ya boy Guzma.¡±

 Interlude â€“ Perspectives

    "This is it, Loa, this is the first one," I told my Torracat.

    With one hand, I held up my Island Challenge amulet to the sun. The light reflected nicely off the wood when I turned it, a strip of yellow paint freshly applied. Four tassels dangled, one with a Trial bead attached.

    A thousand years ago (eight centuries ago, history says), stories tell the first travellers came to the archipelago and journeyed to each of the islands. There, they asked the Pokemon for their aid and their permission to settle. The Pokemon tested the travellers'' skill in trials, and then each of the Tapus tested the travellers'' resolve in battle ¨C then they made a pact, and the pact was cemented in a protective amulet.

    Like this one!

    In the crook of my other arm, I held Loa the Torracat up against me. My starter was bruised and battered and a little soggy¨C but still held herself proudly! She was hurt as much as one would expect after such an important battle, and her body was still tense, nearly ready to fight again. She pushed her head forward to look at the amulet from a closer angle. I brought it to her, and she gave it a curious look over.

    "It''s like¨C your armband! It''s proof that I''m an adult too, you know!"

    She looked down at the earthy colors of her accessory and snorted, turned a deadpan look my way ¨C "Come on! What''s with that look?" ¨C and then simply rolled her eyes.

    Behind me, the door to my Grandpa''s office here at the Iki Town Mahalo arena ¨C my friends waited for me down the hall in the other room. I''d had a long talk with my Grandpa as he''d stamped the mark of the Grand Trial on my amulet. I still had my opinions about battling, and he''d kept his, and for the first time in my life I had heard him curse.

    This is your one chance. Don''t fuck this up.

    "Tapus above, that fight was fun, wasn''t it?" I voiced aloud as I walked. I felt Loa nod, claws tightening on my back. "That Crabrawler was scary strong, and that Hariyama after was real reactive too, had us down to the wire ''til the end! You were so strong there, we even had the upper hand at the end, it was just down to a matter of reaction speed¡­"

    The thundering steps of a moving crowd echoed beyond those walls, some of the audience filing in and out. This definitely wasn''t the last Grand Trial for the day, so Grandpa was probably preparing himself for the next one. Though it wasn''t for my sake, I couldn''t help but feel excited ¨C out there, there were three other teens our age trembling in their boots, clutching their Pokeballs, gearing themselves to fight my Grandpa and face adulthood¨C

    Loa repositioned herself in my arms, and I hurriedly moved my hands to support her better. Her limbs still quivered, still reeling from how clobbered she had been during the fight. Eventually she rested her head on my shoulder and simply deflated, letting the tension seep out of my body.

    The Torracat tried to show a resolute, steadfast front, she really did, but I was starting to grasp her true feelings behind the fa?ade¨C she took her performance super seriously, like her entire sense of self-worth hung in the balance. She''d broken down once by losing against Rui''s Rattata; there''d be no second time. So be it.

    We''d both have to double down on training. We''d managed to strike a bond, now we just had to strengthen it.

    I continued to ramble; and though she hid it well, I felt the beginning of a purr.

    Familiar chatter echoed from the waiting room.

    "...There''s the prodigal son!"

    Dad called out to me then my friends and family all turned their attention my way¨C

    I was practically bowled over by two twin missiles, my younger cousins rushing to gush all about the fight. They shot rapid-fire questions my way, talking over one another as I tried to answer as best as I could, an uncontrollable smile on my face. Their Mienfoo partners practically ran circles around the four of us, as I felt my Torracat growing distressed by the younger children, tensing and gripping her claws¨C maybe she wasn''t used to that type of praise? I offered to return to her ball but she declined.

    Aunt Lou practically grabbed her gremlins by the scruff, pushing back my cousins to give Loa and I space. The older, stronger woman congratulated me, giving me a friendly shake of the shoulder, complimenting our fight and petting my grumbling starter. Her older Pikipek flew up to my head and ruffled my hair as I laughed.

    Her grip was firm¨C she''d had to get real strong, my older Aunt. She''d shouldered a lot of shit, and it was starting to show by the crows feet on the corner of her eyes. She looked at me with a smile that I couldn''t help but feel a little weird about, strangely, like she had something heavy on the mind¨C but no matter! I won''t fuck this up.

    Then came Auntie Ele. She walked slowly, shouldered by her husband, her Politoed in tow pushing the strollers for her children (and Politoed''s children). She congratulated me for the Trial, advising us on what to improve. Her husband lamented that he would miss our time surfing (what with Auntie''s pregnancy coming to term and all), and I promised him one last ride before my friends and I left for Akala.

    The whole family''s got eyes on you, young man! Aunt Ele said; Yeah, I can tell, I thought to myself.

    Finally, my relatives parted and let my dad through.

    Dad is a man that can project a voice like mad¨C but nowadays struggles with anything else, relying on his helper Furfrou for most things physical. He hugged with near desperate effort, telling me how proud he was.

    Last time I had felt him squeeze him that way¨C

    The sterile scent of a hospital room. Dimly lit, blank light. Shudders as I hugged my dad tight.

    The doctors were adamant, now; something was irrevocably broken and not even a miracle of the Tapus could fix it. The human body is very resilient, very adaptable, can handle a real beating yet dad''s body was sending a clear message to dad''s brain: stop what you''re doing or we''ll stop you.

    He is invincible. He is a warrior, an athlete, a giant. Could he be all these things and be unable to walk? To fight? I couldn''t think about it.

    Dad released me, and I had to hurriedly wipe the moisture from my eyes¨C Keep it together, Hau! I couldn''t look weak now! I put on my best grin and whacked him on the back.

    I wouldn''t have done it without my friends, I told him then. Why, look here, on the other side of the room!

    Selene and her family on one side, then Lilliane and her¡­ chauffeur, on the other?

    Selene''s mom had walked up to the guy ¨C we''d met her mom once or twice, and she''d been awesome every time, just a cool mom with a real hippie vibe ¨C and it looked like she was trying to strike a conversation with the professional-looking agent at Lilliane''s side. Despite her best efforts, it seemed like the guy shut her every attempt at small talk.

    Lilliane seemed a little bit embarrassed at¨C whatever that was. No matter¨C she hugged Stella a little closer to her chest. I wish you had seen it from where I stood, Dad, what a surprise it had been ¨C not only to see Lilliane fight against her fears and finally throw her starter in the ring, but to also see her Pokemon evolve on the spot! That Cleffa must have been holding it in for a while.

    Lilliane is the secret sauce of our group ¨C she''s already got a badge from her home region, and while she''s been a little afraid to show her hand, I can tell she''s got some real cool tricks in store. Just wait and see. Meowth''s out of the bag now, we would have to train and fight one another soon.

    Meanwhile, a battered-up Oddish was propped up on a chair as Selene and her parents chatted about something I couldn''t hear. Her dad was this severe-looking kantoan man in a suit and glasses; practically the walking stereotype of a kantoan businessman, yet he kneeled to Petal and spoke to Selene with a gentle tone. The exhausted grass-type listened and nodded, as Selene gave an embarrassed smile.

    And there was the brains of the operation: Selene, our researcher to be. Only a few days ago, she''d returned to us with a whole essay on my Gramps'' pokemon, their strength and weaknesses, all sorts of shit for us to use during the fight¨C and look how that worked out!

    There were, of course, a bunch of things I couldn''t really tell my dad here ¨C Selene is smart, but she''s also just¨C so, so afraid of other people, in a way that seemed overwhelming and all encompassing. I had seen her retreat to herself over the week. When she''s pushed she can be thoughtful and witty and I couldn''t help but wonder if her Oddish was what she would be like if she totally let herself go¨C loud and opinionated and right no matter how frustrating the truth can be.

    Lilliane is someone that''s been more difficult to categorize¨C I''d chalked her to be a fancy foreign rich girl like any other but clearly she wears masks, and masks behind those masks, and we were only just seeing past the first layer. That''s not even mentioning her mom''s whole thing¨C the reality of her words still burned in the back of my mind, that out there there were real, awful adults that one day we would fight¨C and we will fight them, because you can''t talk with people who chose to be monsters.

    So this was us. This was our team!

    We''d have to make it. I''ll just have to make it.

    One step at a time.

    Make your family proud.

    Restore dad''s honor.

    Beat the Tapu.

    Don''t fuck this up.

    Don''t fuck this up.

    Don''t fuck this up.

    Don''t¨C

    <hr>

    ¨Cskip ahead just yet! With hoennian competitor May Senri vacationing in Alola, the local competitive scene is going to be shaken big time! Brought to you by our sponsors¨C"

    Nah. I flicked my thumb and the next short rolled in.

    A man and his machamp sat at a table, bowl of chesto berries in front of both. Above them, white text spelled out ¡äHow real men eat''. Pokemon and trainer simultaneously grabbed a chesto in their fists, brought them to their mouths and bit down raw on the hard rind brainlessly¨C

    Hm. Swipe.

    "Little Riolu is so cute!" A robotic voice droned out in a feminine but monotone tone. "Watch it eat its slop!" The world''s specialest Pokemon at its most baby sat on a raised chair, baby fat still clinging to its cheeks. Jolly music rang out, and a human hand brought forward a spoonful of mashed berry, the Pokemon''s eyes crossing at the incoming treat.

    ...

    Scritch scritch. Scratching of coloured pen on paper, the only other sound in my dorm room.

    Me, head on my pillow, laying on my side, watching videos. Wasting time.

    A cool wind passed through the window, carrying through the sounds and scents of the Hau''oli outskirts ¨C someone had set up a food stand outside, and the smell of fried foodstuff wafted in.

    Sigh. I checked my notifications¨C nope. Dozens of messages I had sent her over the week. Most unread.

    My legs twitched, starting to fall asleep.

    I had been laying a while. What time was it?

    Knock knock knock knock.

    "Fuck off, Rui," I whined.

    My brother opened the door in a rush¨C and paused, my Spinda having gotten up from its seat on the low table where it was drawing. Rui gave Love Tax a quick half-hearted hug (fucker would pay LT''s tax but not listen to me) and turned to address me directly, phone in his hand. "Hey."

    "What do you want?" I didn''t give him a glance.

    "Look up the local Teye stream, Tuula. Quick."

    Eugh. "LT and I did our training, Rui, this is my me-time. Get off my ass."

    He sputtered and scoffed, getting red in the face. Still too easy to rile up. "Tuula¨C I''m not getting on your ass about training, sis¨C Hau & co got their Grand Trial, they''re getting interviewed!"

    "What?? For real?" My turn to do a double take, sitting up instantly. I fumbled the buttons to open up the streaming app, looking up the Trainer''s Eye channel, feeling my brother sit on my left as my starter got up on the bed to sit on the other.

    Trainer''s Eye ¨C Teye for short ¨C is the biggest community of up and coming trainers around, with separate sub-forums and stream channels for different regions. Not that I give most of a shit, really, but they had been covering Alola recently and doing quick interviews with Trial-goers right outside Mahalo arena.

    And there they were.

    It was near the entrance to Mahalo trail, the stadium itself in clear view. Hau, Selene and Lilliane stood side by side, holding their bruised up starters for most (though Hau''s stood proudly on her own paws at his feet). Selene looked like she was shitting herself.

    "U-uh, I mean, it''s like, huh," stammered Selene Matsu, fighting for her fucking life. "M-my dad t-taught me how t-to spot weaknesses, and uh, it was j-just a matter of p-pressing at the r-right time." Her Oddish nodded.

    An eager voice from offscreen spoke up, holding up a microphone up to Selene''s chin. "Mhm. Your father, does he have any experience in battling?"

    "Yes! Y-yeah, he does," she sputtered. Hypocrite. "He has, uh, f-five badges from the Kanto circuit."

    "Ah." Clear disappointment. Where they expecting a fucking tournament finalist? Their attention shifted to Lilliane on the dot. "What about you, young woman, tell us about yourself."

    Yeah, I¨C I didn''t need to see this right now.

    Click. I turned off the stream. "I''m bored. Leave me alone."

    My brother threw up his hands and complained, stood up, and left. I stared at the blank screen of my phone where I could see my face reflected on the dark surface.

    An angry Alolan girl looked back at me.

    No good looks, no talent, no friensd. A nobody. My hair dye had almost fully faded, dark grey hair like an ugly mop on my head.

    "...Unda?"

    In my reflection, a little beige snout peeked in, then I felt it dig into my side, nuzzling my belly worriedly. I put my phone down and scooped up my starter to give it a good hug. I didn''t deserve it.

    Sigh. I needed some air.

    "...We''re taking a hike, LT."

    Hau''oli kind of sucks, in my opinion.

    Like, I guess it''s the face of Alola or some shit, but does it have to feel that fake? The streets are spotless, the buildings shine. The harbour feels less like a town and more like an ad, with people and Pokemon selectively put there like it''s a fuckin'' postcard.

    It feels wrong, that''s the thing. It shines a little too bright to be real.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Thank the Tapus every city has suburbs!

    Walk away from the glitzy glamour of the shore, climb the steep slopes to the higher districts on the cliffs, find where people actually live like real.

    Up there, the streets get narrower and convoluted, criss crossing over one another. The curb is a little less clean, the walls are a little less spotless. Plants grow through the hard concrete and ramp up the walls. It''s a maze of stairs and roads, intersecting in small parks and squares where people come together to cook stuff, or play games, or play music¨C

    And it''s really good shit, too! A band composed of two guys with a Toxtricity and a fucking Tangela played their asses off on a stage ¨C just a street over, a guy and their Magmar are putting on some kinda fire show, and you''d swear that the guy is a freaking firebender ¨C turn around the bend, and here was a heartwrenching duet between a woman using a violin and¨C some kinda long snake fish Pokemon that sings with such a voice¨C

    We don''t have much, but we still grabbed something from the little pouch of accessories in my bag for Love Tax to wear out¨C today he was going with the drippiest of sneakers (that''s fucking right), and that meant that he''d be my little man for the day.

    Sometimes she wants to look cute, sometimes he wants to look tough; most of the time it was just my favorite little fella.

    "Yo, Tuula and LT! Nice pumps, little man!"

    And people know my name!

    My Spinda and I, we walked the busking musicians and food carts. We passed by the Marks and his band, the Cavenos doing water tricks, Miss Magic (an actual Mismagius!) doing sleight of hand ¨C artists pouring out their fucking soul into their craft. Pokemon scampered at our feet or watched from perches on roofs or windows.

    I stopped for a second, looking at my messages on my phone. I wonder, for a moment, if I should send a congratulations to¨C to her? Like, that''s a thing after a Grand Trial, right?

    Still no response.

    ¡­

    We stopped by to get something cheap and greasy and that I''ll need to scrub out of LT''s fur. My Spinda balanced off my arm like a Mankey, happily swinging from my sleeves.

    "Hey!" A scratchy voice called out.

    Off to the side, in a smaller, sparser street, three older teens were congregating around a boombox, sitting, squatting, leaning back. A Machop leaned against one of them with its arms crossed like some kinda emo teen of its own.

    "Nice kicks," he said, giving a nod of the chin to my starter. "We''re doing a contest, you wanna join?"

    Oh fuck.

    Okay. This is happening.

    "Pff," I gave my best scoff. I am cool. I''m the coolest. I can hang with older guys. "Hoenn or Unova?"

    The dudes beckoned me forward. We figure out the rules¨C there''s no objection when I say we go for Coolness (though I do see the guy with his Machop make a face, hah) and we work out the conditions of the contest.

    Some other person would go into the history of the Pokemon Contest¨C talk about where it originated, how the format changed with its migration to the Unovan continent or talk about its roots from ancestral Tohjo dances or whatever¨C but who gives a shit?

    So we''re doing a contest. It''s a tiny committee in a tiny backstreet, we''re not sweating it out.

    "...Really¨C a wager?"

    "Yeah. Makes it more real." He shakes a hat already containing a few bills. "You pussyin'' out?"

    "Nah, man." I grab the rest of the pocket money I brought and throw it in the pot, about a third we made from the first Trial¨C but we can trounce these guys easy. Fuck the Challenge. "I''m cool."

    I''m first to go.

    Click, thunk. A low droning beat filled the air, and the grating voice of Scyther the Creator began its preamble. Up on a windowsill, I caught the yellow tuft of feathers of an Oricorio¨C whoa. That''s kind of a crazy Pokemon to catch the attention of.

    The Unovan singer began to spin the tale about a relationship that lives in dreams¨C LT and I started slow. We were just loosening up, letting our bodies sway to the rhythm, side by side, getting into the mood of the song.

    My limbs heat up, my blood began to run hot ¨C a dream partner in a dream region, a romance that only exists behind eyelids ¨C then we launched into it: kicking back and forth, knee shuffling to the side, kicking then shuffling to the other direction¨C

    Love Tax was my mirrored partner. Normally a stumbling clumsy critter, he fell into a practiced sway, moves following the rhythm by the beat and tiny shoes kicking the curb with every step. The stumble of a Spinda is all a controlled illusion; LT showed them all he was more nimble than them all.

    An impossible relationship, yearning and longing for another, expectations and fantasy mixing together ¨C my Pokemon and I fell into sync. Our motions followed one another with the beat of our hearts, bodies moving as one, and I in that moment I felt like I could actually hear my Spinda''s thoughts¨C

    Then the beat dropped.

    We switched it into high fucking gear. At once I''m going into violent, sudden rocking motions, my Pokemon following them like he had been thrown¨C and a beat later I am a pole and a platform for my Spinda to dance on, prancing on and around my limbs like gravity no longer obeyed.

    The world disappeared.

    This is how I know it; this is how it works: everyone yearn to express themselves since the dawn of time. We''ve all learned to do it with our fists¨C but how long do wounds stick? How do you get people on your side with violence?

    No¨C let your heart shine through, let those feelings out, give them a space to bloom and blossom and people will remember your words a thousand times over¨C

    Sudden painful motion and my legs slipped from under me¨Cduring the single second of consciousness before I crashed I saw the teen with the Machop sweep my leg and trip me to the floor. Another teen grabbed the boombox, the other had begun to run, hand tight around the betting pool, chuckling¨C

    Crash. My shoulder then my legs met the concrete floor in a brutal fucking fashion, and all air is drawn from my lungs. What¨C what the fuck just happened?

    Did I just get rug-pulled?

    There was a ringing in between my ears, fading as I returned to reality, with the fading of frantic footsteps as the other teens ran away from the scene. Hot tears dampen my face. I shrunk into a ball, feeling like such, such a fucking idiot that anyone could ever take me seriously.

    This is who I am. My skills are useless and bring nothing to society. A burden to my family and the Pokemon by my side. Something to be ignored until it stops existing.

    ¡­

    I think Selene Matsu is fucking ghosting me.

    "ScreEEE¨C" "Hey¨C HEY¨C get off¨C"

    I jolted up, blinking, looking in the direction the assholes fled¨C I couldn''t fucking see with those tears in the way.

    In blurred vision, a yellow shape swooped on distant retreating forms, led by more cries and yells, a bright flash and an audible zap. A tan and red shape rushed on all fours in their direction (LT?) as well, throwing itself in the fight like some kinda feral beast.

    Shakingly, I got to my feet, rubbing the dampness from my eyes. The sounds of scuffle in the distance faded. I rubbed my aching limbs off of gravel and dust.

    I blinked my eyes open.

    Flying to meet me was the scruffiest Oricorio I''ve ever fucking seen.

    Those things are normally prissy little creatures that care more about their appearance than anything around them¨C this one couldn''t be furthest from the truth. Her face radiated out unkempt feathers, her wings ended in tangled pom-poms that look like they were exploding out of her wings.

    The Oricorio swooped to stop just in front of me, feathers dislodging from her form, my Spinda following in her wake, utterly exhausted.

    She leaned down and unceremoniously dropped her payload: a torn hat, half-shredded bundle of bills crammed inside.

    Then she opened her beak and began to sing an off-tune impression of Scyther the Creator.

    <hr>

    Step step step step step¨C

    Moon above and earth below¨C I wish I could scamper any faster! There is only so much time left! The world needs saving!

    Cold stone met my roots with every step. You''d believe humans to be children of the ground, with how they love to live in flimsy caves and cover everything in rocks.

    It''s unbelievable how overwhelmingly human human cities are¨C oh no, the night is too dark, so let''s set a million blinding lights to banish the gloom. Boo hoo, the ground leaves my poor paws so sore, let''s cover it all in concrete¨C oh but watch out, this part of the ground is not for you to walk on, it''s only for the smelly moving metal boxes¨C

    I stopped myself, feeling like I was getting distracted. I only had so much time tonight; my trainer and I would be leaving the island tomorrow.

    The world needs saving.

    Weaving my way between the few nocturnal humans and Pokemon, deep within the upper districts of the city, I got to where the humans had relinquished their influence: abandoned dwellings, half-built human abodes where nature had recovered its rightful place.

    Presiding over a gaggle of sleeping Bounsweet, night-elder Lurantis was softly speaking to other nocturnal Pokemon that had come for her counsel.

    A small family of Rattatas and Raticates cowered at her roots, and she motioned to a direction. They nodded at her and disappeared in the underbrush.

    "Oddish," she spoke, concern in her voice. "You seem unwell. What ails you?"

    I had to catch my breath¨C I had run all this way to see her, and I could feel how this drew on my reserves. Not to mention that damned fire bird that had done a number on me the prior day! "No matter about my health, night-elder! The world needs saving."

    Her head cocked to one side. Her eyes narrowed. "I listen."

    I stilled. This was complicated to explain, and I would need to go over a lot of context.

    "Something is wrong with my human," I began. "Lately, she is cutting off her roots¨C she is pushing away from others."

    The night-elder sat gracefully to my front, focused intently on my story. "Has she pushed you away?" She asked.

    "No." We were siblings, practically egg-bound. Though her reluctance lately had been hurtful. "She has always been mind-ill¨C but she should be no longer, night-elder. She performed the rites. She should be healed."

    "...Say that again?"

    "We performed the rites of renewal. At the grand garden to the north¨C we were there on my human''s Journey, and another elder and her flock were about to perform, and we joined them!"

    The night-elder blinked repeatedly, then brought a scythe to her face, deep in thought.

    I continued. "Yet my human remains distant, night-elder. She has been¨C hm. The humans have these¨C" Eugh. Blast these humans for inventing so many new words all willy nilly. "They have talky-boxes that let them speak to one another¨C hers'' has been beeping like never before, and she seems so intent on ignoring its cry. I can feel her sorrow spiking up. I don''t understand."

    Hot dampness wet my eyes. The world was ending, and I felt powerless to stop it. "She¨C she felt the weave of life, night-elder. She should know and understand the infinite bonds that link all beings, she should¨C she should know how I feel¨C how we plants feel. Why push others away?"

    The night-elder walked up to me and brought me into her fold, hugging me with her long scythes. Our hearts touched¨C the gift of nature, to know and understand your place in all circles of life, to feel the connections that draw everything together. I could feel the soul of this night-elder, her long, long life, the myriad bonds that she had formed over her time on this world¨C

    She pulled away, holding my head between her scythes. "If she is a human youngling, it is likely she has never felt the weave of life before, little sproutling. She must be overwhelmed. Overwhelmed and confused."

    This¨C this wasn''t an excuse. This wasn''t how it worked. "She experienced it, night-elder. How could it be confusing to her?"

    She sighed. "Humans are confusing creatures. She must translate it through her human words, not just personal experience."

    How frustrating.

    My walk back was a lot less frantic than my run over.

    The remainder of night-elder''s advice still swam in my head, and I pondered her words with every step. The sun had begun to peek over the curvature of the world, and I felt my energy waning. I would need to rest for a while, if I wished to be alert when my human needed it.

    First, speak with your human. The night-elder had said. This was difficult. We had our own secret language to help with this, but my human shied away from what scared her so easily. I had been¨C so adamant to perform the rites with her once more¨C but perhaps this was hasty. I would have to be patient.

    Second, ask her about the talky-box. Ultimately, this is what eluded me the most. There was so much of my human''s bonds that I wasn''t privy to. What had her so spooked? Had it been the rites'' fault, or something else?

    It would be so much easier if I could just look in it and check. I could, truth be told, and I had used it in the past to find moving pictures of my brethren performing their own rites or doing battle ¨C but it wasn''t the same.

    I couldn''t read or write human script.

    Hm. Could I learn?

    If my human could read my intent through the shape of my leaves, could I learn to discern their symbols, too? Maybe.

    I felt the pull of Evolution¨C my time was near. If I wished it, I could start it any time I wanted¨C but how was that right? How could I allow myself to grow, when my human lagged so far behind me?

    I could wait. I would bide my time. The world needed saving yet.

    I reached the end of the maze-like road to my human''s dwelling¨C finally reaching her personal chamber.

    She slept in her nest still, breathing softly while Dunsparce stood vigil next to her. It seemed like over the night, my human had embraced the Dunsparce tight and he was now completely trapped in her hold. Good. If danger came, he would be first to respond.

    He opened an eye slowly, blearily, then yawned wide. "Yawn¨C Breakfast?"

    "Rest more, Lifesblood." Our human had given him an auspicious name. "First meal does not come until our human awakes."

    He wiggled in our human''s grasp and settled in to sleep more. "Mkay," he mumbled. "Rest well, Flower Shield."

    My human had given me an auspicious name.

 Chapter 20: Driftwood (Akala Arrival)

    "Are you sure you don''t want me to accompany you on the trip over, sweetie?"

    "Oh, uh¨C thanks mom, but don''t." I stammered. "That would be way worse."

    The Island Challenge is a Journey. Capital J Journey: youngsters'' pilgrimage across a region, a tradition as old as time and as universal as evolution. Done on foot for as much as travel permits.

    ¡äCrossing the sea'' is an obvious exception.

    So here we were. Lilliane and I had our boat tickets stamped and ready (Hau would be making the trip on Mantine, as insane as it sounded). Around us, a dozen other people that I couldn''t focus my attention to, some familiar some not. My mom squeezed my side a little tighter, feeling me tremble the closer we walked to the gangway connected to the ship.

    I don''t not like water. I guess it''s more clear to say I¨C I tolerate the sea, I don''t dislike it, I can even appreciate it! At a distance! It''s all very pretty and nice when the sun reflects into it, and I''m sure that lots of amazing Pokemon live there. It''s a part of my region as much as the ground is.

    We can all agree the sky is great to look at, but nobody wants to be thousands of meters in the sky, right? I don''t want to be near the sea¨C near deep water, because who knows what lurks underneath, and what if I fell? What if I got swallowed by the waves, and thrown around the current, sent adrift millions of kilometers away from everyone I knew¨C

    "Oh, honey¡­" Mom sighed. "Wouldn''t you rather be embarrassed than scared?"

    "No." I was sure of it, so sure that it broke my stuttering. "Being made embarrassed is far worse."

    Mom sighed. My Oddish twitched in my arms, eyes closed but listening still. They wanted to be awake but I insisted they took their rest ¨C the Grand Trial had just been two days ago.

    Putting an arm around my shoulders, Mom leaned over conspicuously.

    "...I told you I''d tell you the advice that Kahuna Hala gave me during my Grand Trial, didn''t I?"

    ¡­She did. She''d unexpectedly burst into tears when her Slowpoke had faced the Kahuna, I recalled. "Hm-hmm," I replied.

    Mom continued. "So. I was terrified, Misha waddled over to comfort me, the Kahuna took me aside, and he said¡­" She coughed, and her voice deepened, in a silly way. "Ahem. ''You have nothing to fear. You are safe. Your Pokemon is looking over you.'' He gestured at my Slowpoke, then. She¨C we were both reckless little things, and she would eagerly put herself between me and danger.

    "And the Kahuna, he told me, ''Be as alert as your Pokemon'' and I looked at her, and I knew that there was nothing to fear, because I couldn''t see any fear in her."

    I blinked. I repositioned my arms around Petal and looked down at them briefly; soft fuzzy plant skin against mine, faint minty smell around. Was it that simple?

    "...They don''t know everything, mom, you know," I snapped back with a pout.

    She tilted her head with a pensive smile. "A Pokemon''s sense of danger is much greater than a human''s. If you''re afraid of something and they are not, it''s just fear in your head."

    Was it really that simple?

    Lillie and her Pokemon stood close, Stella the Clefairy eagerly walking ahead to the pier and Toku the Ledyba buzzing nearby. Toku landed and gestured, then saluted proudly to me, as though ready to protect me from any attack.

    "We''ll be with you the whole way, right Selene?" Lillie spoke, patting a comforting hand on my back. "It''ll be Petal, me, my Pokemon and the ship captain making sure you are safe. Nothing can happen to you."

    Contact from her hand on my shoulders felt electric. I¨C I would be fine. My mind may roam, but I would land in Akala unscathed.

    <hr>

    This sucks.

    This sucks, this sucks, this sucks, this sucks¨C

    The boat lurched and panic rolled through my body in waves. I squeezed Lillie hard, head buried in her shoulders, my arms desperately clenching her back, she running her hands over my head and speaking soothing tones.

    It took a little effort but I had managed to walk the pier, it had been harrowing but we had asked the ship people for a private place to hide. We''d walked onto the ship and I had started to recognize people from class and now I was even more scared of making a scene and then we were sitting in an empty cabin where I could pretend I wasn''t on the moving water until there''d be a loud siren and the boat had moved and waves rocked¨C

    This sucks! This sucks!!! Everything sucks! I am back in the whirlpool, my body rocked this way and that, thrown around the water like a ragdoll¨C

    It was fine! Calm down! I was in a cabin, I was sitting on the ground and all my friends stood around me and they were protecting me from¨C

    From the waves, the torrent, the storm; turning, churning, rolling with you in the middle, where I belong. Seawater goes into my mouth, my throat, my lungs, and I am choking¨C

    The smell of mint and pepper brought me back to the present, and I wrenched my eyelids open.

    "Shhh¡­ shh¡­ you''re okay¡­ you''re alright¡­"

    Lillie''s voice was shaking. She did her best at keeping a warm, confident, comforting front, but genuine concern rolled from the back of her throat and made her falter. She was squeezing my head against her chest with one arm as the other brushed my hair gently.

    My eyes felt blurry. I was drenched in sweat.

    The room rocked with a nauseating tilt.

    My Oddish squeezed my belly a little tighter with their leaves, partially awake, honking worriedly. They tilted their head up to my face, and jumped up¨C Ow!!

    "Oh¨C Oh!!!" Lillie hurriedly released me from her hold, now looking at me with concern. "S-Selene, I''m not hurting you, am I?"

    "N-noh." I whined with a nasally tilt. "Petal jumped up and bonked my nohse."

    My attacker gave off an apologetic ''Dish¡­'' and rose a leaf to rub the place they''d hit me. Eugh, I would be smelling mint and pepper for the remainder of the trip.

    "Oh." She sighed heavily, then finally tenderly smiled. "Are you feeling better?"

    I felt awful.

    I felt awful, but this was a little bit better.

    "I¨C I think so," I started, looking around¨C but not for long, before the sensation of vertigo rolled over once more, I squeezed my Pokemon against me and buried my head in their leaves.

    Lillie stayed sitting with me for a long time. We were leaving a permanent groove on the carpeted floor of the cabin, alone but for our Pokemon occasionally stuck to our side, chiming in on the conversation, otherwise exploring the room in all its nook and crannies.

    I could feel myself sometime slipping back¨C the room rocked just enough, the sound of waves crashing echoed just as loud¨C

    My brain kept going and going to dark places. We would face three Trials in Akala, and one was famously in Brooklet Hill, a set of great lakes and pools along the eastern shore¨C if I felt like this while hiding in a boat, how would I even feel wading in the lake waters?

    My phone buzzed. A cold shiver went through my spine.

    I sneaked a glance at the screen¨C it wasn''t¨C it wasn''t from Tuula. just some analytics update.

    I wouldn''t¨C I wasn''t a good friend to her, was I? Nobody in class liked me. I wasn''t invited to the class group conversation on purpose. If she continued to try and contact me, then¡­ I swallowed the guilty lump in my throat.

    The waves churned, the boat lurched, and a wave of anxiety rolled through me. The sea swallowed me a little deeper.

    "...Do you think Hau is gonna be mad that we missed his surfing?" I asked.

    "Huh?" Lillie blinked, eyes wide. "Selene, you¨C you apologized to him three times already. He said he didn''t mind, and that he was sorry he couldn''t support you." She must have seen me try to retort because she shushed me on the spot. "Hau is fine. Don''t let that weigh in on your mood."

    That shut me up. Lillie suddenly seemed to perk up, as though she remembered something, and she continued with "...Actually, do you think you will be fine on your own for five to ten minutes?"

    "...I- I think so."

    Then she left.

    My Oddish and Lillie''s Ledyba had remained (how easy is it to forget the presence of Pokemon in the room). The latter was engrossed in looking out the port window, something I was particularly trying to avoid.

    Petal was trying to stay awake, ever the dutiful one. I didn''t want to risk releasing my Dunsparce from his ball; his default response to surprise was still drilling down and that was something I did not want to see happen in a moving ship.

    That¨C that wasn''t a good image to put in my head. Not right now. I squeezed Petal a little harder, and tried really hard to focus on the present.

    Namely, the unexpected guest to our cabin.

    Loa the Torracat, Hau''s starter, wasn''t at his hip in a ball while he rode on a Mantine ¨C whether that was because she wanted her space or would rather not be thrown about while Hau did flips, I did not know. Loa wandered the room on soft steps, seemingly looking for the best place to sit; though she too wobbled whenever a wave hit the ship particularly hard and needed a second to find her footing once more.

    Then she''d taken a look at me and must have seen how pitiful I looked in Lillie''s absence, because she moved over to my spot and laid down, her back against my hip.

    And now here she was. Comfortable (or as much as a feline could be on a swaying ship), her warm back planted against my leg, weathering the storm. Toku had buzzed down to talk with her and there they were, speaking softly to one another.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    It felt a little surreal. Just a week ago, she had been hiding her pain from everybody, pushing everyone back. We had pursued her into dangerous territory and wrenched her away in the nick of time. A few days before that, I had asked her if she was okay and she had turned her back, seething, seemingly ready to claw my face just for asking.

    It was weird to think ¨C Pokemon had always been so simple for me to understand, but this one eluded me. But this wasn''t any Pokemon, was it? This was the scion of an illustrious Incineroar line. This was a Pokemon that trained her life to be a Starter to a human. This was an older Pokemon with baggage that hadn''t been totally unpacked.

    The ship tilted. A wave of fear and nausea rolled through me and I shuddered, squeezing Petal a little harder. Toku and Loa stopped their talk, and the latter looked back at me with a curious look.

    My mouth felt dry, and yet the words left my mouth unbidden. "...Hey Loa, are¡­ are we friends?"

    She turned her gaze to the ceiling, contemplating something, then looked back and gave me a nod and a "Torra."

    "...Cool" I replied. She wordlessly flopped her head back down and stretched her legs.

    The Torracat had changed in just a few weeks. The bridges that she''d burned were starting to be rebuilt, piece by piece. The attitude remained, but gone was the anger and despair of route 3. She was the biggest of our team''s Pokemon, even with Stella evolving into a Clefairy. She was probably the oldest of our group''s Pokemon as well, wasn''t she?

    "Um, Loa," I started, and she turned her head to look at me¨C Where was I going with this? "I wanted to ask you something."

    She gave me a nod of the head.

    "Outside of fighting and the challenge," I made a motion with my hands. "What do you like?"

    Her eyes widened and she blinked, genuinely surprised. Her eyes darted between mine, lost in her thoughts.

    We''re¨C we''re friends, then, aren''t we? I should know more of her, right?

    I wanted to know more about her.

    Her ears splayed back¨C she stared away, looking embarrassed all of a sudden. She seemed to consider my request, or maybe she considered how to answer it, as she turned back to face me, and then¨C

    Ears pinned back and throwing caution to the wind, she began to¨C sing a tune in a whisper? She wasn''t saying anything to me, I could tell, just trying to mention something she liked by its tune¨C

    "Wuh¨C Full Golurk Alchemist? Loa, you remembered the opening theme?" She stopped, eyes wide. I couldn''t believe it. "Loa, that was over a month ago, when I first met Hau¨C you have a really good memory!"

    She shrugged¨C there''s a look that ''mons get when you understand what they mean on the first try, and that look was there. But at the same time, I could see anticipation and anxiety, her tail tense.

    She was maybe the oldest of our Pokemon ¨C but she was still just a teen our age, wasn''t she?

    "...That''s awesome! I''m glad we have that in common."

    Tension melted away from her features, the Torracat seeming to relax on the spot. I couldn''t help but smile wide myself ¨C despite everything that had happened, despite being a little warrior, she was just like us.

    "Did you get to watch more with Hau?" She gave off a yowl and a few shakes of the head.

    "...Would you like to watch some now?"

    <hr>

    The clouds cleared over Heahea City when we arrived.

    Just under two hours. It felt like it had taken so much longer! Loa had laid her heavy head on my lap for a half of the time, then Lillie had joined us after she''d returned, laying against the wall and shoulder to shoulder ¨C and then Toku and Stella had found places around us and we were a pile of trainers and ¡ämons watching Johtoan anime.

    The ocean still had its hold on my nerves and it wracked my mind and body with chills any time a wave hit the ship too hard ¨C but surrounded by warm, fuzzy bodies as I was, it made the trip a lot better.

    Finally. The ship''s horn let out its bellowing cry, and the ambient panic in my mind started to recede. I wouldn''t be drowning yet. My legs kept trembling still way until all passengers had walked off the pier unto the port, and it was only then that I properly took in my surroundings.

    If Hau''oli was tall, Heahea was wide.

    The city''s port looked utterly massive, longer than it was wide, with the city encircling the port from both sides. White stone lined the streets and walls though I could barely tell from the massive crowd.

    An ocean of people and Pokemon.

    Burly Fighting-types, stocky Normal-types and rugged human workers helped offload the cargo of a massive ship docked nearby. Nearby, other kids our age (other Trial-goers, most likely) walked excitedly as their Pokemon gripped their shoulders, rested in their arms or scrambled under their legs. I could recognize common city Pokemon that one could recruit as their starter ¨C but a brown and green shape took to the skies and I saw the more coveted Rowlet as well.

    Further ahead, a street market spread out wide with no end in sight. Hawkers had spread out wares from all corners of the world, from exotic Ariados thread to bracelets allegedly made from evolutionary stone. Wingulls cawed loudly, occasionally diving unto the crowd to steal the food off the hands of a passing tourist. The air thrummed with footsteps and conversations.

    Heahea had the vibe of a historic city, one that had been damaged and still showed the scars, built with old stone and old wood that had never been swapped out for anything modern.

    "Wow," Lillie gasped out. "This is a lot!"

    Stella the Clefairy practically shot forward, bouncing on delicate steps as she marvelled at the amount of people, as Toku the Ledyba beat his wings double-time to keep up with her pace! A working, towering Machoke stopped on its tracks, and they paused as well, now stuck staring at one another.

    "Stella, Toku, don''t go too far!" Lillie yelled out with her hands cupped. Now her Pokemon and the Machoke had struck a conversation, and Lillie turned her attention to me, a cautious look on her face. "...Selene, you okay?"

    Was I? My legs had stopped trembling. I held Petal tight against me yet, but¨C my Oddish had totally fallen asleep. But me, myself, I¡­

    "I¨C I think I''m okay," I told Lillie. "Could we sit somewhere for a bit?"

    ''I got to Akala, doing okay. Love you'' and send.

    A little time later, and we had found a large metal cleat on the dock to sit on. Lillie and I stood shoulder to shoulder on the rounded slab of metal, keeping an eye out for her Pokemon making friends with the worker-mons nearby.

    Sending a quick text to mom and dad, we had also let Hau know where we were and where to find us. Crossing the sea on Mantine meant that he''d had landed on an entirely different spot than us.

    "Speaking of," Lillie began, as she leaned over and moved her phone between the two of us. "I took a little recording of Hau surfing during the trip! He told us he would try to stay close, after all. Would you like to see?"

    "Oh! Yes! Yes I would!" It hadn''t crossed my mind¨C I should have thought of that! "Play it!"

    Lillie''s grin only widened, and she excitedly tapped the screen of her phone to play the video.

    It showed a view from the edge of the boat''s deck ¨C and yes, in the middle of water, on a swaying ship, but with none of the nauseating feelings that I dreaded. The loud crashes of water were only deafened by whoops and yells, as the video zoomed in and focused on something in the distance.

    There. Hau and a few other people, all wearing colorful tight-fit lycra outfits. True to the sport, they all stood on Pokemon whose form you could barely see, their Pokemons'' powerful backs barely poking the surface of the water. Two antennas (feelers? fins?) poked out of the water, the only signs of their presence, the various surfers looking like they were gliding on the water for the most part.

    The Iki town teen looked ecstatic, joy and concentration on every line of his body, his eyes glimmering in the noon sun.

    Hau and his mount drifted to the side, and I saw him slowly rise the incline of a forming wave ¨C the back of his Pokemon was revealed to me, and I recognized the criss-crossing scars of the utterly massive Alpha Mantine we had seen him talking to that one time at Big Wave Beach. What he rode on wasn''t just a Mantine, it was a checkerboard of violence the size of a sail. His feet shifted position on the Water type and now they swerved in perfect unison and cast wide clouds of foam on the ocean.

    His center of balance shifted and his partner shifted in response. The Mantine''s left fin broke the water as they tilted to the side and I watched them as they drifted toward a growing, forming wave.

    They rose to the side of it like they were ascending up a wall. The wave grew and grew and grew and they glided to the center, chasing the thrill with feverish abandon. The trail of foam behind them only grew in response, and I watched as the wave itself seemed only taller with them at its apex, the peak starting to curl inward¨C

    As the wave crashed upon them¨C a form shot forward, and I had to remind myself that this was Hau and the Mantine, because for a moment they were a singular unit, they breathed the same air and shared the same thought¨C

    They shot off the water and flew.

 Chapter 21: Cracks in the Grain

    Hau''s finger traced down the list of classes. A long sigh escaped him.

    Inside the southern Heahea pokecenter, on a set of fliers on a corkboard by the wall, a schedule of short courses were made available for all. As a Trial-goer we had free access to most of the beginner-level classes, and already a few of the more coveted ones had been entirely filled up for the week (Baby Pokemon Care, Training Techniques 101, Pokespeech & You).

    Lillie and her Clefairy already had a reservation for a specific course (Field Healing Basics), Kahuna Hala''s ''punishment'' for the desperate medical care she had provided Hau back in the Melemele Jungle. ''He''s not technically wrong,'' she had told me. ''My healing license doesn''t extend to the Alolan isles¨C doing this class won''t exactly give me the green light but it will at least be a refresher!''

    We had made our way through the winding pathways of Heahea, through cramped markets and busy streets, to finally reach the city''s pokecenter ¨C or rather, one of many, because the city was so spread-out that it needed pokecenters by the dozen. Before we left for the rest of our journey, we had a lot of things to prepare¨C and we would have to stay in Heahea long enough for Lillie to do her classes. Might as well occupy our time.

    "I don''t know, girls, none of these classes really speak to me," Hau sighed out. "I might just skip this one and hit the local training center." At his feet, Loa the Torracat gave an anxious flick of the tail, her claws flexing on the carpet floor.

    Then Hau gave me an odd look, and said "...Hey, you heard from the others yet?"

    I answered, but couldn''t meet his eyes. "Nuh-uh."

    "Alright," and Hau just shrugged, slinging his bag over his back.

    My pokegear felt like a cold weight in my pocket.

    It had been just over a week and a half since I had talked with the group we had travelled with on route 3 ¨C Tuula, Rui and Sawney. A little longer since I learned that there was a group convo for people in school that I wasn''t invited to, and even longer since I had spoken to anyone in class, really. When Hau turned around entirely and I left his sight, I let out a shuddering sigh.

    I held up my Oddish to the flier, reading out the course names one by one. Anything coveted was totally filled up. Any practical or physical course seemed already taken. The literary classes weren''t really Petal''s cup of tea yet, though we could look into one that would help teach Pokemon how to read¨C though instead, they tapped a leaf to the paper at a familiar course.

    "That''s the course that Lillie and Stella are registered to." I blinked in surprise. Petal quickly nodded, feet dangling under them. Their leaves pointed at the class then at my chest, signing out [Good].

    I felt Lillie''s interest piqued as she shuffled a little closer, my Oddish tapping the paper for emphasis.

    <hr>

    The day after we arrived at Akala, we went right back to school.

    In some ways, sitting at a desk in a classroom was comforting. I was with a friend, I could sit and listen and take notes, I was focused on a task. I was focused because the teacher had said we would do exercises, and exercises had the implication that there would be a test and I would like a good grade please and thank you.

    In some other ways, this was unlike any school I had been to. There were not just teens my age but older kids and adults too, and nearly all of them had their partner ¡ämon out of its ball¨C a coughing teen had a Comfey around their neck like a choker, fretting over their hair; a Popplio balanced a berry on its nose as her bored-looking trainer checked her phone; a Chimecho floated over an older man letting out the faint sound of bells.

    There were so many cool Pokemon hanging out their trainers here¨C it was probably for the best that I didn''t talk to any of them.

    Our teacher was a mature woman with a half-cut hairdo, her hair-dyed in the style of Saint Joy. For a few hours, we''d been given a very traditional lecture with graphs and charts, numbers and bullet points. The history of how field medecine evolved; what techniques had been common in the past that turned out to be mistakes; simple remedies that had stood the test of time to this day.

    And so the first class had been nothing but a lesson on what not to do, on precautions and prerogatives, tools and practices. An intense insistence that to learn assisted healing was the process of a lifetime, not a three-day course, and that the best we could learn from the class was the bare minimum needed for a teen on their Island Challenge.

    My nocturnal plant had stayed up the first hour but no longer.

    The second day after we arrived at Akala, we went right back to training.

    Cities like these had arenas of all kinds and sizes at every corner. Here, each center had its own parking space on one side and its own fighting space on the other; public parks had their own dedicated arenas (not that that stopped trainers from dueling on the grass); and sometimes you''d see two wild mons have a scuffle in an empty alleyway because Pokemon never stopped fighting ever.

    Not far from the center we were staying at, a small gym was made available for trainers to practice in¨C this one had distinct Kantoan roots, a mostly wooden building in an otherwise stone town.

    The sound of exertion and the smell of sweat permeated the gym, an open-air room with a large recessed indoor field of sand and grass. In the center, Pokemon could train on their moves and techniques in a natural environment, while employed Psychic-types helped with barriers and targets. On the sides, gym equipment was available mostly for the humans to use (though a few specialized machines were employed by Pokemon as well).

    "Hey Selene, who''s your favorite trainer?"

    Hau asked me this question while riding an exercise bike. He had been at it for under half an hour; while I hadn''t been able to do more than five minutes on the treadmill!

    The floor was cool on my butt as I tried desperately to catch my breath and lower my racing heart. "C''mon, Hau." I heaved between gasping breaths. "No fair!"

    "What? I''m just asking!"

    "You can''t ask that." Huff, puff, heave, I kept looking around the crowd, thinking I could spot the familiar face of someone I knew. "It''s embarrassing."

    Just to my side, on another treadmill, Lillie spoke up as she made great strides. "It''s not, Selene. I''m curious too."

    She was wearing white form-fitting gym shorts and a tank top¨C a far cry from her usual outfit, and she kept tugging nervously at it like it was a size too small for her body.

    Hau leaned forward on his bike, grinning widely. "When have I ever tried to make fun of you? Name one time."

    My brain couldn''t work properly with how exhausted my body felt, but still¨C admittedly, I don''t think Hau had ever been intentionally embarrassing.

    I was with Hau and Lillie and a bunch of strangers. Noone I knew would pop out of the crowd at any point and make fun of me.

    I rose a water bottle to my lips and took greedy gulps. "Okay. My favorite trainer is¡­" Nowadays? I couldn''t really care less¨C I wasn''t keeping up with the trainer scene that much, especially with how many new ones there were every year in every region. But history has lots of cool trainers, and one certainly stood above the rest. "...Professor Samuel Oak."

    "Hehe," chuckled Hau; "Told you," quipped Lillie.

    What the actual frick! Treason! "You said you wouldn''t make fun of me!"

    The girl hid her smile behind a hand as Hau giggled uncontrollably, dumb smile on his face. "Hehehe¨C listen, I''m not, I''m not making fun of you, I swear, it''s just¨C" He slowed down his exercise pace, one hand coming to his face to hide his stupid grin. "It''s just a very Selene answer!"

    What does that mean?? Oak had been an awesome trainer¨C the best¨C okay, it had been over half a century ago and everything, but so what? "Yeah, well, who''s your favorite trainer, wise guy?"

    Hau hummed, slowing down his riding pace and seemed to consider the question deeply. "Like, I guess I could say Nemona Menzi, that''s a very me kind of answer."

    "That doesn''t count," I said with a pout. "Nemona is everyone''s favorite. She''s, like, the most famous Alolan trainer overseas."

    "Wait, really?" Lillie did a double take, nearly tripping off of her own treadmill and caught herself. "She''s Alolan? Isn''t she Paldean?"

    Hau gave her a big grin and a snap-quick "Nope! She''s from Akala, even. She was invited to Naranja Academy after she finished her Island Challenge and built her fame up then, but you know. Born and raised Alolan!" He continued with a wistful smile. "But yeah, I mean¨C she reinvented herself, you know? Starting a team from scratch in a new region is crazy to me. I couldn''t even imagine leaving Alola!"

    Lillie interjected. "I''m not keeping up with up-and-coming trainers, but I really thought she was Paldean. She started from scratch?"

    "Basically, yeah!" Hau responded. He dismounted his exercise bike as it came to a stop, exhaustion starting to show. "I think she still has her Lycanroc and Kommo-o around, but she''s been tackling the Paldean challenge with nothing but newcomers. Her battling style is totally different."

    "Huh." Somehow, looking at their battling styles hadn''t occurred to me.

    "No wonder, but it''s mega inspiring to me," he said as he plopped his butt next to mine, towel around his neck. "Remember what Loa did during our Grand Trial? Switching up her stance on the fly? If we could pull it off again and on a bigger scale¨C that would give us some serious edge." He pumped his fists confidently. "That''s the plan."

    Classes at the trainer''s school came and went.

    Finally, time for me to focus¨C time to turn my brain off, concentrate on taking notes and surlining, absorb information and fill the ever growing well of understanding. If I focused hard enough I could pretend I wasn''t surrounded by people with fascinating Pokemon as partners.

    While Lillie didn''t have any trouble striking conversations with strangers, I already knew¨C they probably didn''t want to be bothered, right? I didn''t have anything to add to the conversation. I kept my distances and kept to my note-taking.

    We had laid out most of the basics and theories, and now the teacher was talking to each student (and their partner Pokemon) in turn. When Lillie''s turn had come to talk with the teacher, and she had explained that she''d already gone through a similar course in Kalos¨C

    "Let''s test your knowledge," the teacher asked Lillie. Now, she was seeing each student one on one in turn. "Say, you find¨C a Pikipek with a small visible burn on its leg. How would you treat it?"

    "...Cool the burn under water for a bit, clean, apply a rawst ointment, pulse."

    "How long is ''a bit'' ?"

    "Twenty minutes."

    "To cool down the burn, would ice work?"

    "N-no, absolutely not."

    "Correct. What if it''s infused?"

    "Er¨C" and Lillie''s eyes darted to her Clefairy for a second, faltering under the onslaught of rapid-fire questions. "Slow-pulse waves under water. At the start and an hour after."

    "Good!" The teacher leaned back with a wry smile. Lillie stood there like a Pidgey that had been through a hurricane, trying to gather her wits once more. As Stella gave her trainer a reassuring pat-pat on the arm, the teacher continued. "You want to drive off the Fire energy before you attempt to clean the burn, otherwise it''ll just stick¨C or unattune the ointment, and no one wants that.

    "But in any case¨C" the teacher continued as she retrieved papers from her bag , "Since you''ve clearly been trained on pulse-healing in another region, we can skip the preamble. Your Clefairy was your partner then, I assume?" Lillie and Stella nodded. The teacher promptly handed her a test. "Good! Fill those up and let me know when you''re finished."

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The teacher turned her attention to me. I¨C I wouldn''t get a test right away, wouldn''t I? Right?

    "You¨C" She took a glance at Petal, taking in my plump Grass-type. Softly, she bent forward to look at them closely.

    "...You are in pretty good health, aren''t you?" The teacher gently lifted Petal''s leaves and inspected their skin, careful in her motions. "Your leaves are glossy, your body is slightly larger than average and just bouncy to the touch. Hm-hm, you are well taken care of."

    Petal held their head high, blossoming under the praise. The teacher took a glance at me then. "It must not be easy to take care of an Oddish in Alola."

    "...Um. It''s not." I shrugged. "But I manage."

    The teacher relented, taking her hands away from my starter and straightening up. "But in any case. You and your friend are on your Journeys, aren''t you? What do you want to learn from this class?"

    I don''t think anyone has ever asked me that.

    I hadn''t signed up for the course with a goal in particular¨C I was just going with Petal''s whim at first. I had enjoyed learning the theory and the history of these techniques, but I didn''t particularly want to put them in practice. That said¡­

    "Um. I don''t know what I want from it, but¨C" and with that I brought out my pokegear, thumbing through the application for the Pokedex. "I thought this course was only permitted to people with a partner Pokemon that can learn some kind of healing Move." My eyes were on the Oddish section of my Pokedex app, searching through the paragraphs. "Can Petal do that? Can a Poison-type do that?"

    "Your Oddish should!" She clapped her hands together, then retrieved a boxy red device ¨C a genuine Pokedex, one of the older models from half a century ago. "Plenty of Poison-types are involved in medecine. A lot of modern medicine relies on chemicals that''ve been processed or broken down with the help of Poison-types. In Sinnoh in medieval times, they used Sneasel venom as an anesthetic, back when¨C but we''re getting distracted."

    She thumbed through her clunky device, pressing on the thick keys. "Ah, there. Hmm¡­

    "There''s different doctrines when it comes to Pokemon-assisted healing, based on what kind of techniques a given Pokemon can employ. Your friend and your friend''s Clefairy could be trained in Pulse-Assist if she learned Healing Pulse, but they could also be trained in Tone & Tide if she learned Heal Bell and Life Dew."

    "Erm¨C" My pen danced its furious waltz on my notebook, scribbling it all down. Pulse-Assist was the sort of healing that Lillie had done to help our Pokemon''s wounds, and Tone & Tide were words I had seen on the side of healing cradles at the pokecenter. "What about my Oddish, then?"

    She looked at the pokedex for a long time, getting more wistful. She hummed, then leaned down to ask:

    "An Oddish wouldn''t quite be able to learn any of the moves classically employed in healing wounds and such." And she raised a finger, silencing me before I could voice my disappointment. "In theory, any Pokemon can learn any Move. How quick to learn or how good they''ll be at it depends on their line, their ancestry, their affinities¨C lots of factors they don''t have any control over.

    "You''d have to ask Professor Kukui about that, but good luck getting an appointment any time soon, hah." She let out a sardonic chuckle. "But Oddishes are good at manipulating chemicals, so perhaps the best first step would be to learn how to neutralize a toxin that''s just been applied.

    "So! Little Grass-type from Kanto," the teacher asked my alert starter. "How would you like to learn Aromatherapy?"

    In the central training field, Hau''s Torracat performed a set of swipes, spun around and delivered two powerful kicks¨C her sparring partner, a Medicham, caught the attacks with projections of Reflect shaped into focus mitts. With each powerful blow Loa pushed back the Medicham by a few inches.

    My Dunsparce was doing training drills¨C in the literal sense, as in drilling through the ground, focused on improving his speed and movement control. Oran Juice had turned his little slice of ground space into a minefield of holes and tunnels that held. There shouldn''t have been enough structural stability for that to work but we were maintaining a delicate balance with Secret Power.

    The latter Move was turning into his specialty ¨C I had lit a fire in his mind with how I had encouraged him to practice, and he now found himself fond of building little structures whenever he had time...

    (He had even built a little hovel for other Pokemon to live in back in mom''s apartment courtyard in Hau''oli, and as adorable as it had been, I had to ask him to undo it because it was public space!)

    "Keep it up, OJ, you''re doing good." I paused the timer on my phone and recorded his latest performance¨C up to four holes at a time, connected to one another, dug out in under twenty seconds and staying stable for just over a minute¡­

    I kept taking furtive glances at my phone, expecting it to buzz any moment now. I was getting so distracted lately. My mom had sent me a quick text during the morning and when the notification had rung it had felt like the sky was about to fall over.

    Quick look to the door; quick scan through the gym. Nobody I recognized yet. I clenched my fingers.

    "How''s the ''Sparce doing?" Hau asked, looking up from his own charts¨C more of a chaotic scribble of numbers, but I was helping him straighten it out so that it made some amount of sense.

    "He''s doing¡­ pretty good." I flipped through my notes. "He''s getting faster, and getting really good at building his tunnel network. I''m not really sure what to work on next, though."

    Hau crouched next to me, resting his elbows on his knees. "Alright. Walk me through it. What''s the tunnels for."

    "Um." I tapped my chin in thought. "Well. It''s good at¡­ concealing information, I guess. When OJ goes underground, the opponent won''t know where he''ll pop up or how we''ll pop up¨C and once he sets the tunnels proper, we can start to play with the opponent''s expectations and prime attacks underground as well."

    "That''s sick!" He grinned wide. "You got something weird¨C and weird is good, in battling. It''ll keep people on their toes. What''s next?"

    "...For the moment, I''m thinking of continuing down the same path we''ve explored so far¨C his control on the environment is good, he can set tunnels and ramps and obstacles and I''m thinking he could¡­" I made a twisting motion with my hand. "Propel himself out of a tunnel with Rollout. It''s flashy and it could be strong, but it won''t do much against a flying opponent, still."

    Hau raised an arm and pointed at my training Dunsparce, popping out of the ground with such force he was in the air for over a second. "What about his uh. His little wings? Can he fly?"

    "Sort of? Not any time soon, that''s for sure. Those are less wings and more like ears. His ''wings'' are like¡­ Popplio flippers that can sense vibrations through the ground."

    Hau hummed, deep in thought. He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, the wood creaking under him. Then he snapped his fingers and jolted¨C "He''s a snake-kinda Pokemon, right? Can''t snake Pokemon do some kinda thing with their eyes?"

    "Uh¨C" and I quickly searched through my phone, looking through the Dunsparce tabs on my Pok¨¦dex app. "Maybe¡­"

    Right there on the app, a little video demonstration played for the move Glare. Here, plain to see, an Ekans widened its eyes and hissed menacingly at a flying Pidgey on the other side of an arena¨C and the Flying-type''s wings suddenly locked up, dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

    "That¡­ would work," I whispered. Hau whistled at the video, clearly impressed, but it was hard to imagine my pudgy little serpent do the same.

    Hau looked around.

    "You know, Cora''s right here."

    O-oh.

    He pointed out to the opposite side of the gym at the other side of the central open-air garden. There, the short brown hair of another classmate, and sure enough, her Ekans was practicing on the other side of the field.

    Hau turned on a dime, heading towards her position, and I tentatively retorted back, "Hau, I, I can''t¨C"

    "I promise she''s nice," Hau cut me off, "She and her ''mon can get OJ to learn that move lickety-split! Let me get her."

    Hau walked over around the arena¨C he walked and I watched, mutedly, as any and all drive to train drained off from me, suddenly aware of a tingling at the tip of my fingers and a staccato to the beat of my heart.

    Hau didn''t know any better. Cora probably didn''t want to see me. No one wanted me here.

    I stuffed my phone and my notes back in my bag. I threw my towel over my shoulder. With a flick of the wrist I recalled OJ out of mid air and I walked off without looking back, the noise of exercise drowning out all other sounds.

    I only made it to the lockers before my Dunsparce forcefully popped out of his ball, bellowing out a sound of surprise¨C another pop, and now my Oddish righted themself, alert on the locker room floor.

    "S-s-sorry, OJ, didn''t mean to surprise you. Or, uh, wake you up either, Petal, I''m sorry." I gathered my clothes in my bag, slipping between my trembling fingers.

    OJ and Petal made a few more sounds of alarm. They wedged themselves between my bag and I¨C

    What were they doing? I was losing time. I needed to leave. The worst thing that could happen was Hau or Cora coming here to look for me, and then my humiliation would be made practically public.

    "We¨C we have to go. Now." In one jerky motion I tightened my bag strap and stumbled out of my Pokemons'' space, ignoring worried cries.

    I needed out.

    I needed to leave.

    One foot in front of the other. Leave. The footsteps of other people around. Leave. The shuffling and yipping of my concerned Pokemon. Leave. The uncomfortable chafing of my sweaty skin against my clothes. Leave. Sunlight reflected off the windows in a dizzying kaleidoscope of shapes. Leave.

    I made my way outside and turned onto the street. Down this path for a while, right, then left, and we would be¨C

    A pair of hands pushed me and all of a sudden I was thrown to the ground butt first. In shock, my mind cleared up, and I was suddenly aware of how fast my heart was beating and how afraid I felt.

    Petal and OJ rushed to my side. A chorus of brays and yelps pushed back my aggressor.

    I opened my eyes to find the seething, scowling face of Tuula Tuari looking down at me.

    Her Spinda clung to her leg, trying in vain to hold back its trainer on her warpath. A new addition to her group flittered from above, a screeching yellow Oricorio in a growing shouting match with my other Pokemon.

    That was it. That was the consequence of my actions. I never should have tried to connect.

    "What," she hissed, "is your fucking damage?"

    Tuula leaned down, arms crossed. "Why are you not responding to my texts? Is your phone broken, or am I just too fucking poor for you?"

    Huh?

    What''s money got to do with this?

    "I, uh, I mean, it was," I scrambled for an answer. I had been so focused on the Grand Trial that I hadn''t found the time, and then it had been a while and I didn''t know what to say, then I hadn''t said anything in so long I didn''t know how to apologize.

    I forced my mouth to make proper words as I got to my feet. "I''m¨C I''m just¨C I''m sorry, I should just get out of your sight." It was for the best. It was better that she stayed away for her own benefit. I didn''t want her to be isolated from everyone else too.

    "Fuck no!" She practically screeched as she grabbed my hand. "We''re talking, and you''re not running."

    Tension grew. Our Pokemon interposed themselves between the two of us and we were forced apart, before they got right back to hissing and bellowing at one another in chorus.

    "Fine. Let''s do this as nature fucking intended, then." She pointed down the street to a nearby arena. "We fight."

 Chapter 22: The Other Side of the Fence

    The sight of my tired eyes stared back at me through the reflection of Petal''s pokeball.

    I didn''t look good. A deep weight seemed to hang off my shoulders like I wore a heavy pack. My mind felt cloudy and unfocused. I was exhausted, not just because I had just come out of the gym, but because my emotions were in total disarray. Ashamed, sad, scared, torn.

    How long had I spent hemming and hawing over my decisions until consequences came crashing down?

    We had walked to the arena in a strange sort of haze. Other passersby ceased to exist. My Oddish and Dunsparce, her Spinda and Oricorio, all of our Pokemon followed while keeping an eye on one another like the other group was about to pounce at any moment. An aura of hostile ceremony had overtaken us; we were fighting and now we were about to fight; my heart wanted to jump out my chest.

    Tuula Tuari stood on the other side of the street arena. A simple gravel field separated us, with a few concrete obstacles scattered like ramps of a skatepark. Around us, the narrow concrete streets of Heahea; a few parked cars; the distant sounds of the Heahea market crowds. Tuula glared at me from a distance, fists clenched, her Pokemon returned to her balls at her belt.

    "Hey!"

    Tuula''s voice boomed across the arena and broke me out of my daze. I wrenched my gaze away from Petal''s pokeball as I almost dropped it. Tuula took a step forward with a sneer, opening her mouth to say something then closing it. She practically trembled. Was it fury? Was it something else? I couldn''t tell.

    "T-Tuula, wh-what are the rules here," I stammered out. What were we even doing? "Are we fighting until, uh¨C"

    "It¡ªIt doesn''t matter!" She barked out. "Just¨C let out your Pokemon! We''re fighting! They''ll let us know when they''ve got enough! Just go!"

    I grabbed Oran Juice''s Pokeball and threw it.

    My Dunsparce hit the gravel. His attention was not at the fight first, but at me, and in his eyes I saw the same indescribable emotion that he''d shown to me in the locker room with my starter¨C and just as fast, he turned his gaze back to his opponent.

    The battle began in earnest. Tuula''s Oricorio hopped over the gravel in a zig-zag motion. This wasn''t the flight of a graceful bird; this was the hops and pounces of a furious ball of fluff; she reached my Dunsparce in a flurry of movement and started on her assault. Pecks of her beak and Pounds of her tufted wings battered my Normal-type from every direction, moving in and out of OJ''s space like a boxer. When OJ moved to retaliate with a Flail, his opponent moved out of the way and hit him with a Spark, his body spasming and rolling away from the blow.

    "A¨Cah! Just¨C down! Underground! Now!" I yelled.

    The Oricorio''s advance was relentless, blocking off all exits, and my Dunsparce''s escape so sluggish by comparison¨C

    "When Rui and I were sent to live on your island, we knew life wasn''t going to be easy. Shit''s easier in some ways and harder in others; my brother and I, we aren''t model students or the best trainers." Tuula began as our fighters clashed. "We know what people say behind our backs. We''re real fucking aware."

    What were we doing? I hadn''t even directed OJ to set his tunnels yet! I hurriedly traced my foot into an X on the floor, knowing that his senses could pick it up. Finally finding a breach in his opponent''s assault, my panicking ''mon pierced through the rough gravel and drilled through with a grating sound¨C a clumsy and unfocused effort, and the Oricorio managed to get one more Peck through before he disappeared through the floor.

    My heart wasn''t in it. I could see it¨C I was so distressed, so unfocused, that my Pokemon felt it just as well as I did ¨C and now they suffered, they were unfocused, and they were taking blows in my stead. Come on, Selene! Steel yourself!

    "You''re running again." Tuula hissed. "You''re a coward. You''d rather run with your tail between your legs than say things to my face."

    Maybe she was right! Maybe I was a coward! Was I so wrong? Was I so wrong in wanting to not be hurt? Was I so wrong in trying to not hurt her?

    Tuula''s Oricorio wasn''t a sitting Ducklett as my Dunsparce traced his tunnels through the battlefield. She kept a steady eye on the ground, bouncing from one leg to another as though keeping up an inaudible rhythm. Oran Juice wasn''t secretive about what he was doing either, his tail popping out the ground at a few points to set exit holes to his tunnels.

    "I want to hear you say it. I''m gonna show you¨C I''m going to beat you, and I''m going to have you say it to my face." Tuula growled.

    Fear gripped my heart. I didn''t want to hear her say it.

    She continued. "You''re going to admit I''m a fucking failure."

    Huh?

    Wait¨C

    What is she talking about?

    Words failed me, and yet I still tried to voice them. "Admit¨C admit what? I¨C I don''t understand¨C"

    Tuula trembled. She visibly seethed, fists gripped tight and arms taught. Her voice cracking, swallowing her feelings, she snapped back. "I¨C I know what you think of me. I know what everyone thinks of me. That¨C that I''m just a broke street kid that won''t amount to anything!"

    The spiral of emotions I''d been stuck in stopped¨C the running train of my thoughts crashed into confusion as I faced Tuula in battle. What¨C what were we doing here?

    For a moment, the fight resumed, trainers and ''mons on autopilot. A desperate game of cat and mouse had begun, with Tuula''s Oricorio and my Dunsparce at each others'' heels. With our tunnels set up, OJ was free to pop in and out of them in a much more frantic manner, surprising his opponent with a Secret Power that sent out a spray of shrapnel at the sensitive Flying-type.

    I was worried¨C worried and concerned. This wasn''t a fight to say she hated me, this was a fight to make me say I hated her¨C but this was wrong! Why? Why hurt yourself this way?

    The Oricorio slowed her pace¨C now she was as hurt as my Dunsparce was, and it showed. Both of their stamina were dwindling down as they visibly took shallower and shallower breaths. Tuula called out an order, and Oricorio focused her pace, shifting her movements to wide beats of her wings. The rhythm that she had been bouncing to changed, and as she did so, I could see faint feathers and static floating off her body.

    In one quick motion, she swooped to and into OJ''s tunnels. I had to refrain myself from stomping the ground with my foot to signal OJ to flee, holding desperately to my wits, before I heard the muffled sounds of fighting.

    This¨C this wasn''t bad for us. This was a gamble, because surely my Normal could fend off this Flying-type underground. For a moment, us trainers stayed silent as a chorus of shrieks and thumps echoed from beneath the battlefield, feathers and static shooting off from one end of the tunnels.

    An ear-splitting Screech made the gravel on the ground tremble¨C then right after, an even louder braying of my Dunsparce (was that a Screech of his own?) had us trainers recoil from our spots. Shortly after, a growing rumble signaled the imminent exit of our fighters, as Oran Juice shot off from the tunnel in a Rollout dragging Tuula''s battered Oricorio on the ground.

    The Flying type rolled a few feet before laying prone, unmoving.

    Tuula was quick to return her Pokemon to her ball, and swiftly sent her starter into the fray.

    My poor Normal-type looked totally, utterly spent. He gasped out heavy breaths, his gaze unfocused, his body twitching occasionally. He''d brought down his opponent but he was practically out for the count. Even as Tuula''s Spinda materialized on the battlefield, my Dunsparce turned to me with great effort and brayed out a snap "Dun!", doing his best not to let his tiredness show.

    He was too tired, maybe¨C he was clearly out of breath, he had been hit by some sort of electric attack that had his muscle lock up, and the Oricorio had clearly done something before she had fainted; the field was peppered with faint feathers that shimmered and sat like traps. Despite OJ''s best efforts, I couldn''t let him stay on the battlefield any longer.

    I grabbed OJ''s ball, and¨C "What the fuck are you doing?" interrupted Tuula.

    "Huh¨C I''m¨C I''m returning my Pokemon?"

    "The fight isn''t fucking over. Your Pokemon can still fight¨C you gonna be a coward even when your own team encourages you not to be?"

    This¨C my eyes darted between Tuula, my Pokemon and hers'', our fighters waiting for my decision¨C I was a coward. I was a coward but at the same time I didn''t want to agree with her; I didn''t want to agree with her when she thought¨C when she wanted me to admit that¨C

    "Augh!" I recalled OJ with a flick of his ball, then threw Petal''s unto the battlefield. "Shut up!"

    "...What did you say?"

    "I said shut up!" And with a freshly materialized Oddish looking back at me, incredulous, I continued, "Yeah! I''m a coward! Cool! Well, you! You''re¨C you suck!"

    Tuula reeled and I made a motion at the battlefield¨C and in this motion our fighters took this as a sign to throw themselves at one another.

    It was all a flurry of frantic movement in the corner of my eyes. One side in flowing, erratic motion that stirred the Oricorio''s loose feathers like a sandstorm. Unlike the close range slugger that Love Tax had shown itself to be in the past, this Spinda entered a strange dance that sent numbing feathers in the air like a cloud, mimicking Oricorio''s movements.

    On the other side, my Oddish anchored themself in the ground, drawing upon the upturned earth and carving roots into the battlefield. This Spinda had new tricks but my Oddish was more efficient in their control than last they''d met¨C they poisoned the air before the Spinda could whirl it away, and now the battlefield was coated in a mist of noxious air that mixed dangerously with LT''s Whirlwind.

    Tuula blinked tears in her eyes, an arm straining against buffeting winds that carried loose gravel and Oricorio feathers. "That''s all you have to say, huh? Come on! Spit it out! LT, Nuzzle!"

    "You..! You''re¨C augh!!! Petal¨C back up and Acid! Wide spray!" I could practically only see red. My heart was racing. I gripped the hem of my shirt tight until my knuckles went white and cut Tuula off. "You''re just¨C so annoying! You talk over people like you always have something to prove! For once just¨C listen, and stop thinking for me!"

    The other girl buckled on her spot, hurt, blinking in confusedly. Her eyes narrowed, mouth agape, gears turning fruitlessly as she tried to align her worldview with mine. "Well¨C it''s all¨C"

    "I don''t want you to say those things about yourself! It''s not true!"

    She reeled, now totally lost about what to feel. "Where the fuck is this coming from? Are you shitting on me or defending me? I''m a shitty town kid! I''m a shitty person!"

    "It¨C it doesn''t matter where you come from!" Now I was yelling, because beyond any fear I felt there was something more important to me¨C my concern, my affection¨C "You''re passionate! You''re determined! You trained with the Kahuna''s Makuhita at Hau''s place! That takes heart!"

    She wrenched her eyes away, but her voice rose over the sounds of battling. "You wouldn''t say that and not talk to me for two fucking weeks. You''re a liar. You hate me."

    "That''s¨C" This isn''t what I meant. This isn''t what I wanted. I''d made a mistake. "That''s wrong. That''s my fault. I know very much what it''s like to be alone."

    We fought with words and we fought with blows, with pounces and punches and puffs of poison, with reaching vines and confusing dances. It didn''t matter that Spinda could steer all those feathers in a storm that stuck to my starter, it didn''t matter that it mimicked the Oricorio''s Moves and battered my Oddish with Pecks and Aerial Aces. I will win, I will win I will win I will win

    "Augh!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, "I don''t hate you! I was trying to protect you!"

    "From fucking what?!"

    "From what people think of me!"

    The battlefield went still.

    The anger that had animated my body this whole time seemed to disappear. I was left drained, panting, sweaty, looking at a ruined battlefield and our two Pokemon paused in motion, staring at me intensely.

    On the other side of the field, Tuula had a similar confused expression than the one I had adopted when she had started berating herself. "Whuh¨C what are you talking about?"

    The torrent of emotion had stilled; the well had run dry. I felt numb as I replied, "Our classmates hate me. I don''t belong here." I was so tired. "I''m no good."

    I couldn''t even look at her.

    "Matsu¨C what makes you think¨C"

    "T-there''s a group convo with everyone in class in it," I cut her off. "I wasn''t invited. I''m¨C I know they think I don''t belong here. That I d¨Cdon''t deserve to do the challenge."

    I could only look at the ground as tears flooded my vision.

    "I¨CI''m sorry." I should probably leave. "I''m sorry for being here. I didn''t mean to¨C"

    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp, stomp, stomp¨C there wasn''t much I could do when Tuula grabbed my shoulders with such force that we stumbled, and both of us tumbled to the floor in a graceless tangle of arms and legs.

    I winced from the impact¨C and opened my eyes to find Tuula, dyed-pink hair cascading down her face, practically pinning me to the ground.

    "I don''t agree with that," she hissed out. "You do belong here. You do deserve to do this challenge an'' all. Fuck what anyone else says."

    It was hard to believe her. "B-but¨C the convo¨C"

    "Fuck the group convo, Matsu." She shook her head and helped me sit up. "I can''t¨C I can''t believe you''ve been stressing yourself out over this all this time. That I''ve been stressing myself out over you stressing yourself out all this time."

    What?

    "So that''s it? You were avoiding me because you thought you''d do me a favor by making sure your," her hands came up to do air quotes with her fingers, "bad rep'' didn''t rub off on mine? That''s the reason?"

    What could I do but give a faint nod?

    "Aughhhh." Tuula leaned back and ran a hand over her face. "Matsu¨C there''s like less than ten people in that group. It''s all the people who suck and don''t matter¨C yes, Sawney included. They don''t choose who do and don''t belong, okay?"

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    It was so difficult to let hope back in. Like a dim little ember, it faintly warmed the inside of my chest, and I just nodded and listened to what Tuula said.

    She turned her head away. "Sigh¨C Matsu, I¨C I really respect you, you know that? You know your shit, you listened to me even when I was a butthead, your starter is like the coolest Grass-type I know. Don''t¨C don''t put yourself down like that." A flurry of emotions went through her face, and she quickly added, with a weird smile, "Matsu, I¨C I wanna be your friend."

    Tears pooled at the corner of my eyes once more and I saw Tuula flinch like she''d made a mistake. "I¨C" and I snorted loudly with how clogged with emotion I felt, "I want to be your friend too. I''m really sorry about¨C about, uh, leaving you in the dark."

    "Yeah, alright." She grinned as she wiped her nose and tried to play it cool, but her eyes were red and her tone heavy with emotion. "But for real¨C Fuck what other people think, alright? You''re not in their head, so don''t go choosing what they think for them, it''s not fair."

    Well, hold on.

    "Isn''t¨C Isn''t it what you were doing too, earlier, though?" Tuula''s eyes squinted but I still continued. "Like¡­ all that stuff about how ''people think I''m a sh¨C crappy person'' and all that."

    "Yeah, well¨C" Her eyes darted between mine, embarrassment starting to tint her face red. "That''s! That''s¨C that is not the same thing at all, though! Like you shouldn''t do it, but I¨C uh¨C fuck, Matsu, stop fucking giggling! You''re so fucking cringe!"

    <hr>

    [Sorry for leaving you out of nowhere. I''m at the center with Tuula.]

    "Come on," Tuula sighed. "Don''t overthink it. Just send it."

    Tuula was running a hand through her Oricorio''s feathers ¨C a futile attempt, as her unruly feathers were in a permanent state of unrest, even more so with the splint at her wing.

    We had just rushed down the street to the closest pokecenter, left our Pokemon for the nurses there¨C Oran Juice the Dunsparce and Nae-Nae, Tuula''s Oricorio, had been returned to us while our starters were next to be patched up. My Dunsparce squirmed in my lap as I minded the bandages around his midsection.

    I was fine. Tuula was fine as well. It wasn''t all water under the bridge; Tuula had insisted that I ''owed her one'' and I''d have to repay her at some point; but the important part was that we were friends. Real friends. I have lots of people that care about me and want me near them. I do.

    I couldn''t remember the last time I felt so relieved.

    Right now, though, I had written a text to apologize to Hau and explain where I went. My finger agonized over the send button.

    "You and I know Hau doesn''t give a shit. Cora doesn''t give a shit and doesn''t secretly hate you."

    "Hmph. Okay¡­" and I finally pressed the screen. "...Okay, it''s done. It''s done!" I flopped back against the waiting room chair, spent. "Blegh."

    Nae-nae snapped a beak at Tuula''s fingers and she yelped, then laughed, as the Oricorio escaped her hands and hopped her way up a lamp onto some shelves, trilling all the way.

    Tuula''s Oricorio was a brand new addition, one that had joined her just a few days before her team''s fight with the Kahuna. Her Pokemon had gotten strong, with Love Tax the Spinda putting a clear dent on my Oddish with unpredictable moves and slippery evasion. Much had been lost during the flurry of our argument, and our fighters had basically stopped as we trainers were making up, but I wondered¡­ how would the fight have ended?

    "Oh, um¨C" I fidgeted with my fingers¨C I was trying to forget I had ghosted Tuula over nothing all this time, talking to her like nothing had happened. Not easy! "Congratulations on your Grand Trial, by the way."

    Tuula shook her fingers, giggling and wincing from the peck her Flying-type had given her. "Hah, yeah, thanks. Not gonna lie, it went a lot better than I expected!" She squinted up at her Flying-type with a strange smile.

    "...How was her fight?"

    "Oh she didn''t fight. Love Tax did! Turns out, my Spinda''s the fucking best at Copycat. Both of them have been training a bunch to copy Nae-Nae''s moves, and I got the Kahuna good with a Normal-type that could throw Flying-type stuff at his fighters."

    "I thought Copycat was about¡­" ¡­a lot of things, and a very complex move to pull off, but here Tuula talked about it like it was just Tail Whip. "...Isn''t it about mirroring a move a fighter just did?

    She shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, I guess, but LT''s been doing it since it was baby, so¡­ iunno. LT trains a while with another ''mon and can do some of their moves okay for a few hours. They been training together and they make it work."

    I had more questions¨C but Tuula swiftly waved the subject away. "It doesn''t matter¨C what about you! Did you find anything new about the¨C" she took a furtive glance at the other trainers in the waiting room, then continued " ¨Cthe, uh, the thing? You know, the grass thing at the meadow?"

    Oh, yes. The thing.

    "I, uh." I stammered. I knew exactly what she was talking about. I whispered, "The what?"

    "Pshhh!" She batted at me with a hand like I was spilling a secret. "The! The thing! The thing where you and I and our Pokemon went," she shook her hips, "and then you went," she mimicked something rising in the air with her hands, "and the fuckin prairie went bwoop bwoop bwoop," finishing her motion with a videogame level up jingle. From up on her perch, Tuula''s Oricorio gave Tuula''s display a single raised eyebrow.

    "That''s not how it went at all!" I shout-whispered, looking around to see if we were being listened in on. "Listen, it''s¨C no. I know what you mean, and no. I¨C I haven''t looked into it. Much."

    She crossed her arms and glared¨C "Ok, ok, listen," I cut her off before she could object.

    She squinted her eyes harder.

    I didn''t know what to actually say.

    "So you''re just scared," she concluded. "Like you were scared of all that stuff that wasn''t true at all. Shaking my damn head."

    "Augh! No! Listen." I took a deep breath. "I''m not scared like I''m scared of¡­ what others think of me. I''m not scared like I''m¨C like I was scared of hurting you by association or whatever. When we were at the Melemele Meadow and it all went down, I saw something¡­"

    Wonderful? Beautiful? Mesmerizing?

    "Something uncomfortable. And then I dissociated for like half an hour and vomited all over my shoes." I sighed. "It''s not exactly something I want to experience again."

    Tuula threw her hands in the air and groaned, then caught herself, bringing her voice volume down. "Come on! Matsu, I saw you¨C I saw you do magic, Matsu. I saw you float up and glow. And then plants fucking sprouted all around. You don''t want magic?"

    I flopped back down on my seat, pouting. "...No. Not really. What even for?"

    Tuula leaned forward. "Matsu, you could use it during fights. You could use it for¡­" and she practically whispered the word, "...research."

    "Don''t use that word against me." I poked a finger into her chest, glaring as hard as I could. "I¨C I don''t want it, Tuula. I don''t want to find out that I''m an esper, or an aura whatever, or anything of the sort, I just want to be¡­ me. Boring ol'' me." I squeezed one arm with the other hand. "That''s all."

    Tuula''s face went through a journey. Annoyance, frustration, disappointment, pleading, until¨C

    "If it''s got nothing to do with me or whatever, you''ll be the first and only one to learn how to do it, sure," I conceded.

    "Yesssss," Tuula hissed, pumping a fist.

    <hr>

    There is something unreal about having money.

    Not money my mom gives me when I want to buy a new game or some snacks but actual money of my own, money I made by clearing the Verdant Cave Trial and the Melemele Grand Trial; money that I am responsible for and have to choose how to spend.

    So when Hau suggested we ate at some fancy place and half our Pokemon lit up, I could hardly say no.

    What we ended up at was a cheap local place serving familiar food; cubed palm hearts and seaweed over rice, grilled mushroom and fried eggs with gravy, steamed berry in nanab leaves. We were all sitting in garden chairs around a plastic table, a smattering of paper plates holding the bounty of food we''d gotten for our Pokemon and us. The place was packed. Behind the bar, a tall Passimian tossed a wok over the grill as a woman handled the customers'' questions.

    It smelt so much like home.

    Petal the Oddish was busy in an animated argument with Stella the Cleffa, giggling in between mouthfuls of her meal, both sitting upon our laps. Loa the Torracat sat on a chair as she tentatively tried to maneuver a fork and feed a buzzing Toku, the former still unused to the newfound mobility of her opposable thumbs, the latter eagerly tasting a new treat. Meanwhile, my Dunsparce seemed content to listen in to the ongoing conversations and clean the plates of any stray crumbs.

    It was time to plan where to go next.

    In a few shuffled motions, we pushed our food and drinks, making way for the unfolded map that Hau spread over the table.

    "We''re here." Hau pointed to the L-shaped metropolis on the west coast of Akala.

    "There''s three Trials on Akala island." Hau''s finger traced route 4 up from our current location. "Just north of Heahea is Brooklet Hill. It''s like a big slope that has a bunch of lakes and waterfalls on it¨C big touristy location. Most of the time, you get there by walking route 4 to Paniola and following a guide, but you could also just get a boat ride in Heahea and get directly there from here."

    Gulp.

    "I hate to say no to a simpler option, but I''d rather not take the boat again, alright?" Lillie declined, pausing to spare a quick wink in my direction.

    "...Sure!" said Hau.

    Phew.

    "Another Trial is through the Hohonu jungle. It''s wild territory? Kinda? Less scary than when we faced Mankeys and a Sparrow but still a rowdy time! There''s no markers for it on the map, but route 5 north of Paniola cuts right through it and there''ll be ranger stations when we get close enough."

    I raised a hand; I knew a bit more about this one. "Officially it''s the same thing as Melemele Meadow, or Brooklet Hill, or anything labelled ''protected area'' on the map¨C rangers have an agreement with the Pokemon there to warn rangers if anything happens to a Trial-goer. We would be about as safe as one would be on any given route up until we move outside of it." I gave a tentative smile. "Let''s try not to stray off-route this time?"

    Hau just rolled his eyes and continued. "The third Trial is at the Mt. Wela Marowak colony. It''s the furthest from where we are¨C it''s also the easiest Trial, I hear. We''ll have to circle around the island from the east or the north, but we''ll get there eventually."

    "A volcano? Is it active?" Lillie mused aloud.

    "Last I heard, yeah, I''m pretty sure!" Hau grinned and licked his lips, clearly psyched by the idea.

    "Hmm," she pouted, not sharing the sentiment. "So¨C we have all three of these Trials to take on in any order, and then we move on to the southern part of the island to take on the Grand Trial, right?"

    I nodded. That was the long and short of it.

    "So, obviously, the lakes-and-waterfalls Trial is the closest," Hau began. "That''s what most people do. Go by foot, take the boat, knock off a Trial within a week of getting to Akala. One trial, done."

    I really wasn''t looking forward to it. Lillie seemed to sense it, as I felt a comforting hand pat my back.

    "But, you," Hau pointed to me, "you''ve been having a bad time lately."

    "...Me?"

    "Yes, you."

    "Hau, don''t pressure her." Lillie shuffled closer. "Yes, you''ve been a little off lately¨C we can tell! But take your time, okay? You can tell us what''s on your mind whenever."

    They could tell? Really? "Uh, I mean¨C"

    "Listen, I ain''t gonna pressure ya, cuz." He held up his hands, then tapped the map once more. "I can just look with my eyes and see you''re not doing too good¨C if I can help it, I wanna try to make it so that your time isn''t worse, yanno? So, uh, hear me out."

    From Akala, he traced a path with his fingers: to the east, through route 4, 6, 7 and 8; a long path that took us halfway around and across the island leading to the mountain to the north east.

    "We could choose to do the Wela Trial first. We''d have to take the long way through all the routes that circle the island from the east¨C but our first trial through Akala would be the chillest. As chill as a Trial at a volcano Marowak colony can be."

    Was I that obvious?

    "Oh. Um." I could hardly believe it¨C to be that simple. "Uh. Is that okay?"

    Lillie gave a warm smile and nodded. Hau''s grin only grew and he continued. "Yeah, of course, cuz''. We''re a team!"

    I felt the faint shuffling of my Oddish on my lap and just nodded in response, wiping my face on my sleeve before any tears could form¨C I wasn''t about to start crying. Not yet. Petal''s leaves found my other hand and squeezed.

    "And you know, to be honest, there''s still gonna be a ton of cool stuff on the way!" Hop practically hopped in place, Toku the Lediba and OJ the Dunsparce getting excited alongside him as he rambled, "Hano is a really cool town¨C big cultural scene, concerts all year, big hotels and fancy places, royal avenue and the battle dome¨C oh! Oh!! There''s Pikachu valley! That''s on the way over! Yeah, that would be sick¨C"

    "Just to make sure I understand," Lillie stopped him in his tracks, as she leaned over the table and pointed at the routes between Heahea and Hano town. "These red dotted lines¨C it''s all highways, right? Roads for non-trainers?"

    Hau glanced down, then back up, and gave a quick nod.

    Lillie smiled and crossed her arms, a playful but stern smile on her face. "If we can help it and not have to trek to Hano for a week on end under the Alolan sun, then we are taking the bus."