AN: Phew! It's been sometime since I posted anything but here it is! I finally have the inspiration...and its mostly thanks to that Pokemon Direct a few weeks back.

So, this is basically an AU of Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon (not Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon but close enough) but with new ideas and all sorts of surprises. I do plan to finish this...even if it takes me a while, at least to make time for the new games to come out.

Hope you enjoy! And catch you next chapter!

Edit 7/11/17: Completely revised! On a side note, I will be posting this story on AO3, as well...I will probably post the next chapter first, though. But I will keep updating this story as well.

Prologue

EVERYONE in Ula'Ula Island knew the story of Po Town.

The locals liked to call it the 'cursed town', mostly because it had been abandoned as soon as construction work had finished; the houses were painted and fenced, hedges grown and groomed almost to perfection, all the furniture was in the right place, the large mansion completely furnished and the pool filled, and yet, the owners were gone.

Not many people knew why the town's residents had left in such a hurry.

Many of the locals came up with their own conclusions on why Po Town was abandoned as the years passed by. Some said that it had been taken over by a gang of ghost Pokémon, like Gengar and Haunter, and that they had scared the inhabitants with a curse. Others whispered that the owners had actually built their homes over an old burial site and that those buried there had risen from the soil and killed them all for defiling their final resting place (that last one, however, was simply not true as the Malie City historians would tell you).

Still, the story they believed the most and the one they always told tourists was the story about the Tapu and how it had come from the heavens and rained fire upon the people of Po Town.

Tapu Bulu, the guardian deity of Ula'Ula Island, was well-known for being a merciful being and an outrageous tormentor. In the past, the Tapu had caused the destruction of a village after its inhabitants had angered him and so, it had been understood that Po Town had suffered the same fate.

Except, the old village's destruction was much more complicated than that.

According to the Malie City Historical Society, the old village that had been destroyed by the Tapu was the witness of a local dispute amongst its residents. This local dispute had divided the village's inhabitants and in turn had caused a lot of damage; houses had been burned, Pokémon and people had been killed or stolen, it was awful. The neighboring villages, too, began to suffer from this dispute and so, they went to the Tapu and pleaded for his help to end the fight. Tapu Bulu answered their call by destroying the village and everyone in it.

Unlike Po Town, the old Tapu Village's only existed as a ruin and not hiding behind walls and waiting to decay.

Still, the locals maintained that the place was cursed, whether it had been their deity or some other god, after all, Po Town was always under constant rain and thunder and wasn't that enough to explain its cursed nature?

Even to this day, locals and tourists alike avoid the town like the plague. They just stare at the walls around the town and breathe a sigh of relief when it's out of their sight.

There was only one good thing about Po Town that the locals could all agree on, however, and that was that the rent was extraordinarily cheap.

Serena Gabena had moved into Po Town just over a week ago.

Her original plan had been to rent out a small part of Po Town for a few years, but the owner had given her such a good price, she just couldn't say no.

The Kahuna of Ula' Ula, Nanu, had whistled at her good luck when she told him about it.

They were both inside the mansion, already furnished and cleaned, surrounded by their Pokemon.

A few of the Kahuna's Alolan Meowths scattered around the area, trying to win over the couches and chairs, while the rest of the surrounded their trainer and the girl, earning a few scratches behind the ears and soft patting on their heads. Behind them, the smaller group of Pokemon ran about, some of them relaxing while others played games of hide-and-seek or ran around the foyer. The larger Pokemon had the hardest time finding their place; there was a Rhyhorn snoozing peacefully near the stairs and a Houndoom and Pyroar laying near the entrance as they watched a Smeargle being scolded by a Kadabra for trying to paint the walls again (this would be the third time). Nearby, a pack of Eevees ran up to the second floor, followed behind a pair of Pikachu, who avoided the Braixen and Audino that were passing snacks to the hungry Pokemon in the second floor. Above them, the bird Pokemon flew about, whistling and chatting about, with a few even joining the Pikachu in their chase.

They all ignored their trainer and her guest chatting on the corner of the first floor.

"You are one lucky kid, you know that?" the Kahuna began, grinning as he took a sip of his cold coffee. "I pay at least thirty big bucks for that cheap apartment out there and you get all of this for twice that...hmph, can't say if I'm jealous or impressed."

Serena gave him a weary look as the cat Pokemon cuddled around her, meowing for a few extra scratches behind the ears and some belly rubs, completely ignoring the small Pancham in her arms that was constantly sending them annoyed looks.

"I thought that cheap apartment was a police station."

"I live there, so it's probably both, " the man told her with a shrug. He held his cup up high and then finished it in a single gulp. Serena's tea lay forgotten in the small table they had dragged to their little corner to talk, her arms busy keeping the fighting type in her arms still before he hit any of the Meowths that were egging him on with amused grins. "Still...you got all this for just seventy...what's your secret?"

"My charming smile..." Serena said, before adding sincerely, "And a very desperate vendor."

That 'desperate vendor' had practically begged Serena to buy the place the moment she showed interest in renting the lot. He had begun to sugarcoat Po Town to make it more appealing to her ears, "Oh, the houses are just magnificent! And the mansion! Superb! And did you see the walls? My, my! You're practically safe even in the night!" Serena had felt sorry for the poor man and how hard he was trying to sell her the place that when she had asked for the price he had responded with a loud, "SEVENTY!"

"Seventy million...?"

"Just seventy!"

And now, Po Town was officially hers for a measly seventy pokedollars.

The only reason she had gotten the place so incredibly cheap was because, according to Nanu, the man had seen the local deity, Tapu Bulu, flying about the town one night a few years back after purchasing the lot. He came to some strange conclusions after that incident and feared that the Tapu would rain vengeance upon him if he stepped inside Po Town. Since then, he had tried to sell the lot and had hired people to go and clean the place once a month (those brave souls) but the years of ownership were taking their toll and it was costing the poor man money. For years, he had tried to sell the lot, but its reputation with the locals and tourists made it almost impossible, that is, until Serena showed up.

"...if only it were that easy to just own a mansion and a few houses for pocket change...the world would truly be a better place..." Nanu noted, while Serena just laughed and shook her head.

"A good point!" she began, smiling. "The only thing one would worry about is cleaning the place! I might as well hire a crew to help." The Kahuna nodded, and smirked.

"...heh...now that you mention it, that would be quite the hassle."

"Only if you don't feel like doing the extra work," Serena replied as she tried to fix her Pancham's hair. "All I wanted was to rent the lot...now, I got a group of houses and a mansion...and my mom was worried about finding a house..." She finally stopped fixing her Pancham's hair and turned to face Nanu. "I feel like I should just open a small resort instead of a gym, all things considered."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that if everyone thinks the place is cursed?"

Serena shrugged, "That doesn't seem to stop trainers from completing Acerola's trial," she let out a sigh as she tried fixing her Pancham's hair again. The Pokemon moved about and complained and eventually she stopped with a small apology before saying, "I doubt I will be getting any challengers with the way things are going."

"About that…" the Kahuna began. "How's the weather treating you in that regard?" Serena sighed and shook her head. The Pancham in her arms stared at her sadly; the Meowths around her sensed the change in mood and leaned against her, quitting their meowing as if that would bring her comfort while a few others backed towards their trainer and leaned their heads on his legs.

"Poni Island didn't want us there...so that's one island I couldn't work with..."

"Ah..." the Kahuna nodded, understanding, scratching on of his Meowths on the back of its ear. "I'm guessing you moving to Po Town wasn't so unexpected after all."

"After they said no, I had to improvise..." Nanu just smirked and said,

"And you got a mansion...I think you got the better end of the deal."

"Lucky me..."

"How are the kids in Melemele and Akala? Hopefully, excited...?"

"Lila is excited," Serena began, smiling for a bit before her smile dropped for a frown. "Can't say the same about Kira, though...and Pietro and the girls back in Akala are the same."

"...why?"

"Kira is mostly upset of the location of his gym challenge..." Serena explained. "Lila is using the Trainer's School on Route 1 to conduct the gym challenge with Ilima's help...and well...the only place they would let Kira work in peace was in Kala'e Bay...but it's so out of the way that the local trainers might..."

"...ignore him?" the Kahuna finished as Serena nodded.

"Yeah..." Serena went to grab her tea; it was cold but she still took a sip before continuing. "Pietro and the girls are doing their own gym challenges outside as well...so it's not a big deal but...well...it doesn't help that the locals are bothering them and that the captains don't want to work with them...add to that is the whole mess with A.L.A. from last week and their excitement when from ten to zero." The young trainer shook her head. "They're beginning to wonder if this 'test' will be worth it in the long run...if the locals don't want gyms nothing we do will change their minds..."

"That's the fault of those idiots back in A.L.A., though," Nanu pointed out. "Locals always find ways to complain...specially those old men, hell, even when the League was being constructed they complained. They complained about the location, complained about it 'breaking tradition' and so on and so forth..." The Kahuna shook his head. "Still, the A.L.A. is just as much to blame for this, though...seeing as they didn't even explain the test properly."

"Would it have really made a difference?"

"In the long run, maybe not...but it wouldn't be the mess its happening now, though," the older trainer explained as one of his Meowths jumped to his lap. "Tell people what they like to hear and you're gold..."

"Doubt it would make the complains stop..." Serena sighed. "They actually think we are here to replace the Island Challenge...its been months and the A.L.A. still hasn't tried to correct that...trying to explain it now would do us no good..."

"It almost seems those guys want you to take the fall of this mess they saw coming a mile away."

Serena shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure they'll find a new way to blame this on me later on but that's not my problem." The girl then smiled. "At least, there's a few good things out of all this mess...Ilima and Acerola are going to be helping Lila and Mikael...so that's something." Her smile dropped as she went on, "Kira and the others are on their own, though...and that really bothers me..."

"Couldn't find common ground, huh?"

"We couldn't find anything..." Serena explained. "...I guess the best thing we can do is wish for a little bit of luck."

"Wishing hasn't hurt anyone yet," Nanu told her, as he went over to pat her shoulder. "If things don't turn out well, the worst the locals will probably do is complain even more...or have another protest...nothing you can't handle." Serena nodded with a small smile.

"Let us hope that those new trainers taking the Island Challenge this year will be willing to give us a chance..."

"Yeah...let's hope."

The Island Challenge was a tradition that had been held in Alola for generations; this pilgrimage was how the Alolan people and their Pokémon grew closer to one another. They battled, they traveled, and finally came to the top of the great Mount Lanakila where they would challenge the Island Kahunas for the title of the Island Champion.

This tradition had been alive for centuries and was still going strong before the League came to Alolan shores.

The founding of the Alolan League was not without its troubles.

The older Alolans said they did not need a league and that it was a crime against their traditions. "If this league opens its doors…it will destroy our traditions," they'll whisper.

It was to this effect that the Alolan League Association or A.L.A. was formed. The A.L.A. worked tirelessly with the locals and tried to explain to them that the new Alolan League would not destroy traditions but would show the world that Alolan trainers were the best of the best. The league was meant to show off their champions to the world at large and make Alola proud.

For two whole years, while the league was built on the top of Mount Lanakila, the older folks complained and protested as the younger folks and trainers talked with excitement and anticipation.

When the league finally opened its doors to its challengers, the trials kept going as usual, and the protests finally came to an end.

Now trainers, both old and young, scrambled to defeat the Kahunas and be crowned the first Alolan Champion. A young woman had finally won the title after a grueling match with all four Island Kahunas and she had retained her title since.

But something bothered a few of the founding members of the A.L.A.; this league wasn't like the other leagues in other regions. It didn't have gyms and the trainers didn't earn badges to prove their worth.

From an outsider's perspective, the trials were not 'official' and that sentiment was shared by some of the members of the Global League Association. The people back in the Alolan branch had been left frustrated by this cold indifference.

In the eyes of the outside world, the lack of gyms in Alola confused them.

An outsider could look at the island trails and declare that they were another fun and imaginative challenge for both trainers and Pokémon but they could not understand why merely defeating this rather large Pokémon or going on a scavenger hunt or even dancing could qualify one to take on the League Challenge. Still, while the outsiders found it odd they still figured that it was their league and their rules.

Unfortunately, a few of the other associations around the world had started talking, some even questioning their Island Challenge and the legitimacy of their official league.

It was those whispers that had eventually convinced the A.L.A. to have gyms to officiate the League Challenge.

What they didn't count on was the uproar it caused when they announced that gyms would be coming to Alola to officiate the year's pilgrimage. After the bad reception, the association didn't even try to mention that the gyms would only be in the islands temporarily, as a test of sorts, for fear of even more bad publicity. So, they kept quiet as the locals yelled and complained.

Originally, the idea came from the G.L.A. (Global League Association) and they had figured that it would be better to test the waters with this temporary gym challenge. Except, the story hadn't been told in full and now it was so twisted by misinformation and malice, that the locals and people around the world began to believe that these people of the G.L.A. didn't care about traditions and had sent these gym leaders to destroy them.

When the gym leaders had showed up in their shores, there were a few protests against them and the A.L.A. but despite these many complaints the gyms were officially opened that year.

The gyms, however, had turned out to be more popular than expected and A.L.A. was happy that nothing had gone wrong but a few months later the challengers just stopped coming.

They had found out from a few people that the older locals were shaming those that challenged the gyms, ridiculing them and angrily yelling at them for taking part with something that was, at least to their eyes, destroying the Island Challenge and their old traditions with them.

The only gym anyone visited after that was the one located inside the Trainer's School near Route 1 and that was only because the newly appointed Captain of Melemele Island suggested the new challengers to meet up with the gym leader and take their challenge before they took his. Even then, Kira, the second gym leader of Melemele was left alone near Kala'e Bay, where he practiced martial arts alongside his Pokémon and was ignored by trainers and locals alike. And if new trainers were trying to avoid the gym leaders of Melemele, they ignored the ones in Akala and Ula'Ula and went on their way.

After the year had ended, and the Champion still remained the same, and the gyms seemed to have lost their spark. To everyone around the world, the locals had won this fight and were now expecting the gym leaders to go back home after realizing their mistake of coming here.

But the gym leaders stayed.

People were confused and wondered why they dared continue this farce.

And then, just a month before the new Island Challenge was about to begin, Po Town was destroyed. No one knows exactly what had happened and a few even wondered if the story was true; some locals had sworn that they had seen Tapu Bulu flying nearby and whispered that the Tapu had heard of the people's despair and sent a message to the gym leaders: to leave or be destroyed.

The gym leaders did disappear for a time, no one heard or saw the gym leaders.

A week before the challenge was set to begin, the locals were surprised to see the gym leaders in their respective islands, waiting for trainers to challenge them. Their leader, Serena Gabena, had moved her challenge to Poni Island while Po Town was repaired.

Before long, the Island Challenge would begin.