Her bed... So warm and comfy...

"Mrow!"

Wouldn't it be nice to just stay here forever...

"MWAAAWWWRRRRRR!"

Clearly not from Meowth's point of view.

Startled by her family pet's loud wake-up call, Terra crashed onto the wooden floor, finding it not nearly as inviting as where she had previously been. After taking a few moments to collect herself, she sat up, glaring at the mischievous Pokémon.

"Meowth, I don't mind you being my alarm clock, but could you do it without destroying my eardrums?" she requested.

The small Normal type casually scratched behind his ears, and Terra asked herself why she ever bothered trying to scold him. Praying for the umpteenth time that Meowth would forever refuse to evolve, she shooed him out to at least wake herself up properly.

As she did some light stretches, Terra wondered what would actually be in store for her in Alola. Despite the house being ready for them almost three months before, she and her mother had only moved to the archipelago two nights before... Um... Two days before?

Time syncing was weird.

It had been morning when they left Saffron City's airport, yet it was still morning when they arrived. And it wasn't like it was a new day; when she looked at an electronic board after they walked off the plane, it had still read, "November 17". Now it was the eighteenth, with the rest of the seventeenth spent bringing in boxes, making beds, and sleeping.

Lots and lots and lots of sleeping.

Deciding to only brush her shoulder-length ash-brown hair for the moment, Terra walked into the living room, her mother stepping in from the side porch to greet her with a smile. "You were out like a light, weren't you?" the woman giggled.

"We didn't have Machoke movers for some stupid reason, give me a break," Terra yawned, stretching as she did. "You were out, too. Heck, you still look tired."

Her mother laughed. "I am!" she admitted, not sounding like how she felt. "Worse part is there's still tons to do. Not that you'll have to do anymore of it, my little Pokémon Trainer." Suddenly Terra was filled with much more energy, and the brown haired woman quickly caught on. "Are you pumped to meet some Alolan Pokémon?"

"Absolutely!" the young teen exclaimed. "I even purposely did no research so I can be completely surprised when I meet them!"

"Quite unusual indeed," her mother commented. "But no matter which ones you meet, I bet they'll all be friendly, since they're living in Alola." Before Terra could voice if being in different regions would truly make a difference in friendliness, someone rang the doorbell. "Oh, that must be Professor Kukui. Why don't you let him in, Terra?"

"On it!" She ran up to the door and opened it for the man, greeting him with a bright smile. "Good morning, Professor," she said.

He laughed. "It's midday, cousin!" he noted.

"Not to me," the young teen muttered. The professor laughed again.

Daniel Kukui was an...interesting man, if Terra had to find a word. Sure, he was friendly and outgoing and definitely helpful, but he almost never stopped smiling, and for whatever reason he called her "cousin". Over the video chat three months ago, Terra had freaked out and thought she had an unknown family member, but Kukui assured her that was how people addressed friends in Alola.

Terra had yet to have the proper evidence to prove this fact.

"So, I take it that you were tired after your trip," he stated as he walked in, Terra closing the door behind him.

"Both of us are," her mother replied. "The only one who isn't is Meowth."

"Lucky fur ball managed to sleep on Mama's lap," Terra grumbled. "Not to mention he didn't have to lift a single paw while we did all the heavy lifting." Once again, Meowth scratched nonchalantly behind his ears, and Terra huffed.

"We just landed yesterday, Professor Kukui," the woman informed.

"Kukui, Teresa," the professor corrected. She chuckled. "So, Terra, you ready to meet the Island Kahuna?"

"Kahuna?" Terra repeated.

He nodded. "The kahunas' are crazy strong Pokémon Trainers, cousin," he explained. "And the kahuna in Iki Town is always happy to give any kid who wants to have an adventure their first Pokémon."

She was definitely interested in these "kahunas", but not as much as her first Pokémon. "Really?! He'll give me a Pokémon?!" she asked excitedly, stars shining brightly in her eyes.

Kukui laughed. "Whoa, someone is eager with a capital 'e'!" he noted. "Ah, but that's all good. Shows that you'll strike onto the scene like a powerful Thunderbolt!"

...Right... He researched moves.

So...riveting.

"Go on, get ready!" her mother prompted. "Your bag and your clothes should be in some of the boxes in your room."

And she knew which clothes Teresa would want her to wear, too.

Not that her mom had a terrible fashion sense, but...

That hat...

With mild enthusiasm, Terra walked back into her room to throw on the t-shirt, green shorts, red high tops, and slip the watermelon-looking bag over her shoulder. Then she glared at the red flower...beanie...thing before sighing in defeat and placing it on her head. She looked at herself in the mirror to study the outfit her mom had bought her only weeks before, only to be drawn to the amber eyes unamused by the reflection staring back at her.

The second she had a chance, she would buy new clothes.

No offense to her mom. Well, maybe a little.

Once her bed was made and her pajamas were neatly folded on top, Terra walked back out to the living room. Teresa looked away from Kukui playing with Meowth and grinned. "You look like you're ready to take on anything!" she proclaimed joyfully. Terra couldn't find a reason to agree. "I'll have everything cleaned up and put away by the time you come back with your new Pokémon!"

Except maybe that.

"Woo, that's a stylin' hat, cousin!" Kukui whistled, bringing down her enthusiasm just a bit again. "So, you all ready to head off to Iki Town and get your first Pokémon?"

"Yep!" she replied, chanting New Pokémon in her head to keep her mind off the negative thoughts.

"Take care, baby doll!" Teresa called out as the two left the house.

Pushing down the blush from the nickname she had since she was two, Terra followed the professor to the hill not too far from her new home. "How do you like Alola so far, by the way?" Kukui questioned as they walked. "I know you've only seen it in passing, but you've got any impression?"

"It's very beautiful," Terra commented, "but I'll need a bit more time." She smiled. "I have no doubts I'll love it, though."

"That's exactly what I said when I got to Kanto," the professor told. Then he laughed. "But you know what they say: there's no place like home!"

They continued to walk up the hill, other Trainers and island-goers greeting them along the way. Some of the younger kids noted how Terra was new, and she promised them to a battle sometime after they pleaded for a bit. Not that the thirteen-year-old minded; she actually liked how friendly the people were to a new face.

"There's Iki Town, right over there," Kukui suddenly stated, pointing to a village of huts at the top of the hill. "Are you ready to meet the kahuna, cousin?" Terra nodded, suddenly feeling Butterfrees in her stomach from excitement. "You know, this town is pretty important despite being so small."

"How so?" Terra asked, interested. Traditions and legends were always some of her favorite things to learn, and she could tell Kukui had something along those lines to tell her.

"This town is where folks come to worship the Pokémon that watched over Melemele Island," he explained as they entered the town. "Tapu Koko keeps us safe and happy, see, and all of the festivals honoring it take place right here."

Tapu Koko...

"Maybe they're all back there at Mahalo Trail," Kukui pondered, grabbing Terra's attention.

"Who's where?" she asked.

The professor turned to look at her. "Oh, sorry, didn't realize I wasn't talking very loud," he chuckled. More like I was thinking too hard, Terra thought. "Well, we were supposed to meet everyone here, but clearly they're not around. I was just thinking maybe they're at Mahalo Trail. It leads to the ruins where Tapu Koko is said to be."

"I'll go look!" Terra enthusiastically volunteered.

"Whoa, cousin, forget a Thunderbolt! You're like a super-charged Thunder!" Kukui laughed. "Sure, go on and look. You can't get lost, and there aren't any Pokémon along the way, so I see no harm. I'll look around town."

Terra nodded, a huge grin on her face. "So, what does the kahuna look like?" she inquired.

"Like a kahuna, of course!" the professor answered with an equally large grin.

Conveniently forgetting that Terra had never seen a kahuna before.

"Right," she stated slightly dry. "The kahuna shouldn't be that hard to spot."

With that, she ran off, eager to find the person who would give her a Pokémon and to explore the ruins. A few villagers happily greeted her as she made her way to the trail, and Terra returned their greetings with a wave. So far, she had to say the locals were her favorite part about her new home.

As she approached the entrance to the trail, she noticed someone else: a girl with long blonde hair under a floppy white hat, white tank top almost knee-length dress, white knee-high socks, and white slippers.

And she was...talking to her bag?

Oookay...

"Really? You want to go to the ruins?" she whispered to the object. Terra honestly feared the girl's sanity. "I don't know what you hope to find there..." Despite clearly believing nothing would become of her venture, the strange girl continued on to the trail.

Terra made her way to the entrance and watched her go, wondering what the girl was up to. She really didn't look like a traveler; in fact, she looked more like a delicate collector doll. Thinking about that made Terra realize it didn't matter what the girl wanted.

"What's more important is that I should follow her, just in case something goes wrong," Terra said aloud before continuing onward. "Because something always goes wrong."

She ran up the trail, not stopping to admire the scenery or the totems along the way. Not to mention she was really confused as to how the girl managed to get so far ahead of her. She did catch up enough to hear the girl scold her bag, saying something about how they'd get in trouble if anyone saw...whatever she was talking to. At least Terra knew something was in the bag, but now she had to wonder what. Not many Pokémon could fit in a duffel bag that small a size.

Just keeping following her, Terra thought. You can get answers when you meet up with her.

Suddenly, she heard the cry of multiple Spearow, and she ran even faster, knowing that definitely meant bad news. Spearow were territorial Pokémon who would attack anything and anyone, and if Terra was in fact right about the mysterious girl being delicate, she had a feeling things would not end well.

Finally, Terra made it to the top of the trail, finding the blonde haired girl shaking violently in front of a long wooden, rickety bridge.

"Hey!" Terra called out, making the girl whip around, revealing her scared emerald eyes and the thick braid on each side of her head. Terra met up with her. "What's wrong? Are you hurt? I heard some Spearow screeching earlier; they're intimidating Pokémon, you know."

The girl seemed at a loss for words, and her head swung between Terra and the bridge before finally settling on the Kanto native. "N-never mind me," she instructed. "But please! You have to help it!"

"It?" Terra repeated.

"Nebby!" the girl clarified. "You have to save Nebby!"

Terra looked passed the girl to find what she could only describe as a cosmic colored fluff ball with two fluff ball antennas being harassed by three Spearow. Even if she didn't have any Pokémon, Terra figured she could at least shoo them away.

"Alright, don't worry," Terra assured. "I'll get your Pokémon out of there."

She took off, occasionally stumbling thanks to how unstable the bridge was. Whether it was old or because of the Spearow, it didn't matter. What mattered was that it made Terra hold onto the rope railing, lest she wanted to be flung into the raging river below.

"HEY!" she shouted over the roar of the water and the Spearows' cries. "Leave it alone!"

Now the Spearow were focused on her, unhappy that the human had risen her voice at them. They began to harass her instead, Terra waving her hands around to chase them off. She tried to direct the strange Pokémon to run, but the poor thing was so scared it couldn't bring itself to move. So Terra decided it would be best to scoop it up and run back the way she came.

The scooping-up part was easy.

The running back part... Not so much.

Her hands now full, Terra had no way of attempting to drive the persistent Flying types away, so she kneeled down and covered Nebby, hoping that maybe eventually the Spearow would leave. She could feel the Pokémon still trembling in her arms, and Terra wondered what exactly she had accomplished other than getting them both stuck in the middle of the bridge.

And then there was a charge-up sound and a bright blue light that finally made the Spearow fly off.

But it also...kind of destroyed the bridge.

Now in free fall, Terra had to wonder what exactly she did to deserve this kind of karma right before she obtained her first Pokémon. That's assuming I live to even know what they look like, she thought in a strange moment of calmness as she watched the girl's terror-filled face get smaller and smaller. The river was getting closer, and if the harsh currents didn't kill them, the waterfall no doubtedly waiting at the end surely would.

Then, something swooped under them and caught the two before they made a splash, flying them back up to the cliff. The two humans and Nebby studied the strange creature as it seemingly studied them.

Not that Terra thought there were enough words to ever properly describe it, but she would try.

Its head and torso were black with white markings on its chest, just above its eyes, and on top of its head. Extending from the top of its head was a large orange plume with bristles along the back. There was a yellow marking covering the top bristle and half of the bristle below it. The bottom of the crest went all the way to its neck, where it divided its face in half and created a beak-like nose. It had small blue eyes with yellow markings behind them.

The lower half of its body was orange with four pointed projections: one short spine on the front and two short spines in the back, with one longer spine between them. Its thin arms had round, yellow structures encircling its shoulders, and on each arm was a half of a yellow shell, consisting of strange markings as well.

And while Terra didn't have even the slightest bit of evidence to back it up, somehow she had a feeling this magnificent creature was Tapu Koko.

Without another word, the strange creature flew off to wherever it came, leaving the three witnesses in awe for a very long time. Finally, Nebby cried out, and Terra looked down at the fluff ball to strangely finding it grinning wildly.

"Pew!" it cried again happily, like the last few minutes had been fun in hindsight.

Terra huffed. "Well, at least one of us had a good time," she mumbled before standing up. She let Nebby go, who floated around joyfully while the girl met up with them.

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed. "I'm so sorry Nebby almost brought both of you harm."

"We're alive, so that counts for something," Terra pointed out. "Just don't ask me to do that again. I'll save it, but not over a bridge."

"Pew, pew!" Terra huffed once more at its newfound energy.

"Nebby, don't go using your power again like that," the girl scolded. "You know how dangerous that could be." Then she sighed again, this time sadly. "And I'm sorry that I couldn't help you, like you did me..."

Deeming what exactly she was referring to at the moment unimportant, Terra shook her head. "It's fine," she assured. "Really. I don't mind helping anyone in need."

The girl smiled a tad, and then she looked at Nebby, who had wandered little ways away. "Nebby, don't go too-" The girls then noticed it was staring at something shiny on the ground. "What... What is that?" the girl wondered. They walked over to it, and the blonde knelt down to pick it up. "A sparkling stone... It's actually kind of warm."

"Maybe that Pokémon dropped it," Terra guessed.

That seemed to give the girl an idea. "I think it might be for you, then," she stated before handing it over.

Confused but deciding not to say anything, Terra took it out of the girl's hand. "So, um, who are you?" she asked once the stone was in her bag. The girl seemed extremely nervous by the question, so Terra shook her head. "Never mind, it doesn't matter. Let's get back to Iki Town; going to the ruins isn't an option now that the bridge is out." She looked over to the other side, frowning at the missed opportunity to study some of Melemele's culture. "I just hope the kahuna isn't over there." Then she looked back at the girl. "Unless you're the kahuna."

"No, nothing like that," the girl replied. "I don't even have any Pokémon."

And bingo was his name-o. "Okay, then I'll stick with you until we get to town," Terra decided. "I don't have any Pokémon either, but you don't look like you should be going alone."

The girl agreed. "Come on, Nebby, into the bag," she directed, solving the mystery of what she was talking to earlier. Nebby jumped in (though it didn't exactly look happy about it), and the girl wrapped her arm protectively over it. "Um... Please don't say anything about Nebby. It's... It's supposed to stay a secret."

"Then it's safe with me," Terra promised. The girl smiled a bit bigger than before, and the two proceeded to walk back down the trail.

In no time, the girls reached Iki Town. "Hey, Terra!" The ash-brown haired girl looked to find Kukui waving to her. "Couldn't find the kahuna, huh?" he noted with a grin.

"No," she responded as she approached him, the girl timidly following her. "But I did find this girl."

Kukui looked at the girl and beamed. "Oh, Lillie, I'm glad to see you're okay!" he exclaimed.

"You know her, Professor?" Terra asked.

"Yeah, she's my assistant," the professor revealed. "Terra, this is Lillie. She just became my assistant three months ago. Lillie, this is Terra. She just moved here to Alola from Kanto."

"It's nice to meet you," Lillie said.

"You as well," Terra replied with a smile. "Oh, Professor, did you find the kahuna?"

"Apparently he left and hasn't come back yet," he informed. "But I bet if we wait here we'll-"

"Kahuna Hala's back!" a few people suddenly shouted excitedly.

Well, how convenient, Terra chuckled.

An old man with white hair tied up in a high ponytail and a white mustache walked up the stairs. He was wearing a yellow jacket with a blue shirt, a white sash, white capris, and blue-and-white sandals. Noticing the commotion he had caused, he asked, "Have I missed something?"

"Nah," Kukui assured. "But where did you go? I thought we were meeting here."

"Well, apparently there was some commotion in Hau'oli City," the old man explained. "As the island's kahuna, it's my job to make sure everyone's safe, you know. It's all good now. But as I was walking back, I could have sworn I saw Tapu Koko flying off."

"I was right!" Terra proclaimed.

"Right about what?" Lillie questioned.

"I totally knew that was Tapu Koko!" the upcoming Trainer exclaimed.

"But... You didn't say anything about it," the girl stated.

"Doesn't mean I didn't think about it."

Lillie seemed confused, but before she could say anything else, Hala politely demanded, "What happened?"

Terra had kind of forgotten to explain what she was even referring to, and she figured she should probably explain. Lillie decided to do it for her. "Nebby was attacked by a flock of Spearow on the bridge before Terra came along and helped it get away," she told the kahuna, and from the way she casually said it, Terra guessed he and the professor knew about the little guy. "But the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them would fall into the ravine. And that's when Tapu Koko swooped in and saved them."

"Woo! That's something you don't hear every day!" Kukui whistled.

"Tapu Koko can be quite the fickle creature, despite being our guardian," Hala noted. "Yet it was moved to save you."

"Guess I'm one in a million," Terra commented.

Hala laughed. "Surely a cause to be celebrated!" he declared. "I don't think there's any reason to doubt a Pokémon would be good in your hands."

Now he was talking!

"I'm Hala, kahuna of Melemele Island," the old man greeted. "I'm glad to properly meet you."

"Me as well!" Terra happily replied. "My name is Terra."

"Yes, young Kukui told me you were coming," he stated. "Welcome to Alola. I apologize for the rocky start."

"Like I told Lillie, we're all here, so that's what counts."

"I agree!" Hala laughed. "Now, perhaps we should introduce you to your potential starter." He threw three Poké Balls...

And Terra found herself unable to decide.

There was an owl that reminded her a little of Hoothoot, an even smaller seal than Seel, and a cat...casually scratching behind its ears.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

"First is the Grass type Pokémon, Rowlet," Hala introduced. Rowlet waddled in a circle and then hopped a little as it cried out. "Next is the Fire type Pokémon, Litten." Hearing its name, Litten meowed before stretching. "And last is the Water type Pokémon, Popplio." Excited, Popplio clapped the fins on its tail together. "So, you have any ideas?"

It had been a long time since Terra had truly found herself stumped. All of them looked like good choices. She studied all of them, finally looking to Rowlet. Maybe...

Suddenly, Litten jumped at her, startling her back and onto the ground. Surprised, she looked at the black-and-red cat, who looked back at her. The expression it gave was bored-looking, and yet somehow it looked excited, too. Its tail slowly waved back and forth, a motion Terra knew from Meowth as, "You better give me what I want."

Terra could easily tell what Litten wanted.

"So Litten, wanna come with me?" she asked.

Immediately, Litten meowed ecstatically, smiling for what was probably the first time ever before rubbing cheeks with the new Trainer, purring the whole time. "Well, that hasn't happened before," Hala commented. "This little guy has always fired Ember attacks at people who tried to pick it."

"Cat Pokémon are quite particular in their owners," Terra explained, giggling slightly at Litten's fur. "Trust me, Meowth only liked my mom for years before he finally realized being a jerk wouldn't solve his problems."

The two males laughed. "So, Hala, do you think we need to go through the acceptance ceremony this time?" Kukui joked.

"Not unless these two want to," the kahuna reasoned.

Litten stuck out his tongue, and Terra laughed. "I think Litten doesn't like the old traditions," she noted. "You sure you want to come with me, then? I like learning about them a lot." Despite its face souring just a tad, Litten nodded. "Alright. We'll find a compromise, Litten, I'm sure. For today, I'll bend to your will. We won't since you don't want to."

Satisfied, Litten jumped onto the ground, allowing Terra to pick herself up. "Nice to meet you, Litten," Lillie greeted with a smile. Unamused, Litten fired off a tiny Ember, and Lillie screamed as she ran out of the way.

"Litten, that isn't nice!" Terra scolded. "Lillie is a nice person and my friend! Apologize to her."

Unlike Meowth, who would just roll his eyes and walk off, Litten hung its head and meowed out what was effectively, "Sorry". Lillie, still a little shaken up, shook her head.

"It's okay," she assured. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"PEW!"

This time, it was justified that Litten used Ember against someone.

Didn't mean it was right.

"Litten!" Terra barked as Nebby darted behind Lillie's leg. The little Fire type made no effort to apologize.

Lillie glared at Nebby, not showing any sympathy. "Nebby, you shouldn't be out of the bag, anyway," she chastised. "And if you're going to greet others, don't startle them." Nebby nodded but didn't move from its spot.

"Right then, now that you're a full-fledged Pokémon Trainer," Kukui butt in, "how about a gift, cousin? From me to you." He gave Terra a red tablet-looking thing, and she stared at it curiously. "It's a Pokédex. It'll automatically record any facts on any Pokémon you catch."

Curious, Terra pointed it at Litten. Litten, the Fire Cat Pokémon, the screen read. Terra had remembered hearing Pokédexes could talk, and she wondered why this one didn't. While grooming itself, it builds up fur inside its stomach. It sets the fur alight and spews fiery attacks, which change based on how it coughs.

Terra chuckled nervously and a little disgusted at the new information. "So, not only was it an Ember you attacked them with, but your own hairballs," she noted. Thanks to Nebby, Litten didn't seem to care.

"And here's a Trainer Passport," Kukui added, handing her a small booklet. "It serves as your ID."

"Thanks, Professor!" Terra replied as she put both of her gifts into her bag.

Kukui grinned. "Now why don't you go introduce your new friend to your mom, Terra?" he suggested.

"Exactly what I was thinking." Terra looked at her starter. "Let's go, Litten. I want you to meet my mom. But don't burn her or Meowth, understand?" The cat nodded, and the two began to leave town.

"HI!" The sudden exclamation made Terra and Litten jump and land on the ground painfully. There were footsteps and a shadow blocking out the sun. "Um, are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, just don't ask for any favors when Litten attacks you," Terra groaned before picking herself up.

The dark-skinned boy grinned, taking the statement as a joke for a few seconds, which gave Terra enough time to study him. He had black hair in a high ponytail much like Hala's, and he was wearing a black shirt, yellow capris with an orange and white flower pattern, and orange loafers. Terra judged that he was a carefree, happy-go-lucky person, further proven when he suddenly gained a shocked expression.

"Wait, you'd let your Litten attack me?!" he cried.

"No, but Litten doesn't like to be startled," Terra informed. Litten let out a small, long warning meow.

"Oh." He looked down at Litten. "Sorry bout that, little guy." Then he looked back at Terra with a grin. "I'm just really excited, 'cause I wanna battle with you, right here and now!"

There was a deep, loud laugh, and Terra looked behind her to find Hala and the others join them. "Where's the fire, boy?" Hala asked. "Besides, can't have a battle if you don't give her a name to go by."

He just grinned wider, arms going behind his head. "Fair enough," he agreed happily. "Then I'm Hau. And my partner's Rowlet." To prove his point, he released the grass owl, who tilted its head slightly before happily cooing.

"Terra," she introduced. "Like I said, my partner's Litten." Said Pokémon quickly groomed itself.

"Cool!" Hau exclaimed. "I like it! And I'm really excited to battle you! I tried looking for you as you were coming to town, but I guess I missed ya!"

"Um..." Terra turned again to find a sheepish Lillie. "I don't really like to see Pokémon battles where Pokémon can get hurt," she admitted. For a few seconds, she looked at her feet. "But I'll watch for you two, if you'd like."

"Course, Lillie!" Hau allowed eagerly. "You'll get to see one awesome battle, you hear!"

"I appreciate you being willing to take on my grandson here," Hala said. Huh, no wonder they dress so similarly. "I expect a no-holds-barred battle from the both of you!"

"You'll battle me, right?" Hau asked expectantly.

"Yeah," Terra smirked, "and I won't lose!"

Hau grinned. "Alright!" he cheered. "This is going to be great!"

The two spread out, and some of the villagers came to watch with Kukui, Hala, and Lillie. Hau stretched his arms as his grandfather declared the battle to begin, giving Terra the go ahead to make the first move. While she decided on using Ember first, she quickly pulled out her Pokédex to learn the other move Litten knew.

"Scratch and Growl," she listed to herself. "Good to know, just in case." She put the device away. "Alright, Litten, use Ember!"

"Dodge it!" Rowlet flew out of the way of the small fireball. "Awesome job! Now, Tackle!" His Pokémon quickly took flight towards the Fire type.

"Growl!" Terra ordered. The loud cry stunned Rowlet for a few seconds, buying the time she needed to attack. "Ember again, Litten!" This time, the attack connected, though it wasn't enough to knock the Grass type out. "Maybe Litten has a lower Special Attack stat. If that's the case, let's go for Scratch and finish this battle!" Unsheathing its claws, Litten lunged for Rowlet. Since it was still recovering, the Pokémon didn't have time to dodge the swipe, and it instantly fainted.

Unfazed by his defeat, Hau laughed and grinned. "Wow, that was awesome, Terra!" he complimented. "You and Litten looked so cool! Which means that I'm totally going all out tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?" Was a battle two days in a row really necessary?

Hala opened his mouth to say something, but then it looked like something caught his eye. "Terra, what is that stone in your bag?" he inquired.

Terra looked down and realized the stone was visible through the opening. "Ah, right." She pulled it out and showed it to the kahuna. "I meant to tell you earlier. When Tapu Koko saved me, after it left, this was near us," she explained.

"So it even deigned to give you a stone," he mused. "Terra, would you mind giving it to me?"

"Uh... Sure?" Handing it over, she watched the old man study it. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Not at all," he assured. "In fact, this is a blessing if anything. I just found it curious, that's all." Terra nodded. "Mind if I keep it for now? I promise to give it back tomorrow night." She agreed, seeing no reason why she shouldn't allow the kahuna to have the stone for a bit.

But while the group laughed at Nebby annoying Lillie for being out of the bag yet again, Terra had to wonder, Tomorrow...