Things were not going well for Selene Roth. At the moment, she was about three miles from a hurricane on Melemele sea, riding in a fisherman's boat with her drunk mother, a hydrophobic Meowth, and a mildly seasick police agent. In between listening to the man vomit and stopping herself from tossing the cat into the water, Selene was running through what had gone down a month ago in her head. Approximately thirty days ago, the president of Silph Co. was arrested for embezzling millions of dollars from his own company. He was arrested because of Selene's mother, Luna Roth, who may or may not have had an illicit affair with said president before exposing him to the Kanto Police. It should have been a given that the president had mob ties, and in hindsight, Selene should've seen the signs way before the dead Spearow appeared on their front door.

Fuck that shit man.

With one call to the international police and two fake ID's, Luna and Selene Roth were now Casey and Ava Moon, simple folk from the Sevii Isles who wanted a change of scenery. The family was set to live on Melemele Island, in a small house guarded by an International Police Agent named Philip. Selene, or Ava, as she would be now going by, knew from the beginning that this was a terrible idea. For one thing, it seemed her mother was more interested in Philip than her family's safety. For another thing, Philip arranged for them to get to Melemele via fishing boat. In the middle of summer. Which, for anyone who knew anything about Alola, was storm season.

So there she sat, on the tiny boat, trying not to think of how her life could get any worse. Deep down, Ava had a tiny shred of hope that life in Melemele would be okay. Maybe her mother would settle down with a responsible man, one who wasn't prone to seasickness and going by ridiculous codenames. Maybe Ava could hone her art skills again and sell paintings in the Hau'oli market. Maybe they'd be able to find peace in the eye of the storm.

But in the world of Pokemon, things are never that easy.

About 400 miles southeast of Melemele, in a broken down house on Ula'Ula island, a no-good, spoiled rotten baby was getting his ass handed to him on a silver platter.

"I don't care if you don't like it, Guz, we made a promise and we gotta stick to it." Plumeria scolded the grumpy 21-year old. "You know how I don't like breakin' promises."

"But I don't wanna hire a new kid!" Guzma whined, flopping down on his bed with a big huff. "He's gonna cramp my style!"

Plumeria rested her hands on her hips, frowning. "Your style is 14-year old bedhead." She growled. "And I don't care what you want. What I want is to not get slaughtered by Lusa-"

"Don't say her name. It's a curse." Guzma glowered. "I don't even know why I agreed to this shit anyway."

"Power, Guz. We're doing this for power." Plumeria reminded him. "Besides, the kid's pretty strong." She sauntered over and sat next to him on his bed. "Boy. When was the last time you washed these sheets?"

"Never." He grunted. "You probably don't wanna sit there. I whacked it earlier."

Plumeria leaped off the bed. "Arceus Guz, that's disgusting!" She recoiled in horror. "Gods. That's just. Ew."

The man cracked a goofy grin. "Don't act like you don't do it too, Plumey."

"If ya wanna keep your dick, you're going to shut your mouth." Plumeria spat. "Look. Imma go rally the troops, and give the kid a tour." She paused at the door. "And uh, Guz, you might want to shape up. The little numbskulls think your goin' soft. I mean, we all saw how you went gaga over that lil' Acerola chick. You gotta toughen up."

Guzma pouted. He hadn't gone 'Gaga', as Plumeria said. All he had done was help her get a Shedinja. The Bug/Ghost type wasn't found in Alola, but Guzma had been holding onto Nincada for a while, and wanted a Ninjask real bad. When he found the purple-haired girl snooping around Po Town, he nearly kicked her out until she showed interest in the surprise party member.

But the grunts saw him give her the Shedinja, and thought it was a sign he was going easy on folks. Guzma? The hated boss who beats you down, and beats you down, and never lets up? He could never be soft! He was goddamn, motherfuckin' Guzma! He didn't care for no one and nobody! Well, besides his Pokemon. And his lil bro-err, sister. And sometimes that old cop who came around and kept the grunts in order. But no one else besides that. Because that's what a big bad boss did. Not give a flying shit.

That's what he tried to convince himself, anyway.

It's important to note that at this point in time, while Plumeria welcomed some emo angst monster into the ranks of Team Skull, and while Ava Moon aka Selene Roth aka our mildly-temperamental protagonist braved the rough waters of Melemele sea, Hau and Lillie were enjoying a big malasada in Hau'oli city. This is important because up until then, Lillie hadn't stepped out of her loft in Professor Kukui's research lab. It had been three months since she had washed up on the shores of Route 1, and she hadn't left since.

"A-are you sure this is safe?" Lillie asked, shivering in her seat.

"Of course! I've never been hurt eating a big malasada!" Hau said happily. "Well, unless you count the time I ate too many malasadas and got food poisoning. Hah! That was funny." He scarfed down his second malasada of the day. "But you know what they say!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full?" Lillie offered.

Hau snorted. "No, silly! A malasada a day keeps the doctor away!" He wiped his mouth on an already dirty napkin. "Or is it keeps the Kahuna away? I'm not sure."

Under the table, Lillie's bag started to move erratically. Feeling the movements, she locked her feet on either side of the bag. "Don't move, Nebby." She whispered frantically. "You're going to get me in trouble!"

"Who're you talking to?" Hau asked through another malasada mouthful. "Your imaginary friend? I had one of those when I was five. His name was Dad."

"Hau, I think we need to talk about that. Your grandfather came to visit the other day…" Lillie trailed off, noticing the confused look on Hau's face. "Nevermind."

Hau shrugged off the confusion. "We should probably go back to Kukui's. He said he had a surprise for us! Plus, you can see more of the city now!"

"I just want to go back home." Lillie replied. She leaned under the table to grab her bag and screamed. "Eeeek!" She pushed her chair back and stood on it. "What is that!"

The patrons of the restaurant looked at her in shock, before looking under her table. They then looked under their own tables. Then they all screamed.

Lurking under each and every table was an Alolan Grimer.

"Grimer!" The Pokemon all chorused.

There was a moment of silence, and then a frenzy of terrified patrons running out the door. In the confusion, the Grimer under Lillie and Hau's table scooted into Hau's bag; Hau was too busy finishing a malasada to notice. It took him a couple minutes to realize what was going on, and by the time he figured out Lillie was gone, the Grimer was hidden away in his bag. "Lillie?" Hau called. Glancing out the front window, he saw the blonde girl waving at him. She looked absolutely horrified. This was definitely not good for her phobia. It would also be a lot to explain to Kukui. But Hau wasn't concerned with the negatives of the situation. Lillie had still gotten out of the house, on her on will for once.

"You okay?" He asked her when they met outside. "I can take you home if you want."

Lillie nodded quickly. "I'm okay. I think I did okay. But yes, we should go home. Nebby and I got a scare back there."

Hau was just happy that Lillie had gotten out fine. He linked arms with her and escorted her out of the city, expertly avoiding trainers and salesmen (the latter of which plagued the city like Rattatas). They returned to Kukui's lab in record time, Hau throwing his bag down on the couch carelessly and Lillie opening hers with the utmost care. They were quite the odd couple, but had grown close over the past three months. Lillie's immediate reluctance to leave the house was confusing to Hau, and Hau's obsession with malasadas was initially appaling to Lillie. But over time they grew used to each other's antics. After all, once you live with Kukui for an extended period of time, you can get used to anything.

While Hau wasn't paying attention (which was quite often), the Alolan Grimer oozed out of his bag. The Grimer was quite pleased with his new surroundings, and made a beeline for the kitchen. The invasion of the malasada shop had been a tactical maneuver made by their leader, an Alolan Muk. The Grimers wanted food and were tired of waiting for trainers to drop berries. This particular Grimer had Gluttony as an ability, so that was twice the need for food. He made himself comfortable inside the fruit basket and began to devour everything in sight.

Meanwhile, Hau and Lillie sat on the front porch and waited for Kukui. Well, Hau did. Lillie stood inside and looked out the screen door. "You think he's coming home soon?" Hau asked hopefully. "He said he was real busy today. But maybe he'll come back in time to make you dinner."

"Maybe." Lillie shrugged. "But I don't know. I can always make my own-boat?"

"Silly Lillie, you can't eat a boat." Hau chided her. "I've tried. It's not a fun time."

"No, Hau, I think I see a boat in the distance." Lillie responded. "Look!"

Sure enough, a boat appeared on the horizon. It was a small boat, carrying at least three passengers. Hau began to panic. "What is that? Who is it? Do you think they're evil?"

A hand landed on Hau's shoulder. "No, my boy, they're quite the opposite!" Kukui exclaimed. "Ahoy there!" The shirtless professor beckoned his two prodigies to his side. "C'mon kids, we have to help them get to shore." Ignoring Lillie's protests, the professor ran to the seashore. "Phillip my boy!"

Lillie watched as the boat floated to meet Kukui. Three, no, four passengers got out. The first was a skittish Meowth, who ran to shore instantly and never looked back. Then a man with vomit covering his shirt, followed by a woman in yellow and white. The last passenger was a girl; she wasn't much older than Lillie, but the look on her face made her seem years older. She had brown hair tied back in a bun, and a dark look on her face.

"Kukui, I told you. My codename...is Looker." The man said.

Kukui laughed a hearty laugh and clapped Phillip on the back. "You're hilarious, Philly." He looked to the two women. "You must be Casey and Ava. Alola!"

The woman, Casey, grinned. "Aren't you a fine thing! Alola to you too!" She turned to the girl, who Lillie assumed was her daughter. "Isn't he sweet?"

"We just took a boat around a hurricane and that's your question?" Ava shot back.

Casey pouted. "Oh you. Isn't she a card?"

That's one way to put it, Lillie thought to herself. The girl, Ava, was pretty intriguing. The professor hadn't said anything about people arriving, especially via boat, but then again that may have been why he was out all day.

"I have your house all set up. Everything's new and shiny!" Kukui was explaining. "Here, I'll come show you. Oh, Lillie, Hau, why don't you introduce yourselves to your new neighbors!"

"Hiya! I'm Hau!" The boy shouted.

"I think he meant go over there and talk, not scream from the front porch." Lillie whispered.

"Oh!" Hau said. He threw the front door open and grabbed Lillie's hand. "Come on!" Pulling her down the stairs, they nearly tripped over themselves and fell off balance.

"These are my two assistants, Lillie and Hau." Kukui introduced them. "Kids, this is my old friend Phil, his wife Casey, and their daughter Ava."

Ava instantly froze. "I did not agree to that." She frowned.

Casey was still smiling, albeit more forced than before. "Of course you did! He's your father!" Turning to Kukui, she said, "Why don't you show us our house! Maybe Ava can relax there! She gets a little wonky when she's tired, saying all these weird things." She laughed awkwardly.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Kukui exclaimed. "Let's go everyone!" As they started off the beach, Kukui stopped. "Oh, Hau, I left a pie in the oven. Can you bring it? Oh, and that box with the bow on it too."

Hau nodded excitedly. "Sure professor!"

And so they set off: the family to their new home (with Kukui and Lillie in tow), and Hau to get a pie and the gift. He found them easily, and ran off toward his friends. He had, of course, run right past the Grimer that was chowing down on Kukui's fruit basket. Said Grimer detected the pie, and in his craving for more food, followed the scent (and Hau) out the door. He trailed up the beach to the unsuspecting house, searching for the pie of his dreams.

Kukui had instantly taken Casey and Phil out to the best bar in Hau'oli, leaving the kids to hang out in the house. Ava was taking in her new surroundings the way an animal would inspect a cage. "This whole place is for us." She repeated for the fourth time.

"Yupp!" Hau replied, also for the fourth time.

Ava sighed. "Sorry if I seem standoffish. It's been a long day." She collapsed into the couch. "This is all just new."

"I can understand that." Lillie said. "I was in a similar situation a few months ago."

"Really now." Ava said, opening one of her eyes. She examined Lillie for a minute, then closing her eye again. "You wash up on a beach in a foreign city too?"

"She did!" Hau exclaimed. "It was rad!"

The new girl chuckled. "That's not the word I'd use, but okay then." She leaned forward in the seat. "So who's the box for?"

The gift and the pie were both sitting on the living room table. Hau had placed them there absentmindedly and instantly forgot about them. "I don't know." He shrugged.

Ava reached for the gift tag on the box. "For Ava: A little help for your Alolan Adventure." She read it aloud. "Alolan adventure my ass." She ripped the tag off and opened the box. Inside was a set of Pokeballs and a red tablet thing. "So I know what those are, but uh, what the fuck?" Ava grabbed the tablet thing and waved it around.

"Bzzt! Hey, gentle on the goods!" The tablet buzzed to life in her hands. "I didn't sit in a box for three hours to get man-handled!" It shook itself out of Ava's grasp. "You're Ava, right? Professor said I was workin' with ya now! Nice to meet ya!"

As a girl who had been hunted by the mob, Ava Moon had seen a lot of things. But a talking Pokedex? That was pretty new. "And you are?"

"I'm the Rotom Dex!" Rotom explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Ava stared at it. Then, "I need a drink to process this." She marched over to the kitchen and opened the top cabinet. When setting up the house, Kukui had to follow specific instructions left by Ava's mom. The alcohol, as always, was on the top shelf. As she poured herself a drink, she asked the other two, "Want something?"

"Your mother lets you drink?" Lillie said in response.

"Drinking age in Kanto is sixteen." Ava shrugged. She brought the bottle of Jäger over to the table with her. "As is the age of consent. But I'm guessing it's different here."

"Nah, it's the same." Hau said. "Kukui doesn't let us drink though. He says it's the work of satan!"

Ava looked at him blankly. She then got up, got two more cups, and filled them. "Look, if we're going to be friends, you have to put up with my pastimes. Which is pretty easy, because it's just drinking and sex. The latter of which," she passed them their drinks, "you'll probably not have to deal with."

Lillie took the cup hesitantly. "That seems a little dangerous, don't you think?"

Taking a drink from her cup, Ava said, "When you grow up in Saffron City with a neglectful mother, you have to amuse yourself somehow." She pulled her hair out of her bun, letting it fall down to her shoulders. "Anyway, I'd feel a little better about welcoming you into my home if I knew at least something about you guys. So how about-what the fuck is that."

Hau and Lillie turned to see what Ava was staring at. At the side of the table, reaching forward, was the Grimer. "Grimer!" Grimer said.

Lillie screamed and hid behind the couch, while Hau just stared blankly. Rotom decided to speak up. "It's a Grimer." Rotom said, very proud of itself.

"Yeah no shit." Ava said, still staring at the Grimer. "It looks like it's a shiny, but it has that weird yellow streak."

"Grimer!" Grimer said.

"Oh, that's an Alolan Grimer." Hau said finally. "Some Pokemon have different forms in Alola. I bet if you caught it, you could learn all about it!"

"Please make it go away." Lillie squeaked.

Grimer started to reach for the pie. Ava moved the pie over. "You gonna go for it buddy?"

"Grimer!" Grimer repeated, getting really frustrated. He rolled over the table and reached for the pie again.

Ava swapped the pie for the Jäger. "What about that?"

The Grimer sniffed it, and smashed it on the ground.

"Motherfucker!" Ava shouted. "Damn fucking Pokemon!"

Grimer rolled onto the ground and began to absorb the Jäger. "Grimer!" He rolled up onto the couch next to Ava. "Grimer."

Lillie crept back onto the couch. "I-I think it likes you."

"I think it wants my pie." Ava shot back. "Ruined my fucking Jäger too."

"Well this is delicious!" Hau had, while Lillie and Ava were distracted by the Grimer, drank both his and Lillie's drinks. "Got anymore?"

"Do I?" Ava said, a gleam in her eye.

"Yeah, do you?"

Lillie sighed. "That was a rhetorical question, Hau. Of course she does." She looked to Ava. "Do you have anything, um, lighter?"

She responded by getting up and going to her cabinet. "I'd give you beer, but I think you're more of a wine girl." She took out a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Unfortunately, my mother is not a wine girl. So we're doing this instead." Ava returned to the table and poured their drinks. As an afterthought, she poured some on the table in front of the Grimer. "I propose a toast. To new beginnings."

"To new friends!" Hau shouted.

"To, um, to an adventure." Lillie said timidly.

"I can't drink!" Rotom exclaimed.

"Grimer!"

They humans knocked back their drinks, and Grimer absorbed the drink off the table. Lillie coughed, a little shocked from the drink. "You get used to it." Ava laughed, watching the other girl cough. "And you can stop if you'd like."

Lillie, who up until that date hadn't left the same building and only spoke to three people for three whole months, decided to do one of the two things her mother would never approve of: "Can I have some more?"