The Rival: A Pokemon Mahina(Moon) Nuzlocke

Chapter 1: Rough Starts

The soon-to-be trainer gazed at the raised battle platform. Situated atop the sacred timbers, three young pokemon met hopeful eyes with expectant looks of their own. One by one, the trainer went face to face with would-be companions, partners...friends. It took only an instant for the connection to form; instinctively, they knew one another's passions, desires, and fears. Without hesitation, the trainer reached out for the spirit most compatible with their own; ready to begin the journey of a lifetime. Only one detail mired this idyllic premise: that trainer wasn't ME!

"The weather's just right to have some fun,
'Nothing but smiles from everyone,
Today my trainer journey's begun,
It's a Melemele-kinda Day!"

Melemele, by the way, is the name of this island. The name of the god-awful singer, is Charlee(that's me!), but just because you suck at something doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, because someone has to make everyone else feel good about themselves. The sun was shining, the raindrops were falling, and from this scandalous union, the freakish beauty known as a rainbow was born. It was definitely a good day in paradise. Dad had already gone into town to open up the Battle Buffet restaurant, and I bet mom was hunting down the best deals in the shopping district. Looks like it was time for me to leave home too.

But first… "Breakfast!" A flurry of feathers filled the porch and several Flying-type Pokemon descended on the birdseed I was tossing. Among all the birds in Alola, these, with their beautiful red heads, were hands-down my favorites: the Pikipeks.

"Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!" A coffee-colored furball suddenly came tumbling out of nowhere and playfully dived for the gathered birds!

"Pona, NO!" But it was too late. The Rockruff's antics sent the Flying-types scattering to the sky, save for one. Visibly annoyed rather than terrified, the Pikipek hovered in front the small dog Pokemon's face and chirped a scolding. Despite the clear size difference, Pona submitted and whimpered an apology.

"Ok, I think she's had enough, Aleng!"

At the sound of my voice, the Pikipek hopped on my offered hand and when I brought him to my face, he gave me me an affectionate little poke under my ear. Chicken-skin erupted across my neck and shoulders; the tingling sensation felt really, really good.

"Today I get my starter Pokemon. How about after, I come back to catch you and all your little friends?"

Aleng responded with a good-natured "Pikikiki!" It almost sounded as if he was laughing at my joke. Personally, I wasn't sure if catching a habituated Pokemon would even count. I had been feeding these Pikipeks ever since I was little, and I've known Aleng since the very beginning! "Better not let your buddies eat all the good seeds. 'Catch' you later!" Bad puns and wordplay are kinda my thing. Along with bad singing.

"Southshore swell's kissing the sand,
They got all-kine flavors at the Shave Ice stand,
Can't wait to have a pokeball in my hand,
It's a Melemele-kinda-OOF!" Let this be a lesson to you: when bursting out in song, pay attention to your surroundings. It's amazing how one tiny thing can turn your mood a fast 180. My first instinct was to grab whoever crashed into me, and beat them within an inch of their life. "Watch where you're-oh, hey Hau." Sprawled on the ground across from me was my best friend. Then again, he was pretty much everyone's best friend. Dark skin, green hair, and a malasada in his mouth. He was pretty much overdoing it on the whole 'local' thing. Seeing who it was, my anger went away. Not willing to pummel an old buddy over an accident, I settled for the third bad pun of the day. ""Hau"-zit going?"

"Chuck! Howzit! Ready to get your Pokemon today?"

"Ho-yeah, you better believe it!"

"Cool! I was just about to go see Tutu and check them out now. Wanna come?"

"No thanks. I'll catch up later." His offer was tempting, but the day was still young, and I had some things I wanted to do before rushing off on my journey.

"Shoots. Laters!"

First things first: being a Pokemon trainer meant work, dedication, and not a lot of free time. So it would be irresponsible of me to NOT get one last surf session in!

Invisible energy surged towards Melemele, displacing literal tons of water. As it neared shore, the changing topography of the seafloor forced that water upwards, higher and higher! Torn by gravity and inertia, the mountain of liquid could no longer retain cohesion, and collapsed upon itself in an explosion of shimmering white foam! That, my friends, is a wave.

It seemed as if everyone and their Pokemon was out there at the break: the shredders on their short boards; the stand-up paddlers; there were even some guys on an outrigger canoe! Personally, I prefer the nice, smooth ride of a longboard. Sure, it might not tear through the waves like the smaller rides; but if waves were Pokemon, then longboards would be Master Balls.

Speaking of which, there were a number of Pokemon splashing around in the lineup! Most of them were with trainers, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few were wild and just waiting to catch their own wave, provided they don't end up caught themselves! Some people were even riding on the larger ones, and then it occurred to me: maybe my first Pokemon should be a water-type.

Popplio...I think that was the name of the Pokemon that the Kahuna was offering; I saw a few around me, splashing around with their trainers. Those little guys looked goofy, but there was no denying that they were a blast to have around; what with their charming antics, and the adorable way their nose honks when you squeeze them.

The thought of a Popplio must've been good karma, because as long as it was on my mind, I was catching wave after righteous wave. It seemed my choice was now obvious, and wouldn't you know it, a familiar face was waiting for me when I paddled back to shore.

"Alola Charlee!"

"Hey, Prof. Laxative!" Professor Kukui's face soured at the embarrassing nickname. Hey, his fault for being named after a candlenut.

"Just kidding Professor K. Howzit going?" All the kids on Melemele talked to him like that. The guy was way too young for us to treat him like one of the old-timers, but we still respect him lots, though.

"I should be asking you that." he replied. "From the way you're messing around, I take it you have your Pokemon already, yeah?"

"Well, no." I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. "Not yet."

"Don't mess around too long Charlee, or you'll miss out. You should go with Selene; she's going up today too."

"Selene?" It took me a sec to notice the girl beside him. A new kid, with pale skin and dark hair. Thinking back, I remembered seeing this girl around the island a few times, as of late. The hibiscus-shaped beanie on her head was kind of funny-looking, but it made her easy to remember. It seemed that she and her mom just moved here.

When Selene's face met mine, she smiled and nodded a greeting in that silent, polite way that just screamed, "Straight Outta Kanto." I extended my hand to her. When she took it, I suddenly pulled her in for one of my famous Bewear hugs!

"Alola cuz! Welcome to the islands!" When saying hello here, personal space is forfeit. That's just how we roll. "So you're getting your Starter too? They have those in Kanto right? Not like ours, I bet!"

Again, she only smiled weakly. Eesh, what was it with Kantonese and politeness?

"So Charlee, will you be coming with us?" Kukui asked. I was definitely ready for my starter Pokemon, but before I could say yes, the entire island suddenly shook with a violent tremor!

What the heck was THAT?

Then it struck again! By the third time, I realized that it was coming from my opu. Always forget how hungry I get after surfing. "Thanks Professor, but I have some important business to take care of first." Lunch, THEN Pokemon!

Although I have to agree with Hau on the superiority of malasadas (who DOESN'T like sugary, fried, dough balls?), there is no better instant-energy food than a spam musubi: that's your traditional seaweed-wrapped rice ball, with a big slab of pan-fried spam slapped on it. And the pan-frying is the important part! Fire is essential for unlocking the full flavor of...of whatever spam is made out of. It's a good way to refuel though.

Sitting at the counter of the snack shack, I could hear the delectable sizzle of fatty juices dancing on a greased skillet. The savory aroma unleashed a torrent of saliva from my mouth, and watching the musubi being pressed, wrapped, and plated was almost too much to bear! Cooking was a full-on experience for the senses, and that got me thinking again: what might things be like if I started with a fire-type? Having a Litten around would definitely make cooking a breeze; and cats are such great hunters, I probably wouldn't have to worry about starving. Hey, when you're on a Pokemon Journey, you can't afford to be picky.

Thoughts of my journey once again took a backseat when my order was ready. Oh MAN was it good! The nori seaweed, still crisp and salty, gave way to the spam itself: firm, rich, and just a little bit sweet from the teri sauce. It was all brought together in the rice: moist and starchy, binding the flavors of the other ingredients into one. The lingering traces of saltwater in my mouth made the flavor super-effective. Post-ocean snacks are the best!

It was late in the afternoon by the time I was back on the outskirts of Haole City (real name Hau'oli, but we call it "Haole" because of all the tourists). Man, what an awesome day! First a surf session, then some ono grindz; I was pretty sure things couldn't get any better than that! And to top it off, there was just enough time left to go grab my Starter Pokemon! No rush though, because after all, I was running on Alolan time. I hear in the rest of the world, they have a saying about stopping and smelling the roses. Over here, we have way cooler flowers to sniff. Heck, even the little Pohinahina leaves growing along the side of the path smelled good!

I absentmindedly brushed my hand along the round green bushes. The fuzzy foliage tickled; they felt more like feathers than part of a plant. Bringing my fingers to my face, I inhaled deeply, and that sweet, herbal fragrance enveloped my nostrils. I wondered if this would be what having a Rowlett would be like: a Pokemon to keep the air fresh and sweet, and also someone soft to cuddle and squeeze on cold nights.

"Ho Chuck, you sniffing some pakalolo?" Hau joked as he came up alongside me. To maintain a G-rating, I'm not allowed to explain what that is.

"Ha! You're the one who's gonna need to get high, after I thrash you in a Pokemon battle."

"Cool, so what'd Tutu give you?"

"Going to pick my Starter right now!" I grinned.

Hau stopped in his tracks. "Hey uh Charlee, when I got my Pokemon today, gramps didn't have many left. In fact, he might've been saving for just one more trainer."

I stopped grinning, but Hau could be a tease. I wouldn't let his words get to me now. "Cool. I didn't think the Kahuna thought so highly of me."

"Yeah...but I'm going up there now 'cuz I heard that Selene was getting hers and-"

My blood froze. Kukui did mention that the new girl was getting her Pokemon today. My pulse went from absolute zero, to about 100 miles a minute. The pleasant warmth of the Alolan sun was replaced by a raw, toxic heat befitting a Salandit. As I charged the rest of the way into town on one breath, I kept telling myself not to worry, that I would still be getting my Starter.

A crowd had gathered around the town square, but through the heads, I could still make out Selene on the battle platform, with her new Pokemon. With my Pokemon! The heat in me became positively volcanic. Like a raging Tauros, I forced my way through the spectators and to the stage, lunging for Selene! "RAWR!"

Somehow, Kukui got between the two of us before I could get close!

"Charlee, that's enough!" I'm sure that being held in the professor's bronzed, muscled arms would have been enough to placate most anyone, but for me, there was no going back now.

I thrashed around as violently as I could, clawing for Selene and the terrified Pokemon in her arms. "How dare you! HOW DARE YOU! That Pokemon is supposed to be MINE! MINE! Let me at her! VENGEANCE WILL BE MINE! I WILL SWALLOW YOUR SOUL!"

"Enough!" There was an audible sharpness in Kahuna Hala's tone; he didn't even raise his voice. He didn't have to. "Listen to yourself! Do you honestly believe that you are entitled to a Pokemon? " Under the Kahuna's penetrating stare, even I faltered, just a little. "Officially, you haven't committed any offense as a trainer, so we cannot revoke your passport, but I will be damned if I let my last Pokemon fall into the hands of a brat like you."

And then he was gone. Followed quickly by Hau, Selene, and the rest of the town. My vision began to blur, and a stinging moistness creeped over my eyes. To my surprise, I was crying. At that moment, the stalemate between my pride and shame finally came to a crashing end. All manner of energy and emotion drained from my body; it was my luck that Kukui was still holding me up.

"It's alright Lillie, I have him." Kukui lowered me to the ground as gently as possible. If he had dropped me, I wouldn't have known. Or cared. I slumped against the ancient battle platform; my mind, what was left of it, was elsewhere. "Please stay with Charlee while I let his parents know what happened." His assistant nodded silently, and then we were alone. For the longest time, Lillie didn't say anything, allowing me my slow spiral into the abyss of despair.

Gone. My Pokemon is gone. What chance do I have now? No starter. No Island Challenge. I was so deep in my melancholy, that it barely registered when she finally broke the awkward silence.

"I cannot say that I am surprised by this outcome, Charlee," I hardly heard her; "but maybe...maybe one day, you'll get another chance. This doesn't have to be forever." Beside me, she placed my trainer passport, a pokedex, and a pokeball. An empty pokeball. Was there any crueller way to taunt me?

What's left for me? How can I even show my face on Melemele?

I don't know if Lillie said anything else, but at some point, she must have left me too. By the time I realized it, the moon, Mahina, was already chasing the sun towards the horizon.

I made no effort to get up. What's the point anything now? So I remained, slumped on the battle stage. I didn't move when the cold, offshore winds began. I didn't move when a familiar fluttering filled the air.

Aleng gave me chicken-skin again, and the pleasurable shivers was just barely enough to penetrate the numbing stupor. "Pikipiki." As if desiring to play fetch, he began nudging the empty pokeball towards me. As if I wanted anything to do with that grim reminder of an unfulfilled destiny.

I laid my head back down on the wood. "You better go back to your nest. It'll be dark soon."

"Rattata!" Too late. As if to prove my point, something crashed through the foliage on the far side of the arena! Aleng and I barely dodged the black bullet that streaked by. A Rattata! No doubt interested in a fresh snack to start the evening. Suddenly, my problems weren't that important, and before I realized it, I had put myself between it and Aleng.

"Get out of here!" I was saying that as much to Aleng as I was to the Rattata. Whatever melancholy I was going through could take a backseat until he was safe. At least I was too big for the rodent to take on alone. At least, that's what I thought, but as the pest sized me up, suddenly I wasn't so sure. Before I could react, the Rattata Tackled me the chest, knocking the wind from my lungs before I even hit the ground! It was all I could do to stay conscious as the Dark/Normal-type tore into my shirt with massive fangs!

"Piiiiii!" A familiar trill filled the air and Aleng's slammed into a Pokemon at least twice his size using Echoed Voice! The blow sent the rodent sprawling, but the Rattata was quick to recover: its attention refocused on its original target. "Pekpekpekpek!" Aleng hissed. Rattata snarled and charged, but the Pikipek dodged by the skin of his teeth, before battering his attacker with another Echoed Voice!

"Raa!" More enraged than hurt, the deafened Pokemon lashed out in a frenzy! Its flailing tail managed to swipe Aleng before he could get clear!

"Hurry, get up!" but the Rattata had already zeroed in on him, and leapt into the air for the killing Tackle! "Use Peck!"

Each second stretched for an eternity. To the rhythm of my beating heart, I watched as Aleng flared his wings to regain stability. Even as as the Rattata descended on him, Aleng smoothly transitioned into a single, powerful flap that launched him at his enemy's exposed belly, beak first!

My heart seized when the mass of the mammal Pokemon seemed to completely envelope the smaller Pikipek… but then the entire length of the Rattata' body spasmed and arched backwards, in a way that was most violent and unnatural. A Critical Hit! This time, when he fell, the Rattata wasn't so quick to get up. The silence was broken only by the ragged beating of our hearts.

"Oh man, Aleng, that was awesome!" I scooped the little bird up in my arms and held him tight. After a scare like that, I never wanted to let him go. "You won your first battle!"

To my surprise, Aleng shook his head, and gave me a light peck on the nose. A spark seemed to pass between us. His message was clear, "We won."

The full realization began to sink in and I put him down to take it all in. I could only imagine the look on my face as all the strife of the past hour dissolved into nothingness, and I felt lighter than air. Although that may have been the adrenaline wearing off. There was a slight clacking noise off to the side, and I looked to see Aleng rolling the pokeball towards me again. I'm ashamed it took so long, but suddenly, I understood what he wanted. Hell, what Lillie probably had wanted.

I was smiling inside and out. "I guess our journey is still on. So, are you ready to make Alola tremble?"

Aleng looked at me with those beautiful sapphire eyes of his. "Yes."

As the new trainer and his Pokemon began their journey, neither of them noticed a different pair on the hill above, bearing silent witness to the momentous occasion. As Chuck and Aleng moved out of ear-shot, Lillie was the first to speak.

"Professor, are you sure we should be letting them go?"

"Charlee is stupid, but he's not evil." Kukui chuckled. "That shouldn't keep him from being a trainer.

"And you think because of this, it's safe to let him to go on a Journey?"

"Because of this, he needs to." Kukui closed his eyes in quiet reflection. "The first steps can be the most painful, but we all must learn to walk, eventually."

RULES:

1) No Starters

2) Only the first Pokemon encountered in each new area may be used (assuming it's captured successfully).

-Repeat clause in effect

3) Minimalist Rule: Only new (Gen VII and Alolan version) Pokemon may be used in battle

4) Fainted (Killed) Pokemon can no longer be used

5) Blind Nuzlocke Run. No guides or game spoilers

Author's Notes: I've been planning a nuzlocke ever since they asked me to appear in the first Japanese Trailer for Sun & Moon (in it, I bought Moon)! I personally actually have nothing against the Alolan Starters, but Aleng is based on the bird I used to feed as a kid, the Red-Crested Cardinal, which bears superficial resemblance to a Pikipek (we certainly don't have Woodpeckers in Hawaii). And yes, that was the first wild Pokemon I encountered, too. Also, yes, Charlee is based on a younger me, and like Kukui pointed out, I was kind of an ass; like a good Rival should be. Hey, plenty of character development potential though! Hope you'll stick with it and read it the entire way through. If you think there are things that could be improved upon, please think about a review. Mahalo!