The girl's white boots thudded down the white path, her breath coming out rough and panting. She was afraid to glance back, afraid to know if she was going to be caught or not. She pushed herself harder and reached the triangular elevator, slamming her palm against the button for it to go up. Safety rails raised from the gaps between the floor and the elevator before it began to rise, the men and women in white uniforms who were pursuing her skidded to a halt, only able to now watch her rise out of their reach.
The girl in the white dress looked around the next floor, desperately trying to catch her breaeth. The floor she was on now looked more like different habitats for the Pokemon that lived there. She clung her duffle bag close to her body and tried to see if there were any more pursuers. Unfortunately for her, more people in white uniforms appeared from around the corners and began to chase her. She ran again with the men and women behind her through the different sections of the habitats. The girl rounded a corner to have two strangely pale people clad in white exploration outfits were in her way. The girl stopped in her tracks and looked back to see her pursuers closing in behind her. The pale woman gave a satisfied smile form on her lips and began to approach.
The duffle bag began to shake in the girl's arms, and a blue and purple aura began to pour out from the inside. Blue light erupted out and enveloped the girl, shining brighter until her pursuers had to shield their eyes. In a flash of azure light, the girl vanished.
Three months later...
A beeping game from the computer, the camera icon flashing to announce an incoming video call. It was a message from the professor of Alola, Professor Kukui! The girl at the computer clicked on the camera icon, and a screen opened. The screen took a moment or two to focus on the man in the frame: he had tan skin, a white hand, and a white lab coat, with a patch of black hair on his chin. But why isn't he wearing a shirt under that lab coat? the girl had to wonder. The man, who was presumably Professor Kukui, reached forward to adjust the camera on his end. "Hang on now, just gimme a sec..." he mumbled, fixing the camera to help it focus on him. Once satisfied, he stood back and waved. "Hey there, good evening!" he greeted in a cheerful tone. "So the day has finally come that you're moving to Alola!" He shifted to the side and a map with four large islands appeared beside him. "Alola is a region made up of several islands. That could be the reason the region is chock full of nothin' but rare Pokemon, yeah!" he explained. The map disappeared and he resumed being in the center of the screen. He held up his hand again, but this time, a Pokeball rested in his palm. "There's no shortage of cool Pokemon out here in Alola, either! Such mysterious creatures!" He tossed the Pokeball up and, in a flash of light, a Pokemon, Rockruff, appeared, and landed before him. The little puppy like creature looked curiously into the camera. "You find 'em all over. In the grass, in the caves, in the sky and sea..." The Rockruff ducked out of the camera frame, having lost interest, and only its fluffy wagging tail was still in view. Behind the Professor, a small, yellow Cutiefly flew up behind him. "Here in Alola we love our Pokemon, and we depend on them heaps, too." The Cutiefly flew closer, and the Rockruff focused on Kukui, who moved his hands to stroke the puppy's neck. "Some of us even battle with 'em, if we call ourselves Pokemon Trainers!" Kukui looked at the dog. "Rockruff! Cutiefly! I'll play with you later, so cool your jets!" The two Pokemon nodded and disappeared off the screen. "All right, I gotta ask you some questions about yourself so I can introduce you to everybody!" He scratched at his cheek a little. "So which photo should I use for your Trainer Passport?"
Trainer Passport? It must be like a trainer card, the girl thought to herself, and sent the desired photo to Kukui.
Kukui grinned and put a hand behind his head. "Ten-four, good buddy! I'll let everyone out here know you're on your way! Alexandra!" Rockruff appeared on Kukui's right, a bird Pokemon, Pikipek, on his right. "Yeah, that's a name that hits you like a Trop Kick right to the head! Woo!" The Pikipek flew off, replaced by Cutiefly. "Can't wait to see you in person then, cousin!" He waved and the screen closed.
She sighed and leaned back into her chair. Maybe she was too used to old Professor Oak, but Professor Kukui was just a living ball of energy. Then again, he was probably half the age of Oak...
"Alexandra!" the girls' mother's voice called out from the living room, pulling her out of her thinking. "Come help me with these boxed!" The girl stood up from the desk and left her bedroom.
The sun shined brightly down on Melemele Island. Children were playing happily outside, and a breeze ruffled the tall grass and palm trees. On the balcony of her house, Alexandra's mother stretched out her arms and taking a deep breath, her Meowth down at her feet. "Could anything be more soothing? The first night spent under Alola's calm moon! I feel like I could stay out here all night." She sighed and let her arms fall back to her sides. "But that's enough of that! Time to unpack all these boxes!" She turned and looked down at the Pokemon. "Meowth? Go get Alexandra for me, would you?" The little cat meowed in acknowledgment and ran back into the house.
Inside, Meowth spotted the girl laying on her bed, asleep. It meowed and ran over to her bedside, meowing even louder. The girl yawned and sat up, slowly getting to her feet. "Hello Meowth," she said sleepily to the little cat, that meowed again. She gave it a gentle pat on the head and left her bedroom with Meowth at her heels.
"You were out like a light, weren't you?" Mom said, who was standing at the balcony door. "You ought to be full of energy by now! And look!" She gestured to the open balcony door. "It's already night here!" She let her arm drop. "It's completely opposite of Kanto, but then we are so far away here in Alola." She smiled. "So Alexandra, are you excited to meet some Alolan Pokemon?"
Alex smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, I am!" She had only read a little, mostly about the geography of Alola, but she had heard that the Pokemon here were completely different than anywhere else. Alola also had different types of biomes to add even more variety.
Mom chuckled. "That's right! I want to hurry and meet some, too!" She turned to look out the door again. "We're living in the Alola region now! The beautiful islands everyone wants to visit! I'm sure the Pokemon living in a place like this must be friendly, right?" She shrugged and looked back to Alex. "It might not be a bad idea to go out and see for yourself how friendly Pokemon here are. Right, Alex? Go and get ready for a bit of exploring! Your bag and things should be hanging on your coat stand in your room." Mom tilted her head to the side. "And didn't you leave your copy of Adventure Rules on your desk, too?"
"Yeah, thanks Mom!" Alex said, the excitement of going out and exploring the new land chasing away the residual sleepiness. She rushed back into her room, grabbing her hat and bag from the coat stand. She left her room again and went back over to Mom, who was giggling at Meowth thrashing about.
Mom turned around and smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "Now you look ready for anything!" Her expression softened. "Oh, but even so, Alex... Try to be careful walking through the tall grass! Still, I have to admit that I'd love to have a new Pokemon around... Why don't you head up toward Iki Town and see what you can discover in Alola?" Meowth called out, as if to agree. Alex smiled brightly and rushed out the door.
The first thing that greeted her was the cool, salty sea air. Murkrow darted across the sky every now and then, followed with a streek of a falling star. She stretched out her arms and took in a deep breath. The calm, cool air was so different than it was in Kanto. The only place that smelled like this was Cinnabar Island, but the air had a hint of cold to it, probably coming from Seafoam Island not too far from the shore. This place was warm, damp, with palm trees and flowers everywhere. No wonder Mom wanted to move here; it truly was beautiful.
"Now where is Iki Town..." she mumbled to herself, looking back and forth. She turned to the left and followed the path that spread up into a hill.
Alex stopped in her tracks at the top of the hill. What spread out before her was tall grass, and all she could think of was what she was told growing up: "don't walk into the tall grass without a Pokemon!" Wild Pokemon weren't always the friendliest, and she just stayed inside town the majority of the time. She shook her head, mustering up her courage. "Come on, gotta at least try..." she whispered to herself. Despite her words, her legs wouldn't move. What if something attacked her? What would she do? Most Pokemon were faster than people, so would she even be able to get away?
"Ah, come on!" she shouted at herself and clapped her cheeks. She took a deep breath and looked hesitantly at the grass. She moved forward to it cautiously...
A Pokemon charged forth from the grass and hissed at Alex! The girl took a couple of steps back as the little Pokemon, Yungoos, flashed its fangs at her. "Oh no..." Just my luck... My first try on my own and a mean Pokemon shows up! Three other Pokemon suddenly appeared from behind her and stood between Alex and the Yungoos, staring the little creature down. The three Pokemon snapped at the Yungoos, which backed away and vanished back into the grass, knowing it was outmatched. The three Pokemon chittered triumphantly.
Alex let out a sigh of relief and smiled when the Pokemon turned to face her. I'm saved! "But where did you guys come from...?"
"Hey there, cousin!" a voice called out from behind her. Alex turned to find Kukui there, waving to her. She ran over to him. "Hang on, I know you..." He rubbed his chin from a moment and grinned. "You're Alexandra, right?!" He looked over her shoulder to the grass patch. "You okay? I saw you get attacked like that!"
"Y-yeah, I got a little help..." Alex said, rubbing her arm nervously. She was glad that nothing really came of it. So I see he's still pretty energetic... Still, at least I'm safe with him around.
Kukui smiled and nodded. "Looks like you did! Though I sure didn't expect that, yeah... I didn't think these little fellows would dash out on their own to save a stranger!" He paused. "But I guess I'm getting ahead of myself." He moved up both hands and waved. "Welcome to Alola, the Pokemon paradise! That's what I'm supposed to be saying." He jerked a thumb to point as his chest. "I'm Kukui, yeah, the Pokemon Professor." He's got... an interesting way of talking, too, Alex thought to herself. Enthusiasm and yeah. The three Pokemon ran towards Alex and Kukui. "People and Pokemon live and work together here in Alola, too. Don't ever forget, you can go anywhere, yeah, as long as you got Pokemon in your corner! Wild Pokemon could be lurking in the tall grass, yeah, just waiting to leap out and bite you, but you'll be fine if you've got a partner of your own!"
So wild Pokemon can be just as mean here as in Kanto, huh... He grinned at the Pokemon. "Hey there! Here, let me introduce the Pokemon that helped you just now." He move his hand to the first. "This is the Grass-type Pokemon, Rowlet." The little creature hooted and turned in a circle. Kukui moved his hand to the second. "And the Fire-type Pokemon, Litten." The little cat meowed in response. He then moved to the last. "And the Water-type Pokemon, Popplio." The Pokemon barked.
Kukui turned to Alex. "Y-see, the fact of the matter is... one of these Pokemon will become your first partner, woo!"
Is this guy always this... happy? Pumped? I feel this is someone to talk only in small doses for me.
He nodded and smiled. "Maybe that's why they wanted to save you? Go on and choose the one you'd like to keep as your partner, cousin!" Alex and Kukui both looked at the three. "Why don't you go ahead and choose the one you'd like to keep as your partner, cousin?"
Alex bit her lip. All three looked up at her curiously, each with the same level of anticipation. All of them are cute, too. How do you pick? She looked at Rowlet, the cute little owl that turned in a circle and tilted its head. Litten licked its paw and looked up at her, tilting its head. Popplio leaned onto its back fins and clapped its flippers, barking excitedly. She passed her gaze over the three a few times before she fixed her eyes on the little owl, Rowlet. The little Pokemon hooted when it noticed she was looking at it. "Rowlet can fly up on its enemies real quiet like, yeah, and catch 'em by surprise!" Kukui explained. "So you wanna go with the Grass-type Pokemon Rowlet?" Alex nodded and approached the little bird. She gently took it in her hands and lifted it up, and the little owl smiled.
"Hi there, little friend!" Alex giggled, suddenly feeling giddy. This was her Pokemon... Her Pokemon! She looked down at it and stroked the top of its head. The little Pokemon cooed approvingly.
"So you went with Rowlet!" Kukui interjected, and Alex turned to face him. "Woo, what a fine looking team you two are! Now that you can have Pokemon battles, you're what we call a Pokemon trainer!" Kukui reached into his lab coat pocket and held out a Pokeball to her. "Here's a Pokeball for Rowlet, too. It should feel nice and cozy in there." Alex gingerly took the ball from his hand. "All right, then let's get going to Iki town, Alex! Woo! Time to meet the Island Kahuna!"
Alex wrinkled her nose at the unfamiliar phrase. "Island Kahuna? What is that?"
"Truth is, that partner Pokemon Rowlet of yours is a gift from the kahuna, not me," Kukui explained, "so let's go show it off and say a proper thank you, cousin. It may not be the only gift you get! In case you haven't heard, the kahunas are all crazy strong Pokemon trainers." Like Gym leaders? "Be careful about getting into a battle with one!" Kukui turned and headed back towards the patch of grass. "Iki Town is right up here!" he said, pointing up the hill passed the grass, where the path continued. "Get Rowlet there in that Pokeball I gave you."
Alex looked down at the Pokemon and held the ball out to it. In a flash of light, the ball opened and Rowlet disappeared. She slowly pulled the ball close to her chest, looking down at its shiny surface. This was her Pokemon. She had her own companion, a new friend to explore Alola with. She wanted to jump and cry out excitedly. Would it get along with Meowth? She smiled and gently put the ball into her bag, turned to the grass patch, and moved along the path once again.
Half way through the grass, a strange Rattata popped out. "What are you!" she gasped, looking at the little black rat. It looked like a Rattata, but it was black with strange whiskers. "Why do you look so different?" she asked it, but it hissed at her and moved in closer. This Pokemon wasn't friendly either. She remembed that Rowlet could scare it off, or at least keep it from attacking her. She tossed out the ball and Rowlet reappeared. Rowlet flapped its wings, kicking up grass, and the Rattata ran away. "Way to go, Rowlet!" Alex cried cheerfully, and the little Pokemon returned to its ball. No matter what, she was going to be safe along her journey beyond the tall grasses. She no longer had to fear wild Pokemon.
At the top of the hill, the earth flattened out. To her left was a set of stairs leading higher up to an area with houses. Alex approached the stairs and saw a boy running down them. He noticed her and ran towards her. "Hey, hey!" he called out. "Which Pokemon are you gonna choose are your partner? Have you decided?" He grinned and put his hands behind his head. "Oh yeah, I'm Hau!" Alex returned his grin and introduced herself. "I couldn't wait for us to pick our partners together, so I came to find you myself!" Her bag shook and Rowlet appeared from out of its Pokeball and cooed at Hau. Hau looked down at the little Pokemon with excitement. "Whoa, your Rowlet is so cool!" he gushed, then looked up at her. "Hey wait, you already picked your Pokemon?!"
She wasn't even aware that there was another kid who was supposed to pick a Pokemon. Was he mad at her?
"Sorry about that, Hau," Kukui said and approached the two, Popplio and Litten following behind him. "We had a little accident on the way here, so I ended up letting Alexandra choose her partner first without you."
Hau nodded. "Fair enough. I guess it was just fate for you guys to meet!"
"But you can choose one of these two, Hau!" Kukui said, both hands pointing to the two remaining Pokemon. The two move forward towards Hau.
Hau's excitement shined on his face again. "Then my partner will be..." He didn't even look between the two, he just fixed on one. "Popplio! I choose you!" Popplio barked happily and moved closer to him, and Hau waved to it. "Alola, friend! I decided ages ago that you're the one I wanted to have an adventure with!" He leaned down, putting his hands on his knees. "We're gonna do so much awesome stuff together! Just you wait and see!" Popplio barked excitedly in return. "Professor!" Hau cried, looking up at the man. "You'll take good care of Litten, right?"
Oh man, this guy is just like the Professor. Is everyone in Alola constantly bouncing around?
Kukui nodded. "You better believe I will, Hau!" He turned to face Litten. "Litten, everybody! Time to get back in your balls for now!"
"Wait up!" Hau said and turned to Alex. "Me and Popplio have a favor to ask. Be our opponents in our first ever Pokemon battle together!"
Alex blinked, surprised by the request. Today was moving so fast: she got her first Pokemon, she was now a trainer, and she was now going to have her first official Pokemon trainer battle. Alex nodded. "Yeah, let's do it." This was going to be an awesome experience!
"Hold on!" Kukui interrupted. "Before you two step into the ring, let's make sure Rowlet is up to it." Kukui looked the little Pokemon over, sprayed it with a Potion, and let it return to Alex.
Hau began to jump about excitedly. "All right! I'm seriously gonna enjoy this!"
..
"Our first defeat! Sorry, Popplio!" Hau said, and both Pokemon returned to their balls. Despite his defeat, he began jumping again. "Whoa, that was awesome, Alex! You and Rowlet were both so cool!" Even losing didn't even make a tiny dent in Hau's energy. He was absolutely resilient. "You've gotta have the kinda battles where everyone has fun," Hau continued, having calmed down a little. "You and your partner Pokemon too, you know?"
She couldn't help but smile, holding Rowlet's Pokeball close to her chest. Her first victory was a huge milestone! Battles were fun; she didn't know if she would even enjoy them. She was so proud of her little partner.
Kukui moved closer now that the battle was over. "Right on, Alex! You and Hau both brought out the best in your partners and pulled off some spectacular moves, yeah!" He looked towards the stairs that were cut into the hill. "Iki Town is right up those stairs. Come on, Alex!"
Hau rushed forward towards the stairs. "You should totally check out Iki Town!" Alex nodded and followed after him with Kukui after them. Oh goodness, these two just don't slow down. They're already making me sleepy.
Hau and Kukui stopped a little after the top of the stairs. Little houses were circled around them and extending to the left of the stairs. The path continued to another set of small stairs that led to what looked like the town plaza. "And we're here! This right here is Iki Town!" Hau and Kukui both turned to look towards the plaza. "This town is where folks come to worship the Pokemon that watches over Melemele Island," Kukui explained. "Tapu Koko keeps us all safe and happy, see!" He looked around. Alex blinked. Worshipping a Pokemon? She never heard of anything like that. "Looks like the kahuna's nowhere to be found, though... I guess there must be some trouble somewhere on the island that needs fixing, yeah?"
Hau nodded and put his hands behind his head, "Yeah, the kahuna wandered off without a sound to anybody, singing a little ditty or something." Hau grinned. "I'm gonna go stop by my home for a sec. I gotta show my mom Popplio!" With that, Hau ran off towards the plaza and disappeared from sight. I should show my mom Rowlet, too...
"Hey, I've got an idea for you, Alex," Kukui started and looked back at her. "If you head through the village and up the hill, you can visit the ruins that belong to Tapu Koko. That's our island's guardian deity, yeah. Why don't you go and introduce yourself?" Kukui grinned. "If you're real lucky, maybe you'll actually get a glimpse of the guardian deity yourself! I'll stick around here and wait to see if the kahuna comes back." He moved away from the path and stood near the main stairs.
"Deities, huh..." Alex mumbled to herself. Kanto didn't have anything like that. It had the legendary Birds, but that was about it. She had read about other Pokemon that were like guardians in other regions, but nothing being referred to as a deity. She could only wonder what a Pokemon called a deity would look like, what they did, and what made them so special, so she climbed the second set of stairs passed the wooden stage in the center of the plaza, and continued on the path that stood between two odd looking statues.
The path continued higher up into the hill with more sets of stairs cut into it, making it easier to climb. The path twisted up, becoming steeper the higher she climbed. Along with the few sets of stairs, more of the strange statues stood to the sides, like the statues that stood in the plaza. As the trail began to smooth out and the top in sight, Alex spotted a girl in a white dress and a white hat climbing the stairs near the top. She paused when her duffel bag wiggled at her side, and she pressed back against her. Was there a Pokemon in it? "I know, I know. I'll take you to the ruins," she said to the bag. "So please, stay in the bag. We could get in trouble if anyone sees you." The bag stopped squirming and she resumed walking. Alex shrugged and continued up the path, following after the girl. If the path lead to a temple like place for the deity Pokemon, she may just be another visitor.
Alex saw the girl again, watching her running after her bag as it dragged her towards the bridge. She finally got a firm hold on it and stopped, but something few out of it. A strange Pokemon flew forward onto the bridge and cried excitedly. What on earth is that? Alex wondered, looking at the strange little creature. Was that a Pokemon that only lived on these islands? A flock of three Spearows flew towards it, and the little Pokemon coward on the bridge as the birds circled, squawking and pecking at it.
"So far all the wild Pokemon here are complete jerks!" Alex ran towards the girl, who was watching from the land in terror. She turned when she heard Alex's foot steps. "Ah.. H-help..." The girl swallowed and hugged the bag tightly to her chest. "Save Nebby!" The strange Pokemon the girl referred to as Nebby cried out to them and curled up tightly into a shaking ball. "Those Spearows are attacking it! But..." The girl bit her lip. "I'm... I'm not a trainer. I can't... Please! Please save Nebby!"
"Don't worry, I'll go get 'em!" Alex rushed forward onto the bridge, feeling courage well up inside herself.
Before Alex could get far, a Spearow separated from the circle and flew towards her. She threw Rowlet's Pokeball and the little creature appeared. "Rowlet, take it down!" Rowlet easily took down the Spearow. "That's one..."
"You managed to chase off one of the Spearow, but..." The girl looked forward. "Oh, there are still more! Please, please help Nebby if you can!" she pleaded. "But be careful... It looks like that attack may have damaged the Plank Bridge, too..."
Alex looked down at the bridge. The boards looked weathered and old. Some boards were cracked, and some had already crumbled away. I don't think the Spearow was what damaged this bridge... She shook her head and moved forward quickly but carefully, freezing whenever the shook from the salty wind or creaked under her feet.
She finally reached the strange little Pokemon, diving towards it and shielding it with her body. The Spearow only became more agitated; they swirled around and dived towards her, their talons extended. Oh man, what am I doing? Rowlet can't take on so many Pokemon, and those claws are going to hurt! She squeezed her eyes shut and balled up tighter around Nebby, bracing herself for the attack. Nebby also squeezed its eyes shut and began to glow blue once again. A blast of blue light sent the Spearow away, but the planks beneath it and Alex shattered, sending the two of them down into the chasm below. Alex's eyes flew open as she felt herself begin to fall and the scream caught in her throat.
Suddenly a white light shot out from the other side of the bridge and flew towards the falling pair. Alex gasped when she felt something catch her and it flew her towards the side of the ravine where the girl was standing. It placed her down and landed beside her, looking at the two girls, then focused on Nebby. What on earth is that? Alex's mind was blank, making it hard for her to think, and her heart still pounding hard against her chest from the fall. The creature, the Pokemon that saved Alex and Nebby from falling, let out a cry, bolts of lightning radiating from its body, and shot back into the sky, disappearing in the same light and speed it appeared in. "What..." Alex shook her head. Whatever that Pokemon was, it saved her; she and Nebby were safe and sound, and that's what mattered. She sighed and got back on her feet.
Nebby cried happily while it and Alex approached the girl. "Oh... oh thank goodness!" The girl looked at Nebby, furrowing her brow. "You tried using your power again, didn't you?" She sighed. "Oh Nebby..." The girl shook her head. "You know what happened last time you used it. You couldn't move for ages after that. I don't want to see you like that again!" She hesitated, then looked down at her feet, as if ashamed for her minor outburst. "No... I shouldn't say that. I'm sorry, Nebby... I know you were trying to save me that time... and I couldn't even help you in return..."
Alex looked at Nebby as it bobbed along the ground. It was a Pokemon that couldn't use its powers? She glanced back to the girl. It saved her as well at some point... I wonder what happened to her for it to save her?
Nebby cried curiously and moved forward, looking at something on the ground. "What... What is that?" she asked, looking at the sparkling object on the ground. Nebby picked it up in its mouth and brought it to her. "A sparkling... stone?" She gently took it from it. "It feels almost warm somehow..." She turned back to Alex. "Please, forgive me," she said and bowed. "I am so grateful to you for helping us out of that dangerous spot."
"Who are you?" Alex asked, looking back and forth between her and the Pokemon she called Nebby. Was that an Alolan Pokemon, too? She didn't have a Pokedex to consult. Was it like a Magikarp or something, in the sense that it couldn't really battle?
The girl smiled shyly. "I'm... I'm Lillie. And I suppose... this stone must belong to you." She moved forward and held out the stone to Alex, who took it and looked at it curiously. "Please..." Lillie whispered. "Don't tell anyone about this... About seeing Nebby... It's... It's a secret, okay?" Alex nodded though? Is Nebby not hers? Lillie nodded back, then looked back at Nebby. "Come on," Lillie said, holding open the duffel bag. "Into the bag, Nebby." Nebby cried reluctantly and climbed inside. Lillie sighed and turned back to Alex. "Um... I'm worried we might get attacked by some wild Pokemon or... or something. I know it's too much for me to ask it, but... Do you think you could see us back to town?"
Alex nodded, still confused about everything that had just happened. "Sure, no problem." Lillie nodded shyly and the two walked down the trial back to town.
Once back in town, Kukui was standing on the wooden stage, and turned when the girls approached it. "Oh, Alexandra! You met Lillie, huh? She's my assistant, yeah!" Alex glanced at Lillie. Alex and Lillie walked onto the wooden stage. "Lillie, I thought you were with the kahuna?" What does a kahuna even do?
"Kahuna Hala?" Lillie asked. "He said that he had something to attend to, so he left town on his own. I was just, um, taking a little stroll up Mahalo Trial while I waited for him to return..."
"And that's how you met our new neighbor Alexandra, huh?" Kukui said. "She just got to Alola yesterday. Help her find her way around, yeah?"
Lillie looked back at Alex. "So... you're also one of the professor's acquaintances? It's nice to meet you."
Alex nodded and smiled. "Likewise."
"The kahuna is back! Kahuna Hala has returned!" a man cried from the main stairs.
"Our guardian's chosen one is back! Only one of the strongest Pokemon users in all Alola, yeah!" Alex looked over to the people near the stairs. They had to be like Gym leaders, like she originally thought.
An older man in a yellow over shirt with white hair climbed up the main stairs, and the people parted to let him pass. "Have I missed something?" he asked.
"There you are, Kahuna Hala!" Kukui called out to him. "Was there some kind of trouble?" Alex looked at Hala. Maybe she would learn about what kahunas did.
Hala laughed as he walked onto the stage. "Just caught up in the middle of some brawling Rockruff, that's all!" He looked to Lillie. "Sorry, Lillie. What were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about..." What is a Tapu Koko? Was that the Pokemon that saved me?
Lillie nodded. "Oh, um... Yes, Kahuna Hala. Nebby got attacked by some Spearow on the Plank Bridge. And Alexandra here helped protect it. But the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine... and that was when the island's guardian deity swooped in and saved them!"
Alex blinked. The island's guardian deity? So that Pokemon, Tapu Koko, was actually the deity?
Kukui chuckled and put his hands on his hips. "Woo! That's something you don't hear every day!"
"Ho! Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature," Hala said. "Yet our guardian was moved to save you." Hala turned his head. "Kukui, my boy, I think we have cause to celebrate! Looks like we have a brave and kind new Pokemon trainer in our midst!" Kukui nodded and grinned.
"I'm glad to meet you, child," Hala said to Alex. "I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Welcome to Alola! Young Kukui had told me of your coming. I'm glad we got the chance to meet today." Alex nodded slowly, still thinking about Tapu Koko. If it was fickle, why did it protect her? Did it sense something she couldn't? Or was it trying to save Nebby?
Nebby cried out happily. Lillie whipped around and looked down at it. "Oh! When did you get out again? I know that Kahuna Hala and the professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight. It's safer that way." She sighed and looked at Alex. "Nebby, well... It seems to have taken a liking to you. I-I have read that Pokemon like it when you pet them or take care of them, you know." Alex looked down at Nebby and grinned. Asides from Rowlet, it looks like she made another Pokemon friend. Maybe it was grateful to her.
"All right, here's a lovely gift from me to help make today special, Alexandra!" Kukui said, stepping forward. He held out his hand, which had a strange red device. "A Pokedex is a high-tech kinda tool, yeah, that can automatically record facts about any Pokemon you meet. Your new partner Rowlet is already registered, oh yeah, so check it out!"
"Wow, that's so cool!" Alex said excitedly, eagerly taking the device. My own Pokedex! I always wanted one; now I can learn more about the Pokemon here! She looked it over for a moment before carefully slipping it into her bag.
"And this is a Trainer Passport that I had put together for you," Kukui said, holding out the little booklet, which Alex took. "Well, you got to meet the kahuna at least. Ready to head home, Alex?" The girl nodded, suddenly feeling tired and her body felt heavy.
As Alex stepped off the stage, Hau called out, "Oh yeah, Alex! Hold up a sec!" He ran onto the stage.
"What is it, Hau?" Hala asked. "Did you forget something?"
Hau huffed and put his hands on his hips. "You're seriously asking me that? Who's the one here who forgot to tell anyone before wandering off for a little stroll and a sing without a word, huh?"
Hala sighed and looked over, noticing the sparkling stone Alex was given. "Hm? Alexandra..." He moved closer. "Would you be so kind as to give me a look at that Sparkling Stone you have there?" Alex nodded and handed it to him. The older man looked at the stone closely. "Could it be?!" he gasped.
"Tutu, isn't that..." Hau said, also looking at the stone.
Hala looked up, his eyes back to Alex. "You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge- isn't that what I heard, Alexandra?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah, it rescued me. It caught me before I hit the water at the bottom of the ravine." If it weren't for that, I'd be a pancake floating out to the sea... Nebby might have been safe, though.
"So it even deigned to give you a stone..." Hala continued. "Perhaps you are here in Alola, Alexandra, because this is where you are meant to be. Allow me to borrow this stone for now. Fret not! I'll return it to you tomorrow evening."
"Oh, sure," Alex replied and nodded. "Take your time." Was the stone something important? It sounded like a big deal that the guardian left it.
Hala smiled, his eyes shining kindly. "You have the makings of a brilliant trainer. I can see that light within you, too. You must do us the honor of joining in our festival tomorrow!"
Kukui and Lillie approached Hala and Alex. "First I'll make sure you get back home safe today, though, Alex," Kukui said. He glanced over to Lillie. "Lillie, you two should come with us, too, yeah. Wouldn't want to go losing you twice in one day. You or that precious Pokemon of yours!"
Nebby definitely wasn't an average Pokemon, if everyone was so concerned about it.
Lillie nodded, holding tightly onto the strap of her bag. "Yes... I will keep an eye on..." Nebby cried contently from behind her, causing Lillie to whip around again. "Oh you! Would you not try to escape the very moment that you were told not to wander off!" Kukui laughed. Alex waved to Hala and Hau, and the group Iki Town.
Alex sighed when she walked up to the front door of her home. Since she was now home, she let Rowlet out of its ball. "Welcome back, Alex!" Mom called out from the small kitchen when Alex walked inside. "So what did you think of Kahuna Hala? Oh!" she continued before Alex could reply. "And look who you've got with you!" Rowlet was beside Alex, and it hooted in greeting.
Alex told her everything that had happened after she left towards Iki Town earlier that day. "It came running out to help you?" Mom asked, walking out of the kitchen with Meowth following at her feet. "What a sweet little thing!" Alex smiled sleepily and nodded. Mom chuckled and put her hands on her hips. "And it saved you! That's amazing. It must have been fate that you met!" She looked back and forth between the Pokemon and her daughter. "The two of you look great together... I feel happier just looking at the pair of you!"
Meowth approached Rowlet and meowed at it. Rowlet smiled and hooted back in response. It seemed like a friendly exchange.
Alex looked up at Mom and yawned. "I'm... actually going to go to bed," she said, taking off her hat. "A lot of stuff happened today, and I am just beat." I'll leave out the 'almost falling to my death' thing. Mom nodded and kissed her on the forehead. Alex smiled contently. "Good night, Mom."