Hello! You probably know me as the author of Pokémon: Ho-Oh and the Battle for Pallet Town. Well, with the overall warm reception that story has gotten so far, I've decided to take a leap of faith and publish my second story on : Pokémon: Light of Alola. This is different from my other story in many respects. To start off, it follows the games' canon rather than the anime's. And it is a novelization of Pokémon: Sun and Moon (specifically, Pokémon: Sun.)
My main character's name is Trey, chosen because… well, mostly because I've always liked that name. Plus, I've just realized it sounds like the first syllable in the word "trainer." On another note, I'm taking liberties with some of the dialogue from the games. Don't worry though. With the exception of the protagonist actually having a personality, the plot won't be noticeably changed.
And now, I present to you, Pokémon: Light of Alola.
Chapter 01
As he sat back into the chair at his desk, Trey couldn't help but be a little impatient. It had been nearly three months since his mother had announced to him they were moving. And it took two of those months to find out just where they would stay. Contrary to how other kids his age might have felt at the prospect of moving, he didn't know how to feel.
Sure, he'd felt like he had lived in Cerulean City his whole life, but it wasn't as if he'd known many people there. In fact, he rarely talked to anybody his own age. He knew he should probably have felt sad about it, but he didn't. And he wasn't sure whether or not that was a bad thing. On the bright side, no friends meant no one to say goodbye to. Well, Trey reminded himself that wasn't exactly true.
Looking around his room, which was almost entirely empty except for the desk holding his computer and a small, gray inflatable mattress that had temporarily replaced his actual bed, which had already been packed.
He was about to pick up a magazine describing the region that he would soon call his new home, when a soft alarm rang from his computer.
He looked at the monitor, only to find an alert stating he had an incoming message from Professor Kukui.
"Hm," Trey said to himself. "I wonder what he's like."
His curiosity was sated when he clicked on the camera icon that let him speak with the Alola region's professor.
As the window displaying Kukui came into full view, Trey noticed he didn't exactly seem like the scientist type.
"Hang on, now," he said. "Gimme just a sec..."
Kukui adjusted the webcam on his end, so his image was clearer to Trey.
He looked very young, though Trey wasn't sure of his exact age. He wore an open white lab coat, with green framed sunglasses and a cap with an image of a rainbow on it.
He was in a room that Trey assumed was Alola's Pokémon research lab. However, it looked more like a common living room. The only noticeable feature was a large aquarium right behind the professor. However, he couldn't make out what the rest of it was like.
"Hey there!" he greeted in a warm, friendly voice. "Good afternoon!"
Trey found himself smiling a little. If their regional professor was this friendly, he could only imagine what the rest of Alola was like.
"So, the day has finally has finally come that you're moving to Alola!"
"Yes, I know that," Trey said. "My mom's been talking about it nonstop for three months. You can tell she's excited."
"What about you?" Kukui asked eagerly.
"Me? I'm a little excited, I guess. But I'm kind of nervous. I've lived in Kanto my whole life, so I don't really know what it's like in Alola."
"That's what I'm here for, cousin!" Kukui beamed.
The Alolan professor leaned to his left slightly and held up his right hand.
"Alola is a region made up of several islands," he explained. An image of the region's map suddenly appeared on the screen beside him. Trey examined the map closely, looking for the island labeled "Melemele Island." According to his mother, that was the island they would live on.
"That could be the reason the region is chock full of nothin' but rare Pokémon, yeah!" Kukui continued, recapturing Trey's attention.
His curiosity was now piqued. "How rare?"
"There are tons of Pokémon here you won't find in Kanto. And there's no shortage of cool Pokémon out here in Alola, either!"
Kukui took out a pokéball and held it up to the camera. "Such mysterious creatures!"
He threw the ball up into the air, releasing a small, brown dog-like Pokémon. Trey couldn't tell what it was, but it was certainly not one found in Kanto.
The Pokémon landed on Kukui's desk as the professor continued his speech.
"You find 'em all over. In the grass, in the caves, in the sky and sea…"
Trey drummed his fingers on his desk, waiting for Kukui to continue.
"Here in Alola we love our Pokémon, and we depend on them heaps, too."
The Pokémon he released began wagging its tail excitedly.
"Some of us even battle with 'em, if we call ourselves Pokémon Trainers!"
Does he do this with everyone who moves to Alola? Trey thought.
On the screen, Kukui's Pokémon was getting a little too excited, and began to tug at his lab coat impatiently.
"Rockruff! Can you wait until I'm done talkin' to play?!"
Rockruff let out a small bark in response and jumped off Kukui's lap.
"All right, I gotta ask you some questions about yourself so I can introduce you to everybody!"
"Uh, Professor?" Trey asked. "Who's 'everybody'?"
"You'll see," Kukui answered. "So, which photo should I use for your Trainer Passport?"
A set of four photos showed up on the screen, all of them showing a twelve-year-old boy with fair skin, sandy blond hair, and blue eyes.
"Well," Trey said, clicking on the far-left photo. "This one's the most recent."
"All right then," Kukui said. "I'll let you spell out your name for me."
"T-R-E-Y," Trey spelled.
"Got it!" Kukui said. "So, you go by Trey?"
"Yes, sir," Trey replied.
Kuki nodded. "10-4, good buddy! I'll let everybody out here know you're on your way!"
In the exact moment, Rockruff hopped up onto Kukui's left shoulder, while another black, bird Pokémon with a red pattern on its head hovered over his right.
"Trey!" he exclaimed. "Yeah, that's a name that hits you like a Thunderbolt outta the sky! Woo!"
"Uh… thank you?" Trey said.
"Can't wait to see you in person then, cousin!"
"Thanks, I'll see you when I get there."
Kukui then waved his arm, and then shut off the webcam.
"Well, he seemed nice," Trey said to himself. "If a little enthusiastic."
He picked up the magazine he was about to read earlier, turning to a page about something called the "Aether Foundation", he found himself interrupted by a voice coming from outside his room.
"Trey! Come help me with these boxes!" his mother shouted.
"Oh! Coming, Mom!" he said back.
He left his room for what would likely be the last time.
Rushing down a white walkway, the young girl had never been more scared in her life. Carefully, she gripped the pokéball gym bag to make sure it wouldn't fall from her shoulder. She breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw a large, triangular elevator right in front of her. But she had to remind herself she wasn't out of the woods yet.
"I have to get it out of here," she said under her breath as she reached the elevator.
Pressing the button that let her go to the top floor, she found herself dreading what would happen if she were caught.
The elevator stopped at an enormous room filled with what could only be described as a paradise. Well, for the Pokémon living there maybe, but not for her. All around her there was a vast assortment of tropical plant life and throughout the room flowed streams of crystal clear water.
The girl reminded herself that she didn't have time to enjoy the scenery. She began to walk slowly through the path, being careful not to make too much noise.
All she had to do now was find an easy way out.
"Hey, you!" a male voice shouted from behind her. "Stop!"
The girl turned back to see two men in white uniforms with angry expressions on their faces. On instinct, she ran faster than she did on the lower levels. The men gave chase.
The walkway went on in an endless loop, but she knew she couldn't keep running forever.
"No," she said. "I can't let them get it!"
However, she was stopped in her tracks by another guard, standing a few yards away. Turning back around, she saw the two men from before walking towards her slowly.
"There's nowhere you can run," one of them said. "You can make this easier on yourself if you just give us the bag."
The girl clutched the gym bag as tight as she could, completely unprepared for what would happen next. A small blue light began to shine through the crack in the bag. But then it grew brighter and more colorful, with hues of aqua and purple. The girl's pursuers could only look on in amazement as the light surrounded her. The girl immediately knew what was happening and closed her eyes.
"Aah!" the girl screamed, rapidly sitting up in the sofa that had been serving as her bed for quite some time. She looked around, panting. She saw a small, black and purple Pokémon with a gaseous body sleeping on the floor beside the sofa.
"Thank goodness," she said to herself. "It was only a dream."
Except she had to remind herself that it wasn't. That had actually happened. And no matter how many times she reminded herself she and the Pokémon she rescued were safe, she had difficulty believing it.
She saw the delicate morning light shine through the skylight in her loft. It was another morning in Alola. Carefully getting up, the girl located a large white hat and placed it on her head.
She knelt down toward the sleeping Pokémon. Gently nudging it, it woke up.
"Come on," she said softly. "Time to get up."
"Pew!" it cried out.
The girl looked below her loft. Except for three other Pokémon, the house was completely empty.
"I guess he must have gotten an early start," she commented.
Taking the gym bag she used to carry the small Pokémon off a dresser at the end of the loft, she quickly unzipped it.
"Get in," she said.
The Pokémon shook itself, closing its eyes.
"Pew!" it cried out in protest.
The girl groaned in frustration. "I know you don't like it in there, but it's the only way to keep anyone from seeing you."
Defeated, it jumped in to the bag.
Carefully climbing down the ladder that led to her loft, the girl softly stepped towards the door, hoping not to wake any of the Pokémon around her.
She opened the door, stepping out into the warm sunlight.
Her bag wiggled a little, causing her to smile.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'll find a way to help you."
She stepped off the front porch, hoping to find a way to fulfill her promise.
And so, it begins. I was always confused at how three months could have passed from the player's conversation with Kukui. You see, according to that the player was supposed to move on that same day, then it shows Lillie and Nebby escaping Aether Paradise. I solved the timeline problem by making the latter scene a nightmare that Lillie had the same day she met the player character, here named Trey.
Now then, I guess there's nothing left to say but read and review!