Chapter 2: The First Battle Leads to Friendship!?

Our eyes met, his blonde locks curled and waving across his forehead. The rest was preset under the backward facing baseball cap. His eyes traced my figure, looking me over before finally locking back on my gold and green eyes.

"Look at that, you two are soul mates!" Snickered Poplio. I swished my tail across her nose making her sneeze before walking over to the kid and looking up at him. But before I could say anything, Kukui spoke.

"Hey cousin, why don't you give little Litten here a name?" The kids eyes seemed to gloss over as he bent down and picked me up holding me inches from his mouth, his near panicked breathes blasting against my face as his lips twitched and curved into a smile. "I like your dark fur, I like how you evolve into a dark type, and I like that dark aura you gave off when you confronted that Yungoos. So I find it only fitting to name you Dark," he stated almost proudly before I meowed with boredom. "Yeah, okay. Sure let's just go with that Kid," I replied just as boredom to which his cocked a brow and set me down on the ground, before crouching to remain semi level with me.

"I have a name you know, it's Hideyoshi. Can you say that? Hide-yoshi," he explained and I snickered. "You gave me a nickname I give you one, deal with it Kid," I meowed getting a soft laugh from Kukui.

"I can already tell your going to be best friends, speaking of which...we should get moving. I have someone waiting for us in Iki town," Kukui explained to Hide, as he motioned for us to follow his lead.

"Oh! Umm, wait a second professor, what about my Pokédex, and pokéballs?" Hide asked Kukui making Rowlet and Poplio look at him in confusion.

"Yeah, cousin! A step ahead of the curve huh, we'll get you those as soon as we get the gang together and I introduce you to the Kahuna!" Kukui proclaimed walking ahead, Rowlet flying up onto his shoulder with a certain blue sea-dog behind them. Her floundering ceasing as she turned to look at me with her devious smirk.

"What's the matter Dark? Someone holding you back?" She barked, Kukui just out of earshot and Hideyoshi unable to understand.

"Whatever you want to tell yourself, you runt of a sea-miltank," I meowed at her repressing a snicker and Hideyoshi began jogging after Kukui.

"Dark, lets go! We're laggin' behind!" He called back to me and I quickly ran past Poplio leaving her alone behind the rest of us.

Hideyoshi's head spun like a top as he took in all the sights, thinking back I did the same thing the first time Kukui took me out on a walk but seeing him do it only made me want to roar in frustration.

Kukui looking back smirked, "Well cousin, what do you think of Alola so far?" Kukui asked with a glistening smile that drenched the surrounding ten kilometers in enthusiasm. Hideyoshi's shoulders slumped as his smile all but vanished. "It's...so different from Kanto," the words left his mouth as a solemn frown formed and Kukui flinched at the display before forcing his smile to broaden before placing a hand on his shoulder. Almost like a spell I jumped up onto Hideyoshi's shoulder, to his apparent surprise, and waited for Kukui to continue.

"Things may be different cou—Hide-kun, but no matter where life takes you know that the journey is always worth whatever hurdles or hardships clutter the path," he paused as his eye brow twitched and his lips pulled even further back parting revealing his brilliant white teeth, "so just use your foresight, and bide your time as you move through life and prepare to tackle life head, because I know Li-Dark is going to be there with you every step of the way." He concluded his speech as Hideyoshi started blankly into his eyes.

"Just couldn't help yourself there could you?" I meowed, tipping Hideyoshi from his stupor.

With a soft chuckle and quick hand to the back of his head Kukui replied, "I guess it's just in my nature an ancient power if you will!" He laughed louder this time even getting Hide to laugh as well.

"PROFFESOR!" A voice called out with pure energy as a green haired child ran toward us. Kukui took his hand of Hideyoshi's shoulder to spin on his heel and look pleasantly surprised to see the young individual sprinting toward us.

"Ah, Hau we were actually on our way to meet you in Iki town when a few...complications arose," Kukui chuckled as Hau stopped a meter before ramming us. His bubbly personality, and bouncing action which reminded me of Kukui after one too many sugary energy drinks during late night training sessions.

"It's fine, I just got so exited and I couldn't wait to pick a pokémon with Hideyoshi," the green haired individual explained. "How, do you know my name?" Hideyoshi asked, finally getting Hau's gaze to fix on him before it flew to me.

"Ah, what! You already picked your pokémon!?" Hau asked in almost disbelief before glancing over at Kukui who shrugged sheepishly.

"Like I said some complications arose and we had to deal with it in a matter that ended with me letting Hide-kun choose without you...sorry Hau, guess I'm just as excited as you are, to see you off on your adventures," Kukui offered to which Hau smiled and looked at the two remaining choices before his eyes widened.

"That makes sense," Hau reasoned with a shrug.

"I like this guy, he's got lots of energy to balance me out!" Poplio barked, and Rowlet hooted a something about his enthusiasm.

"Perfect!" He suddenly shouted, making Hideyoshi flinch and step back at the abrupt noise, "Poplio, will you join me on my adventure?" Hau asked the blue sea-miltank as she stared up in disbelief before her eyes glistened and she nodded her head in approval. His hands snakes around her waist as he lifted her to eye level, "How does the name Mizu sound?" He asked...HE ASKED! Her and she nodded in approval again.

"But Professor Kukui you'll take good care of Rowlet yeah?" Hau asked looking to the professor and the green flying-type resting semi dejectedly on his shoulder. Kukui grinned from ear to ear before raising his arm in a thumbs up and saying "But of course!"

Hau closed both eyes and smiled, Hide began looking between the two, before Hau's eyes shot open and his gaze locked on us.

"Hideyoshi," again he flinched at the sudden sound but he didn't step back this time, "will you be me and Mizu's first battle!?" Hau asked looking more alive now than mere moments ago.

Hideyoshi stammered his words incoherent and filled with 'ughs' and 'umms' before he looked over at me and shrugged almost sending me over.

Smirking I look over at Mizu who smirks back, "Kid, is love nothing more than the chance to finally mop the floor with her." I almost growled, as Hideyoshi helped me off his shoulder and onto the ground before mimicking Hau and stepping back several feet.

"Oh, wait, Professor Kukui, I don't know any of Mizu's moves," Hau states making me snicker and Mizu glare.

Kukui crosses his arms and nodded, Rowlet looked way too comfy on what used to be my spot on his shoulder.

"She knows Bubble, pound, and leer," Kukui listed off Hau nodding intently at each word before looking back to her than me with fierce determination.

I couldn't risk looking behind me to see Hideyoshi's expression but I could only assume it was a meek one with how Mizu was holding back her laughter.

Hau got the drop on us as he shakily called out an order, "Mizu let's get a barrage of bubbles out, then move in for a pound!" The swollen blue some obeyed without a word and bubbles quickly formed a barrier between us.

"Ugh...D-Dark! Use your...umm...TACKLE!" He called out at which my ears perked up, was he daft, did he expect me to just take all the exploding bubble and get the drop on Mizu who was moving quickly through her bubble field. Ignoring his advice and shooting off a volley of embers causing several bubble to pop only for the water to filter into other bubbles creating water filled pods that Mizu swam through even faster than before. "Baka!" Hideyoshi yelled in some faintly familiar language.

"Shut it!" I roared back, turning only to receive the flat end of Mizu's blue cranium smashing against my snout.

"Work with me here, we can't win this individually!" He retorted as I jumped back ignoring the soft pain at the center of my face before darting forward in a serpentine maneuver and landing a scratch across her blue tummy, a thin line of blood appearing across her midsection making her wince, her hate filled stare landing on me.

"Mizu pop the bubble your in and send the water at Dark with another volley of bubbles!" Hau called out and Mizu acted faster than I could jump back, not quite soaking me in water that was inside the bubble but successfully blasting me with a barrage of bubbles, the explosion of one even sent me backwards into a tumble.

Shakily placing a leg beneath me and forcing my way up her overjoyed smile making me furious.

"Alright fine Kid, I'm open to suggestions," I called out to hear nothing back. And then I felt the aura of determination clear and true resonate within and behind myself, it was too strong to ignore, I glanced back to see the firefly passion glinting in his eye of grey now shining brilliantly. His right arm flew forward and his voice drenched in a commanding yet sincere tone.

"Dark, use Intimidate! And then close the distance for a close range ember!" Hideyoshi called out and I felt compelled to move, even with slight resentment in him I felt what we had in this battle, it was sudden, and it was different from anything before with Kukui. We were synchronized.

I farted across the grass getting mere feet from Mizu the killing intent radiating from my person, her shudder signaling a successful intimidate and I proceed to let out a volley of ember that hit against her in a semi-effective hit. If nothing else her rubbery skin holds the darkened color of where the embers hit and burned.

Our eyes locking the shifting of shoes around us as a crowd formed and our trainers both radiating confidence and determination called out to us.

"Use Ember, and then scratch!"

"Pound and then bubble!"

We moved in perfect tangent, narrowly dodging her pound before shooting her back with an ember only to miss my scratch and get hit with a sizable bubble. "Tackle, then scratch!" Hideyoshi called out catching a still analyzing Hau off guard.

"Doge it!" He called out surprising and stunning Mizu allowing me to tackle her to the ground clamping one paw on her flipper and one hind leg on her torso before repeatedly scratching at her unguarded face.

"Ah! Stop! Ugh, Mizu use bubble!" Hau called out and Hideyoshi replied with, "Dark use ember to cancel her bubble and keep scratching!" And that I did, the bubble she began to form exploded doubting us both but my scratches continues unhindered the thin lines of blood now melded together forming larger and larger cuts.

"Match!" Kukui called out, his voice overpowering my desire to claw out Mizu's eyes.

He ran over separating us, a slight smile paired with concerned eyes as he began treating the cuts on Mizu.

"...I'm sorry I got carried away." Hideyoshi said walking over and gently picking me up and placing me on his shoulder.

"You kidding," Hau began, both hands behind his back and smile on his face, "I asked you for a battle remember, and you gave us one, i'll just have to try harder next time to ensure mine and Mizu's victory. Speaking of which, will she be okay Professor Kukui?" He asked sounding genuinely concerned.

Kukui looked over The now bandaged Mizu before smiling now looking relieved. "Yeah she'll be fine, but what's important is that both of you take something away from this match and realize that pokémon can think for themselves." Kukui explained and Hideyoshi pat my head.

"Thank you Professor, I'll take your words to heart and try harder to have Dark see eye to eye with me." He began getting a chuckle from Hau who was now cradling Mizu who gave me a stink eye.

Kukui looked around also slightly chuckling before saying, "Now if only the Kahuna and Lily were here."

Author's Notes:

One continuous chapter from start to finish, if a little shorter than last chapter with hopefully many more corrections that one reviewer so kindly pointed out last chapter. On that note reviews will be answered through PM's if you have an account and here in the AN of you don't. (The reviews I got almost right away made me immensely happy!)

In case you're wondering I don't have an update schedule I just write my chapters for my stories and post, granted I try to update each of my stories at least once or twice a month (except Astral's Journey which I'm considering scrapping and starting over honestly) or maybe every two month or in rare occasions a week or two after the previous chapter, honestly it just sort of happens.

Hopefully you find this chapter enjoyable and not a complete waste of time.

P.S. I wrote this in about an hour...did a brief skimming and fixed several mistakes I spotted.

Anyway thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time, also review if you feel like it.