Caleb and I have been introduced to the graduating class of new trainers. To be honest none of them seemed all that special but I guess 1 year of battling doesn't make me an expert.

Ms. Wintrell introduced us to the 2 trainers Caleb and I are going to battle with, Jayma and Roylin. They seemed nice enough as I shook their hands.

Caleb could tell I wasn't exactly in the mood to do all the socializing so he turned to Ms. Wintrell and skillfully got her to gather everyone to the back where the battle will occur. I haven't done a lot of battling, but all of what I have done was against Caleb or Professor Kukui. Most of what I've done involved learning tactics and/or research for Kukui.

"I can't wait to battle Decidueye," Roylin said from across the field. I nearly laughed as I grabbed the Pokeball.

He's going to be in for a disappointment.

Caleb sent out his Alolan Persian while I sent out Cutiefly. I caught this Cutiefly yesterday on a walk with Caleb. He looked at me and mouthed, "What are you doing?"

Again I nearly laughed. These kids have probably watched hordes of videos of our battles. They know our Pokemon and how we battle. Plus, Roylin literally has a Dragonite emblem on his shirt. I'm guessing he likes dragon types.

When they sent out their Pokemon, I smirked at Caleb. Our opponents sent out Lycanroc and Shelgon. My plan was to let Caleb do all the dirty work while Cutiefly just flies around lending a hand every once in a while. I was banking on its small size, to escape the eyes and attention of the 2 trainer kids.

Caleb went the aggressive rout, laying a few tackles in on Lycanroc. However, Roylin quickly intervened with a dragonbreath attack. With Persian off the ground it was going to get hit, but this is where Cutiefly comes in with a Fairy Wind attack.

Jayma sent Lycanroc after my Cutiefly so I decided to tell my Pokemon to just fly away.

"Get behind Persian!" I yelled out.

Jayma staggered with understanding the situation. Her Lycanroc had come face to face with Caleb's Persian, and Caleb did not miss a beat. After a big bite attack followed with Silver Wind attack, Lycanroc fainted.

However, before Caleb and I could celebrate. Shelgon slammed into Persian with a pretty hard force. Roylin took advantage of a rattled Persian and yelled out a Double Edge attack. This one caused Persian to faint leaving my Cutiefly as the last line of defense.

Roylin seemed happy, as if he had won. I didn't smile.

"Do you think you won?" I asked seriously.

"Well your Pokemon isn't exactly the scariest or strongest Pokemon."

I scoffed, "And here I thought you've seen my battles before."

Caleb gave me that look as to settle down but I wanted to teach this kid a lesson. Yeah I'm probably being a little too serious but just because he graduated from school doesn't mean he's done learning. Quite the contrary, clearly.

"I have," he shot back.

"Shame. Don't know how someone who doesn't take good notes was able to graduate from school."

I could hear some of the kids in the stands nearby make a smattering of noise including laughter and whispering. Caleb all but gave up on reigning me in. He just placed his head in his hands and shook his head.

"Cutiefly, fly high."

Cutiefly flew. He flew up high into the sky, hidden by the sun. I watched as Rylin and his Shelgon looked up and tried to find the tiny Pokemon.

"Dazzling Gleam!" I yell.

A powerful energy flash envelops the opposing Shelgon. As it struggles to it's feet I tell Cutiefly, who's returned to eye level, to use Fairy Wind.

The attack was enough to make Shelgon faint and that was the end of it. My Cutiefly went untouched and lesson was taught. That is what I call a win-win.

"Did you really need to show him up?" Caleb asked.

"Did you really need to beat me in the Finals last summer?"

He cocked his head as if to say, "Really?" I shrugged and smiled to let him know I was just joking.

We both approached the other two kids who seemed disappointed with themselves. Caleb was first to congratulate them and shake their hands. Before I could shake Rylin's hand Caleb said a couple words to Rylin.

"Don't ever think you are done learning. You aren't just training your Pokemon, but you are training yourself as well."

Leave it to him to surmise everything with a cleverly worded lesson. Definitely more succinct than I would've been. I simply just shook Rylin's hand and that was it.

Ms. Wintrell gathered all of the kids together and basically told them what Caleb told Rylin, but in a more simplified way.

We hung around for a little while longer to talk to some other kids but we left just in time for dinner. However, before I left Rylin stopped me.

"Uh is it true you are going to Kanto soon?"

I nodded. "In two weeks, why?"

"Do you think you can take a picture of a Dragonite for me?"

The request was so innocent I'd be hard-pressed to be an ass and say no. I said yes, and now I hope not to forget. The kid really likes Dragonite and even though I was hard on him, I don't want to let him down.

"Of course. Maybe one day you'll go to Kanto and get yourself a Dratini."

He looked down at the grass below us. "My mom doesn't want me leaving Alola until I'm 15. She wants me to just focus on the Island Challenge for now."

"So do that. Then go win the Alolan League. Plenty here to keep yourself occupied for a while."

He nodded and thanked me before walking away. Caleb approached me and said, "See, it's not that hard to be nice."

I rolled my eyes and pushed Caleb away. "It's how my dad was when he taught me and my brother. Always be tough on them in a battle but outside understand they love Pokemon just as much as you, maybe more."

Caleb's face turned.

I smiled, "Don't worry. I never told you about those days. Kinda glad that now I feel like I can without being a blubbering mess."

We both laughed.

Back home my mom and Caleb's mom were sipping tea and eating some wafer cookies. They seem to be happy and when Caleb asks how the meeting was they spill the beans.

They've been given the building and a license to run a day-care center. They've also been given the go-ahead to breed Pokemon. On top of that, they will also be allowed to have a certified Pokemon Center inside, which they thought was a pipe dream.

The renovations is likely to be done by December and ready to go by February of next year. If all goes well, Caleb and I should be back for the opening. Our moms are hoping this big center becomes a bit of a tourist attraction for not just Melemele Island but Alola.

"I've invited Professor Kukui for dinner. We ran into each other and he was hoping to talk to you. I figured he could come over eat in the meantime."

"Sounds good," I replied wondering what Kukui would want to talk to me about.

Kukui came to dinner a bit late and looked a bit flustered, but he wore a smile in order to not worry anybody. Just by the looks he was giving I could tell whatever was bothering him involved me.

After a bit of eating and talking, something my mom can do forever, Kukui asked Caleb and I to join him outside. Caleb had no clue what he was going to tell us and if it was important.

Kukui kept it light at first asking about if we are ready to go to Kanto and what Pokemon we hope to meet. He was stalling. Then after running out of ways to stall, his face twisted.

"Okay I assume you guys know about what's occurring in Kanto with the IPA, correct?"

Caleb and I looked at each other and then at Kukui. We nodded.

"Well it seems that things a more complicated. This isn't exactly public information, but it seems that Team Rocket's rise is connected to the corruption."

In recent months we've been hearing about Team Rocket crawling out of the dirt and has regained some influence. People thought this would never happen when Giovanni died a few years ago, but here we are.

As for the IPA, the International Pokemon Association, it's been embroiled in a major corruption scheme. The President, Vice President and Ambassador to Pokemon Affairs have all been arrested on bribery and other corruption charges. This has led to the fourth in line, Dana Coan, becoming the President of the IPA.

Dana is a good friend to billionaire Tony Vulgus who is from Kalos, but had made his home in Kanto in recent years. He's invested millions into the region including a massive skyscraper in Saffron City. The skyscraper is next to the Aether Foundation's 2nd HQ. They both stand as the tallest buildings in all of Kanto.

Most of Vulgus' business ventures are in entertainment such as TVs, cell phones, and computers. However, he's recently moved towards other things such as food. With that said he's a shady character.

"So Tony Vulgus has ties to Team Rocket?" I asked.

Kukui shrugged. "Maybe. There's no proof but at the very least we don't believe he's actively against Team Rocket."

"Is that all?"

Kukui took a deep breath. "No. Team Rocket isn't just growing for no reason. There is a reason and to be honest I am concerned, especially if it involves Mr. Vulgus. Simply put, I want you two to be careful."

I saw Caleb look at me at the corner of my eye but I didn't look back. I was too concentrated on Kukui's rolling of emotions. There was more to what he knew but wasn't tell us.

"You aren't going to tell our moms are ya?" I ask.

He shook his head. "I think you two can handle your own, but don't go trying to be heroes. We're working on it."

"Okay, we won't," I answered speaking for Caleb and myself. Kukui smiled, satisfied with my response.

After a small conversation about his research, to which I'm to go help with this weekend, Kukui left us near my house. Caleb looked away as if he was lost but when I went to get his attention he seemed normal. He told me he was going to go home and relax for the rest of the night and that he'd see me in the morning.

I watched him walk away and looked down at Skitty who was sitting by my feet. "Ready to go for a walk, buddy?"

Sometimes I like to walk along the beach front in Hau'oli City at night. It's refreshing having the clean and clear air hit your body and mind when it's not crowded, polluted by people. Tonight was no different.

It was a bit late, near 9 PM, so there were only a few people out and about. There were a bunch of Pokemon hanging around. It always amazes me how the Pokemon come out when the people go in. I wonder how things were when humans didn't come and plop all of these big buildings here. Pokemon would free to go where they want whenever they want. Now they have to adapt to us, and I guess this is how they've done so.

I sat down on the boardwalk and thought about what Kukui said. I don't know if he slipped up but he said that "we" were working on the problem. Who is the "we" and how are they going to go about fixing this problem?

I mean it must be really serious if Kukui is involved in the solution of this. No offense to Kukui but if I'm in Kanto, do I really know who he is? Maybe Professor Oak does, but would he really ask Kukui for help? To me that says that this is a very bad situation and I'm glad that my mom doesn't know about it.

Much of what I know about Team Rocket is in the history books, really. They were kind of like Team Skull in some respects and faced their doom when a kid, named Red, took them down. It's kind of a weird but insane story, to be honest.

With that said I'm still excited to go to Kanto. They were the first region to establish a Pokemon league. They've laid the groundwork to which so many have followed, like Alola.

As I sit and watch the waves break and crash into the sand something catches my attention towards Route 2. I know it's stupid to go see what it is, but I go anyways. Although, I had to wake up Skitty and he was perturbed with that.

As I walk towards Route 2, I see that it is largely desolate. And dark. Very dark. Of course I hear the breaking of twigs nearby so that scares me. Meanwhile, Skitty isn't all that nervous.

Even though I'm a little scared I continue on to where I hear a small noise coming from Route 3. When I get there something rolls towards my foot and I'm not having it. Then I see something in the corner of my eye fly into the trees nearby. I try to look and see nothing.

At this moment I think it is safe enough for me to leave so I pick go down to pick up Skitty so we can get out faster.

Then I fall on my ass when I lift my head and see a figure standing in front of me.

"Damn you, Decidueye!" I yell.

He chews on a twig as I try to calm my heart.

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

Decidueye just stared at me as I got up from the ground.

I thought for a minute and smiled, "I'm going to miss your pranks when I go to Kanto. I want you to make sure everything is okay here, and maybe mess with Aaron."

We looked at each other for a moment and he lifted his wing and placed it on my shoulder for a moment. Then he took off to do whatever he does. As I walked down Route 3 back to Route 2 I saw Caleb walking towards the cemetery.

I decided to follow him, but I'm guessing he's going to see his brother's stone so I'll hang back and let him do what he has to do. I sit up against a tree and wait until Caleb shows up. When he does, 20 minutes later, I kind of scare him.

"Uh were you following me?" he asks still startled.

"Yes and no. I was already out here, but then I saw you. I thought I'd stick around and walk home with you."

He smiled softly, but I could see his eyes were red and glassy.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

He looks around and shrugs. Is that worse than if he said yes or no? Maybe. He doesn't know if he's okay and that has to be scary, I know it was for me.

"Do you want to talk? You can say no. I won't break up with you," I say jokingly.

With a slight smile he says, "I'm kinda worried about going to Kanto, now."

"Why?" I ask.

"I don't want what happened to Torrecat to happen again."

I can see the pain resurface on his face. "Then we won't." He shook his head and told me how impossible it is to guarantee something like that. I sighed. "We won't go looking for trouble. I won't. That I can guarantee you." I lied.

He made no visible emotion, he just stepped towards me and hugged me. I could feel his heart beat at a faster pace than mine as he holds on tightly.

I wanted to ask him why he came out here but I think I can put it together. He's scared and ironically enough the reason for his fear is also a place of solace and safety for him. He doesn't want to lose anybody or anything again so he goes to the place where the one person he's lost is buried in order to deal with it. It's a sick and ironic situation but I get it.

When I went to the scene of my father's death I felt like most of the pain I was dealing with had been removed. I felt free. I guess that's how Caleb feels when he comes here, but how often does he come here?

"You want to stay at my place tonight, I'm sure my mom would love to make you something you like in the morning?"

He lightly pushed off and said, "As long as I get Skitty to sleep next to."

I chuckled, "That's more than fine by me," I say. I look down at Skitty and stick my tongue out at him. He yawns and sits down next to Caleb's feet.