Alola Adventure
Chapter 2
By: Gandire
Calem hugs his pokemon egg to himself as his mother drags him out onto the deck to watch the sun set. Even though they're the sun's final rays of the day, they warm him by cutting into his skin. Grace stretches her arms towards the sky and says, "All, right! Today's the day I finally unpack!" Just as she bends over to pick up one of the boxes on the deck, the doorbell rings. "Go see who it is, Calem."
"Tres bien…" Calem is halfway to the door when Professor Kukui lets himself inside. "Hey there, Calem! It's about time we set out for the festival, yeah! But first, I've got to show you something. Bring Mawile and come to route 1."
Grace enters from the deck and says, "Have fun at the festival, sweetie! I'm sure you and Mawile will have a good time! Rhyhorn, Fletching, and I will unpack every last box here- you'll see!"
Calem walks to his room to find Mawile holding his new bag and ready to leave. Similar to his previous one, it's also a satchel. He places the egg within its incubator and secures it within the bag. As he slings it over his shoulder, his gaze falls upon the pitch black pokeball on his desk. He picks it up, and even though the cover is too dark to see through, he says, "I don't actually blame you..." His sight drifts to the mega-necklace as he sets the ball onto his belt.
His grimaces and walks out the door with Mawile. He's just a rookie trainer. Things like mega evolution have nothing to do with him anymore. Everyone can just keep thinking that as well.
Professor Kukui calls out to him once he's outside. "Hurry up, Cousin! Pretend you're a pokemon and use agility."
Calem wonders if he should just go back inside, but recalls Mawile's excitement from last night. She wouldn't settle down after he mentioned they were invited to a pokemon battle. Fighting is a natural aspect of a pokemon's life. He's been selfishly denying that from her these past three years. It's inexcusable, but there's no way he can battle anymore. He just can't, but when he looks at her eyes shine with anticipation, "Come on, let's go."
Professor Kukui leads him to some tall grass. "Your mother mentioned you used to train pokemon before, but let me give you a bit of a refresher." Calem pretends to listen to the explanation and accepts the pokeballs he's gifted with, but doesn't say anything. Instead, he gives absent minded nods to everything he's told. Suggestions for a warmup battle against other trainers or capturing a second pokemon are ignored.
Tiki torches beacon from atop of the log steps leading into Iki Town. Inside the town, people chat with one another while children run about. Kahuna Hala greets Calem and Mawile while they look around. "The Alola region is made up of four islands. Each island has its own guardian pokemon. Our festival today is held to express our thanks to these great pokemon guardian deities for always remaining by our sides. Well, we may call it a festival, buts it's just this little thing you see here. There might not be many of us, but at least everyone last one of us here goes all out."
Calem and Mawile walk around and spot Hau chatting with some girls in grass skirts by a drink stand. "How nice…" From the way he's making them laugh, he really is carefree.
"Ah, there you are, cousin. Looks like we're right on time." Professor Kukui clasps Calem's shoulder from behind.
Lillie, who's with him, says, "But to what exactly?" A "Pew!" from her duffle bag sends her into a panic to calm Nebby.
Professor Kukui laughs and says, "A full-powered festival for pokemon battling! We battle in the name of Tapu Koko, pitting our best moves against one another in friendly competition to please out guardian. Woo!"
Lillie says to Calem, "I don't like seeing pokemon get hurt, but this seems like an important event. I'll watch you both, but please be careful."
Kahuna Hala joins the group. "Your pokemon really seems to trust you. Make sure you return that same care, Calem. We'll be starting soon, but for now, enjoy yourselves."
"I'll never betray Mawile."
Mawile's tugging takes Calem to a malasada stand. With a plate in hand, the two sit on a rock at the edge of town where they watch everyone else enjoy themselves. Even his mother is there dancing with a different islander every song. It all makes him nauseous, being there is wrong.
Lillie joins him after a while. "So, this is where you were. Are you… nervous?"
"Terrified."
Her eyes widen in shock, but her words are drowned out by the heavy pounding of drums.
Kahuna Hala speaks once they stop. "And now we shall begin the ritual battles! For all life on the islands… and for those who undertake the island challenge with joy in their hearts…we pray for your protection… for them and all Melemele. May this pokemon battle be an offering to our island's guardian deity- Tapu Koko!"
Calem, taking that as a cue, gets up and walks onto the stage in the middle of the plaza despite Kahuna Hala still giving his speech. Hau cries of excitement echo into the night at the bold act. He does the same while saying, "Yeah, that's right! Let's get this battle started!"
Kahuna Hala laughs and says, "Before you stands Hau- grandson to the Kahuna. Before him stands Calem- one who has met with Tapu Koko."
Members of the audience say, "What?" "What a curious little thing Tapu Koko is!" "Hah, that's just typical of it!"
Hau ignores them and says, "As long as we both have a good time, then I think we can call it a great battle, eh?"
Calem clenches his fists to hide their trembling. He takes a breath and forces himself to say, "Yeah… a good time."
Kahuna Hala says, "Calem! Hau! Bring forth the power of your pokemon!"
Pichu appears from Hau's pokeball. Mawile steps forth from Calem's side.
"Pichu, quick attack!"
"Sucker punch!" While Hau's order might have been strategy, Calem's is out of habit. He put no thought into his command.
Pichu dashes forward to attack first. He loops around Mawile and pounces. Mawile, however, doesn't need to attack first. She times her attack to Pichu's pounce and knocks him aside with her second mouth.
"Pichu, thunder shock!"
Calem gives his second command, but it doesn't come out. His voice, it's gone. He tries to force something out, but nothing works. He raises a hand to his throat from fear, but no one notices.
"Pichu, zap her again!"
Mawile, picking up on her trainer's dilemma, avoids the attack on her own by leaping to the side. She gives Calem an encouraging glance before attacking Pichu with fire fang. She repeats the attack before Pichu can get up and knocks him out.
"Pichu, return. You're up, Popplio! Water gun!"
The torrent of water knocks Mawile aside. Calem tries calling out her name, but can't. Seeing Mawile tumble across the stage reminds him of the battle against a Malamar. It was difficult, they were literally on the edge of a boat, but they were she was able to pull through with a "Thunder fang!"
Calem continues with, "Mawile!"
His pokemon dashes forward and chops down on Popplio with its second jaw. The water pokemon cries out and soon faints.
Calem's ragged breathing blocks out the crowd's cheering. He leaves the stage during the middle of Kahuna Hala's speech, much to everyone's confusion, and forces his way through the crowd. Many stare at him, but most wave him off as an egotistical upstart.
Calem reaches an open field outside of town and collapses onto all fours. He takes deep breaths. He breathes in and out, and fights to not throw up.
"You missed Tapu Koko's approval. Your match seems to have impressed him, but running off like that like sunk your standing to the islanders." Kahuna Hala's words sneak up on Calem.
Calem gives him a glance, "N'a pas d'importance..."
Kahuna Hala sits down next to Calem and gazes at the stars. "I heard from your mother. You were in Kalos when it fell. You lost many friends. But your eyes tell me a different story. There is more to it, something you haven't even told your mother, is there not?"
Calem clenches the grass with his fists, but remains silent.
Kahuna Hala chuckles. "Despite life's twists and turns, it always continues just how the waves will always break against the shore. Here, this is a Z-ring. A mysterious armband that can draw out power that lies deep within pokemon. All Kahunas can make them by refining stones like the sparkling one you received from Tapu Koko. You will need the Z-crystals to make it work.
"To receive your Z-ring this soon… Calem, partake in the island challenge. I believe Tapu Koko is also asks this of you. I do not know his reasoning, but I feel that if you can get through this, you will definitely break free of the chains binding your heart."
Calem looks over the Z-ring once Kahuna Hala is gone. This is just like when Professor Sycamore gave him the mega-stone. He rubs Mawile who's sitting next to him and looks to the starry sky. Crumpling buildings, burning forests, mountains splitting open, lakes drying, the ocean boiling… the images flash through his mind. He looks to the tranquility surrounding him and listens to the lapping waves. "A second chance?"
Calem, dragged onto the deck by his mother to greet the morning, leans against the railing as she stretches her arms. The doorbell cuts her sentence short and she says, "Go see who it is. Although, if it's Kukui, he'll probably let himself in without even waiting for us to open the door!"
Mawile waits for him in the living room. She carries his satchel, his mega-necklace, the black pokeball, and her own premier ball. Inside the satchel, judging from the bulge, is his pokemon egg. She wears her mawilite around the stem on her head. Calem expects Professor Kukui to enter as he gets ready, but no one enters. Making sure that his mega-necklace is hidden underneath his shirt, he opens the door while wondering if someone else is outside.
Lillie greets him. "Oh. Um… The professor said… 'Hey there, Lillie! Bring me that great new trainer. Woo!'" She blushes at Calem's, "You didn't have to add the 'Woo' part." and ignores the "Pew," from her duffle bag. "So I'm here to show you the way to his pokemon lab, if you'll come with me. It's um… this way."
"Calem!" His mother stops him before he can walk off. "Take some pocket money. Don't waste it on anything too silly!"
"Merci."
She then looks Lillie over and says, "Oh! Well done, Calem. You're already making friends. And what a cute little friend she is too! I knew Alola would be a great place for us. We just keep meeting wonderful people here!"
Lillie, taken aback by the comment, almost shouts her first word. "M-me? Well, thank you… My name is Lillie. It's very nice to meet you."
"Looks like it's finally time for you to shine, for real this time! Enjoy yourself out there with Mawile!"
Lillie says as they walk away, "You… have a nice mother, don't you?"
"She… tries."
"You don't like her."
"She doesn't know she's talking about."
Some tall grass comes into view and Lillie says, "You can only reach the professor's lab by treading through the tall grass. He says he can research moves better when he is surrounded by pokemon. Since I'm not a trainer though, I have to rely on using repels all the time."
After a moment of silence, she adds, "Oh, about Nebby… I mean… Cosmog. Cosmog seems to be a very rare pokemon. It came from far, far away."
"Pew!"
"It seems to have a very strange power… Is used that power to save me once when I was in danger. But some… other people want Cosmog for themselves, to use that power. That's why only the professor and Kahuna Hala and other people I can trust know about it…"
"Sorry, I guess I'm forcing you to trust me now."
"You'll keep Nebby secret? You will keep from telling anyone else about him or what happened on that bridge? Please…"
"I promise."
"Thank you…"
Lillie bring Calem to ragged house patched by obvious, do it yourself, repairs. Sounds of bodies being thrown about into furniture get louder as they get closer. Professor Kukui's voice reaches them, "Oh yeah, Rockruff! Let's go! Give it everything you've got! My body is ready. Woo!"
Calem turns to Lillie. His face is stoic and his tone flat, "His research?"
Lillie doesn't hear him as she gets lost in her own thoughts. "Ahh… There they go again…" Remembering Calem, she turns to him with a nervous smile. "Professor Kukui brings his own unique charm to the lab, I think you might agree. I've actually been, um, imposing on the professor here for the past three months. I'm not much of an assistant, but it's the least I can do to pay him back for letting me stay. Maybe I'd be more help if I were a real pokemon trainer, too."
"If a pokemon trusts you to keep it safe, then there is no way you aren't helpful. Breeders aren't trainers, but they're experts when it comes to raising and caring for pokemon. Just because your method is different, doesn't mean it's useless."
Lillie's soft, "Thank you," is over shadowed by a loud, "Raaaa-oooooohhh! Raff ruff!" from the lab. She spins to face the lab and shakes her head. "He never stops researching moves. Not even… inside the lab itself."
Her face looks half ready to cry when as she turns to face Calem again. "Looks like we'll have to patch the roof again… And I had just washed his lab coat and finally gotten it clean, too. Now it'll be in shreds…and I'm no good at mending clothes… He'll just have to buy another new one… We should probably go in before he does any more damage…"
Inside they find professor Kukui praising Rockruff. Calem looks around and realizes the consolation he gave Lillie was wrong. Professor Kukui doesn't need someone to look after his pokemon, he needs a home maker/construction worker.
Professor Kukui notices their arrival. "Hey there, Calem! Thanks for getting him for me, Lillie!"
Lillie says, "Of course. However I can be a help… I am supposed to be your assistant, right?"
Professor Kukui says, "Rockruff's moves were just so stylin', and I was making good progress with my research. Say, Calem, lemme see you pokedex for a second, yeah?" He says while accepting the pokedex, "So what do you think of the place? Not bad, right? But that's not why I called you here, eh? Here! It finally arrived!"
He then looks to Lillie who frowns in confusion. "It?"
"What's wrong, Lillie? Don't make me do all the talking!" To both her and Calem, he says, "See, there's this pokemon inside your pokedex called Rotom…"
Calem thinks back to an abandoned house in Kalos. The upstairs had collapsed, but the basement had been refurnished into a hangout by young trainers and thugs. Rotom liked to hide in the trash cans so they could jump out and scare passerby. It made for a very popular dating spot. Now, however, even the basement is gone. It collapsed and buried various people and pokemon alive.
Lillie says, "Rotom is a peculiar pokemon with a body made of something like electricity. The next generation of pokedexs take advantage of that skill by being specially developed to house them. This is a new way for people and pokemon to communicate."
Professor Kukui says, "And now to power up this little beauty…" A "kzzzt!" sound comes out as he tinkers with the pokedex and out appears a Rotom. "Hey now! Sorry 'bout that, Rotom. Guess I surprised you?"
"Zzzt?"
"Rotom! Here, boy! I powered up your favorite 'dex! Give Calem here a helping hand, yeah?"
"Kzzzttt!" Rotom zips into the pokedex. Professor Kukui tinkers with it some more an up it floats. The pokemon possessed device flies up, down, and to the sides before circling around Calem and entering his pocket. "Zzzzrrrt! Nice to meet you, Pal." An electric charged voice comes out from the same pocket.
The greeting Calem always gives new partner pokemon escapes him out of habit. "Let's work together from now."
"Zzzt! Yeah! Make sure you're gentle on the goods, OK?"
Lillie says, "And this will help how exactly?"
"Calem hasn't been here in Alola too long yet. So I decided to give him this special Rotom dex to help him navigate around."
Calem tries to smile, but his expression doesn't change. "Thanks…"
"You can see where you're headed just by looking at Rotom, and if you give it a little tap, you can even check out the town map! Now, one more thing. An awesome styling hat! Try it on cousin!"
Calem puts on the black cap. On it is a blue pokeball surrounded by rays of white lines. It reminds him of the blue clothing only phase he went through when he was eleven. "Thank you."
Hau enters lab with an "A-lo-la!"
Calem asks Lillie, "Does everyone just walk into other people houses here."
She avoids his gaze and says, "Only outside the city…"
Hau looks around while saying, "The salty breeze sand to me and brought me here to you!" He then runs to toward the kitchen and looks at a ladder going up the wall. "Whoa-ho-ho! Is that a loft? That's awesome!"
Lillie hurries to block his approach. "No, it's not! It's private! The professor has been kind enough to let me use it…"
Hau cranes his neck to try and see up into the space. With a cheeky grin, he says, "That makes me want to see it even more."
Professor Kukui says, "All right, there are some important things you need to know about the island challenge. It's a great adventure for you and your pokemon. Succeed and you'll have a chance to become the island champion."
Lillie says, "There are four main islands that make up Alola, and a Kahuna for each one of them. You must clear the seven trials if you wish to be recognized as worthy by them."
Professor Kukui says, "Calem, go out there and give it a shot! I really want to see you out there meeting all kinds of pokemon on your island challenge." He hands him an amulet with four slabs. Each is decorated with a shard; yellow, red, pink, and purple. "Here! Everyone on the island challenge gets one of these island challenge amulets."
Calem pins it onto his bag's zipper.
Hau says, "I got one from my gramps a few years back, too! I couldn't be bothered to go on this challenge back then, but with you around, I get the feeling everything's going to be a lot more exciting."
Professor Kukui says, "Kahuna Hala's going to go wild hearing that! All right then you two! Get a move on! First stop, the trainers' school! Time to refresh the basics of being a pokemon trainer through pokemon battling. It's a long road to becoming the island challenge champion and the trainers' school is the first step! Hau, how about you?"
"I'm good. I just wanna pick up some chicks! I mean, uh, train on my own. Right!"
Professor Kukui turns to Lillie. "You take care of Calem, yeah? Until he gets used to Rotom, help him find his way around!"
Calem, Lillie, and Hau leave together. Calem walks behind the two, letting them lead. Every once in a while Lillie turns back to him to ask, "Is there… anything your curious about?" to which Calem shakes his head. Most of the conversation, however, is monopolized by Hau to Lillie. "So Lillie, you've been here for three months now, right. I can't believe we haven't really gotten to know each other in all that time."
"Um… yeah. I've been busy helping the professor."
"That's cool, that's really cool! Gramps has me help him with the island pokemon all the time, but what do you like doing on your free time? You know, when you're not helping the professor."
"I… I investigate the ruins. I like reading books that help me understand them better."
"So you want to be an archeologist, nice! Then you've gotta to stop by this island's ruins. They're just outside Iki Town. I can take you later."
"Oh, no. I- I already saw them, thanks…"
Calem thinks back to when he met Lillie. She went to see those ruins because of Nebby. It isn't archeology she's interested in, she just want to know more about that mysterious pokemon.
As they enter a city, Lillie breaks Calem from his thoughts. "Oh, that's right. You're new to the area, so you might not know this. I read in something like a travel guide, but the cafes of each pokemon center carry different drinks. They also sell special treats and the staff offers tips to trial goers."
The trainer school is right next to the pokemon center. Hau walks off with a, "Well, I'll see you guys later. Good luck at school, Calem!"
Lillie shakes her head upon seeing him call out to one of the school girls near the gate. She then turns to Calem, "Here we are. You see, this trainer school is… It's a… a… What in the world!"
A rampaging tauros down the street draws her attention. She sighs and says, "Well, it looks like we won't be going that way anytime soon… But, we were only planning to go as far as the trainers' school anyway. We'll just leave that for someone else to deal with."
From the way Tauros moves about, he's just bored. Calem gives the pokemon a final glance and follows Lillie into the school grounds. Inside is Professor Kukui with a member of the staff. Professor Kukui says, "Hey there, Calem! I must've passed you two somehow, yeah? But welcome to the trainer's school, the place to learn how to be a pokemon trainer!"
Calem looks around. Repugnance enters his voice as he says, "Is battling all anyone learns here?" If that's all the trainers learn, then how will they know what to do when a disaster strikes?
The staff member gives Calem a cold appraisal and says, "Professor Kukui! Is this the child you told me about?"
"Yeah. Put him through the wringer, Teach!" Professor Kukui holds four fingers up to Calem. "Four trainers! That's how many you've got to beat! The experience will definitely help you grow stronger."
The teacher says, "We'll be waiting. Try to find and defeat us," and enters the building.
Professor Kukui says, "She may not look all that tough, but that teach trains her kids right! One of her students is even a captain!"
"Are captains similar to gym trainers?"
Lillie says, "I've read in a travel guide that you can make that comparison."
Calem nods and enters the school building. Rotom voice reaches from his pocket. "Zzzt! You've got this Calem!"
The first person is a little girl next to the stairs. Calem meets her Bonsly with Mawile. "Bonsly, tackle attack!"
"Sucker punch!"
Mawile slips around Bonsly's charge and attacks from the side. Bonsly stumbles and hobbles to remain standing. Calem goes to say "iron head," but freezes upon considering Bonsly is faking it. If Mawile attacks now, Bonsly can easily get in an attack. That attack might even send Mawile stumbling back and leave her open to be finished.
Calem's moment of hesitation provides Bonsly enough time to regain his footing. The pokemon's "fake tears" flashes Calem's mind to the aftermath of Kalos's destruction. Pokemon where crying everywhere. He still sometimes hears them in his sleep.
"Ah, Bonsly!" The little girl's cries remind Calem of the battle. It's over. Mawile acted on her own and defeated her opponent.
Calem takes a breath. That's right, he just returned to being a trainer. He'd rather not, but he can't keep Mawile cooped up inside like he has been so far.
The next opponent is a girl holding a racket. She stands outside by the incinerator. She says, "I've been waiting here for you because the teacher told me to." From her pokeball comes "Pikipek!"
"Mawile, thunder fang!"
Pikipek evades the attack by flying upward and then dives towards Mawile. Calem keeps his attention focused on the flying pokemon. The way its body is positioned means it'll swoop up after getting below Mawile's head. The target is probably her stomach.
Calem remembers that some flying pokemon have gale wings. He isn't familiar with Alolan pokemon and doesn't know if Pikipek has this ability. He might give Mawile an incorrect order and let her get hurt because of his lack of information. He needs to risk her getting hurt to find out, but he can't. Letting another pokemon get hurt after everything that's happen isn't an option. "Iron defense!"
Mawile strengthens her body to take the attack and then tries to grab Pikipek within its second mouth. She doesn't catch Pikipek, but ruffles some feathers. Two things, Pikipek doesn't have gale wings. Mawile's second mouth would have completely missed if that were the case. Second, Pikipek's is now off balance. However, Pikipek could still attack from a distance with something like echo voice or gust. Although, judging from the position of Pikipek's head and the way he flaps his wings, it's going for another dive. Then again, that could be a faint to get Mawile to lower her guard…
Mawile stops waiting for Calem and rushes Pikipek with thunder fang. Pikipek, unable to fly properly, is caught within her second mouth and faints.
Calem ignores the advice the girl gives and searches for the next trainer. Along the way he wonders how to face the next opponent. Four trainers shouldn't be a problem. Mawile proved it by defeating the previous two on her own using their previous tactics. He's just over thinking things. Next battle, he'll use whatever comes to mind without a second though.
The third trainer is a young boy waiting by the shed. Calem, true to his thoughts, orders "Sucker punch," before seeing the opposing pokemon, Metapod. With the pokemon unable to move or attack, Mawile trips due to being unable to use sucker punch. At the young boy's snickering, Mawile walks up the Metapod of her own volition and defeats the bug pokemon with fire fang despite the use of harden.
Calem walks off for the next trainer without waiting to hear his advice. The fourth trainer is in the court yard. He says, "Do you want to know why I wanna be the strongest?"
"Not particularly."
The trainer makes a face and says, "Because it's cool to be strong! Show these guys who's boss, Grimer!"
"That's stupid, grow up. Mawile, iron head." Calem gives a thoughtless command by taking comfort in Mawile's type resistance to poison. After Mawile knocks the poison pokemon around twice, he realizes Grimer might know attacks of a different type. Before he can warn Mawile, she defeats Grimer and leaves him wondering if he'll ever stop over thinking the situation to act on the best course of action.
The trainer says, "It's extremely frustrating, but you're stronger than me."
Calem walks off saying, "You're just naïve." He finds Lillie waiting for him by the entrance. Just as he calls out to her, the P.A. system goes off, "Attention all students… Would Calem please come to the office on 2F? Calem to the 2F office please."
Lillie says, "What terrible thing did you do to get called to the office so soon?"
Calem can't recall doing anything to have put him in trouble. The only reason he could be getting called is because he won all the matches. "Let's just leave. This sound troublesome."
"You can't just ignore it!" Lillie turns him around and shoves him towards the building.
The teacher calls out to him upon reaching the second floor. Calem ignores her shock over how her students were defeated and asks, "This is the office?"
"A real office would just get in the way. But the reason I called you up here wasn't to praise you. You're arrogant and conceited. Mawile defeated my students. You have a strong pokemon, but you're holding her back. You need to improve yourself and make yourself wort-."
Calem clicks his teeth and storms away. He ignores her calls to return, and leaves. Lillie tries asking why he was called to the office, but he brushes her off. Only after reaching the pokemon center does he calm down enough to say, "Sorry."
"So… What happened?"
"Don't want to talk about it. I'm going home, I'll see you tomorrow."
A/N: Okay, second chapter. I really wasn't sure where to stop, but this looks like a nice spot. I know I said Friday updates last time, but I think I'm going to do Wednesday updates instead. This way is just easier for me. In other news, I hope you enjoyed the story. We got a little more insight to Calem's character and back ground, hopefully enough to explain why he is the way he is. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
Thanks for reading and please review,
Gandire
