Here I am again! Be prepared for bad chapter lengths, me trying to figure out how to dialogue, and stupid Pokemon nicknames. Lots and lots of stupid nicknames.

Present Day

After a week of traveling, we were finally in Alola. The salty tang of the sea was even stronger here than it was in Vermilion City. Once we cleared customs, we went to the town hall of Hau'oli City so that my mom could take care of a few legal things. I wasn't entirely sure what she had to do, but it probably had something to do with us moving from Kanto to Alola. Once that was taken care of, we set out for our new house. It was not in the busy heart of the city, but more in the outskirts. Shortly after we arrived, I went to my new room and fell asleep. Jet lag between the two regions was killer.

I woke up a few hours later, feeling somewhat refreshed. I put on a fresh pair of clothes and stepped into the living room. My mom and Mewy had apparently unpacked some of the boxes that were scattered across the house, so it looked slightly more like a home rather than an empty shell. I went out and joined them on the porch in the moonlight.

"Oh, you're awake," my mom said when she saw me. "Isn't Alola just fantastic? The people are so nice, and the air is fantastic, too! I'm sure the Pokemon here reflect all of this."

I thought the atmosphere was a bit too humid, but I knew better than to say that. "Yeah, I guess the weather's nice. I'm more excited to meet new Pokemon!"

Before she got a chance to reply, someone started knocking at the door. I was confused. Who would be knocking at our door this late at night? We were new here; nobody should know us yet.

We walked back in and saw that the person had let himself in. He was a tall man with tan skin, wearing sweatpants with a lab coat. His hat had Alola's symbol on it, and he was also wearing sporty sunglasses.

The man noticed us, and a huge grin split his face. "Cousin! There you are! Glad to see you made it here in one piece, yeah! Hope the jet lag isn't too bad."

"Kukui! Great to see you again!" my mom said as she hugged the man known as Kukui. "It's been such a long time! I think the last time I saw you was when you took on the Kanto League."

Kukui laughed. "Ah, I remember that! I thought I knew a thing or two about battling, yeah, but those Kanto gym leaders sure did prove me wrong!"

My mom turned to face me. "Alani, this is Kukui, a dear friend of mine. He's the Pokemon Professor here in Alola."

"It's nice to meet you, Professor Kukui," I said.

"Nice to finally meet you, Alani! And, you can just call me Kukui," Kukui said as he extended his hand, which I shook.

"So, Kukui," my mom began, "what brings you here? I thought you weren't going to stop by until tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah, guess I should explain myself, huh?" Kukui said as he rubbed the back of his head. "You see, there's a festival going on in Iki Town, and kids can get their first Pokemon there. Most of 'em are closer to 11, but there are a few older ones, like Alani here." He turned to look at me. "Whaddya say, Alani? Wanna go?"

Unusual excitement bubbled up within me. Ever since I had turned ten, I desperately wanted to go on a journey with Pokemon. I watched the battles of every challenger that dared to face the Indigo Plateau on tv, and each one made me want to be the next person to try and become the Champion. Professor Oak was more than willing to give me a Pokemon, and even encouraged me to go on a journey, but my mom had refused, saying that I was too young to go off on my own. So, instead of setting off and exploring Kanto with my friends, I had to sit and watch as most of them walked off with their new partners, while I remained in school. Now, however, I was 16, and nearly 17, at that. I couldn't wait any longer for my opportunity.

"Yes!"

Thankfully, it didn't take too much for Kukui to convince my mom to let me go, and we soon set off on the path near my house. It was a rather steep hill, teeming with nature all around it. Pokemon I had never seen before would often run and fly around us as we went. Kukui explained to me some of the basics of being a trainer, but I already knew most of it. Back in Kanto, I had always read books on how to be a good trainer so that once the day finally came, I could hit the ground running.

As we approached Iki Town, I could hear music playing and people singing and laughing. The whole town was teeming with life. Kids too young to become trainers were playing tag with other kids as well as Pokemon, and older people were dancing around a stage in the center of town.

"Hmm. That's odd," Kukui thought out loud. "Hala's not here, but everyone's still celebrating, yeah." Kukui tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, Alani, let's split up and look for Hala. Go check Mahalo Trail. Let's meet up at the stage in about ten minutes, yeah?"

"But Kukui, I don't know wh-" I protested, but Kukui was already out of sight. Steeling my nerves, I started weaving my way through the crowd, looking for something that pointed to Mahalo Trail. I eventually found myself out of the crowd and on a path surrounded by trees going up a hill. It had a mysterious atmosphere to it, and it pulled me farther along the path. I came to a clearing, and in front of me was a girl of about 15 in a white dress, seemingly in distress.

I approached her cautiously. "Hey...is something wrong?" I asked.

The girl whipped around and looked at me with terrified emerald eyes. "Ah...Those Spearow...they're going to hurt Nebby! But, I'm too scared to go out there...my legs feel like they might give out...Please! Help!"

I looked behind her and saw that a small flock of Spearow was harassing something in the middle of the bridge. I took a deep breath. I wasn't the biggest fan of heights, but that Pokemon was in danger, and I couldn't just stand aside and do nothing. Taking cautious steps, I started to make my way across the rickety bridge. Once I was within range, I leapt at Nebby and covered it, trying to fend off the Spearow.

What in the world was I thinking? I thought as they pecked at me. I don't have any Pokemon! This is bad.

Suddenly, a blue light started to emit from Nebby. I looked down to see what was happening, and a huge burst of energy came from it. It drove away the Spearow, but it also blasted the bridge to pieces. Without anything supporting us, Nebby and I began to fall.

Time seemed to slow down. I couldn't grab on to anything that was still firmly attached to the bridge, and the cliffs were too far away to reach. I hugged Nebby, awaiting our inevitable demise at the bottom of the ravine.

But it never came.

Before I knew what was going on, a streak of yellow came shooting at us, saving us from the fall. We were gently placed back at the top of the cliff next to the girl in the white dress. Electricity crackled behind us, and the girl and I turned to see what looked like a Pokemon with a black body and large yellow arms looking at us. It shot off once again, leaving a glimmering stone in its place.

"Was...was that Tapu Koko?" the girl wondered aloud. "It must have been...The tapu must have noticed you and Nebby were falling and decided to save you." She bent down and grabbed the stone, then turned to face me. "Thank you...thank you so much for rescuing Nebby!"

I gave her a shy smile. "It was what anyone would have done. I'm glad to be of help."

Nebby jumped from my arms and began to circle around the girl. She frowned a bit as she watched. "You tried to use your powers again, didn't you, Nebby? You remember what happened the last time you did that! You couldn't move for ages after that!" She shook her head. "No...I shouldn't say that. I'm sorry, Nebby. I know you were trying to save me that time." She smiled at it, then started to speak again, holding the stone out to me. "I think the tapu meant to give this to you."

I wasn't entirely sure about it. After all, if that 'Tapu Koko' was such an important figure, why would it bother to give something that looked so special to a foreigner like me? I was practically a nobody, even back in Kanto! I tried to refuse, but the girl wouldn't take no for an answer. I put the stone in my bag, and after the girl put Nebby in her bag, we started to head back to town.

Once we arrived, we saw Kukui sitting on the edge of the stage. There was an old man next to him, and they were engaging in lively conversation. Once Kukui noticed us walking up to him, he stood up and waved.

"Hey, Alani!" Kukui said. "Turns out the Kahuna had to solve a problem up in Hau'oli, which is why he wasn't here when we arrived, yeah. But it looks like you managed to find my assistant! In case you two haven't properly introduced yourselves yet, Alani, this is Lillie, and Lillie, this is Alani!" He gestured to each of us as he said our names.

"Ah, so you're the Alani I've heard about from Kukui." The old man walked up to us and joined our conversation. "I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Welcome to Alola! I've heard you're interested in getting a Pokemon?"

My attention switched instantly from Lillie and Kukui to Hala. "Yes, please!" I said, "I really want to be a Trainer!"

Hala gave a hearty laugh. "Alright, alright. I have three left, so you can have one of them."

With that, he pulled out three Pokeballs and sent out the Pokemon in them. From the one on the left came a beige owl with a leaf bow. The center one was a black and red cat, while the one on the right was a blue seal with a pink nose.

"First is the Grass-type Pokemon, Rowlet!" Hala explained. "Next is the Fire-type Pokemon, Litten! And last is the Water-type Pokemon, Popplio! Which one will you choose as your partner?"

I held my chin in thought. They were all so cute! I wished I could have all of them. Rowlet and Popplio looked up at me with endearing eyes, while Litten played it cool and simply began licking its paw. After a moment of careful thought, I spoke up.

"I...I choose...Rowlet."

"Great choice!" Hala boomed. "Now what is left is to see if Rowlet chooses you. Only when you have both chosen each other can you truly call each other partners."

Following Hala's instructions, I stood on the stage opposite Rowlet. In that moment, it was if there were no sound, no ground, no other people, just me and Rowlet. We gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever, until Rowlet's eyes seemed to smile, and he let out a gentle koo. He ran over to me, and I carefully picked him up.

"So little Rowlet has accepted you, too. Congratulations, Alani!" Hala said, snapping me back to reality. "Rowlet is yours!" He handed me Rowlet's Pokeball, which I happily accepted.

Kukui gave me a firm pat on the back. "You know, some trainers like to give their Pokemon nicknames. Brings them closer together, oh yeah. Are you going to give your Rowlet a nickname?"

"I think so," I said, still looking at Rowlet in my arms. "How about...Pueo?" I was greeted by enthusiastic chirping from Rowlet, now known as Pueo.

"Nice to meet you, Pueo!" Lillie said.

Hala seemed to remember something as Lillie spoke, because his eyebrows went up for a moment. "Ah, before I forget, did something happen while I was gone? For some reason, I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying around."

Lillie nodded. "Oh, um...Yes, Kahuna Hala...Nebby was being attacked by Spearow on the Plank Bridge when this girl, Alani, helped it get away. But the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine, and that's when the island's guardian deity swooped in to save them!"

"Woo!" Kukui whistled. "That's not something you hear every day!"

Hala laughed. "Ho! Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you."

"Pew!" A little cry was heard at Lillie's feet.

"Oh?" Lillie said in surprise, "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 shook her head, then looked at me. "I think you chose a wonderful Pokemon. Please take care of it."

Kukui clapped his hands. "That's it, Alani! Now that you've got a Pokemon, you're a real Pokemon Trainer, yeah! And here's a lovely gift from me to help make it special, cousin." With that, he pulled out a red object from his lab coat and handed it to me.

Pueo and I looked at it in wonder. "What is it?" I asked.

"It's a Pokedex!" Kukui explained. "It's a real high-tech kinda tool, yeah, that can automatically record facts about any Pokemon you meet. Try it out on Pueo later! And this," he continued, pulling out a small booklet, "is a Trainer Passport that I had put together for you."

"Thank you...thank you so much, all of you!" I said. I was so happy I could cry. I finally had a Pokemon of my own. I had a Pokedex. I was an official Pokemon Trainer. All of my dreams were coming true.

"How about you go show off your new friend to your mom, Alani?" Kukui suggested.

I nodded, and set off for home. Before I could get far, a kid who looked to be about 15 ran up to me. He was tan with greenish-black hair and was wearing a black shirt and yellow shorts.

"Hey!" the kid shouted. "You and me! Let's have a Pokemon battle!"

Hala walked up to us. "Dahahaha! Where's the fire, boy?" he laughed, "And what kind of a Pokemon battle would that be where you don't even give a name first, eh?"

The kid put his hands behind his head. "Fair enough. Then I'm Hau. And my partner's Tarin, a Popplio!" Hau looked at Pueo, who was perched on my shoulder. "Your Rowlet looks really cool, too! Anyways, I couldn't wait for you to find your way to Iki Town, so I've been all over looking for you so we can battle!"

"Really?" I asked. I never had someone search for me, especially not a stranger.

"Of course!" Hau replied. "It's not often that someone new moves here, and it's always exciting to have a battle with them!"

"Oh yeah, your first battle already!" Kukui grinned. "Just have your Pokemon dish out some moves and see who wins. Woo!"

I bit my lip. Was I really ready for this? Watching others and reading books could only teach so much. What if I failed and my Pokemon got seriously hurt? I looked at Pueo. His eyes were glimmering, anxious to spread his wings in what would probably be his first battle.

"Alright," I said, a smile beginning to form on my face. "I'll do it." A chorus of cheering erupted from Kukui and Hau.

"I appreciate you deciding to battle my grandson," Hala said. "I expect both sides to not hold anything back! Let the battle begin!"

Hau sent Tarin out onto the battlefield, while I sent out Pueo. I was extremely nervous, and I'm sure Pueo was a little bit, too. After all, neither of us had been in a battle before, and we didn't really know what to expect. I decided to pull out my Pokedex to see if it could help me figure out what to do. As I turned it on, it registered Popplio as well as Rowlet. It also showed me what moves Pueo knew.

"Alright, Tarin, use Water Gun!" Hau shouted. His Pokemon prepared the move, and water started shooting out towards Pueo.

"Ah!" I exclaimed. "Um, Pueo, dodge it and use, uh, Leafage!"

Pueo wasn't quite able to dodge the full attack, but he was able to pelt Tarin with leaves from the move I chose. Battling with Pueo was amazing. It felt like if we worked together, there wasn't anything we couldn't do.

The battle wasn't incredibly long, with both Hau's and my Pokemon being relatively weak, but it was still intense. Pueo and I barely managed to win against Tarin and Hau.

"Hooo-ee!" Hau exclaimed as he jumped around. "That gave me chicken skin!" He stopped and walked over to me. "Alani Mahina, right? Your Rowlet was awesome! Here's some prize money for beating me in your first battle." Right after giving me a bit of cash, Hau went right back to jumping. "Now that settles it! I'm going to go all-out tomorrow!"

At that moment, the stone in my bag glimmered. It was bright enough that the people around me noticed it was there.

"Hm? Alani. Would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there?" Hala asked. When I gave the stone to him, he began to closely inspect it.

"Could it be?!" he gasped.

"Tutu, isn't that..." Hau spoke up.

Hala looked up at me. "You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge-isn't that what I heard, Alani?"

"Yes," I responded. "Tapu Koko flew in and saved me. When it left, that stone was where it stood."

"I see..." Hala said thoughtfully. "So it even deigned to give you a stone... Perhaps you are here in Alola, Alani, 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." Pocketing the stone, Hala started to talk about my battle against Hau.

"It would seem that you have the makings of a fine Trainer," Hala said as he smiled. "You must do us the honor of joining in our festival tomorrow!"

"It does sound interesting," I replied, "I'll give it a shot."

"Let's make sure you get home safe first," Kukui said. "Lillie, you come with us, too. Wouldn't want to go off losing you twice in one day! You or that precious Pokemon of yours, yeah."

"Alright," Lillie nodded. "I'll be sure to keep track of..."

"Pew!"

"Oh, you!" Lillie chided as she turned to face Nebby. "Don't go trying run off the moment you're told not to!"

Nebby danced around, avoiding Lillie, while the rest of us laughed.

I said goodbye to Kukui and Lillie, and opened the door to my house. Mewy ran over and greeted me and Pueo. The two Pokemon continued looking at each other, starting up what seemed like a very lively conversation.

"Welcome home, Alani!" my mom said from the kitchen. "What kind of Pokemon did you get?"

"I chose a Rowlet," I said as I smiled at Pueo.

"Koo!" Pueo exclaimed, looking up at her.

"Oh, how adorable! So, why did you choose this lil cutie?" my mom asked.

"Well," I began, "it was a tough decision, but in the end, Pueo here looked like the best of the three Pokemon!"

My mom laughed. "Well, I think you made the right decision! You two look great together!"

As we sat down for dinner, I told my mom about the festival. She seemed fairly supportive of it. With that, I went off to bed, eagerly anticipating the next day.

Fun fact: I came up with Tarin because I spelled "train" wrong while writing something else.

So, for the update schedule, my plan so far is to update once a week, probably on Sundays or Mondays. Gives me plenty of time to try and write ahead since I'm trying to survive my senior year of high school, so that plus writer's block will hold me up quite a bit on the chapters. But! I'm almost done with Melemele Island, so I'll be set for awhile.

Feedback on chapters is greatly appreciated! Keeps the motivation going. Example: I lost motivation for the first fanfic I wrote, but I got a comment on it recently, and now I'm gonna try to bring it back to life! It's gonna take awhile to get it back underway, though. But yeah, comments are the fuel of the fire! They are a great help! (I'll be going through to fix any grammar errors pointed out to me, just not right now. Kinda sorta sneaking in posting this cuz my parents are hosting a party and I'm peopled out)

See ya'll next week!