We're continuing with the pace here, so sit tight and please enjoy. Onwards, for Chapter 3!
Chapter 3
A Day
"Ash didn't show up?" Bonnie asked before Serena could even get a word out. She was in a slight state of shock from hearing that. Not that Ash couldn't take care of himself; that much was very obvious at the least. She was simply worried about other things and thoughts regarding him that she hadn't divulged to anyone, not even Lillie. They'd nevertheless been on her mind for some time, on those nights that she was staring at the stars, watching them slowly move towards their convergence.
"Apparently not," Wicke stated, puffing her hair a little in agitation. That was pretty much the same feeling that was pervading every single one of them in the room at her announcement. Serena's hands clenched, trying to calm herself. There was no need to worry about Ash. None at all…though it didn't stop her heart from doing so. "We know for a fact that they arrived in Hau'oli City a month ago and left from there, with the boat returning to the Foundation."
"Is that where it ends, then?" Gladion asked, looking just as confused. On the screen behind them, Clemont and Hau were both leaning in, listening intensely.
"The driver of the boat arrived in the city and waited there since last night, the agreed upon date, but they didn't show. He went to ask around the city and it seems that no one has seen them around the island for the whole month. Like they just vanished," Wicke informed them. It was all very disconcerting at best. Silence settled over them all.
Serena stepped back, trying to think of just where Ash and Kahili could have gone. Surely nothing had happened to them: Kahili was an enormously strong trainer and Ash was no slouch, either, especially with Pikachu by his side. There seemed to really be no area to go on the whole of Melemele that would have been a challenge for them, other than each other. Though it wasn't like she knew every inch of that small island, of course. Either way, no one had heard from them, so it likely had to be someplace secluded. They had to have planned for it if no one had seen them since their arrival, or at the very least not divulged their location.
"Ugh, this boy…" Aidan groaned out with exasperation. Tau once more offered a chuckle, but hardly any words of a helpful nature. Serena wasn't really sure what anyone could say to help them at this point. "He's the one who suggests that we all meet back up here in a month and then he doesn't even show…"
"I'm sure the twerp has his reasons…" James said, yawning lightly. All of Team Rocket was doing the same, clearly bored with the majority of the proceedings currently taking place.
"Reasons or no, we didn't schedule for a tea party!" the blond snapped angrily. Team Rocket suddenly jumped as Aidan slammed his hand upon the table. Lionel folded his arms, looking down to a fretting Bonnie. Serena, too, was examining the room, as if trying to decide what to say or do in that singular moment. Greninja hardly looked concerned, and given the close bond between he and Ash, it indicated that things were clearly mostly okay. It just left the question of where rather than what?
"No, we didn't, but Ash is the least of our concerns," Lionel finally spoke, reaching up to stroke his chin. Lillie and Bonnie both looked to the man with surprise on their features, but Serena didn't let her expression change. She didn't want to show she was worried, and she also felt like Lionel very much would say something like that. "I don't mean to belittle him. Far from it. His level of strength and expertise, along with Kahili's would be a great boon for what we're about to attempt, but at the end of the day, it's not nearly important as the information and capabilities we've gathered."
"But the Moon Flute…" Lillie pointed out before stopping herself. She seemed to slip into a state of thought about the whole thing, reaching up to tap her chin a little. "Maybe we don't need Miss Kahili for that…Hm…I guess we could always ask Miss Hapu."
"Or da Seafolk Village people, assuming we can't find dem," Meowth suggested, shrugging like he really didn't care either way. Naturally, it was an act, considering even Team Rocket didn't think the end of the world was a good idea.
"It's an option, but not one we have very much time for," Aidan sighed out. Lionel finally closed his distance across the rest of the room to clap his comrade on the shoulder.
"Come on, Aidan, you'll make us look bad upholding Jack's legacy," the darker-skinned man said to his friend. Aidan regarded him with a skeptical frown. "Ash and Kahili are likely okay, but they're late, and we don't have the time to wait. We need to strike as soon as possible. The Hope Leilani starts in, what, five days? A week? After that we have no time. We need to move now."
"Hau and I will get moving towards the Ruins of Hope, then," Clemont informed them over the screen. Rotom was now freed from Bunnelby's large ears, twisting back and forth like it was stretching. "We'll meet you all there. And remember, hold on to your Z-Crystals. We'll need them if we have any hope of getting through."
"We're on it, Clemont!" Bonnie cried, throwing her hand into the air, still clasping tightly to the Sun Flute.
"I'll join you as well in going there. I think it's important for everyone to see Tapu Fini's shrine," Lillie said, one of her hands playing with the drawstrings on her outfit. "Once we have, we can make our way through the Poni Canyon to the Altar of the Sunne! I think we should do it by dusk tonight or dawn tomorrow, since that was always when Nebby seemed to be the most affected. No matter what, we'll bring you back soon, Nebby!"
"Yay! Yay!" Bonnie cheered loudly. Serena's brow knitted together in contemplation. Her free hand went to the wrist with the blue ribbon upon it, fondling it for a single moment as she thought about the road yet ahead of them.
"I'm going to find Ash," she spoke to the room. No one was surprised, given their reactions. Serena looked over to Greninja, his arms folded as he regarded her. She could tell that he wanted to go along with her, but from his body language, stepping closer to Bonnie, she could also tell that he was willing to fulfill his duty before a personal obligation.
"I think that's for the best," Lionel agreed. He separated and turned towards all of them, his own fingers playing with his charm bracelet. "Right now, we're the only ones standing to make a strike on the altar preemptively."
"Well, Steven and Gary plan to be prepared for an aerial assault for backup, and there's the League forces," Clemont corrected. Lionel easily handwaved the entire issue.
"Regardless, if we want this to succeed, we need to move now, before Lusamine's eye from within the Ultra Space can fix back on us, you understand? Not to mention there's the timing that Lillie's mentioned, and I agree with it. So, if we want Ash and Kahili's help, we'll need to find them while the rest of us make our move, got it?"
"Perfectly," Gladion grunted out. Next to him, Silvally growled a little. "I'll head to Melemele with Serena. If we're going to split, none of us should go alone."
"Then I'll remain behind to coordinate efforts between each other and the League using the IRCS," Aidan stated with a sigh, pushing his glasses up just a little. "Tau, you can call Chi and Theta back here if you'd so like. We may want all the forces we can get."
"Understood, sir," Tau said, offering a light bow and a clap on Serena's shoulder before he began to make his way out of the room. Serena looked across to Gladion, searching his face for a reason that he would want to go with her. They were hardly close as individuals, after all. Though, that might have explained it. Ash and Gladion had both seemed close, and maybe now Gladion wanted to try and reclaim what was lost between them in the battle against Skull and Aether.
"Well, if the twerpette is going, we might as well go, too," Jessie sighed out, like it was something to be resigned to.
"All da better to nab Pika-mmph!" James had quickly slapped a hand on Meowth's flapping lips, chuckling nervously underneath it. Serena looked to Bonnie and Lillie, rolling their eyes together at the trio's familiar antics. Lionel stepped forward, placing a hand upon the table with confidence.
"Our course is set, then! Lillie, Bonnie and myself, along with Squishy and them, will head for the rendezvous on Poni Island to meet with Clemont and Hau at the Ruins of Hope. Once we're together, we'll make for the Altar of the Sunne to secure it as best we can by sunrise the latest," he informed them all without a shred of a smile. This was the time to be serious; the time for games was long past now. "Meanwhile, Serena, Gladion and Team Rocket will attempt to find Ash. We'll give you until the end of the day before you need to get to Poni Island and find the Moon Flute. That's the only way we'll meet that deadline. Aidan will stay behind to coordinate efforts.
"From this moment forward, our moment of preemptive striking begins!"
"Yes, sir!" They all called, some of them (namely Lillie, Bonnie and an on-screen Hau) snapping themselves into a salute. It wasn't quite the same as the large army they possessed before the battle at Geosenge, but that hardly seemed to matter. What they lacked in numbers, they made up for in determination. Well, that and actual preparation for the battle ahead, despite a time limit being imposed upon them from this moment.
"All right, everyone. Let's do this thing!" Hau said, jumping up and down next to Clemont before racing to grab their bags. Lillie shook her head with a giggle at his overexuberance.
"We'll see you on Poni, Bonnie, Lillie. Find Ash, Serena!" That was all Clemont had time to tell them before Rotom terminated the connection, leaving the screen blank. Gladion was already walking out of the room, Wicke walking alongside him as Silvally followed after haughtily. Knowing that the blond would meet them down by the boats this time, Serena looked to Lionel.
"I promise I'll find Ash and we'll be on Poni by sundown," she said confidently. "It shouldn't take too long."
"It almost sounds like you're underestimating Ash," Lillie admitted and Bonnie nodded. Dedenne snored on top of her head, having fallen asleep long ago. Nevertheless, Serena kept her gaze firmly on Lionel as he smiled a little, though it transitioned to a smirk.
"I have no doubt of that. Should everything go well, we'll move into the canyon tonight and have the altar secured by sunrise. Like we keep saying, given its name, I'm pretty sure it'd be best to be there during the daytime and its transition to that time, so long as we have the Moon Flute by then."
"Leave it to me," Serena insisted, thumping her chest. A clattering of footsteps said that Team Rocket was standing at attention and nodding furiously. Having Lionel's blessing to get moving, Serena looked to Lillie and Bonnie. The reunion with the short lemon blonde had been all too brief, though Bonnie seemed to be taking it in stride. She wasn't the same girl from the start of their journey. Not that Bonnie had ever been timid, but she seemed here like she was fine with the parting, knowing that they'd reunite in the end. Even Squishy seemed to be nodding at her. "We'll join up for the fight soon."
"I'll look after Bonnie," Lillie said, grinning a little to the younger girl as they slapped their hands together. "Bonnie will look after me, too."
"You bet!" That said, Serena surged forward and took them into a very brief and momentary hug. Lillie hugged back instantly while Bonnie gripped to Serena's arm until they separated. Lionel was already striding out of the room, leaving the girls and their Pokémon as pretty much the only remaining ones, barring Aidan.
"Nin!" Greninja croaked out. "Ninja gren gren!"
"Don't worry about a thing, Greninja," Serena assured him, her hand splayed on her chest. "I'll bring him back just fine. You just stay with them and make sure they get to the altar on time. You, too, Squishy."
"Blrbl?" Squishy said, choosing to not opt for actually speaking. The honey blonde reached forward, patted the little blob on the head and faced away to Team Rocket, who looked at her with their own sharp nods. Then those three left the room. With their departure, Bonnie and Lillie turned as well, taking hands with each other. Serena ran her hand upwards, brushing aside some of her bangs as she offered a nod to Aidan and then left the room at a slower pace.
She hadn't noticed before, but in terms of the mansion, nothing had really changed. Maybe a few portraits on the wall had, or just Gladion removing any traces of his mother from the halls, but otherwise, it was largely untouched. Especially the courtyard hadn't really changed at all. In some way, it was a sign that though some things changed, a lot remained the same, as well. Serena breathed in, reflecting back on their month of growth. She hoped Ash had done so as well, because she felt like she was about to clasp on to the answer that she promised Miss Akela she'd find. There were just a few things in her mind to confirm what was building in her heart.
"Are you ready?" Gladion's sudden question made her jerk to a stop. He was standing there at the intersection of the two corridors. Serena blinked, realizing he had changed his clothing from the khaki pants and black-colored collared shirt. Once more he was dressed in the clothes she was used to seeing him in, only they looked repaired, the rips and tears sewn up. He looked far more comfortable now.
"Yes," she confirmed and the two began their lazily slow walk towards the exit from the manor. The boy said nothing, shoving his hands in his pockets. It was a little chilly between them, even with Silvally trotting alongside them with a growl (or perhaps because of that). "So, if none of us have spoken with Ash, does that mean…?"
"We haven't either," Gladion said, his voice low. It was all the answer she needed: they had left each other the exact same way they had been since Po Town. Their connection was broken once more. It made Serena a little sad, but at the same time, Gladion hoping to go with her said something about him wanting to at least try and fix that. "Nor have I had the time to…I've been so focused on completing the trials and rebuilding Aether, it's a wonder I've had time for sleep, much less anything else."
"Guess we've all been busy in our own way," Serena admitted. To that, Gladion just nodded. She had nothing much left to say, her eyes sliding over to the very reticent Silvally, its white plume of hair sticking out and making it look impressive. "So, it's sort of like Null evolved, huh?"
"In a way, I guess," Gladion noted, seeing her take an interest. He reached over and patted Silvally on the head. "We were battling Nanu on Ula'ula and he was getting a little too into the battle, like he was testing me, when his Persian smashed Null's mask. For a moment, I thought everything was going to go to hell, but he changed, and now he's this. The Z-Ring helped things, too. My father had theorized on the change, considering it was Null's unconstrained form, but calling him Full would have been weird. So, I went with Silvally…he is my ally after all."
"I think it's nice," Serena giggled out, placing a hand to her lips as the duo finally exited from the manor and began walking down the sun-dappled path. Up above, Serena noticed that the glass had all been fixed from the battle a month ago. Thinking on that brought a downturn to her lips. "If I'm honest…I'm a little worried about Ash."
"I'm sure he's okay," Gladion said, puffing out. Either he didn't want to talk about him, or maybe he was just apprehensive about running into Ash again. The last time they had directly met, he had socked him across the face. It seemed to now be a good thing that Team Rocket would be coming along to ease the tensions. "Ash isn't going to let some wild Pokémon chomp down on him."
"That's not what I'm worried about," Serena sighed out. This time, she managed to get Gladion to look at her. "You were there: both of you lost to Guzma in the same way I lost to Lusamine."
"Yeah…still leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Gladion spat out. It pretty much proved her theory. Not that Ash was someone who held on to those sorts of losses and grudges for a long time, but there was more to it than all that, she felt. "I guess I can understand, but that's what he's training with Kahili for, isn't it?"
"I think it's more than that," Serena expressed. The two had managed to reach the elevator now as it finished returning to the top for them, after having taken the others down. They stepped on and Gladion used a keycard to make the device move downward once more. "I feel like Ash has been lost lately. Confused. I mean, I'm not there all the time, but just some of the things he's said, or the way he's reacted…all the little things. Hala made him question his own dream, I feel, and it's been weighing on his mind, especially when Nanu asked him the same sort of thing."
"Then Guzma came along," Gladion breathed out, clearly understanding, at this point, what she was getting at. "Yeah…I know the two of us losing was a real blow to me, and it made me wonder what I had done everything for; if I was strong enough. If Ash was already questioning himself…"
"I'm just worried that he might sink to a point he can't get out of," Serena admitted. It was truly her biggest fear. Ash wasn't the kind of person to let it happen, but she still thought that if he met an object that was immoveable enough, no amount of pushing forward was going to help him.
"I wouldn't worry too much," Gladion expressed to her after a moment of silence. "He seems to have a way of figuring things out."
"Mm," Serena said, obviously believing that Gladion considered the entire conversation finished. He was right, of course, but Serena still couldn't help that sense of trepidation as the elevator slowed and deposited them at the harbor. Ash was confused, and she simply didn't want him to shut down over not knowing who he was or what everything meant to him; or worse, keep going until he destroyed himself. It was something they were all struggling with, but Ash was no doubt the most stubborn of them all. "You're right. I'm sure it'll be okay."
"Exactly. For now, let's focus on finding him. It isn't quite midday yet, so we have plenty of time, so long as we work out a plan."
"Right," Serena agreed as the two walked away from the elevator and towards the boat that they would be taking to Melemele. She threw aside her worries, choosing to face them when they reunited rather than now, and soon boarded the boat, facing out towards the sea. I'm coming for you, Ash. Please be okay.
True to Gladion's words, the boat cut across the waters in relatively record time. The one to Poni had left ahead of their group with not even a goodbye (not that Serena minded, since they'd be meeting up sooner or later in the first place), but their own trip was fraught with a sense of worry. Even Team Rocket, for all their blustering and pretending, seemed a little worried. Or, that was her interpretation when the Hau'oli harbor was fast approaching a little less than an hour later and the three (or four, counting Wobbuffet…more if she counted their Pokémon) were huddled together.
"I mean sure, the twerp can be all hyperactive and running off, but come on!" Jessie said in a harsh whisper. "Pikachu, at least, is smart enough to hold the twerp from doing something stupid."
"I'm sure the twerp is fine," James also insisted, his face drawn into one of worry. "We just have to find him, right? Do we have any contacts?"
"Maybe I have a sizeable fanbase that I could mobilize!"
"Dream on, Jess," Meowth said. "Remember, ya never won on Melemele." Jessie smacked her companion over the top of the head.
"Don't talk about that, Meowth," she snapped back at him. Meowth cradled the top of his head and grumbled at her before the magenta-haired woman threw her head back with a rather obvious groan. "Ugh, even when he's not blasting us off, the twerp is causing problems."
"Yeah, but without him, we'd be out of a job…or, well, we'd lose our drive, right?"
"Jimmy is right," Meowth said, nodding sagely. The Pokémon also seemed to nod…except for Crabrawler and Inkay, who were sharing a berry covered croissant (where they'd gotten it from, Serena had no idea). "If it weren't for da twoip and Pikachu all dese years, we'd probably be sittin' back at base gettin' fat!"
Serena finally shook her head, peeling away from their rather inane conversation that did little more than prove how much the two seemed to care about Ash and Pikachu. Breathing in, she approached the edge of the boat with Gladion, the boy in sharpened silence as the docks of Hau'oli City began to approach on the horizon. No one was waiting for them there, but Serena had no problem with that; there were still a few areas that they could check for aid. Melemele wasn't that large of an island, after all, and with the right equipment, they could travel it in no time.
"All right, guys, I'll be staying here," the driver called as soon as he turned the engine off, leaving them right in a prime position to debark. Silvally was the first, leaping high over the railing to get on to the docks. Some little kids nearby pointed and stared, but Gladion and his Pokémon ignored them while they made their way off.
"Hopefully we'll be back soon!" Serena said, mostly to ensure the man that they had all understood, before disembarking on to Hau'oli City once again.
It was a strange feeling, setting foot on to that peacefully small island. For all of her searching for her father, this was the only island that they had not come back to, having had no need. Just like the last time they'd been there it was thriving with bustling people and Pokémon as they walked forward, still as calming as ever. At the same time, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck tingling. It could have been some kind of 'soulmate' connection, or something else entirely, but she definitely knew that Ash was here. She'd be seeing him very soon.
"Any idea where to start, then?" Gladion asked. Serena walked a little forward, glancing upwards and into the distance, where Iki Town sat. She sucked in a breath and exhaled it, turning to her rather assorted gaggle of companions.
"I have a thought, at least," she said with a smile. Gladion seemed to consider that good enough, sticking his hands into his pockets and indicating for her to take the lead. "And Team Rocket, behave yourselves, okay?"
"Hey, we've been very good the last month!" James protested loudly.
"We just want to see the twerp, all right! We can't help it if the people here don't like us very much," Jessie chose to insist, though her nervous twitching indicated that she very much cared. Meowth just sighed and chose to not refute anything. Instead, he prompted Wobbuffet to walk forward with him.
"Right, come on!" Serena said cheerily and she began to run off through the streets, gripping tightly to her bag straps. Despite some groans of physical exertion from Team Rocket, they all followed after her, winding her way through the rather familiar metropolis (or as close to one that Alola could get). Some people greeted her as genially as possible, and Serena returned the waves and greetings of "alola" as she ran, turning past the Pokémon Center and racing for the edge of town. All too soon, the paved roads began to turn to dirt as the familiar sight of the Pokémon School rapidly came into view.
She hadn't expected this particular sight, but as they came closer, she noticed Ilima was outside there, reading a book as the children played outside.
"Ilima!" she called out. Some of the kids were distracted, staring at her in interest, but none of them could beat the pink-haired man, who looked up and right at her. A soft smile graced his features and he closed his book quietly, moving to stand. She finished running right up to him. "It's good to see you again!"
"Yes, and certainly unexpected for me," the man said. He offered no gesture of greeting, unless one counted a nod of acknowledgement to Gladion. "Last I had heard from Kahuna Hala, you were gathering at the Aether Foundation."
"So, you know about all that, too," Gladion commented, folding his arms as he stared at the captain. Ilima nodded, prompting the blond to sigh just a little bit. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. We did involve the Kahunas, so it's no great shock that the captains would be planning to get involved."
"Indeed," was Ilima's rather curt response. "We're already more than involved, considering our own plans for the Day of Stars, should the initial strike fail. Unfortunately, we can't seem to be involved before then…"
Serena's lips thinned a little, thinking and wondering. She knew that the Tapus weren't planning on intervening with the preemptive strike, but would on the Day of Stars…it made her wonder if, perhaps, nature was conspiring against them in that case, or if it was all simply moving to its own schedule, regardless of human machinations. Either way, she considered it a blessing that the captains were still considering helping out alongside the Kahunas.
"It's unimportant. Hopefully we'll succeed regardless," Gladion said, glancing back in the direction they had come from. Ilima once more nodded and looked to Serena carefully.
"So, if you're all preparing…why are you on Melemele instead of Poni Island?"
"Oh…right," Serena sighed out, laced with little chuckles as she did so. "Ash never showed up at our meeting. We know he came to Melemele, but beyond that, no one truly seems to know where he is, along with Kahili. So, I was planning on taking us to Iki Town and asking Hala, since he seems to know everything about whatever is going on with the island."
"Hala is always well-informed, even if he doesn't share all the information with us that would be entirely pertinent," Ilima agreed. One of his hands flew to his hair, playing with the pendant there, glittering in the sun. "But Hala left Iki Town late last night and has yet to return."
"Oh…" Serena said, feeling slightly deflated. She soon felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Gladion's stern expression. In the absence of Ash, it was like a reminder to never give up. She smiled. If Hala had left the town, but not the island, then it was possible… "Do you know where he went?"
"I personally don't," Ilima insisted to her, but he didn't stop there, "however, I'm sure he told Kukui, who came back in last night and crashed at his lab. They've all been working tirelessly for the Day of Stars and the League."
"I'd imagine. Thanks, Ilima," Serena said, offering him a smile and turning towards the forest. She instantly started forward, leading the others with her in the direction of where the path split from Iki Town.
"Down by the beach, Serena!" Ilima called calmly. "That's where you'll find the lab, all right?"
"Got it!" With those words of thanks and farewell, their group of five set off once more. She threw a look back to Ilima, who was folding his arms with a concerned expression, gazing back towards the school, but neither shared any further words. Serena just plunged into the forest, dappled with sunlight as they ran through the area in record time to emerge outside of it. Naturally, it seemed much shorter than it had all the other times she traveled through, though that could have been the speed at which they were tracking.
Before long, Serena found their group at the crossroads. Usually, she would have taken the road directly to her left, leading up the hill to where Iki Town rested. This time, however, she turned right and began walking that particular, and unfamiliar, dirt path. Surprisingly, Team Rocket was keeping pace with her (not without grumbles, of course), though the surprise mostly stemmed from the fact that they would usually use the Meowth Balloon more than once to get to difficult places.
Their feet soon and suddenly touched down upon the encroaching beach before them, stretching forward a good ways unto the ocean that glistened in the midday sun. Far to her right was a large mountain, small holes for sunlight breaking it up, like it wasn't quite a mountain, but more of an encapsulated hill. Most importantly was the house, boarded-up and slightly uneven on the sands, sitting in the middle of the beach. Serena could only guess that this was Kukui's lab. She straightened her back and ran forward towards it.
A sudden rumbling trembled through the area, and though Serena's feet didn't stop, her progress slowed a little as she looked in the direction of the gigantic hill. The sounds and rumbles were most definitely coming from there, yet most of the Pokémon weren't even reacting, as though all of this was natural. It was either disturbing or amusing, but Serena couldn't decide which. She pressed on, making her way towards the lab. As she neared the front, she noticed that someone, or two someones, were on the porch, lounging rather comfortably. It was easy to tell, the closer they got, that it was Kukui and his Gallade.
They were barely even reacting to the tremors. From the sight of that, she didn't quite want to wake them from their sunbathing nap, but knowing they'd get nowhere if she didn't, the honey-blonde stepped on to the porch with clomping footsteps. Gallade cracked an eye open.
"Gall Gallade," the Blade Pokémon said, raising his elongated arms to nudge his trainer. Kukui stirred, but only managed to push his hat down over his eyes, like he didn't want to be woken. "Lade lade gall!"
"Oh, just a couple minutes more, Gallade…we have to get moving soon thanks to Master Hala's request, so let me-"
"Just wake up already, lazy professor!" Jessie snapped. Patience was still not one of her strong suits, no matter what the situation was. Kukui finally cracked an eye open at this point and lifted his hat up to see just who was there. He seemed to not even notice Team Rocket there, but his gaze widened upon the sight of Gladion. The blond nodded at the professor, and it caused the man to sit up straight and then look over to where Serena was standing.
"Hi, Professor Kukui. Sorry to wake you," she insisted, touching her palms together with an apologetic smile. Kukui yawned widely, taking off his hat to run his hand through his hair while he smiled.
"Nah, it's nothing," the man replied. He stood, Gallade going with him as he did so. His hands lowered themselves into his lab coat now while his expression changed to one of puzzlement. "Wait…Serena? Gladion? Team Rocker?"
"It's Rocket!" the three of them corrected him instantly. He ignored them, like usual. Serena decided to avoid the inevitable question and answered directly from the very beginning.
"Ash and Kahili never showed up at the rendezvous," she said simply. Gladion clearly decided to chime in, himself.
"Neither did you," he noted. To that, Kukui laughed, like it was no big deal. It really wasn't one, since they had still been able to procure everything they needed, and there had never seemed to be an agreement that the professor would meet up with them in the first place. Kukui seemed to realize this, because he didn't adopt an apologetic expression even once. "Anyway, Ash never showed up and no one knows where he is except for being on Melemele, so we came here to find him and Kahili. For the Moon Flute."
"Knew I was forgetting to do something," Kukui said just before yawning loudly again. He looked pretty exhausted, though Serena figured it had something to do with jetlag more than the current situation they were all finding themselves in. "I was supposed to tell the boat driver that he'd be delayed, but I was so exhausted from my trip to Kalos that I fell asleep…Akela did warn me about not sleeping on the plane."
"So, you know where he is?" Serena asked simply. At first, Kukui only grinned, but he soon followed it up with a more verbal answer.
"Ah, yeah…though I was only told by Master Hala last night. That man loves to keep his secrets close when he's asked to," the professor admitted. It made sense to Serena: the only person who could have actually effectively answered was also the one who had happened to fall asleep from his trip. It wasn't the most ideal, but…
"Wait, you were supposed to say he'd be coming late?" she asked. Kukui dispensed with the grin and finished stretching himself in order to leap over his railing and onto the sand (which happened to puff up into Team Rocket's faces).
"That's a thing for later," the professor said, beckoning them all forward. Before Serena could get another word in edgewise, the man was walking across the beach, towards the hill in the distance, and the mouth of a cave there that led inward. "Right now, you want to see Ash, don't you? Come on."
"Honestly," Gladion scoffed, shaking his head. Serena shared in the sentiments as the two followed after the somewhat flighty professor, Silvally padding alongside them, almost looking eager. She understood that he was busy with all the preparations for what was about to occur, but forgetting a detail as important as Ash arriving to the rendezvous late was something that she felt shouldn't have escaped him (though, exhaustion wasn't the worst excuse). Nevertheless, they followed after him.
More tremors shook the area, startling her once more, while Gladion laughed at it. He didn't offer any explanation for the strange event, but continued onward as they approached the cave at the base of the hill. The mountainous form soon loomed above them in an almost ominous fashion, but none of that deterred Kukui. He did, however, look back for a second. "Serena, you'll want Braixen. It gets a little dark until we reach the flower field."
"Okay," Serena noted, quickly calling out her all too faithful Pokémon. Braixen's stick was lit aflame with a smile, while behind her, Gourgeist brightened up like a nightlight as their entire group entered into the mouth of the cave. The wall was splashed with light, allowing them to have a guide of where to go, even if Kukui appeared to know the way forward rather well. "So…he's here…?"
"So I was told," Kukui admitted, showing that he wasn't quite as knowledgeable as she'd thought. Either way, he was pretty confident. "Did everything go smoothly at the Foundation for the attack? I wanted to be there, but the League called for me and Akela…"
"Everything's fine," Gladion answered simply. "By tomorrow morning, we should hopefully be pulling everything off. Or that's Lionel's assumption, at the very least. The only things in our way are Ash and Kahili's absence and…"
"Dose bozos from Team Skull," Meowth elaborated. Instead of looking like it was obvious, Kukui's face tightened, and Serena wondered if it had to do with his reasons for stating Ash would be late. She also had to think about Kukui's mention of Miss Akela.
"Mmm, well, I'm sure everything should go fine," Kukui expressed. "After I'm done here, I need to be getting to Mount Lanakila, but you guys and ARC seem to be well-prepared. I'm sure after the last month here, Ash should be pretty well prepared. From what Master Hala tells me, their training battles have almost been nothing short of titanic."
"That's Ash, going in one hundred percent on pretty much everything," Serena expressed with a laugh. Next to her, Braixen was nodding in agreement. Kukui happened to grin at that, his eyes searching her for some kind of statement. The only thing she could think of was that it was in regards to the declaration she'd asked him to deliver to Akela. The one she was close to answering. Kukui seemed to understand this state of her mind, because he didn't look for long.
"I would think he'd need to. You know, this used to actually be a trial site a long time ago," Kukui pointed out. Serena's eyebrows flew upward. The tremors were growing louder now. More than that, a few shouts seemed to be peppered throughout at this point, but they sounded like mere gibberish. "It's no surprise a Flying type trainer like Kahili would choose here, either, since it's the only place Flynium-Z can be found. It's like a different kind of trial for Ash, I guess, but hardly official. Plus, it's the one place on Melemele where things can just get savage."
"Let's just get to the twerp…" James sighed out. To that, Serena was in agreement and she picked up her pace, walking past even Kukui at the sight of the beckoning light that was up ahead. Unable to stop herself, her feet flew across the rock, getting a whiff of the flower field that lay beyond. The shouts were clearer now, and much more distinct as being those belonging to her boyfriend and his teacher.
"Sky Uppercut, let's go!" Serena felt a smile blossoming all over her face. It was Ash! He was actually here! And what was more, he was battling! So typical…
"Steel Wing, block it!" Kahili's voice was just as sharp and commanding as ever, and Serena finally ran out into the light. The rock turned to grass beneath her feet and she didn't stop until she saw the sight of the two combatants in the middle of the large hilltop. Her eyes widened, especially when Gladion stopped right next to her, blinking rapidly.
It was definitely Ash, but he looked different. His hat was discarded, having fallen atop Pikachu's head, and his hair was fluttering in the wind. It was still as unruly as ever, but no longer than before, if less tamed than it had been prior to the month apart. Then, there were the bruises on his body, some covered up with bandages while others were not. Near to him were most of the members of his team, looking thoroughly exhausted, themselves; even Pikachu, who rested against Toucannon, despite his cheers. In front of Ash, however, was a Pokémon that Serena had never seen. It was large and scaly, like a majestic, bipedal dragon.
"A Kommo-o," Kukui noted, coming up behind Serena and Gladion. Ash didn't hear or see them, too into the match he was having to even register another's presence. "Looks like Ash's Hakamo-o has evolved in the last month. They must have been training real hard."
"I would hope so," grumbled a voice to the side. Serena leaned forward and looked to see Hala sitting cross-legged on a rock as he watched the battle. At this moment, she also noticed how much of the area was ringed with various Pokémon, particularly some Lycanroc and Rockruff that were watching the match enthusiastically. "After having me direct them here, help to prevent either of them from leaving and then keep it all a secret, anything less would be disappointing. Although, they've already been battling for nearly twenty-four hours on this single six-on-six match alone."
"That long? !" Jessie and James yelled.
"Wobba wobb wobba!"
"Dey're not human…"
"I'm sure they've taken a break for some food and rest…" Gladion stated with a roll of his eyes. He took a moment before muttering under his breath, "I hope…"
Serena could only stare in awe at the sight of the two trainers before them. It was obvious that Hala had come to watch the battle to its fruition, and it must have been intense prior to their arrival, given his piercing and focused gaze on the action. Kahili was leaning on one of her golf clubs, numerous bruises all over her body, as well. They had to have beaten each other up immensely. Casting her gaze around, Serena noticed numerous other golf clubs, bent or broken, along with a multitude of branches. Then there were the resting Pokémon: four on each side. Their battle wasn't even finished yet…
"Let's finish this, Kommo-o! X-Scissor!" Serena turned to look at her boyfriend and felt a blush rise into her cheeks without prompting. He looked quite rugged and handsome this way, other than the bruises, but she knew those would heal.
"Komohhhhh!" the large dragon cried out, crossing his fists in front of himself and running for Skarmory. There was a purple glow flying from his arms as he ran, while Skarmory remained fixed there.
"Hit it with Steel Wing," Kahili said, straightening herself and planting her golf club into the ground. Skarmory floated back for just a moment before spinning and sending itself careening for Kommo-o, its wing a blinding white. The two clashed, the attacks straining against one another. A large gust of wind blasted outward, causing Serena to tamp down her skirt. Around them, the Pokémon, including both Ash's team and those ringing the area, were all cheering loudly. There was no wonder as to how the mountain had been shaking and trembling at this point. It was a battle of titanic proportions.
"Clanging Scales!" Ash called, punching forward. Kommo-o seemed to grin, at least from what Serena saw, and its scales quivered. A loud sound was made like a banging on pots and pans, but more eclectic and even louder than before. Suddenly, some of the scales on Kommo-o's figure flew outward, blasting against Skarmory with explosive force. Those scales seemed to instantly grow back upon Kommo-o's body while Skarmory was pushed back. "Now, Sky Uppercut!"
"Koh!" Kommo-o roared, one of its fists slamming upward with a glow that nailed Skarmory's midsection and sent it spiraling into the sky, twirling through it. Kahili didn't look all too worried; of course, neither did Ash. That they must have grown to learn each other's strategies on an intricate level over the last month was Serena's quick and obvious conclusion.
"Air Cutter!" the sky blue-haired woman commanded. Skarmory put its spiraling to good use, spinning around and sending the sharp and rotating blades of pure wind out towards Kommo-o. Said dragon shifted his foot back a bit, his gaze upon Ash. Serena's boyfriend nodded.
"Block it with Poison Jab!" he said, a small grin on his face. Kommo-o went to work, both of his fists glowing purple as he struck forward. They flew forward at an immense speed, knocking into the blades that made up the Air Cutter. Next to her, Gladion was actually grinning at the sight of the battle, almost like he was imagining battling Ash, himself. Serena wasn't sure what to think, other than how much Ash must have improved in the last month, though she supposed that they all had in their own way. Skarmory was diving down, a silvery light forming in its mouth before it fired and nailed Kommo-o. "Clanging Scales, again!"
"Not this time, Ash," Kahili said, her lips twitching upwards into a smirk. She brought her arms up, and Serena noticed the Z-Ring around her wrist, a blue glow upon it. Like with every Z-Move (as she was most familiar with), Kahili then uncrossed her arms and crossed them again. From there, her movement changed, as did Skarmory's. Her arms became like wings, flapping themselves before she fell and sprung right up, her fist in the air. "Supersonic Skystrike!"
"Finally!" Ash gasped out. Skarmory suddenly brimmed with the light of a Z-Move before shooting upward, causing part of the ground to ripple. It spun through the air, twisting with powerful speed before changing direction and aiming right for Kommo-o. "I've been trying to get you to use that move all battle! Get ready Kommo-o, just like we've practiced with Passimian!"
"Passi!" Passimian agreed, cheering his compatriot on as he stamped the ground with his berry. Kommo-o prepared himself and Skarmory dove forward at a near sonic speed that ripped up the dirt of the field. Then, just as the metal bird was about to make impact, Kommo-o struck forward with a Sky Uppercut. Both attacks made their marks, colliding with one another at high impact and causing the ground to go blasting apart around the two Pokémon. Team Rocket screamed, though it was hardly heard over the sound of the explosion. Serena only had widened eyes, and they got wider when she saw the result: both Skarmory and Kommo-o were down.
"Well, then…didn't see that coming," Kahili spat out, but she seemed to be grinning with it. Hala shifted on his placement, feet coming down to place themselves on the ground.
"This next battle should be short, then," he mumbled. Serena wasn't sure what to make of that, so she just continued to watch. Ash and Kahili had both approached their Pokémon, helping them off to the side to join the rest of their teams. Pikachu and Passimian were the first to greet Kommo-o, who nodded wearily while Ash tossed him a Sitrus Berry. Neither trainer had noticed their party guests yet, too involved in the battle.
"Well, then, let's settle this, huh?" Kahili called out, tossing her final pokeball out. Ash did too, and Serena watched as Kahili's Toucannon and Ash's Decidueye emerged. Both already looked exhausted, like they had taken part in the battle before. Hala's words made complete sense.
"His team's gotten a lot stronger, huh, Silvally?" Gladion asked of his partner Pokémon. Silvally growled, pawing at the ground with anticipation. Even Kukui was chuckling, all of their gazes riveted on the battlefield.
"Decidueye, use Spirit Shackle!" Serena's eyes narrowed; Ash was up to something, considering Toucannon's typing and his use of a Ghost type move. Kahili must have thought the same, because she looked skeptical. Decidueye changed his position a little, drawing back on his wing like an archer. A ghostly arrow was formed and then shot outwards for Toucannon, who didn't even move to avoid it…at least, not at first.
"Get moving," Kahili ordered. Toucannon took to the air, flying around at a rapid speed. Decidueye didn't stop firing, continually shooting arrow after arrow on Ash's orders, even as Toucannon turned towards him. "Now, Bullet Seed!"
"Blast it away!" Ash called. Serena had to laugh. It made sense now. Toucannon reared back and began firing the array of seeds towards Decidueye in a spraying motion. Decidueye didn't stop, his arrows' aim true. They impacted with the Grass type attack, causing them to explode in midair. He had only been using it to pick up the speed and accuracy of the move! "Now, let's do it, Decidueye! We've been working on this move forever, and I think we can make it work right now!"
"Deroo!" Decidueye hooted out, and though Serena couldn't see his face, she could tell how determined he was. Ash plunged his hand down, a grin upon his face while Decidueye moved to do the same thing.
"Frenzy Plant!"
"The twerp has a super-powered move like that? !" Jessie and James yelled at the same time. Decidueye's wing swept along the ground and gnarly, thick vines suddenly burst from the ground, dirt flying everywhere. Toucannon managed to avoid the first of them, only for the second to smack into him. More than that, Serena noticed that Decidueye had managed to vanish.
"And here I was hoping it wouldn't work," Kahili scoffed out. She reached up to remove her golfing cap, letting her long, periwinkle blue hair flow out behind her. She gripped her golf club, and Ash tensed. Then…she started running at him!
"Leaf Blade!" Ash cried, just before Kahili could reach him. It was almost insane to watch. Kahili swung the golf club at him, but he managed to pull himself back, avoiding the swing. At the same time, Decidueye appeared, hanging from one of the lingering branches of the writhing Frenzy Plant. He tossed his blades and they impacted with Toucannon, sending it careening. "Now, Acrobatics!"
"Beak Blast!" Ash grimaced, but reached his arm out to catch the golf club and pull it closer, knocking his head against his mentor. She barely flinched. The bruises made sense now.
"Pull back the second the force hits," Ash cried. Decidueye was zipping forward with his blue glow. The attack's force rippled through the vines, cutting those around them away as it slammed into Toucannon's beak. The red-hot beak glowed brightly and Decidueye altered his course, leaping behind one of the vines as he slid down. Then Toucannon's beak exploded. Decidueye was caught in the blast, flying forwards towards Ash and Kahili. The plants all flew upwards and away, Decidueye's hiding place now completely removed.
"Bullet Seed, one more time!" Kahili yelled. She seemed pretty confident, but Ash wasn't losing his telltale grin from battle. Serena watched him a moment, trying to discern his actions a little better. He had definitely grown stronger, and his battle strategy was as impeccable as ever…but there seemed to be something missing. It made whatever she had worried about earlier, grow.
"Defend yourself with Leaf Blade!" Ash yelled. Decidueye made no noise, and not even his wings did as he drew his glowing green blades and began to slash them back and forth with incredible speed, knocking the seeds away. Kahili yelled a command, but Serena had been focusing too much on her boyfriend to hear it. The move became rather obvious, however, when Toucannon's body blazed blue and shot for Decidueye once more. "Block it now!"
"Kooroo!" The blades crossed themselves as Toucannon made impact, sending the grass rippling around them. Decidueye looked to be struggling, though both of the battling Pokémon were more than exhausted. Then, Ash screamed a command and Decidueye's talon flew upwards with a blue glow, slamming into Toucannon and breaking it off.
"Now, Frenzy Plant and Leaf Blade, one more time!" Ash cried, finally ripping the golf club away from Kahili and sending it flying off to the side where it smashed against a rock. Decidueye's wing swept the ground and the writhing roots emerged, slamming into Toucannon before encapsulating it and trapping it there. The Arrow Quill Pokémon leapt upwards, drawing both green blades and then throwing them straight at his opponent before drawing another pair and slicing right through him. The exploding and collapsing plants spelled the end of the battle, debris from the roots floating up into the air.
Toucannon fell with the roots, slamming into the ground with an utterly dazed expression, and a gasp of, "Toucah…"
"Well…damn…" Kahili said, done trying to hit Ash by this point, her faculties more focused on watching her fallen Pokémon. She broke away and ran to its side while Decidueye dropped next to Ash. Her boyfriend looked unsteady a moment, and then he fell to his knees. "I thought we had you when I got Pikachu to use Gigavolt Havoc…"
"We won…?" Ash asked, completely oblivious to Kahili's statements. He suddenly started to laugh, flinging his fists into the air from his position. His other Pokémon all joined in on the action, making a beeline for him. Lycanroc reached there first, almost tackling him. "We won!"
"Pipikachu!" Pikachu cried and Ash began to laugh. Serena stepped forward, but found her eyes looking at Hala. The Kahuna was nodding, though there was no smile on his lips. It felt a bit like a confirmation of what she'd seen earlier. Ash was stronger, there was no doubt…but it almost seemed like beyond his purpose of wanting to protect everyone, he didn't know what the strength was even for. Although, his improved ability to remain unfettered in the moment of someone attacking him or whatnot was certainly admirable.
"A whole month…we finally beat her after a whole month…" Ash breathed out. Kahili was approaching him now, a small crystal in her hand that she flicked upward in an arc. Ash's hand reached up and snatched it.
"Nice job. You've completed training, I guess," she said. Ash just continued to exhale in complete relief, laughing a little. It definitely rang hollow in Serena's ears. She didn't like the sound of it, so she decided to change it, especially as she approached and could see his filthy visage from a whole day's worth of battling. He didn't quite notice her as she approached, though Kahili did, blinking and looking away to everyone else. Her face adopted a sheepish expression and she backed away.
Then, Serena stopped and dug into her bag, pulling out a handkerchief, holding it out towards him; it wasn't the one that had brought them together, but the memory was more than enough. His Pokémon turned and saw her, but didn't say anything right away.
"Oh, than…" Ash stopped, gazing at the handkerchief and then looking up until he saw her. She smiled down at him, and he made no movement or expression for a moment. Pikachu was the first.
"Pipika!" he cried, jumping towards her. Her hand dropped the handkerchief, Ash catching it as she caught the little mouse. Ash just flapped his mouth a bit, and finally, his eyes smiled.
"Serena!" he said, his lips finally twitching upwards. She freed one of her hands then and held it outwards. He gazed at it a moment and then reached forward, clasping it, along with the handkerchief.
"Welcome back, Ash." And his smile was everything to her in that moment; it was the only one that mattered. Finally, that was enough.
Author's Note: I feel like not much happened in this chapter, yet it was still important to actually have it happen. If it didn't, I feel that things would have been way too jumpy. However, there were a lot of things going on, really. The captains and the Tapus seem to be preparing, and apparently, Ash was always going to be late. Of course, I'll dive more into him next chapter. But here, at least, you get to see part of the reason I struck on a month timeskip: it allowed the chance to evolve Hakamo-o (considering what's to come) and finalize the movesets that I wanted them all to have. Likewise, when it comes to Clanging Scales, I changed it a bit, mostly because I find it weird that Kommo-o, a physical oriented Pokémon, has a signature move that's special-oriented. I turned it into sort of both.
Hope all of that works for you. Either way, next chapter will be pretty important…well, okay, they're all going to be important from here on out.
So, all that stuff out of the way, I'm going to thank everyone that has stuck with me for so long: ADUAN II, Anon9421, Eldergi, FrivMasterAnthony2, Rokudosatoshi, ViolaFlute and AmourshippingSatoSereCanon for favoriting; DrkMgcn, Randomness96, TheEnigmatic97, tikki03, SweetNSavery, blizzardblaze174 and barry1dn for following; and a really huge thanks to Amourshiper35, Nina The Fangril, Tenzalucard123, aliensinnoh, Vibora1996, potat lasaro, Leaflame, FantasyLover88, Vivian Gray, Gehatik, XDiamondX90, Omegaz, RWBYSanctum, Shining Aura, PokeGirlPG21, AdvancedAlto, thatsmybusines43, ultimateCCC, AmourshippingCanon, ChE clarinetist, The Aura Gardian, Cottonmouth25, TheShapeH31, jlogan2748 and 1 guest for reviewing. I hope you're enjoying this final installment so far and will keep going with me to the end. Until that next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.
