The walk to Iki Town was a short one, on which Sol and his mysterious friends accompanied Piper and her mother to the kahuna's house. Although Piper wanted to spill all of her stories to Sol and reminisce over old memories they had shared together, she found herself distracted by his companions' pale blue skin and armor-like outfits. The taller of the pair—Dulse, he said—spoke matter-of-factly, introducing himself briefly before going mute for the rest of the walk. The younger girl named Zossie chattered rapidly, obviously well acquainted with Sol.
Piper couldn't help but wonder if Sol had made better friends without her. Back at Striaton, it had usually just been the two of them. But something had changed…
She had parted with Sol and his strange friends after Kahuna Hala had decided to usher her and her mother into his home. Sitting on a woven wicker chair, sipping an iced water, Piper still found it hard to believe Sol's companions had naturally blue skin. Maybe they cosplayed? Was it an island custom to show up in blue skin and a tight scuba-esque suit? Piper shook her head, setting her drink down.
"We've got a lot to learn about this place." Whimsy nodded amiably, cuddling up to Piper's shoulder. Piper's mother had fixed a bandage on Whimsy's battle wounds from the afternoon before, but something told Piper today's battle would be too hot and sweaty for it to stay on.
"Worry not, child." The kahuna stood opposite her, over a dining table longer than Piper's entire room. "Between the professor, me and the guardian deity, you are in good hands."
"Don't forget about me," Piper's mother joked, setting her own drink on the table. "I like to think I can take care of her too."
"Of course!" Piper glanced over to see Professor Kukui had entered the room, followed by Lillie. The professor smiled encouragingly at Piper before unpacking a slim, cylindrical case from his bag. "This is something we all agreed on—it would be good for you to carry these on your journey." Kukui pressed a button and the case unlatched, revealing five identical standard pokéballs. "Pretty cool, huh? You haven't caught any Alolan pokémon yet, so this is a special gift from me."
Piper turned to Whimsy as she found a spot in her backpack for the capsules. "We really need to get you some new friends, don't we?" Whimsy yawned indifferently.
"Does Whimsy not like making new friends?" Lillie observed the cotton pokémon carefully. "She seemed fine around Nebby." At the mention of its name, a muffled pew! came from inside her bag.
"Whimsy likes other pokémon, as long as they're not on my team," Piper explained, shooting the cottonee a sour look. "She likes to be the star." Whimsy affirmed this with a curt nod, puffing out her plush body.
"Well, tonight Whimsy can be the star of the festival," Piper's mother said warmly.
"That's right. You'll battle my grandson Hau tonight to honor the great guardian deities." Kahuna Hala moved towards the door, beckoning for the others to follow him. "He looks forward to starting his island challenge tomorrow with you."
"Island challenge?"
"Sure. You're gonna go on one of your own, you know!" Kukui stepped into the glowing sunshine, making his way to the wooden battle platform. A throng of villagers surrounded the platform, holding small children in their arms or sitting side-by-side with their pokémon. Youthful musicians accompanied a flute melody with their hollow drums, letting the sound carry onto the wind. Piper saw Sol had managed to secure himself a spot in the crowd, although his two friends had left.
"It's a bit similar to challenging gyms in Unova." Suddenly, Lillie halted, staying close to one of the torches lighting the town path. "If you don't mind, everyone, I'd prefer to stay here until the battle finishes…"
"Why?" Both Piper and Whimsy gave her a quizzical look. Why would anyone pass up the opportunity to see a fun festival battle? Even if it was casual, surely viewers could still learn something from it.
"I don't like seeing pokémon fighting each other. Or anyone getting hurt, for that matter…" Lillie faltered, a conflicted look settling over her face. "Oh, but if it's you battling, and Hau, I suppose it would inspire Nebby…" An eager pew came from her bag.
"That's the spirit!" Kukui motioned for Piper to step up to the platform. She glanced back at Lillie, who gave her the slightest smile as Piper climbed the steps to the battlefield. Across from her stood a dark-skinned boy, tanned by the Alolan sun. His evergreen ponytail shone in the sunlight, and his broad smile radiated a happiness rivalled by no one in the village.
"So you're Piper!" The boy flashed a toothy grin at her. "I hope you're not too jetlagged to battle!"
"Not at all," Piper replied smoothly, though she didn't know how true her statement was. Taking her place on the wooden platform, she felt her heart pound with excitement. My very first trainer battle in Alola. She glanced at the crowd below her. More people had arrived than she thought would, buzzing warmly with the sounds of their trivial conversations.
More people to watch me win.
"Hey, Piper!" Sol stood beside the platform, waving. In his hand he displayed a pokéball, scrawled on with inky letters. "It's a good-luck gift!" Piper caught the capsule with agile ease, turning it over in her palm. TESLA, the pokéball read.
"Hey, you can't do that," Piper protested. "I didn't even get you a present—how am I supposed to get you back?"
"Buy me a malasada and we'll call it even?"
"Deal." Already, the anxious feelings she had about growing distant from Sol were displaced by ones of strength and excitement. Piper turned back to Whimsy, who scowled disdainfully at the capsule in Piper's hand. Piper rolled her eyes. She had already known the cotton pokémon would be pissed as soon as she saw the pokéball. But it was about time they gained a new team member, even if she didn't use it straight away.
"Good evening. As Melemele's own island kahuna, I welcome you to the annual Iki Town festival." Kahuna Hala's voice boomed like the hollow drums around the battlefield as he took his place on a podium behind the platform, there to judge the battle. "Standing before you are two promising youths. One is Hau, my own grandson, a native to this village. The other is Piper, of Driftveil City, who has had an encounter with Tapu Koko!"
Murmurs dwelled underneath the beat of the drums. Piper knew not to listen to the crowd—part of battling was a performance. She couldn't let anything distract her from her efforts. Still, she snuck a small glimpse of the crowd, her heart rising to see Sol give her a smile of encouragement. The kahuna's words became distant, as he offered a prayer to the guardian deity.
"For all life on this island, 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 pokémon battle be an offering to our island's guardian deity—Tapu Koko!" The kahuna lifted his head from his praying position, motioning for Hau to send out a pokémon.
"Aria, come on out!" A royal blue pokémon burst forth from the capsule, clapping its flippers eagerly. It bore a lighter frill around its neck, and its body slimmed towards the back to give shape to a finlike tail. The color palette was mainly blue, so Piper had to assume it was a water type.
We've got this. Renewed confidence surged through her veins as she tightened her hands into fists. "Whimsy, let's go! Use—"
A blinding light exploded from her hand as a second creature formed on the battlefield. A tiny larva-like pokémon scuttled around on its stubby legs, its grey body housed by an orange and yellow shell. Two mandibles protruded from the pokémon's face, clipping anxiously as it awaited Piper's orders.
"Whoa! That's not allowed!" Hau called from across the platform, crossing his arms. The crowd muttered in agreement, whispers drifting back and forth like a rocking boat.
"I'm afraid the boy is right, Piper," Kahuna Hala said. "Now that you've accidentally sent out that grubbin, you must recall the cottonee."
"I didn't mean to send out Grubbin—er, I mean, Tesla," Piper protested. The spectator's murmurs swelled. I did accidentally hit the release button on that pokéball, though. So I guess it's only fair…Reluctantly, Piper reached for Whimsy's capsule, recalling the pokémon despite Whimsy's sour gripes. It's just you and me now, Tesla. And that other kid's clown seal.
"The battle will resume!" Hala declared, drawing cheers from the crowd. "Trainers, whenever you're ready!"
Piper grit her teeth. Tesla's move set remained a mystery, considering Piper had only obtained it mere minutes ago. She didn't know its typing, nor its power. The new pokémon crawled around the wooden plank of the battlefield, turning back to see when Piper would give orders, but Piper's voice failed to function. She was out of ideas.
"Man, I was tryna be polite but if you're just gonna stall, I'll take the first move!" Hau grinned across the battlefield, his relentless smile threatening to split his face in half. "Aria, use pound!"
"Tesla, dodge!" Piper shouted frantically. Think. Think. What would my teachers do? She had used rental pokémon before at Striaton Academy, so what made this situation any different? Hau's pokémon waddled across the battlefield as best it could, while Tesla circled backwards to avoid it. Both seemed to be fairly weak, so Tesla probably had a weak move set.
"Use tackle!" Tesla perked up the name of the move, scuttling furiously at Aria. The seal pokémon yelped, sent rolling when Tesla charged into its side. Yes! "Use tackle again!"
"Hey! Aria, try water gun!" Aria spit a jet of water from its mouth, a narrow stream that spattered the crowd in mist as it hit its target's shell. Tesla landed helplessly on its back, groaning as it struggled to turn back on its side. Aria took that as a signal to keep firing ruthlessly without Hau's instruction. With each jet Tesla clearly became more disoriented, rolling against its will across the platform.
If I don't act quickly, this battle will be over in a couple seconds. "Tesla, try jumping to get back on your feet!" Unfortunately, Tesla's feet were barely six little grey nubs, useless for jumping. But by a stroke of luck, Aria's water gun propelled the larva pokémon off the ground, sending Tesla flying. Tesla squealed, rotating in the air as best it could in an attempt to land on its feet.
"Nice recovery!" Hau remarked, to Piper's surprise. But I don't plan on losing my first battle. Aria, use growl!" The aquatic pokémon panted breathlessly, water dribbling from its maw. A shaky snarl escaped its jaws, but Tesla mustered enough energy to hiss back, clicking its mandibles ferociously.
"Tackle!" Tesla scurried painstakingly, tripping on the ground as it rushed towards Aria.
"Not so fast!" Hau whistled, calling Aria backwards. The aquatic pokémon wriggled back, slapping its flippers meant for the sea against the wooden battlefield. "Use water gun!" Aria gurgled, intermittently spitting out small bursts of water like a broken sprinkler system. Tesla slipped, sliding across the battlefield and straight into the seal pokémon. The two crashed on the ground in an inelegant heap.
"Tesla, use…" Piper stared blankly at the brawlers, wishing she had studied Alolan pokémon in depth at school. It couldn't be that Tesla's only move was tackle, could it? "Just poke it! Poke Aria!" A flush of shame took over her face, but she truly couldn't think of any more inventive ideas. So much for being a star student.
Tesla jabbed at Aria with its sturdy mandibles, causing the seal pokémon to wince and occasionally, let out a pitiful whimper. Hau called out an attack, but neither pokémon seemed to hear him. Finally, Aria broke free and bit into Tesla's hard shell with a set of sharp canines. Tesla yelped, causing the crowd to shrink back. Blood trickled from its back and onto the wooden boards.
High above, a shrill cry sounded across the town, so loud Piper wondered if she had imagined it. But Hau turned his head to the heavens as well to watch a bolt of lightning strike open the sky, although there were no clouds nor storms to be seen. The crowd fell silent, waiting for Hala's instruction.
After brief introspection, the kahuna cleared his throat. "It appears the island guardian has blessed us with its presence! We may only hope Tapu Koko enjoyed the exciting battle brought to you today. This match will end in a draw."
Piper groaned. She couldn't remember the last time she'd battled so foolishly that she had to call a draw. Maybe if she had studied more, or read up on Alolan pokémon before her flight—
"Hey, nice job." Hau's voice startled Piper, as she turned her head to see the boy standing right in front of her, his hand extended. Worry swarmed her head like beedrill around a nest before she realized Hau's comment was not sarcastic, but genuinely heartfelt.
"Me?"
"There's no one else battling, right?" Hau laughed, throwing Piper off-guard. "It was a great first battle for Aria. We had a lot of fun together!"
Piper shook his hand, unable to stop herself from smiling. The boy's enthusiasm was contagious, even if she didn't necessarily believe his peppy words... "You battled really well, too."
"Well, I am the kahuna's grandson after all! It'd be a shame if I didn't live up to my ol' Tutu's title, right?"
"That must be rough," Piper agreed. "But you got the island guardian's blessing. No one can dispute you on that, right?"
"We'll see," Hau replied. "People always find a way. Aren't you going to put your grubbin back in its pokéball? It could get injured more if you keep it out."
"Grubbin," Piper repeated, recalling the bruised pokémon back to its capsule. She would remember that name and research it later. The professor could certainly provide information on the specimen, although Piper was fairly sure that she could find the same details online. And fortuitously, Kukui awaited her at the edge of the wooden platform, with the kahuna and Lillie by his side.
"Great battle, you two!"
"Needless to say, that battle pleased Tapu Koko very much," Kahuna Hala added. "I look forward to our own battles when you progress in your island challenges."
"Island challenges?" Piper glanced around, searching for her mother. She was swaying next to the village's traditional dancers, already caught up in the local culture. "Mom said I was here in Alola to relax…"
"Ha! I think what your mother meant was that you need to learn some lessons, kid. Lessons about not stressing too much." Kukui ruffled Piper's dark hair, which only served to stress her out further.
"Not that again. Besides, an island challenge is sort of like challenging gyms, right? It's about striving to be the best."
"Tch, child," the kahuna scoffed, assuming a serious stance. "It's more than just about ranking yourself. The island challenge is a journey to overcome your own limitations as you travel the far corners of Alola, and meet others along your path. It is a journey of self-discovery and finding the strength in your soul to prevail through hardships." Hala paused, narrowing his eyes in case Piper dared to disagree with him. "Yes, there is a certain element of aiming to be the strongest trainer of the four islands. But if you cannot find that strength within yourself…you could lead yourself down a very dark path, as I have seen many children go before."
"Woah there, Tutu, let's not scare Piper out of Alola just yet!" Hau chuckled nervously, turning back to Piper. "I had no idea Professor here didn't tell you I'd be accompanying you on the island challenge. He told me it might be good for you to have a native guide you across the region."
That would be helpful, Piper agreed.
"And you have your mother's blessing," Lillie chimed in, who had remained quiet throughout the whole conversation. Hau and Piper gave Lillie a look of bewilderment. "What? She told me while we observed your battle."
"Well…it would be nice to get back to battling," Piper admitted. Today's battle had been her first trainer battle in weeks, and she missed the feeling of having a winning streak. But she couldn't imagine why her mother consented to Piper's island challenge, when the stress of battling had been what made them leave Unova in the first place.
"Then take this." Hala presented a stone bracelet laden with intricate carvings to Piper, which she accepted gratefully. "The guardian must have wanted you to keep this z-ring. As your bond deepens with your pokémon, the z-ring will be able to harness that energy and release it in battle."
"Now all you need is a z-crystal to put inside it!" Kukui remarked.
Piper's head spun. Sol had brought up the concept of the island challenge a couple times during their weekly video calls, but the details were hazy. "Those are similar to badges, right?"
"Well, sorta, except you can do way more than just polish them. No offense or anything."
"If I may." Lillie stepped out from behind the professor, pointing out a hollow groove on the band. "This spot allows you to lock in a crystal, which you'll most likely obtain throughout the island challenge. Then, you've got to do a special set of movements to channel energy from your pokémon."
"For someone who doesn't like battles, you sure know a lot about them," Hau commented, prompting a soft blush from Lillie.
"T-Thanks?"
"Most trainers have to search for their own sparkling stone to forge into a Z-Ring. But it seems Tapu Koko blessed you with a stone early in your journey. Perhaps it has a mission for you," Kahuna Hala contemplated, his brow furrowing.
"Well, I sure hope not." Piper grinned sheepishly. "With all due respect to the island guardian, I've got strict orders from Mom to relax."
Sol had waited for her, leaning against the wooden fence that divided Iki Town from the darkening woods. He looked the same as always: his chestnut hair breaking free from his preferred hairstyle no matter how much hair product he used, thick rimmed glasses, and of course that lab coat embroidered with a golden trident swaying around his lean body. It was as though nothing had changed in the past couple years. Except for his work, and his friends.
"Sorry about that," Sol apologized as she took her place beside him. "I shouldn't have given you Tesla before the match."
"Nah, it's fine. It was my fault for accidentally letting Tesla out." Piper lazily blew a strand of inky hair out of her face. Now that it was just the two of them, she could relax.
"Do you like her?" It took Piper a moment to realize Sol was referring to Tesla.
"I think she's cute, but Whimsy…well, you know how Whimsy is." They both giggled, Sol's laugh airily rising above the afternoon breeze.
"I remember that one time, you had to rent out a second pokémon at Striaton to participate in double battle tournaments…man, that panpour was toast at the end of class. It was like Whimsy didn't recognize him as her own team."
"No, she did," Piper replied dryly. "She just hates the thought of anyone else stealing the spotlight. Speaking of, I won't be letting her out for the rest of the night. Did you see the sour look she gave me when Tesla jumped on the battlefield?"
"Well, I've got worse news, I'm afraid."
"Shoot."
"Tesla's sort of affectionate."
"Damn!" They both knew that had Tesla been some indifferent, callous pokémon unwilling to socialize, Whimsy would've been just fine because it meant she could hog Piper's attention for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Whimsy hadn't been so lucky…
"But Tess is a real fighter. A rescue, too—so I know she'll be able to hold up against Whimsy's pettiness. I'm hoping she'll be the one to change her mind about working as a team," Sol said.
"I sure hope so."
"If you take her out, I can clean up her wounds and give you the full rundown on how to take care of her. Something tells me you're not the best with first aid."
"Yeah, yeah…" Sol had always been the one to patch up their pokémon after class in the Striaton dormitories. He had endless experience of administering pills to Rocky, wrapping casts for Rocky's limp, and trying new physical therapy routines for the pup that Piper knew she couldn't hold a candle to his medical expertise. Eventually, she had just let him take over of Whimsy's care routines since force feeding her sitrus berries never seemed to work.
Tesla crawled across Sol's shoes, blood drying on her hard shell. Sol clicked his tongue, pulling a first-aid kit from the inside of his lab coat.
"Lookin' good, Nurse Joy."
"Shut up. Most Aether employees have these shoved up their coats just in case we run into a sick pokémon." Sol sprayed a solution onto a washcloth, then gently dabbed the cloth along Tesla's shell. Tesla squirmed, but kept herself from running away. "Tesla is a normal-type, although she looks a lot like a bug. Grubbin gain dual-typing once they evolve a second time."
"I'm guessing Tesla is far too weak to reach that stage yet."
"Mhm." Sol reached for a tube of antibacterial cream, gently swabbing it over the grubbin's back while holding her gently, preventing her from wriggling. "First she has to evolve into charjabug, but even that'll be a while." Sweeping his supplies back into the kit, Sol dusted his hands and hid the kit back under his coat. Piper snorted.
"You should just give up that program at work and become a doctor."
"Who says my work at the Aether Foundation isn't medically based?"
"It isn't," Piper replied smoothly. "If it was, you'd have told me already."
"Pipes." Sol smiled gently and cautiously, as though he was about to chide a stubborn preschooler. Piper hated that look. If it weren't Sol addressing her, she would have already started to complain. "You know I can't release information about my job. But the research I'm working on is far from the medical field."
"Tch." Piper resisted the urge to pout. Best friends didn't keep secrets, but someone of Sol's status had to. If he accidentally leaked information regarding his confidential project, the media would probably get a hold of it and his mother would have to pick up all the pieces. "It's a shame you can't do medically based work. There's gotta be a cure for Rocky out there somewhere, right?"
"They've been funding his healthcare, actually." Sol perked up, his face glowing in the firelight of the torches. "Not that I needed the money, but it's very kind. Rocky gets treated once a week at the hospital facilities of Aether."
"As do your blue-skinned friends?" Sol made a contorted face at Piper's comment, and she wondered if she had said something insensitive. "I mean, that's a medical condition, right?"
"It's more of a biological thing."
"And equally confidential as the Aether project?"
Sol made a noise that sounded like a cross between an exhale and a train whistling. Piper laughed.
"You can just say yes, you know."
Sol huffed. "I promise not every at Aether is top-secret."
"I'm sure. I'll still visit you one day when I'm not caught up in the island challenge."
"You will," Sol agreed. "But I'm certain we'll cross paths nonetheless. I'll be doing plenty of field work this summer, and you're highly mistaken if you think I won't make time in my schedule to see you."
"Sure. Wouldn't want to miss the rise of the world's next champion, eh?" Piper elbowed him playfully, drawing out an eye-roll from her best friend. Finally, things were back to normal.
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. You'd annoy all the challengers off the island, and then you'd have no competition!"
Piper couldn't contain her laughter, feeling a warm sensation running through her veins as Sol joined her in her giggling. Past them, the festivities continued, and as Piper caught her breath she watched the torches crackle and flicker in the evening light. The breeze played with her hair, bringing the refreshing scent of a new start: a new start in a new region, with the sweet aroma of exotic flowers and grilled delicacies.
Maybe moving to Alola was the right choice after all.
romeocitychicag: Thanks! I plan on exploring the side-effects of shiny breeding further, and how that affects Sol and Rocky's life together. And although your theory is plausible, I actually have a different love interest intended for Piper ;) Although his name doesn't show up as a character tag, which is a little inconvenient :/
B-League Bratwurst: Piper's storyline is definitely a little more run-of-the-mill compared to Sol's because she's going on the standard island challenge, albeit there are some twists and turns for her and her team. Although both of them are protagonists, Sol's going to have a lot more original content because I wanted to portray what I thought it would be like to working on a top-secret project at the Aether Foundation.