Chapter 3

Karma returned to the Pokémon center with exhausted Pokémon. They had managed to beat quite a few wild Pokémon though and they all looked satisfied with their efforts. Except for maybe Makenkani. He was pacing back and forth on the Pokémon center floor as Karma bought more potions.

Karma withdrew her Pokémon and headed back out. From outside the Pokémon center she could see the ocean surrounding the other side of town. She walked along a large mansion surrounded by well kept hedges.

"That's where Ilima lives." Rotom-dex informed her. "He's this area's trial captain."

"Trial captain?"

"He's in charge of the island challenge for this area. We'll have to meet with him and pass his trial to move on."

"So…like a gym leader?"

"Not really."

On the edge of the beach walk was a large sweets shop. The smell of fried bread wafted down the catwalk. Karma spotted Hau through the window. He was sitting at a table, Malasada perched on the table a piece of soft bread in his beak. Karma headed inside.

"Hey! Karma!" Hau waved her over. "I got one for you too." He held out a large fried bread. "It's sweet flavored. I hope that's okay."

"Oh, thanks." Karma took the large bread. She bit into it. It was like a sweet sugared donut. "Are there non-sweet ones?"

"Yeah. Bitter, Sour, Spicy. I mean those are mostly for Pokémon though." Hau said. "How is it? These are my favorite. I used to beg Grandpa Hala to take me here to buy these." Hau grinned. "Now I can buy my own. The Island challenge is great! How are things going with you? Catch any new Pokémon?"

"Actually Karma can't-"

Karma grabbed Rotom-dex and shoved him in her bag. "I traded with an old friend of mine and got a growlithe."

"Cool!"

They finished their malasada's and headed back outside. "Malasada's are just the best. That's why I named Malasada after them."

"Doesn't that get confusing though?"

"YO YO YO!" Two teenage boys flanked them bobbing to a rhythm only they could hear. "Whenever, wherever we meet you, Team Skull don't even greet you!"

Both boys wore black tops with white X's on top they wore a heavy looking medallion emblazoned with a stylized skull. Their hair was dyed a matching Blastoise blue that pocked out around their white beanies. Their faces were obscured by the black bandana they wore over the lower half of their faces.

They synchronously crossed their arms in front of them then threw them out to their sides, making a sort of oval shape. "Yo! Wanna throw us a bone and hand over those Island Challenge amulets?"

"Ohhh." Hau sighed rolling his eyes. "So you're part of Team Skull, huh?"

Karma stiffened at the mention of 'Team'.

"They steal challenge stickers and Pokémon and get in the way of island challenges." Hau explained under his breath.

"You know it!" The grunt shouted enthusiastically. "We hate the island challenge, yo! And every kid fool enough to try it!"

"The island challenge is brutal, yo!" The other grunt chimed in.

"Why do you have to bother people who are just trying their best?" Hau sighed again. "Don't you have better things to do?"

"Yo, let's check these fools!" The first grunt shouted pulling out his pokeball.

"Come on, Karma!" Hau said pulling out his pokeball with a grin. "Let's teach these Team Skull jerks not to mess with island challenge goers."

Karma fingered her pokeballs in a panic. Images flashed through her mind, a black uniform with a red R. A Charmander lying at her feet. It's tail flickering over a puddle of blood.

"Karma, are you going to battle with me?" Hau prodded.

Karma drew Kadigo releasing him as the grunt released his Zubat. Hau and his Pichu were fighting the other grunt's Drowzee.

"Check out my mad Pokémon skills." The grunt with the Zubat said. "If you can't beat me, the island challenge will steamroll you, yo! Zubby, absorb."

The Zubat swooped down sucking life from Kadigo.

"Ember!"

Kadigo breathed out a tuft of flame.

"Astonish, yo!"

The Zubat swooped down and screeched in Kadigo's face. Kadigo let out another stream of flame. The Zubat faltered landing on the ground, its wings scorched red.

"Kadigo, bite!"

Kadigo lunged forward sinking his teeth in the Zubat's wings.

"Hey! Whoa!" The grunt dove forward and scooped up his Zubat. "Hey! Time out, yo! Ow!"

Kadigo's second bite sank into the grunt's shoe.

"No fair, yo!" The grunt yelped trying to pull his foot free. "I was playing a different game! Call it off yo!"

"Kadigo, return." Karma shouted, jolting out of her hesitance. "Kadigo!"

The Growlithe released the grunt and ran back to her side. He tilted his head as he looked up at her.

"Let's get up out of this port, B!" The grunt that had been battling Hau said, withdrawing his exhausted Drowzee. He helped the other grunt to his feet. "We don't need your amulets anyway!" He yelled back. "We wouldn't take them even if you begged. Come on B, let's get Zubby to the center."

"Man, you'd think they'd have something better to do then mess with people's island challenges." Hau sighed. "Its not like ruining other people's challenges is going to make it like they completed their own. You did a good job battling there Karma, I mean man, you're fierce."

"What was that?" A voice spat from behind. Karma whipped around to see a teenager in a flannel vest walking up to them. His Jigglypuff pink hair was clipped to the side in a small pigtail. His arms were crossed, and as he stopped his hip stuck out with attitude.

"Hey! Ilima! Karma, this is Ilima he's the trial captain. He'll be handling our-"

"Not right now, Hau." Ilima said holding out a half gloved hand. "You're Karma?"

"Y-yes." Karma said with a gulp. She was hoping she was imagining the angry glare in Ilima's eyes.

"So." Ilima said his steel eyes narrowing. "You're our challenger from Kanto. I see you've brought Kanto's battling style as well. Tell me, did the Team Skull grunt deserve a dead Zubat for inconveniencing you?"

Karma was shaking. "I-I." Her vision blurred as she sank down next to Kadigo. His white fur was splattered with blood. He tilted his head, letting out a whine.

"What was that?"

"I-I wasn't trying to…I was scared, I thought-" I thought they were going to try to kill my Pokémon.

"Whoa! Karma wasn't trying to-" Hau was cut off.

"If your opponent hadn't interceded you could've killed that Zubat." Ilima said darkly. "Your Pokémon feeds off of your drive for battle. A Pokémon whose trainer means no harm does no harm. Seeing as your Pokémon is willing to kill…what does that say about you?"

"Hey, it was a mistake." Hau protested. "Just look at Karma. She didn't mean anything by it, right Karma?"

Karma was too busy crying to respond.

"If you can't keep yourself under control then you should go back to Kanto. You realize I could end your island challenge for that."

"N-no! Please." Karma sobbed. "I didn't mean to! I won't do it again! I promise, please. Don't take my challenge amulet."

Ilima stared down at her. "You will proceed up route 2 to the Verdant cavern. That's where my trial is. I'll decide then what to do about you. I recommend you try not to kill anyone on your way up." He spun on his heels and strode away.

Karma tried desperately to wipe the tears from her eyes. But they were instantly replaced with more. Kadigo paced uncertainly.

"Are you alright, Karma?"

There was a flash of light from Karma's bag. Fukano and Row emerged. Row flew up to perch on her head while Fukano pushed his way into her lap. Karma wrapped her arms around Fukano pulling his neck fluff up against her face.

"I-in Kanto. T-team Rocket fights to k-kill."

"I'm sorry if Team Skull scared you," Hau said sitting down on the curb next to Karma. "You really don't have to worry about them. They've never hurt anyone. They're just annoying, that's all. Sometimes Pokémon get hurt in battle, but there's revives and Pokémon centers. It's rare for Pokémon to be killed in Alola."

"I-I thought revives didn't really work." Karma said.

"They work fine for most of the major injuries. I mean, they aren't exactly good for Pokémon, if you push a Pokémon that's had a bad injury too far they really can die. So you can't grow dependent on revives, but they can save a Pokémon and even get it ready to battle again."

Karma thought of the cool trainers back home. Their Pokémon were always covered in scars, sometimes to the point of being more scar then Pokémon. I'm not going to be like that. Karma thought looking into Fukano's round eyes. If my Pokémon ever get that hurt I'm retiring them. I won't risk it.

Fukano gave her cheek a gentle lick.

Karma stroked his fur, taking deep breaths.

"Want a malasada?" Hau asked, holding out another gigantic fried bread. "I was saving it for later, but…"

Karma took the malasada. Where were you even keeping that? She nibbled on it until the tears stopped. As she recovered she realized Kadigo was standing a ways away, his head hung.

"Kadigo," Karma called. The Growlithe plodded up to her tentatively. "It's alright. You're not in trouble. You did everything right. It was me who screwed up." Karma held out the rest of the Malasada.

Kadigo took a bite. He screwed up his face as he devoured the rest of the Malasada. As if every bite was atoning for some misdeed.

"I don't think he likes sweet things very much." Hau chortled.

Next time I'll give it to someone else. Karma thought, chuckling a little herself. "You don't have to eat that Kadigo."

Kadigo looked up at her, his face still screwed up. He bent down and choked down the last bit.

"Are you going to be okay?" Hau asked helping Karma to her feet.

"Yeah. I just need to be softer when I battle." She sighed. She reached into her bag and withdrew her Pokémon. "Its just hard to remember sometimes."

"Just remember, every battle is for fun." Hau said with a grin. "It doesn't matter who wins or loses, as long as everybody has fun."

"I'll… try to remember that." Karma said forcing a small smile. It's okay. I just have to prove to Ilima that I'm not a horrible person. Somehow.

"I'm going to go train a little before bed." Hau said. "See you later?"

"Yeah." Karma said. She waved as Hau ran off.

As soon as he was out of sight Karma headed back down the catwalk. "Rotom-dex?"

"Yes?" Rotom-dex zipped out of her bag. "What do you need?"

"You released Fukano and Row?" Karma asked.

"Well maaaybe." Rotom-dex said. After a moment he added, "I'm not good with understanding humans. I'm a dex, after all."

"Thank you." Karma said flicking his casing. "Let's head to the Pokémon center, alright? I'm sure you could use the charge. We both could."