A/N: Just a small tidbit, but it's come to my attention that my line breaks aren't showing up for some readers and it makes it hard to tell where one scene ends and another begins. I apologize if they never showed up for you because it looks totally unprofessional on my part! I went back and made sure they appeared, so hopefully they're fixed now! Please do let me know if they still don't show up for any of you, I'll try my best to see what's keeping them from appearing.
Also, please do not under any circumstance leave a review for the sake of counter-reviewing somebody you don't like (so far this only goes for one person, you know who you are). I would honestly rather see a super negative review full of hate than a counter review, because at least someone who leaves a negative review took the time to read my story and give me feedback. A counter-review does nothing for me or my story, looks totally immature, and is just absolutely annoying to see as an author (seriously, I get so excited to see a new review and then that excitement goes away when I see that your review has absolutely nothing to do with my story and instead with another user reviewing my story). Cut it out. If you leave a counter-review on my story, you will be blocked. I've already stated not to do this multiple times in the past, I'm done giving warnings.
Anyways, hope you're all just as excited as I am for the new Pokémon titles, Sword and Shield! What's your favorite starter?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon nor do I own any of their characters. This is merely a fan story written using the template Game Freak has provided with Pokémon.
Rated T for: Mild adult language, violence, and drug usage
CHAPTER THREE
COMPANIONSHIP
The light breeze that snaked through the palm trees of Mahalo Trail was soothing. The last of Tapu Koko's lightning contrails faded and the dark night sky took over Melemele Island in a pitch black panorama, freckled by the illumination of millions of stars.
Ray sat on the ground clutching his knees with a wide grin drawn on his face. His heart wouldn't stop beating at a million-miles-an-hour. His breathing was deep and heavy, still trying to catch up with his mind. Nervous sweat finally stopped dripping from his forehead.
There was no doubt in his head that he had just been saved from his untimely death by Tapu Koko, the island's Guardian Deity. But Tapu Koko was rarely ever seen by most people, even its most devoted worshippers. Why would it come to save him of all people?
"What in the world..." Ray muttered in awe, his body slowly beginning to reach harmony again.
Tapu Koko was the most revered Pokémon on all of Melemele. Even though it had been worshipped since the ancient times, nobody knew what caused it to appear in front of people. Ray had been told by some people that it only appeared in front of trainers destined to be heroes, but he had also been told by others that it showed itself to trainers as a warning that it was keeping watch on their mischievous acts.
Either way, Ray was certain he had just seen Tapu Koko.
"Was that... the Guardian Deity?" the dressed-up blonde girl he helped asked when the two came to their senses. "That was the Pokémon that saved you. I have seen illustrations of it in the books I read."
Ray ignored her and continued to sit on the ground, taking deep breaths to calm himself. The warm Alolan breeze coupled with the light rustling of palm trees and roaring river gave him the sanctity of a clear head to fully process his thoughts. His short encounter with Tapu Koko was either an auspicious moment or a dark omen to begin his journey with, but there was no way for him to know for sure.
"That was incredible." Ray breathed deeply, still ignoring the girl. There was no way he would be able to come down from the rush he was having. "If only my parents were here to see this."
"Um..." the girl said softly. Ray turned his head and noticed that she was gazing at him, her guilt from earlier seemed to have subsided a little. Although she still seemed a little reserved. "Thank you so much... for saving Nebby. I wish I could give you something to show my thanks but... I do not have anything..."
"Oh, no no no! Don't worry about it!" Ray assured her with a grin. Nebby, the strange-looking Pokémon by her side, seemed to be happy about his help as well. "After all I'm a Pokémon trainer, that's what we do!"
Being able to refer to himself as an actual Pokémon trainer for the first time felt surreal, but Ray could definitely get used to that.
"I... um... I am Lillie," the girl introduced herself with a smile. There was a bit of reservation to her introduction, but Ray figured it just had to do with meeting a new person. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier, it was quite rude of me."
"I'm Ray," he stood up and introduced himself back. To him, Lillie seemed to have some sort of formality to the way she spoke, like the dialect of someone who grew up incredibly rich. And the way she dressed seemed to confirm that.
Lillie stuck out her hand and in her palm was a sparkling stone. "The Guardian Deity dropped this before it flew off. I think it is for you."
"What's this?" Ray asked and took the stone from her hand. He lightly ran his hands over it. Though the darkness of night made it hard to see, Ray could tell the stone was almost completely grey, with the center bearing a colored inscription unlike anything he had ever seen.
"I cannot say that I know what it is..." Lillie frowned. "But the Guardian Deity dropped this itself. It can only be for you."
"Well thanks..." Ray shrugged and carefully placed it in his backpack. The least he could do was keep it with him as a thanks to the Guardian Deity that saved him.
"We should... probably get back to the festival," Lillie told him. "It is getting late and I do not want my mentor to get upset."
"Iki Town... festival... right..." Ray stammered. He completely forgot that he was missing the festival!
"And... one more thing..." Lillie stopped him just before he was about to head back down the path to Iki Town. She opened up a large duffel bag she was carrying and to Ray's surprise Nebby happily hopped into it without any sort of resistance. "Please... do not tell anyone about this... about seeing Nebby... it... it is a secret, okay?"
"Uhh... okay..." Ray nodded slowly. That's weird... she just stuffed her Pokémon into a duffel bag like that? And why does she want to keep a weak Pokémon like that a secret?
"Um..." Lillie continued awkwardly. "I am worried we might get attacked by a wild Pokémon or something. I know it is too much for me to ask it, but... do you think you could see us back to town?"
"Yeah, sure." Ray agreed with a blank stare. He will still completely taken aback by the fact that he had just seen her stuff her Pokémon in her bag. Not a Poké Ball or anything, but a full-on duffel bag.
He turned around to face the direction of town and continued to slowly trek down the hill. He could hear Lillie following him, but he didn't dare turn around to face her. There was just something about her perfect formality that gave him the creeps.
Ray and Lillie finally managed to completely the downhill trek out of the scenic Mahalo Trail and back towards Iki Town. Even though the darkness of night had completely enveloped Melemele Island, the lit tiki torches to the side of the path gave them the brightness they needed to walk at night.
There was no conversation between the two along the way, something about Lillie just made Ray feel uncomfortable. Nor did she give him the warm feeling that he usually got when he made a new friend. Instead he felt more like a bodyguard to her. He didn't have any contempt towards her, but something about her just made him feel like he should be a little more cautious.
As they got closer to the town, something wasn't right. It didn't seem the same as before...
"The music stopped! And the lights are all gone! And I don't hear any voices!" Ray exclaimed and began to run down the hill. "Oh no, the festival ended!"
Just as he thought, there was nobody in town and every home light was on. The residents all looked like they ended the festival and were relaxing at home.
"We... we missed the festival!" Ray cried out. He fell to his knees in frustration, annoyed that Lillie's troubles caused him to miss seeing Professor Kukui. "I can't believe I missed the festival. Now I'll never be able to talk to Professor Kukui..."
"P-professor Kukui?" Lillie asked softly, finally speaking her first words since she left Mahalo Trail with Ray. She stopped beside him and looked down. "You would like to see Professor Kukui?"
Ray looked up to her with a sudden gleam of hope in his eyes. "You know Professor Kukui?"
"Why yes!" Lillie chirped. There was a newfound relief in her eyes. "He is my mentor! I can take you to his house if you would like. I am sure he would love to thank you for assisting me, he is probably worried about my absence."
Assisting you? Ray thought bitterly. It usually took a lot of effort to get Ray angry, but Lillie was gradually starting to get to him. What happened on that bridge was a hell of a lot more than "assistance"...
"That would be cool," Ray stated monotonously and stood up, wiping some dirt off of his shorts and knees. Despite his slight distaste for Lillie, she was currently his only link to the professor. He would take any chance he got. "He lives down by the beach, right?"
"Yes!"
"Okay then," Ray muttered with a smile. "Let's head over there."
She's taking me to the professor... maybe I can at least not be a complete asshat to her?
"That was a fantastic battle you two had! I could almost sense your energy, your ike."
Ailey nodded at Kahuna Hala who was sitting across the table from her as she scarfed down her plate of traditional Alolan vegetables. Ordinarily she would have responded instantly, but she knew better than to talk with her mouth full in the company of people. Instead, she happily filled her stomach that was empty from the battle as she listened to the Kahuna rave about her battle with Hau. Ailey still felt the adrenaline rush from the battle, but the delicious Alolan food was managing to calm her down.
After the battle, Kahuna Hala invited the teenagers to the Town Hall to celebrate the start of their Island Challenges with some Alolan food. Additionally, Kukui mentioned afterwards that he had a surprise for them, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Yeah, Ailey's got some amazing battle spirit," Hau replied to his grandfather after he gulped down some of his rice. "I think she might even be better than me, and I've lived on Melemele my entire life!"
Even though Ailey was still happily stuffing her face with food, she managed to force a big smile. It was nice to get compliments from total strangers about her battling style, especially since she was so unfamiliar with the capabilities of her Litten and Grubbin, Singe and Buzz. She glanced down towards the floor where her two Pokémon here hungrily chowing on bowls of PokéFood with Hau's Rowlet and Pikipek.
"Thanks guys," Ailey smiled happily as she finished the last speck of food left on her plate. "Hau had me at the end there. I should have taken some time to think over strategies before."
"Sometimes they just come to a natural prodigy like me, you know?" Hau boasted jokingly with a wide grin on his face.
"Yeah?" Ailey groaned at him in sarcastic annoyance. "Is that why I got the win when we battled yesterday?"
"Hey, beginner's luck is a thing," Hau joked again.
Ailey didn't respond and instead stuck her tongue out at Hau, who returned the gesture. Even though she knew he was joking, it still rubbed her the wrong way. There was still a little bit of fire left in her from earlier.
"Okay, settle down there you two," Kahuna Hala laughed heartily. "Besides, you still haven't seen your gifts from Professor Kukui."
"Gifts?" Ailey asked. "Wait... where's the professor? I thought he said he was gonna be here!"
"Unfortunately the professor is currently pulling his teeth out looking for his assistant." Hala shrugged. "That poor girl has a bad habit of wandering off on her own and getting completely lost. I sympathize with her, she has been here for a few months but is still unfamiliar with our sacred islands."
"That Lillie girl, right?" Hau asked with a frown. "There's something up with her. She's really protective of her stupidly large bag. I remember the only time I ever saw her she just broke down crying when I got near her dumb bag. She didn't bother to introduce herself, it was just crying right off the bat. She doesn't even train any Pokémon, what could she need such a big bag for? And why does she have to wear such a ridiculous hat?"
"Hoʻomaha, my grandson. Relax a little," Hala scolded his grandson with an Arbok-like glare. "We did not raise you to be judgmental of people, whether or not they are outsiders. You are an Alaka'i, do not tarnish the name with petty comments."
"I guess..." Hau sighed and crossed his arms, looking away from his grandfather. "Still though, she's not like the other outsiders. There's something sketchy about her, but whatever, that's none of my business."
"Anyways, if you are done being judgmental, I will go get your gifts from the professor." Hala stated to the teenagers.
The Kahuna slowly rose from his seat and walked out of their sight for a minute. Ailey and Hau could hear him fumbling around with some objects in the distance before he gasped and walked back towards the dinner table. In his hands was a red box wrapped with a gold ribbon.
"These devices will give you all the help you need on your Island Challenge." Hala said and placed the box on the table.
"What's in here?" Ailey asked. "What are the 'devices'?"
Instead of answering her, Hala smirked and undid the ribbon from atop the box. Once the ribbon was off, he took the top off of the box and the two curious teenagers peered in. Inside of the box was a pair of red gadgets with large display screens.
"What are these?" Ailey and Hau asked in unison.
"They are called PokéDexes," Hala answered and handed Ailey and Hau each a PokéDex. "They are know-it-all encyclopedias on every Pokémon discovered in Alola and they have communication functions like most mobile phones nowadays. You can even keep up with other trainers embarking on their Island Challenges."
"Whoa-ho-ho!" Hau marveled as he powered on his PokéDex. "This is amazing!"
Ailey powered her PokéDex up and looked at it curiously. She had heard of PokéDexes back when she lived in Kanto, but the rare few ones she saw looked like clunky books. This one, on the other hand, was sleek in design with most of its hardware space taken up by the large touchscreen. Besides the red coloration on the device, it looked identical to the "Unown-I Phone" that recently became a hit back in Kanto!
"So besides being an encyclopedia and a phone, what else can it do?" Ailey asked the Kahuna.
"Unfortunately, I don't know much about what else it can do..." Hala sighed. "You're better off asking Professor Kukui about that when you meet with him next."
"Aw..."
"Wait! I almost forgot!" The Kahuna exclaimed. "The PokéDex contains an important Pokémon security feature. You are able to 'register' any Pokémon you captured as your own. That way, only you or any other trainer you give permission are able to send them out of their Poké Balls. It makes it impossible for Pokémon thieves to use your Pokémon."
"Whoa!" Ailey and Hau replied in unison.
"How do we register our Pokémon?" Ailey asked.
"I'm not entirely sure..." Hala scratched his snow-colored hair in thought. "But I do remember Professor Kukui using his thumbprint to-"
"Did it!" Hau loudly interrupted his grandfather. "Super easy. Just tap 'register' in the main settings menu, scan your thumbprint, press your thumb on the button in the middle of your Pokémon's Poké Ball, and then scan your thumbprint on the PokéDex again! That was crazy easy, I just registered both Rowlet and Pikipek!"
"Oh wow..." Ailey muttered and found the option in her PokéDex. Following Hau's instructions, she registered Singe's Poké Ball first and then Buzz's right after. "You're right, that was actually pretty easy!"
"Yo Ailey..." Hau muttered and scrolled through his PokéDex. "There's a feature to check what moves your Pokémon know! Now you'll never have to go into battle without knowing what move to use like you did today!"
"What did you just say..." Ailey growled. She knew he was just joking around, but it still sent a spark up her spine. "I knew what moves to use, I just panicked."
"Oh come on, just give it a try!"
Ailey sighed and clicked on through her Pokémon's newly registered profiles. "Okay, it says that Buzz knows Vice Grip, String Shot, and Mud Slap. Singe knows Ember, Scratch, Growl, and Lick. Oh wow, that is pretty cool!"
"Looks like old Hala isn't much of a help anymore!" Hala interrupted their conversation and laughed heartily. "You kids are way ahead of the curve."
"Like I said, I'm a natural." Hau smirked.
"So now that you've got that settled, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Hala asked the kids.
Ailey didn't answer at first. Now that she thought about it, she didn't actually have a plan for beginning her journey. She knew she was going to get her starter and participate in a festival, but she didn't really think about what would happen after. Yeah she would have to give the Island Challenge a try in order to not piss off the professor and the Kahuna (even though she was still hellbent on researching the inner strengths of a Pokémon), but she had no idea where to even begin.
"Easy," Hau broke her thoughts. Ailey glanced towards him and saw that he had a more confident expression on his face. "We're gonna visit Hau'oli City first and stock up on some supplies. I can even give Ailey the grand tour of the coolest city in Alola. Then I'm going to get some information on where the Trial Captain here is!"
"That works for me, I'm totally clueless," Ailey admitted. She looked down at her two Pokémon, who had now finished their PokéFood and were staring at her intently. "Whaddaya say, guys? Sound like a good plan to you?"
Singe and Buzz responded with smiles and cheers.
"Well Hau, looks like you're gonna be my tour guide tomorrow." Ailey smirked. "Don't try and get us killed on the way there."
Hau shot her his signature grin. "I'll try my best."
Ray and Lillie continued down a small path away from Iki Town and towards the area where Lillie claimed Professor Kukui's lab was for what seemed to be an hour. It went downhill through some jungles and towards the southern beach of Melemele - or so they hoped. They came across almost no civilization at all and the further they moved down the path, the less confident Lillie appeared to be in navigating there. Ray had never met Professor Kukui once in his life, so he had no idea where to go. To his displeasure, he was forced to rely on Lillie's shaky guidance to get him there.
Along the way, the two of them still made almost no conversation. There was an occasional observation about certain Pokémon or objects they walked past, and Ray had called Fafnir out of its Poké Ball to give them a little more protection through the dark of night, but other than that it was almost a completely silent walk between them. Ray had already predisposed Lillie to be nothing more than a clueless tourist who didn't know anything about living in Alola, so he wasn't too thrilled to be relying on her.
"I... I think we need to turn off the path here..." Lillie instructed him softly.
"You sure about that?" Ray asked skeptically. "Cause we've made too many twists and turns. Are you sure you know where you're going? Or are you just leading me into some sort of trap?"
"I am sorry..." Lillie apologized. "I always get lost... no matter where I go... it is such a bad habit of mine..."
Ray shook his head without saying anything and continued to follow her. If the path there hadn't been so immersed in the peaceful nature of Melemele Island, he would have given her a real piece of his mind. He had never met anyone so clueless and unconfident about anything in his life.
Knowing better than to get mad at a stranger, Ray took a deep breath. He let the whistling of the humid wind calm his spirits before opening his mouth.
"It's okay," Ray muttered. "I guess even if you did know the way, it would be hard to navigate through the darkness."
"I really am sorry for getting you caught up in this..." Lillie looked down in shame. "If only I were... more careful..."
"Honestly, it's fine," Ray assured with a groan. "You're paying me back more than you know by taking me to see the professor. That's enough for me."
Ray continued to lead Lillie down the path she told him to turn into. Fafnir waddled in between them to keep an eye out on any threats, although there probably wasn't much a young Bagon like Fafnir could do.
"So... what is this Pokémon you have?" Lillie asked, her eyes fixed on Ray's Bagon. "It is really cute!"
"His name is Fafnir, he's a Bagon," Ray answered and looked to his little partner Pokémon behind him proudly. "He lived by the cliffs over Kala'e Bay, near my house. Most Bagon like to jump off the cliffs into the bay to practice flying, but Fafnir was about to jump off a part of the cliff that would have landed him on some rocks. I grabbed him before he could fall to his death and I guess we just became friends. He came by my house every night after that."
"What type is he?"
"From what I've read on the internet Bagon are Dragon-types. I guess it's a good sign that my first Pokémon is a Dragon-type because I always watch videos of Lance Hinotsubasa from the Kanto region, he's a Dragon-type master. Anyways, Bagon like to jump off cliffs because they think it'll give them wings. They developed some really tough hide in order to prevent them from falling to their deaths, but Fafnir here has some softer hide. The last thing I want is for him to jump to his death thinking he'll grow wings."
Fafnir growled, feeling insulted by Ray.
"Oh come on, buddy," Ray chuckled. "You know I'm just looking out for you."
"So are you planning on being a Dragon-type trainer?"
"I don't know, probably not," Ray shrugged. He hadn't really given it much thought. What type of Pokémon would he raise? Or would he focus on a type at all? "I guess I'll just see what different Pokémon I come across. It's hard to really answer that."
"I see... so it must be really nice to have parents that let you go out and become a Pokémon trainer..."
Ray stopped in his tracks briefly and clenched his fists. The mention of his parents raised his blood pressure again. He knew Lillie didn't have any ill intents about mentioning his parents, so it wouldn't be fair to get mad at her. Instead, he took another deep breath and calmed himself down quickly before resuming his walk.
"My parents and I..." Ray began with a defeated sigh. "We don't really see eye-to-eye. They don't want me to leave home to become a Pokémon trainer."
Lillie didn't initially respond, and when Ray turned back to face her he could see her eyes were wide and mouth agape. But there was something else he noticed in her eyes... comfort, maybe? Or empathy?
"Is there something wrong with that?" He asked.
"Not at all..." Lillie shook her head and cleared her throat. "So you ran away then?"
"Yup, I ran away a few hours ago. Right before the festival, in fact. That's why I need to see Professor Kukui. I need to get an Island Challenge Amulet and prove to my parents that I'm capable of traveling Alola. That I'm capable of raising Pokémon. That I'm capable of being who I want myself to be. They baby me way too much and I'm sick and tired of it."
Suddenly, Ray couldn't hear Lillie's or Fafnir's footsteps behind him anymore. He turned around and saw that she was standing in place a good distance behind him, looking at the ground. Even through the dense darkness, Ray noticed a single teardrop fall from her face to the grass below her. Even Fafnir was by her side, assuaging her by rubbing her shin with his stubby arms.
"What's wrong?" He asked and approached her. He could see there was a look of concern in his Bagon's eyes. "I can hear the ocean, we must be near the beach where you said the professor's lab was. Did you not want to go see the professor or something?"
"Nothing is wrong..." Lillie shook her head and wiped her eyes. "The topic of our conversation just made me remember some... unpleasant things."
"I-"
"Do not worry... I just need to calm myself..."
"Okay, sorry," Ray stated. Knowing better than to start poking around about what those "things" were, he just dropped the subject altogether.
Ray cleared through some palm trees when he heard Lillie and Fafnir both trail him again. Leading the way through the narrow trail in the jungle, he was finally able to see the horizon, moonlit water marking the border. They had finally made it to the beach.
"So if my memory is correct, this is the southern beach," Ray stated and walked onto the beach, small grains of sand beginning to flood into his shoes. The calmness of the ocean resonated with him and he deeply inhaled the salty ocean breeze. He turned back just to make sure Lillie had stopped crying, and instead he observed that she had a much more confident expression on her face.
"This is the place..." Lillie nodded. "The professor's lab should be right-AAH!"
Whoosh!
There was a rapid blur that raced in front of the pair, looping from their back-right and going into their back-left. Both Ray and Lillie fell on their butts. Not knowing what just happened, they started to shuffle backwards on the sand, not daring to accidentally turn their heads and spot their attacker. Unfortunately, the softness of the sand slowed them down considerably. Fafnir leapt in between them, ready to fight anything that dared to show its face in front of the Dragon Pokémon.
"What the hell was that?" Ray whispered in sudden fear. He looked over to Lillie, who almost looked paralyzed with fear. Ray figured there was no way she was going to be any help in this situations, anyways. "Fafnir, build up your Rage! Whatever that thing was... it's going to strike again!"
Fafnir nodded and began to glow red, anticipating an attack from any direction.
"AAAAHHHH!"
Lillie's sharp scream pierced through the calmness of the night. There was a loud growl and a large Pokémon jumped on top of Lillie with force.
"Lillie, no!" Ray shouted, looking towards the new Pokémon.
The first thing Ray noticed about the assailant was its glowing red eyes and its patterned bloody-crimson and white fur. It was none other than the feared beast of Alola's night - Midnight Lycanroc.
The absolute last thing Ray wanted to come across on his first day as a trainer was a feral Midnight Lycanroc. From what he had learned in school, they stopped at nothing to rip apart their prey to shreds. There were far too many horror stories of lonely trainers coming across the beast of the night. The poor souls who managed to live through a Midnight Lycanroc attack lived with permanent disabilities. But something didn't add up... Lycanroc always hunted by the cliffs or in the jungles, the only time they appeared on a beach was if a trainer deliberately brought them there.
What on earth was a Midnight Lycanroc doing on a beach?
"Fafnir, use-"
But before Ray could give his Pokémon a command, he suddenly heard Lillie begin to laugh loudly. On second glance, the Lycanroc didn't appear feral at all! In fact, it was playing with Lillie.
Ray shook his head to make sure he wasn't just hallucinating. Even Fafnir was completely perplexed.
"Aww, Lyca!" Lillie giggled and rubbed the Wolf Pokémon's belly, and Ray could tell that the Pokémon was actually happy to see her!
What the fresh hell is going on?
"You found Lillie, Lyca!" A suave voice called out from behind the pair.
"Wait a minute... you're-" Ray muttered and turned his head to look behind. He had heard that voice many times on the news, on battle shows, even on radio interviews. It was the voice he had been dying to hear in person for over a year now. And when Ray spotted him, a deep relief set in as he recognized the pearly-white lab coat draped over a muscular shirtless chest. It was none other than... "-Professor Kukui!"
"Sorry, cousin..." the professor scowled at his Lycanroc when he noticed the massive jolt of fear it gave Ray and Fafnir. "Hope Lyca here didn't startle you too much, yeah!"
A/N: Sorry that this chapter is a lot less Pokémon-based and more character-based. But because of that it's relatively short :) always gotta get some thick dialogue and character-building in every now and then :p
As always, please let me know in the form of a review or a private message whether you liked/hated anything about the chapter! I always like to go back and fix things up if I feel that they're not up to par, so everything helps!