Cottonmouth25: HOLY PLOT TWIST, BATMAN 8D
But I did drop hints in earlier chapters, mostly revolving around his uniform.
Gigarot: The music for Sun/Moon is really good, I agree- gives off a Mystery Dungeons Vibe sometimes.
Also the violins in Lusamine's first battle theme are my favorite.
theoneandonlylordmonkeyk night: You can message me via PM for finer details.
I mentioned earlier that Asalie's disdainful of dogs/ dog-like creatures (Chapter 3)
TheHolyBlade: Well, that's something ._.
Sol D. Mars: Thanks- I did my best to make it challenging.
Even in-game with my Dartix at lvl. 18, it was still challenging 0_0;
"Moo-aaarrr!"
"FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"
Asalie clung onto the Tauros as he slammed through the route like a juggernaut, smashing apart the rocks around Ten Carat Hill with ease.
After the battle with Hala, the old kahuna had given Asalie the same ride pager that Kukui used- while it didn't have a Dragonite on it, it did have a Tauros. The same Tauros Hala had carried away with his bare hands in Hau'oli City.
For the past month, Asalie had been taking lessons on how to ride Tauros- or rather, Pilipo, as Hau had nicknamed him- how to assemble the ride gear/ saddle and how to use Pilipo to smash across the rocks that had obstructed parts of the route before. Hau learned alongside her, though he was often as freaked out as she was when riding. That made her feel a lot better than it was probably healthy.
"All right, let's take a break!" Kukui called with a laugh as Pilipo ground to a halt by his lab, kicking up sand.
Kukui was a great help in this regard, as he showed them how to handle Pilipo as well as showing them the other ride Pokemon they would eventually add. While Dragonite had flown off and they had no Lapras or Machamp on hand, the professor gave them both information in how to ride them so they wouldn't be caught off guard once they required said Pokemon.
Asalie collapsed on her back, swirls in her eyes and a weak, crazed giggle in her throat. "Oh dear, " Lillie fretted and helped the brunette to her feet. "Here, lean on me."
Of course, the lessons' benefits out-weighed the possible injuries, vertigo and loss of sanity that came with riding Pokemon. Lillie was able to get the Ruins of Conflict and learn more of the lore around Tapu Koko- however, it forwarded no answers to help Nebby get home.
["So, you'll be heading over to the next island then?"] Ashwin said over the phone- Asalie returned home around 9 at night and managed to finally get a hold of her father.
"Yeah- well, not yet at least. I've still got to learn how to ride Pilipo, I need to get my passport and supplies and money in order, and I need to get a third team member," Asalie listed off what she needed to do.
["Well, just be careful- and try to call us when you can if you need anything, okay?"]
"Yeah, I gotcha."
["I'm really sorry I had to leave- and I'm really sorry I won't be able to see you off-"]
"It's okay- I know you're trying your best. And your boss is a total bitch."
["He really is!"] Ashwin laughed before he stopped and Asalie heard someone yelling over in the distance. ["Speak of the devil- I gotta get back to my shift. Love you, star."]
"Love you."
A click later and Asalie set down the phone and flopped on her bed- for all the talk of relaxing and taking in the comforts of home, she was doing very little of either. Rather, she was focusing on being ready for the next island and researching what she could.
Information of the trials never made it online and the trial captains were changed every time they reached a certain age, so the trials and the captains themselves were changed consistently. Asalie remembered Hau telling her that the kahunas of the island were chosen by the guardian deity Pokemon and that there was literally no choice to take it.
When it's put like that, I can see why his dad left- but it's still inexcusable to leave his son behind like that, she had thought with a frown.
Aside from that, she had restocked her supplies and looked over what she could bring to the next island without tearing a hole in her bag.
Ashwin had become more and more busy at work but still sent money and knick-knacks over to the house- Astin had gotten a job at the Trainer School along with Kekoa and was bringing the blond over for dinner now.
"Look at you- you've got friends like Lillie and Hau, you've got Pokemon and you're trying to live every day to the fullest," Astin said, tears in his eyes. "You're fuckin' incredible, Asa."
Asalie beamed at the praise, tears in her eyes as well. She wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. "Thank you Astin."
"So long as your happy- oh hey, you got a package!"
The brunette saw the item on the table and looked it over- the address from was from her old friend's house!
Asalie swiftly retreated into her room and started opening it up- inside was a sturdy looking chain necklace with a jet black crystal attached to it. Her eyes widened in surprise- this was her friend's favorite necklace!
She saw the letter and opened it up.
Hey Asa-
Sorry it's taken this long to get back to you- truth is, I'm a trainer now!
Asalie had to pause for a few moments to actually let this sink in before going on.
I know- crazy, right? We both met each other because we didn't want to play "trainers" with the other kids.
Now here I am, a trainer with two whole badges! That's right, I beat Brock and Misty and I'm resting in the Daycare Center outside of Cerulean City as I'm writing this!
The brunette couldn't help the prideful smile on her face.
Thing is, I'm not doing this to be the best or be a strong trainer or anything-
See after you left, Professor Oak came over to our school to talk about the benefits of his research into Pokemon and how there were a lot of different wants to interact with them.
But then at the end of his lecture, he said that being a trainer wasn't all there are different kinds of trainers and occupations- he told us that we could take whatever path we wanted.
You're probably rolling your eyes at me right now, but I was seriously inspired by that. Being told I could do what I want really made me happy.
I know how that feels, she thought, smile softer.
So how does this translate to being a trainer? Well I decided to pursue an internship with Professor Oak and I'm trying to catch Pokemon for him so we can update the pokedex further.
And I may have met this guy named Ryuki who looks really badass and uses dragon types who wants to be a musician- OKAY I ALSO WENT ON THE JOURNEY TO IMPRESS HIM, SUE ME
Asalie sweat-dropped as she read this part, though she completely sympathized with her.
As for the badges, they're just so when I catch stronger or more unruly Pokemon they won't kill or maim me. Brock and Misty even pointed out locations to catch rare Pokemon after I beat them!
Now that isn't to say I haven't had hiccups yet- being a trainer is HARD. I barely bathe, it's weird sleeping in new places, the Pokemon Center's plumbing is shit, being attacked by Pokemon on the side-
Asalie froze as she read the next sentence.
- and I even had to fight off some Team Rocket thugs in Mt. Moon!
Anyone who paid attention to the world knew who Team Rocket was- the infamous Mafia formerly run by Don Giovanni, formerly the Viridian Gym Leader, had been destroyed by Red. To hear that her friend had run into them before was troubling to say the least.
Nothing bad happened, though- I was actually able to beat them back!
Anyways, I hope Alola's treating you well- sorry again I haven't been able to get back to you earlier!
With love, Cece
Along with the letter, Asalie found a photo- in the center of them was a girl with teal-blue hair in pigtails, amber eyes and freckled skin wearing a bright orange jacket with yellow star on the front, baggy blue skirt, black leggings and brown boots and laces with a Clefairy and Nidorana in front of a house with fence and baby Pokemon behind it.
Next to her was a most bizarre looking bow with spiky white and red hair in a ponytail that reached his knees with bangs that obscured his eyes, tanned skin, smile that clearly had fangs and a red shirt and pants with black fingerless gloves and boots. "Arceus Almighty," she said incredulously. "Good luck with him, Cece..."
A week later, Asalie felt like she was starting to get the hang of riding Pilipo- if only because she no longer felt nauseous when they smashed down rocks and she could remember where to put the gear on her body. She was also able to backtrack across the routes and smash apart the rocks on Route 2, 3 and Verdant Cavern to find more items.
She continued taking pictures and sending them to Kaila, though she took some time since she tried to get the best shots she could during so- her most recent ones being of the end of Ten Carat Hill. The clearing had wildflowers, abundant Pokemon and a clear shot of the sky where some birds and flying types passed over. Asalie could spend hours there taking pictures or training her Pokemon.
One day was particularly sunny and Asalie sighed at the feeling of the sun on her skin- Pilipo was grazing, Pell was flying about and Bishop and Rotom-Dex were... talking? Well, communicating through electricity. She pulled out her bag and pulled out some energy bars- raisin and her newest favorite, macadamia nut- and starting munching on them while leafing through the photos she had taken that day.
"Send, send, send- nope, nope- send- nope, nope, nope, definitely nope-" she muttered between bites as she sorted out what to give Kaila and what to send to Cece, as she was still trying to write something back to her friend.
"Ruff!"
Asalie looked up at the noise to see a scruffy Rockruff with her bag handle in it's mouth. "Hey! Heyheyhey!" she snapped, yanking the bag back from the Rockruff- however the puppy Pokemon held on tightly even as Asalie pulled the bag back to her and the rock type hung off the ground.
"Little help, Pell?!" she asked and the Rowlet gripped the Rockruff with her talons and tried to yank it off- finally, Asalie got her bag bag, albeit with fang marks and Pell immediately sunk to the ground under the Rockruff's weight and her small wingspan.
"Ruff-ruff!" the Rockruff barked before trying to nibble on her wings only for Pell to send a razor leaf at the puppy Pokemon.
Unfortunately this did little to deter the Rockruff as it immediately went for Asalie's again. "Hey- no! No, you can't have this!" Asalie snapped, holding her bag out of reach of the puppy Pokemon while it jumped on her lap for leverage.
"Bzzt!" Bishop snapped, lifting the puppy Pokemon off of Asalie's lap with their magnets and set them down on the other side of the field- only for the Rockruff to run right back to them.
"Oh for fuck's sake- GO. AWAY," Asalie yelled/enunciated the words at the puppy Pokemon but the rock type only panted with excitement, a dumb and hopeful smile on it's face before trying to bite at her bag again.
"Dammit, leave me the hell alone!" she snapped, standing up to keep the bag out of the puppy Pokemon's grasp.
Finally, Pilipo just loomed over the Rockruff and sent it yelping away. Asalie gave a groan, her peace ruined- she gathered up her things and put away the photos she would send off and returned Pell and Bishop to their poke-balls before boarding the Taurus and riding away, good mood evaporated.
Stupid mutt...
Another few days passed and finally, Asalie was as ready as she could be to leave. She checked and rechecked her supplies and information, she had already sent Kaila and Cece their photos and letter respectively, she was able to say goodbye to her family- there was nothing left to do but head out.
"Asa!"
Hau and Lillie waved to her from the harbor and Asalie waved back as she ran up to them. Kukui was leaning against one of the pillars as he waved lazily while his Rokcruff barked excitedly.
"Hey everyone!" she greeted as she ran up to them. "So, where's the ship?"
"Right here!" Kukui declared and Asalie's smile froze as she realized their ship was a tiny sailboat.
"Um, you sure this old thing's seaworthy?" Hau asked.
OH COURSE IT'S OLD TOO
"Hey, don't be calling my boat old- call her a classic, or well-seasoned at least, yeah?" Kukui protested with a huff.
"I quite like that it has a history- did you use it in your days as a trainer, Professor?" Lillie asked.
"You got it- used it to sail across Alola, yeah!" the Professor affirmed before asking, "So Asalie, you ready to head out?"
"... let's just go," Asalie said, face blue in terror but resigned to her fate.
"All right then- time to sail away!"
"WOO!" Hau cheered. "We-e-e-'re ooooff!"
They got on the boat and Kukui managed the sails and Asalie and Hau clung to the rails of the ship- however the brunette quickly felt queasy and knelt down closer to the cabin. She wasn't feeling as sick as she thought she would, though that might have had to do with the lessons in riding Pilipo- on the other hand, she was captivated by what little she could see of the sheer mass of the sea before her. Lillie joined them for a few minutes, holding tightly to the rails by the boat's cabin.
"Come on, grandma- kick it up a notch!" Hau yelled over the noise.
"If we push the ship any harder, then we might all end up in the sea!" Lillie shouted to him, trying to hold her hat to her head.
"Aw, you're just worried that silly hat'll be lost to the waves!"
Asalie didn't bother to warn him of the Pyukumuku that was on the next wave as it hit Hau in the face. When Asalie noticed her arms were shaking, she placed her hand over one of the blonde's and gave her a little grin- she might as well share her adrenaline and hope she wouldn't vomit on her crush. Lillie smiled weakly and her other hand came to grip at her bag as the two watched the sea together.
What will the next island be like? the brunette wondered, feeling anticipation start to crawl in her belly- Melemele was one of the smaller islands in Alola, with Poni island being the smallest (but with the most ferocious Pokemon in the region) while Akala island was the largest.
Just then, they passed over a rather large bump and Asalie gagged as she felt bile rise into her throat. she quickly flailed to get Lillie away from her before throwing up over the rails (while an unfortunate swimmer's good day was brought to a screeching halt by the projectile of vomit in their face).
By the time they got to Akala island, the sun was starting to set. They got off the boat, Asalie still green in the face from the trip- Lillie let the brunette lean on her as they got off the sailboat
"You've made it to Akala, clever girl!" Rotom-Dex exclaimed. "This means we've got a whole new island pokedex! I'll do my best to keep you updated, Asalie!"
Asalie gave a weak smile and a thumbs up before they returned to her bag.
"Land ahoy!" Hau cheered as he let the Pyukumuku jump back into the sea. "Akala Island, here I come!"
"Isn't it a bit late to declare 'land ahoy' when you're already on shore?" Lillie asked weakly.
"Jeez, aren't you a stick in the sand today, Lillie! Help me out here, Asa- that was funny right?!"
"... you were trying to be funny?" she asked weakly before her stomach heaved and she barely swallowed back the bile in her throat.
Hau's smile fell right off and he gave her a "really?" look before turning to Kukui. "What about you, Prof.?"
Kukui's glasses glinted in the remaining light, silent. "Uh, Professor?" Lillie asked in concern.
"The land is certainly ahoy, oh boy!" he declared with hands on his hips and cheery grin.
Lillie, Hau and Asalie all blinked at this- eyes temporarily little black dots- before Nebby burst out laughing. Hau followed suit and Asalie couldn't help the snicker in her throat. "That was terrible-!" she gasped out, hands on her knees before she had to duck to a trash can and vomit out the remaining content in her stomach.
The blonde looked at them with a half baffled half worried expression before a woman remarked, "Still haven't managed to find a shirt that goes with your labcoat, hmm Kukui? You're going to give someone a scare like that someday..."
Lillie's baffled expression vanished and she said softly but sternly, "Nebby, back in the back."
"It's okay, Lillie," Kukui assured her. "You can trust them."
Asalie looked up to see the newcomers only for her mouth to drop open- a voluptuous dark skinned woman with short black hair and black eyes, pink top covering her upper chest, short magenta shorts, silhouette heels and multiple earrings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets hanging from and around her ears, neck, wrists and ankles. By her side was an older girl with bright green hair in downward pigtails and a pink flower in her hair, green eyes and wearing a gray sleeveless jumper with short shorts and sandals.
"It's nice to meet you all- I'm Olivia," the woman said with a friendly smile.
"Hey, thanks for stopping by! I'm Mallow, one of the trial captains here!" the older girl chirped. "We ran into one another here and then saw you come up on that old thing-"
"Classic- or at least, well-seasoned! Come on!" Kukui protested.
"- and decided to see who he brought over this time."
Her green eyes flitted over to Hau and Asalie to look them over before chirping, "Well, don't you two look ready to cook with gas! I bet Kiawe and Lana'll be exicted to see you two too!"
"Seriously...?" Asalie asked, incredulous she had looked anything like that.
"Enjoy your time on your island challenge, kids," Olivia said. "I'll be waiting to battle you both when the time comes- and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got!"
With that, the two waved goodbye before departing. "I know she came over to see if you were doing okay- not that she'll ever admit it to anyone! Hah!" Kukai laughed. "But Olivia's a kind kahuna deep down."
He pointed to the route at the edge of the city streets. "If you decide to take the trial straightaway, head to Route 4 and keep going until you get to Paniola town, 'kay?"
"I'll just do some shopping for now- and research if any ruins like the ones on Melemele island are here too..." Lillie said.
"Gotcha- but the first place I'm goin' is the Pokemon Center!" Hau declared. "You too, right Asa?"
Asalie nodded weakly, a bit of blood running from her nose- her nausea was finally gone.
"Okay- I'll see you and Rockruff later!" the green-haired boy said before he ran down the street.
"You too- wait what," Asalie began before stopping- she looked down and saw the same scruffy Rockruff from Ten Carat Hill by her foot. "How the fuck did you get here?!"
"Ha-ha! Looks like we got ourselves a stowaway!" Kukui laughed.
"Ruff-ruff!" the Rockruff by Kukui barked in excitement at seeing another of it's kind and the other's eyes brightened at the other as they began to sniff one another.
"Oh Arceus, it followed me," the brunette groaned in disbelief, prompting the scruffy Rockruff to bounce over to her, panting excitedly. "What do you want from me?!"
"I think you've got a pretty good idea what she wants, cousin!" Kukui laughed.
"She-?! Of course you know what gender it is..."
AND WE'RE ON AKALA ISLAND!
Also Cece is basically the CopyCat girl from Kanto and her appearance is based off of Duplica from the anime with adjustments to her wardrobe on my part.