Sol nearly collapsed after arriving to the cave. He had dropped the container full of Pokemon deeper in so he could guard it.
Sol panted. It felt like there was something burning on his body that kept sapping away his energy.
"AHHHHGGG!"
Painfully.
Sol looked around for the area of pain on his body that hurt the most. He eventually came to his right arm. Specifically, the area where he had touched the Marinie. There was a seeping poison that hurt much more than expected. The toxic sludge had partially melted its way through his flesh, all while giving him a sickening feeling.
"Rggh!" He exclaimed in pain, "Where is 1-8VZAL!?" (pronounced "one, eight, v-i-zal for those keeping track at home).
He simply peered out of the cave to make sure no one had noticed him. He then held up his other arm in order to contact his owner.
Nothing but static on the skin of his wrist.
"Tch!" He exclaimed as he shook his arm away, "I'll have to wait it out here until she finds me."
…
"Are you okay, Mr. Hala?" Luna asked as she placed the wet towel on his forehead.
"I'm… fine, Luna." The bedridden Kahuna stated through the pain he was suffering.
"Okay, you just get some rest." She replied.
Hala obeyed and started to doze off.
…
Luna stared at the Kahuna. She wanted to help him, desperately. But nothing she did seemed to make him feel better.
She held out her right arm. It started glowing a warm, green glow. Luna couldn't remember how she learned to do this, but it had already helped multiple people before, like that boy who fell from the sky, and the other boy that got poisoned protecting that innocent Pokémon.
But, it had never worked on the Kahuna she was trying to repay. And she had tried many times. Unfortunately, this procedure seemed to only make his condition worse, if anything. But what else could she do?
She was about to put her hand on the Kahuna when a sharp pain started attached itself to her arm.
Luna grunted, but kept quiet as to not wake the Kahuna up.
She walked out of the room and into the washroom. She washed her hands, trying to find out exactly what was happening.
She came out of the washroom as confused as she was when she entered.
Luna held her forehead as it felt odd. She felt like someone was calling her for help, but she couldn't tell who, or where.
There was a voice that kept repeating something, it sounded like a name, but she didn't recognize it.
This wasn't the first time it had happened either, but it was the first time the feeling was so vivid.
Luna simply pushed it out of her mind. A nice walk below the night sky always seemed to cheer her up. She wasn't certain because she didn't seem to know much about herself. But that didn't really bother her all that much.
Luna then walked out of the front door into the now quiet Iki town.
Iki town.
She hadn't lived there for long, but it already felt like a home to her. All the people seemed nice, and the entire town just felt cozy. She felt really bad that this nice place had to take her in at such a confusing time, what with the Kahuna in his current condition and the island guardian now missing.
But she was grateful.
She started walking down the steps of the house. She then started wandering around in no specific direction, with the moon shining brightly above.
CHAPTER 11: WHY SO SERIOUS?
The two older trainers kept mumbling and pouting.
"You guys are still mad?" Mallow asked them.
Lucas and Brendan kept mumbling.
"It's alright, Mallow," Hilbert said, "It's not everyday someone you mocked ends up getting a Z-CRYSTAL BEFORE YOU DO! HAH! TAKE THAT YOU POWER COUPLE!" He kept shoving his newly-acquired Z-Crystal in his fellow trainer's faces.
"SHUT UP!" The two replied in unison.
"I still think that he cheated to get that." Lucas muttered somewhat coherently.
"Oh, is the genius Lucas still buthurt because he couldn't get the crystal before the idiotic Hilbert?" Hilbert mocked.
As they were arguing like 8-year olds, the 10-year olds contemplated their earlier decision.
"Are you really sure they can help us like this, Mallow?" Soploclesel asked.
"But what about the awesome things they did during their battle? Mallow turned back and retorted.
"I'm sorry Mallow, but I have to agree with Sophocles on this one." Lillie said, "I think we should wait until after they find their Pokemon before we ask too much of them."
"Yeah…" Kiawe agreed, "Lillie's got a point. They're… not the most impressive without their Pokemon to back them up."
"Aww, you guys too?" Mallow pouted. She turned to Lana.
Lana simply stared at the ground.
Mallow sighed, "Maybe we will have to do it ourselves." She turned back to look at the older trainers.
"I AM GONNA SHOVE THIS Z-CRYSTAL UP YOUR BUTT IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME THAT Z-RING, BRENDAN!" Hilbert screamed as Brendan ran down the hill to the Pokemon Center whilst blowing raspberry alongside Lucas.
"GO RIGHT AHEAD, THAT WAY, NO ONE WILL KNOW YOU STOLE IT!" Lucas retorted.
"Nice one!" Brendan complemented, "High five!"
Since Lucas swung far too weakly and Brendan far too strongly, they both swung and missed each other's hand, slapping each other's face. This caused Lucas to start falling down the hill, dragging Brendan down with him.
The two tumbled down through bushes, puddles, and a badly-placed, outdoor, Under-the-Stars Grimer appreciation convention.
"HAHA!" Hilbert laughed, "Looks like things are gettin serious between you two!"
"SHUT UP, HILBERT!" The two fallen trainers said in unison as a Grimer started consuming Brendan's head and as Hilbert danced, mockingly with his hand in the shape of an L on his forehead.
"...yeah," Mallow admitted slowly, "You... might be right about that."
…
"WHAT!" Hilbert, Lucas and Brendan yelled in unison.
"I said that we had to give one of your rooms to someone else, meaning that one of you will have to share a room." Nurse Joy repeated.
The three of them turned pale as a sheet, until Hilbert had a realization that turned his into a smug, lightly tanned face.
"Wait, why didn't we get a say in this?" Lucas asked Nurse Joy.
"Yeah!" Brendan agreed, nodding his head.
"Well… you three were outside for a while, it's almost midnight." Nurse Joy explained.
"And unlike you three," Kukui added, as he had been waiting for his students all day, "This person actually paid for his room and board!"
"Oh…" The three quieted down.
"That reminds me…" Kukui added, "Shouldn't all you kids be at home soon?" He asked his students.
"Oh, no worries!" Mallow answered.
"We all agreed to camp out at the Center together, our parents know we're here!" Sploploclesh explained.
"Oh, alright." Nurse Joy understood, "You sure you don't want me to at least call them?"
"No no no no no!" They all said in unison whilst shaking their heads with reassuring smiles on them.
Nurse Joy looked at them, skeptically. "Well alright then."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Lucas interrupted, "Why the the heck do they get free rooms and we have to double up?"
Brendan nodded his head more ferociously.
"Sorry!" Mallow apologized, "We're probably the reason you guys have to clump together."
"At least they paid for their rooms." Nurse Joy added.
"Oh, come on! Hilbert, back us up on this!" Lucas turned to Hilbert. Brendan nodded his head so intensely it looked like it was about to fall off.
Hilbert had already started entering one of the rooms.
"Have fun sleeping together!" He said with a troll-like grin.
Lucas and Brendan simply stared, dumbfounded at how played they just were.
"But, b- bu- b-b-b-but, but i-, but I-" Lucas kept stammering as Brendan fell over from head trauma.
…
Hilbert lied on his bed facing up. His Pokeball with Magikarp in it sat at his bedside. He held the strange hat above him, observing it. He had yet to ask Luna of it's origin, and was no closer to finding that out by himself.
He chuckled. Of all the problems he was trying to solve, this was the one that was that he was stuck on?
Heh, I need to start somewhere. He thought to himself.
He threw the hat to his doorknob. He missed, causing it to land on the floor. He ignored it.
He closed his eyes for a second, then when he opened them back up, magikarp was sitting on his chest.
Suddenly Magikarp let out a large roar and transformed into Arceus.
He then gave Hilbert massive biceps and spawned lady activewear models who were swoon over by him.
Hilbert laughed as Lucas and Brendan were forced to bow at his feet as he was fed grapes and his nails were polished by all the regional champions.
Then Hilbert realized he was dreaming-
"OH, COME ON!"
-due to him being woken up by the sound of his door opening.
"Who's there?" He said, still half asleep.
He then changed his expression from confusion to apathetic annoyance as he realized who it was.
It was that Ash kid. Trying to retrieve his hat which had gotten mixed up with Hilbert's.
…
"Hey! Give that back!" Ash yelled as Hilbert walked out of the center after snatching the hat back.
He put his fingers to Ash's lips implying for him to be quiet. He then spoke to him in the most whispery, screamy voice he could manage.
"It's basically midnight! Do you want the entire town to wake up?"
"Oh, ok." The boy agreed. He then spoke in the most whispery voice he could manage, "That's mine! Give it back!"
Hilbert ignored the question and asked his own, "Where the heck have you been? Do you know the kind of verbal abuse I've been getting ever since you disappeared? These people have been worried sick about you!" He waved towards the rooms that the rest of Ash's classmates were supposed to be sleeping in.
"Oh, they were worried? I'm… sorry about that." Ash looked down. He seemed concerned about many things.
Hilbert sighed.
It's really hard to stay mad at this kid.
"It's… fine. Just… what happened to you after you ran off?"
Ash kept looking down.
"What happened to that Pikachu of yours that always sat on your shoulder?"
Ash kept looking down.
…
"Look, kid! No one can help you if you keep it to yourself! Do you want me to help you find it or not?" Hilbert spoke in a normal volume voice now.
Ash's head shot up in surprise, "Wh-when did I tell you Pikachu got stolen?"
Hilbert held his brow with his fingers, "Seriously?"
He then put the hat on.
"Hey!" Ash exclaimed, 'I said that's mine!"
Hilbert observed Ash. He then turned to the door, "Then let's make a bet: A one on one Pokemon battle. If you win, I give you this hat back, but if I win, you gotta tell me all about you, including where that Pikachu of yours went."
"A battle?" Ash asked. He contemplated for a moment.
"Sure! Sounds fun!"
"Huh?" Hilbert gawked at the absolute lack of hesitation this kid displayed. Was he hiding his feelings? Was he just showing off?
At that moment, Hilbert realized something.
This kid hasn't brought up what happened yesterday at all.
This Ash kid didn't seem to harbour any resentment towards Hilbert, much to his surprise.
Hilbert wondered about this, but not for long as Ash was already waiting for him outside.
…
Hilbert turned the hose off as the toy bucket he was filling became heavy enough. He carried it over to the battlefield a ways away from the center. They had chosen to go far enough so that no one could hear them.
"What's that for?" Ash asked, pointing at the bucket.
"Oh, nothing, just ignore it." Hilbert said.
"Um, okay."
Hilbert looked at the boy. Ash pulled out a Pokeball and was about to send out his Rockruff.
Hilbert finally decided to ask him.
"Hey, kid."
"Yeah?" Ash said, mid Pokeball throw.
"Do you remember about what happened yesterday? About what I told you?" Hilbert asked.
"...Yeah." Ash answered, hesitantly.
"So…, what? Are you mad at me or…" Hilbert asked again, trying to get a read on this strange boy.
"No, not really." he answered.
"Why not?"
"Because!" Ash turned his hat around, "I'm gonna prove you wrong!"
Hilbert looked at him with a questioning face.
"I'm actually pretty glad you challenged me to a battle! Now I can show that I CAN become a Pokemon Master!"
Now Hilbert understood. So that's how it is, huh?
He dropped the bucket and walked to his side of the field.
"Fine then, kid-"
"My name is Ash Ketchum!" Ash interrupted.
"I know yo- wait, your last name is ketchum?"
"Um, yeah?"
"That's just- you know what never mind." Hilbert discarded the question.
That has got to be one of the stupidest last names I've ever heard of!
"Alright, Ketchum! Let's see how well trying to prove me wrong works out for ya!"
Hilbert pulled out his Pokeball.
Ash put down his bag.
The two trainers looked each other in the eye as they prepared to send out their Pokemon.
"Go Rockruff!"
"Go Magikarp!"
…
Ash's Rockruff came out of the Pokeball and landed on the ground.
Hilbert's Magikarp landed in the bucket Hilbert had placed. It sat on the rim. It then wrapped its tassels around the handle of the bucket to keep itself steady.
"Huh?" Ash stated, confused at the odd display shown in front of him. His Rockruff barked in just as much confusion.
"Impressive, huh?" Hilbert gloated, "You know how most of the time when Magikarp battle, they flop around like they have trouble breathing?"
Ash nodded, still wondering what the older trainer was referring to.
"You see, I'm having Magikarp sit in this bucket so it can steady itself and breath better. That way, it can actually launch attacks!"
"Wow! That's pretty cool!" Ash exclaimed, "But… isn't that kinda cheating?"
"Nah," Hilbert denied, "It's basically the same as having an item, right?"
"Okay, I guess…" Ash answered, sheepishly.
"Come on! I thought you wanted to get this battle started, already!"
"Ro ruuf!" Ash's Rockruff barked back at him. Hilbert could barely see it, but it seemed that the Pokemon gave its trainer a look of fierce determination, which seemed to brighten Ash up some more.
""You got it!" He said, "Rockruff, use Tackle!"
Ash's Rockruff obeyed and charged towards the bucket-ridden Magikarp.
"Alright Magikarp, you remember what I told you?
Magikarp obeyed. Before Rockruff could reach it, Magikarp jumped up and lifted the bucket off the ground. Hilbert had planned for Magikarp to flip the bucket over its head and smash it into Rockruff, but Magikarp simply dropped it right where it was, only with Rockruff now underneath it.
That works, I guess…
"Hey! That's not fair! You can't use items like that! That's against the rules!" Ash shouted at the older trainer.
Hilbert ignored him and went to the next attack. He didn't call anything, but Magikarp then grabbed Rockruff's tail with its tassels and pulled it out from underneath the bucket. It then flipped Rockruff into the air and slammed it on the ground behind the bucket.
"Rockruff, no!" Ash cried out.
Magikarp, still with no vocal orders from Hilbert, then repeated and threw the Rockruff in front of itself.
"You okay, Rockruff?" Ash asked his Pokemon.
Rockruff got up and barked in assurance.
"Alright! Now use Rock Throw!"
Rockruff started bobbing its head up and down. The darker tufts of fur on its neck started glowing. Then small, sharp rocks start flying out of its tufts and towards Magikarp.
Magikarp started wriggling with panic.
"It's okay Magikarp!" Hilbert reassured, "Just fall backwards!"
Magikarp obeyed and leaned backwards, causing it and the bucket to fall over. The bucket acted as a sort of shield while Magikarp laid behind it in relief.
It didn't lay there for long as Ash ordered Rockruff to jump up in the air.
"Use Rock Throw again!" He said.
Rockruff obeyed and threw more rocks at Magikarp, this time from above. It centered itself to make sure all the rocks went in one direction.
Magikarp started panicking some more.
"Just calm down!" Hilbert demanded, "Just grab the bucket while jumping away!"
Magikarp did so. It latched onto the bucket's handle, then bounced off of it. Its tassels stretched, leaving room in between Magikarp and the bucket, room that the rocks would fill allowing Magikarp to dodge the attack while still staying attached to the bucket.
"We're not done yet! Rockruff, Bite!"
Rockruff darted down, baring its fangs.
"Wait for it…" Hilbert advised.
Magikarp waited for Rockruff to get close enough.
"Now!" Hilbert ordered.
Magikarp pulled itself towards the bucket, dodging Rockruff's attack yet again.
Rockruff, surprised by this trick, slammed face-first into the ground.
"Rockruff!" Ash cried out.
"Now!" Hilbert continued, "Finish it with Tackle!"
Magikarp pushed off the bucket and charged towards Rockruff, who was still recovering from its crash.
With the added power of the push off the bucket plus the pull of gravity, Magikarp slammed into Rockruff with powerful force. And since Magikarp fell straight down, all of the impact was put on Rockruff.
…
It was a powerful Tackle for a Magikarp, is what I'm saying.
Magikarp's bucket landed on the ground in front of Hilbert. Magikarp then flopped clumsily into it.
"Rrrgh!" Ash grunted. He was trying to find a way around this strange bucket strategy, but nothing seemed to work. This annoyed him greatly, far more than natural for him, and he didn't know why.
What was so different about now?
Ash decided to lash out.
"Come on! That's against the rules! You're cheating!"
"Jeez!" Hilbert finally exclaimed in response, "Do you just whine and moan every time you lose?"
"No, but I do when the battle is unfair!" Ash argued.
Hilbert sighed, "I never said this was gonna be a fair match. Trust me, when it comes to matches where you bet something, this kind of stuff is par for the course."
"Huh?"
Hilbert clutched his brow, "Look kid, I get that you probably haven't encountered this before, but in the real world, there's no real rule book for how to battle, they just give you some obvious guidelines to follow when in tournaments and Gym matches."
Ash still looked confused.
Hilbert, annoyed, explained more to him, "Look, do you need me to give you all the details? If you're not in a tournament, where there are people who enforce the rules of that tournament, you don't actually have to follow the rules!"
Ash looked slightly heartbroken.
"S-so, do all trainers really do that?" He asked.
Hilbert paused as he wasn't sure if this young boy was prepared for the truth.
…
"No, not really. Mostly just me." Hilbert answered, looking away.
"THEN YOU ARE A CHEATER!" Ash yelled.
"Hey, I don't always battle like this! …okay I kinda do, but that's not the point! And it's not breaking the rules, so it's not cheating!"
Rockruff barked at the both of them. It had gotten up and was ready for more battling.
Ash looked at Rockruff as it looked back at him.
"That's right, Rockruff! We're gonna beat this cheater no matter what it takes! And then, we'll prove that we're Pokemon Masters!"
HIlbert, on the other hand, was fed up at this point, and his Magikarp was a little embarrassed to need to cheat in order to battle at all. So Hilbert returned it to its Pokeball.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Ash asked, slightly furious.
Hilbert clutched the hat that was on his head.
"This is pointless." He stared at Ash, "We both know I'm not in a good position for battle, and that you'd probably win this one. We also know that you're not gonna tell me about your problems even if I do win. You beating me like this won't prove anything, unfortunately. And I don't need to prove myself to a little whiny brat who can't take the real world seriously, and who can't give up on a stupid dream that'll never come true."
He took off the hat and threw towards the ground at Ash's feet.
"Take your stupid hat." Hilbert said as he started to walk away.
…
…
…
"...take that back." A small voice said, barely loud enough to hear.
Hilbert stopped walking and looked back to see where the voice was coming from, despite him knowing very well.
"What was that?" He asked.
Ash gripped his hands as hard as he could. His teeth grinded together. His entire body ached with a rage he had never felt before.
He then screamed out at the top of his lungs.
"I SAID TAKE THAT BACK!"
…
Hilbert looked back in a bit of confusion.
"Sorry, did you mean the stupid hat thing or the stupid dream thing?"
"The stupid dream thing!"
"Ah."
Ash stomped passed his hat to confront Hilbert directly. He was about to unload his rage onto Hilbert, but was interrupted by Hilbert's next suggestion;
"I'd suggest you put Rockruff back in its Pokeball before things escalate any further." Hilbert pointed to Ash's Pokemon.
...
Rockruff sat like a scared puppy, looking almost afraid of its owner. It had never seen Ash so angry in the breif time it had spent with him.
Ash looked at it in shock.
"It must be hard for it to see the trainer it respects lose his cool like that." Hilbert said.
Ash understood and walked over to Rockruff.
…
"I'm… sorry, Rockruff."
He simply pulled out its Pokeball and returned it.
He felt disappointed with himself.
…
The two stared at each other.
…
Why does being around this kid feel almost… nostalgic? Hilbert thought to himself.
…
Hilbert decided to talk first, "Can I ask you something?"
…
Ash simply stared.
…
Hilbert continued, "What is this "Pokemon Master" thing, anyway?"
…
Ash looked down.
"Let me guess, you came up with yourself when you were little, without considering how you would actually achieve that title."
…
Ash kept staring down at his shoes.
…
Hilbert didn't know why, but he kept going.
"You see, kid, having a "shooting for the stars" kinda dream is fine when you're a kid, but that kind of thing makes growing up a lot harder. You can't shoot for those kinds of dreams without some sort of plan and, even then…"
Hilbert started walking passed Ash over to the hat he threw,
"...your dream doesn't have an endgame. You don't even know what being a "Pokemon Master" or whatever really means."
Hilbert picked up the hat.
…
"You're just setting yourself up for disappointment doing that."
I should know. He thought.
Ash's head was shaking.
Hilbert now realized what about Ash was so familiar.
"Chasing dreams that'll never come true is pointless." He said.
"You don't know what your dream is, and so that means you can never achieve it."
…
…
Ash started tearing up.
…
"But…"
Ash looked up.
"...that doesn't mean you just run away from everything and whine about it!" He shouted.
Ash almost jumped in surprise.
The older trainer was staring at him intensely.
Ash loosened his tensity and listened.
Hilbert sighed and calmed down.
He turned and looked at Ash.
He then continued.
"...You can't just stop and not try to become better. I… knew some whiny brat who tried that, and he ended up a sad, sad… sad mess."
Hilbert looked down and pondered his next choice of words.
Ash had still not spoken.
Hilbert gave up trying to come up with the right words and just blurted out what sounded right.
"But that's an easy fix!" Hilbert explained.
I know what I have to do.
Ash stared at the trainer, confused.
"Wh-what do you mean?" He finally asked.
…
"All you need to do is to answer the question I asked you before, but with one more layer added to it."
"Huh?"
Hilbert walked over to Ash.
"What is a "Pokemon Master"..."
He tapped the hat to Ash's forehead.
"...to you?"
…
…
…
"That's just it." Ash said, on the verge of tears again, "I don't know what it means, and I don't want to know!"
He wiped his nose.
"I just wanted to keep making friends and…"
He was interrupted by Hilbert smacking him over the head with his hat.
"YOU IDIOT!"
"Ow…" Ash moaned as he looked up at the face of the now comically angry trainer staring back him.
"WHEN THE HECK DID I SAY YOU COULDN'T DO THAT?! You're a good kid! You make friends without even trying! And you've got awesome determination on top of that! Your only real downside is how mopey you are! When you lose you feel like you have to rethink everything which just puts you back in the same place as before!"
Hilbert placed his hand on top of Ash's head.
He then pulled Ash's head to be face to face with his own.
He then spoke.
"Trust me, you don't want to turn into the kind of person who gives up before they can even try. In order for me to help you become a Pokémon Master, you need to show me what a Pokemon Master is." He told him.
"Wha-? You mean you're-"
Hilbert let go of his head.
"Tell you what…" Hilbert said as he put the hat back on and pointed at it, "Once you can beat me in a full-blown Pokemon battle, I'll give you this hat back, and you'll give me mine back. Then, and only then, will I, ever consider you a Pokemon Master."
Ash stared at the trainer as the sun started to rise.
"Well? How's that sound? All you need to do is beat a cheating jerk at his own game."
…
…
…
Ash walked over to his bag and reached into it.
He pulled out a hat.
Hilbert's hat.
Ash then looked at Hilbert. He put the black and white hat on. He nodded.
Hilbert adjusted the red hat he wore.
Maybe I can help this kid go down a different path than I did.
The two then looked up at the sunrise.
...
Unown to them, Luna had seen their entire encounter from her hiding place amongst the bushes. The scene that had played out in front of her was rather heartwarming in ways, despite her lack of knowledge.
She smiled.
Then, suddenly, a vision injected itself into her head.
What she saw confused her. Unlike her other vision, this one occurred while she was awake, and it was much more fractured and clouded.
Many scenes of trainers fighting for their lives and losing loved ones flashed by before she could understand them. The only scenes she could understand were two people facing each other, as if they were ready to battle, in different scenarios.
The first was in an arena in what looked like Alola.
The second was on a plateau, surrounded by unfamiliar people.
The third was in another arena, except it had a giant, cracked broadcasting screen and much less people in the stands.
Then, in the final scene, one of the trainers was standing alone, atop of a mountain.
Then, as if to fill the void of the other trainer, a new one appeared. This was was clear for her to see, with a red hoodie and gold cap that was turned around.
Luna passed out in the bushes.
"Did you hear something?" Ash asked.
…
"Okay, we all ready?" Kiawe asked.
Mallow, Lana, Lillie and Spoploplges nodded. They had snuck out of the center and were ready to leave on their operation, even without Ash.
"Okay, then let's move out!" He ordered as the group left on their rescue mission.
...TO BE CONTINUED