As of the posting of this chapter, the entire Alola Trilogy is completely written. Therefore, there is never a need over the next many, many months of publication for this to ever really go off-schedule. But for now, let's enjoy Chapter 21!
Chapter 21
A Race
"I hope they're doing okay…" Clemont spoke, his voice trembling as he gripped on the edge of the stone balcony they had been directed to. His gaze was cast downward towards his nails instead of overlooking the jungle where the trial was currently taking place. Serena's own expression turned from one of scrutiny to worry and she looked over at her friend.
"I'm sure that Bonnie will be just fine," she reassured him. The words didn't appear to do anything to assuage his fears however, the lemon blond inventor digging in even further to the point that his fingers were turning red. Serena sucked a breath in and reached over, touching his shoulder as she balanced her egg carefully. "Clemont."
"What? I'm fine! I'm fine…" he blurted out, clearly without thinking. It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself of this notion. "It's just…the last time Bonnie was really left all alone…"
"But she's not alone," Serena reminded him. Clemont finally looked up at her and the Performer could now see the trepidation present in his gaze. He really was frightened about leaving Bonnie alone. Of course, she knew he trusted Ash, but none of them knew how deadly the jungle could possibly be. It didn't help that Rotom was taking pictures of every Pokémon and adjusting his calculations for success every couple minutes.
"I know she's not…" Clemont expressed. His fingers stopped digging into the stone, but were now piercing into his palm. "I just…if I'm not there to protect her…"
"Clemont, what's wrong?" she asked quietly. For a brief moment, she wondered if all of this was really just about Bonnie being on her own with Ash. Clemont had been acting off since they had left Melemele, really. It wasn't obvious, but there appeared to be something on his mind that he was struggling with and didn't want to tell anybody about. "You know you can tell me anything. I think of you as my best friend, and I know Ash feels the same."
"Mm," Clemont vocalized. He appeared conflicted, but without him saying anything, it made it impossible for her to discern just what he was conflicted about. That frustrated her. How could she help people, bring a smile to their face, if they weren't willing to open up and talk about it? Hoping to encourage him, Serena reached forward and took his hands, feeling them unclench in her own. It was a start. "It's just…how do I put it…"
"Try with words, Clemont," she told him softly. The inventor sucked in a breath and then spoke only two words, ones that appeared to encapsulate everything.
"I'm scared."
Serena wasn't sure what to make of that. Scared of what? Losing Bonnie? Ash not completing his trials? Or was it something different? Something so far beneath the surface that Serena couldn't understand? She frowned a bit, even though she knew that offering Clemont a smile might have been for the best. Not knowing which of those it could possibly be, Serena decided to deal with the one that she figured was the easiest. "You know, you don't have to be scared for Bonnie all the time. She's grown a lot and been through just as much as the rest of us. In less than a year she's going to be her own trainer and have lots of her own adventures and all we can do is support her from afar."
"I-I know that!" Clemont insisted, his cheeks going pink. Serena tilted her head, much like Ash and Pikachu when they were confused about something. "It's not that, it's-" The sound of footsteps coming out to the stone balcony interrupted him, causing him to shake his head. "It's nothing."
"Clemont…" Serena breathed out, but the boy was now adamant. She wasn't getting any more out of him, especially with Kiawe having joined them on the balcony, as shirtless as ever. For a second, it made her think of a shirtless Ash, but she fought the blush down and ignored it. "Wh-where have you been?"
"Had to grab something for the trial," the captain admitted, pointing down at the jungle floor below. Serena took the chance to look below, where Mallow had a fire going on top of a large blanket. It didn't look particularly safe, but the girl appeared to know what she was doing. She caught them watching and looked up with a wave. Serena waved back and cast her gaze out over the jungle. Other than some noises, she really couldn't see what was going on with Ash, Bonnie, Lillie and Hau. Though it made her wonder…
"Kiawe, is there a reason Mallow allowed them both to take the trial at the same time?" she asked of the other captain. Kiawe gave a start as he walked to the edge and leaned on the nature-made balcony.
"For her, it's not unusual, really," the boy answered, smirking lazily. "Mallow loves people coming together. It's a passion of hers, really. I may be more in tune with the spirituality that ties to Mount Akala and Tapu Lele, but Mallow…she connects with people. Maybe that's why we get along. We're like the two halves of Alola: people and Pokémon. So, if two people come to do her trial, having them work with each other…"
"But they're working against each other," Clemont pointed out.
"Are they?" Kiawe asked, his smirk growing ever wider. Serena scrunched her vision at his words, looking back over the jungle as far as she could see. "People, Pokémon, civilization, nature…they're all tied together. In this trial, perhaps more than any other, the trial-goers will learn this. I'm looking forward to how this will end."
Serena could see that from his smirk turning into a grin. He was getting excited about the state of the trial. Whether it was from a want to battle the two boys, himself, or simply because he enjoyed being present for a trial, Serena was unsure, but she was fine with leaving it at that. Putting a smile back on her face, she mulled over Kiawe's words and watched the jungle for more movement, hoping only for her friends' safety and success as the trial continued on.
Ash breathed in and out, his chest tightening with anticipation. Behind him, the grassy mantis-like Pokémon fell to the ground in heaps, allowing Bonnie and Dedenne to run forward with jubilation. Pikachu was at her side as she ran up to him.
"Did you see us? ! Weren't we great?" she asked of Ash. He smiled at her, keeping one eye on the pokeball that was still rocking back and forth.
"You were awesome, Bonnie! One heck of a team!" he said, putting his hand down low so she could give it a high five. She then appeared to realize the shaking pokeball and she took her hands into fists near her chest, watching it rock back and forth. Pikachu looked carefully, waiting with all the others. It felt like an eternity, constantly shaking…and then it wasn't.
Ding! Like a sweet melody to Ash's ears, stars shot out from the pokeball as it ceased all movement and laid there, containing the newest Pokémon that Ash had caught. He looked to Pikachu and Rockruff, the latter looking tired after the battle, complete with her tongue wagging out. Both looked very happy, even as Dartrix swooped down from the trees, berry-less. Ash walked over to the pokeball that rested there and grabbed it, still able to feel its coolness through his gloves.
"All right, guys! I caught a Passimian!" he cheered, holding the pokeball up in the air triumphantly. It wasn't something he had expected, yet at the same time, felt right. Pikachu and Rockruff leapt into the air with joy and Ash pulled the pokeball closer to him. With another breath, he held it out. "Now, come on out, Passimian."
The light from the pokeball exploded and took the shape of the simian Pokémon before him. The black and white monkey looked around, as if confused, before placing his berry down and standing upright to look at Ash. Feeling a little more confident, Ash walked forward. "Passin?"
"Passimian, my name's Ash," he said, reaching his hand forward. The monkey considered it a moment, regarding it curiously no doubt. "I'm a Pokémon trainer, and…well…we're sorry for messing up your home."
"Simi?" Passimian now said. He seemed to understand what Ash was getting at because he smiled just a little and reached forward to give him a high five. Ash smiled at that. There was one step complete.
"Our battle was really great," he started to say while Bonnie plopped down next to him, choosing to groom Dedenne's fur for a moment. "You're really strong and precise. That's why you didn't want us taking the berries, wasn't it? When we took the Revival Herb, we probably didn't take it the best way, and you didn't want us to do the same for the berries."
"Pas," Passimian chattered out while nodding. Ash felt himself nodding, as well.
"That kind of dedication is amazing," he spoke, bringing himself even closer. Passimian, which he now realized was quite the large Pokémon when standing (taller than himself for sure), got back down into his crouch to be at eye level with the trainer. "I think you could put that kind of coordination and precision together perfectly in a battle. My other friends and I are trying to do the Island Trials, and this is one of them. It would mean a lot of battling, but we have lots of fun."
"Rockruff!"
"Darroh…" Dartrix said sleepily, his stomach rumbling a bit. Passimian looked at the both of them before ending on Pikachu, who raised his hand and smiled. Behind them, Ash could hear the sounds of Bonnie's foes slinking back off into their tree.
"If you'd like, Passimian, I'd love for you to join us. Not only in showing us how to not disturb the rest of the jungle," Ash stated to the Teamwork Pokémon, "but also because I think we'd get along well and improve all of our skills. If you want."
"Paaaaa…" Passimian said. He watched them a moment longer before turning around and bounding up towards the Mago Berry tree with a single leap. Ash ran closer and watched as Passimian quickly, but quite carefully, pulled a whole branch of berries down without even disturbing the tree. Dartrix's mouth watered, but Ash paid more attention to Passimian arriving back on the ground harmlessly and handing over the berries. "Simian!"
"You want to?" Ash asked. Passimian nodded silently, waiting for Ash and Bonnie to take the berries. They did so gingerly, careful to preserve them in the perfect way his new team member had, while placing a couple in Ash's bag, sharing them with the rest (mostly a hungry Dartrix). "All right everyone, let's greet our new partner, Passimian!"
"Pipikachu!"
"Passimian!" Passimian cried out, tossing his large berry into the air, it landing perfectly on his back, rolling off his tail and back into his hand. It displayed the absolute precision of his moves in the battle as he grinned at Ash. Grinning at his new Pokémon, Ash reached forward with an extended fist. Passimian met it.
"Nice to meet you, Passimian!" Bonnie called, running over and hugging the Pokémon without thinking. He stiffened, but soon accepted Bonnie's affections. "You got such a cute Pokémon."
"Passa? !" Passimian called, as if offended he'd be called cute. Ash just laughed alongside his Pokémon, eventually prompting him to laugh, too, reaching over with his free hand to pat the girl on the back. For a Pokémon that seemed uptight earlier, Passimian definitely seemed to understand the general vibe of the group. Ash was just glad that the impromptu, yet right-feeling, capture had turned out so well with a mutual acceptance. It made Ash feel like Passimian liked to battle and bring his precision skills anywhere he could. He seemed to nod this wordlessly, too.
"Passimian, now that you're a part of the team, we're looking for Tamato Berries to complete the trial. Do you know where they are?" Ash asked. At his feet, Rockruff was starting to pant a little more, the exhaustion from the earlier battle taking its toll. Taking sympathy, Ash returned her to her pokeball.
"Pas!" Passimian uttered. He grabbed on to his berry and then jerked his head, as if indicating for them to follow him. That was good enough for Ash and Bonnie. Passimian then ran forward into the jungle; Ash wasn't surprised at the speed, but certainly found it a challenge to keep up with the monkey.
"Well, this is lucky," Bonnie noted, clutching Dedenne in her arms as she picked up her own speed to chase after Ash's newest team member. "Who thought we'd run into such a great guide?"
"Yeah, he really knows his way, and I bet he'll be a really great addition to the team," Ash pointed out. This proved to be the case when the duo lost sight of Passimian for just a second, worried he'd left them behind, only for the lemur to back up and make sure they were still able to follow him. That only endeared him further to Ash. Passimian seemed equally impressed by Dartrix, who was able to keep up with him efficiently and with little problem as they ran.
Eventually, their whole entire group broke out onto a dirt path. Looking down to the left, Ash noticed that it seemed to essentially lead right back to the entrance of the jungle. When Bonnie saw this, she stuffed her list into her bag with a pout, all of the extra work wasted (though Ash was pretty certain that the map would have been a useless mess of squiggles anyway). At the very least, it meant that they only had to follow Passimian's lead as he went to the right, towards a large grove in the back.
"Let's do this," Ash stated, punching into his hand. He grabbed Bonnie's hand and the two spun in Passimian's direction before charging down the dirt path that was winding. The monkey didn't bother with that, instead showing them how to perfectly move through the plants without damaging them or the trees they were attached to. Despite all that, he didn't slow down one bit. The duo dove into the brush, carefully moving as Passimian ordered them to. Flitting by the sides was the winding path, but Ash had a feeling they were cutting off a lot of extra time; with the extra guidance, the time limit Mallow had set seemed meaningless.
There was a loud crashing noise, like one of the plants being ripped over. Passimian pulled to a halt for a second, almost seething a little at the thought that someone would ruin the precious jungle he'd been a part of. Ash looked to Bonnie, who rolled her eyes…they had a rather good idea of who would be doing that.
"Slow down, Oranguru!" Hau's voice could be heard yelling. "I know you're taking us to the Tamato Berries, but there's no need to knock everything down on the way."
"Unless he's trying to kill us and we don't know it," Lillie squeaked out. Ash closed the distance to Passimian and put a hand on him carefully. The monkey looked at him, a spark of both recognition and fury resting in his eyes. Somehow, Ash had a feeling that whatever Hau was referring to was some kind of rival to Passimian in the jungle.
"Don't worry about him," Ash said calmly. "Right now, the goal is to make it to the Tamato Berry, all right?"
"Pas," Passimian responded in the affirmative. Wrenching himself away from the sound of Hau, Lillie and their supposed new Pokémon crashing their way through the jungle, Passimian once more sped forward, leading them through the brush. The sounds of their rivals grew ever closer, as did the final stretch of the dirt path that led to a gigantic bush in the back of the jungle, covered in red dots: Tamato Berries.
"Ah! It's Ash! Don't tell me you're after the Tamato Berry, too!" Hau shouted. He and Lillie appeared to be floating in midair, almost making Ash stop, if it weren't for his feet moving of their own accord towards the berries.
"Yeah, we are. Last ingredient on the list," Ash said, smirking a little in challenge. Hau laughed it off with a good nature. Finally, they all broke out onto the dirt road and Ash got a look at what they seemed to be floating on: a Pokémon with purple fur on white fur, clutching to a leafy fan and surrounded by the blue aura of Psychic. There was no doubt this was an Oranguru.
"Hey, so are we!" Hau grinned. "And this is my new buddy, Oranguru. Wait…"
"Ah, Hau!" Lillie clutched to Hau as Oranguru pulled to a sudden stop. So did Passimian, but Ash and Bonnie weren't riding him. As a result, both Hau and Lillie fell to the floor, skidding a bit along the dirt path with Pipi tumbling off. Ash, himself, pulled to a stop, staring between the two monkeys as they glared at one another. Now Ash was certain that these two had encountered one another before in a not-too-friendly fashion, though it wasn't anything too serious. Passimian grabbed his berry defensively while Oranguru dropped to ground, feet sending up dust clouds.
"Passa!" Passimian called out to him. Ash looked his Pokémon in the eyes and the Teamwork Pokémon grinned cheekily. Ash got the message: go on, I'll handle this one.
"Thanks, Passimian, we'll be right back! Pikachu, Dartrix, go get those berries!" Ash called, holding once more to Bonnie as the two sped past the toppled Hau and Lillie. Pikachu and Dedenne were already bounding ahead, with Dartrix even faster.
"Oh, no you don't! Pipi, go get 'em!" Hau called, his voice muffled owing to his face being stuck in the dirt. Lillie was a little more fortunate, getting to her feet. Dropping the bag with Nebby to the ground, she pelted forward, a glint of steely determination in her eyes. Ash briefly looked back toward the girl catching up to them to see Nebby look at Hau when he sat up.
"You know that Tamato Berries can be hard to handle because they're so hot, right?" Ash asked of the girl as she caught up to them, huffing and puffing, but not giving up. A small distance ahead, Pikachu and Pipi had their electric sacs locked together as they struggled against one another, barely making any progress. The sounds of battle were also behind them as Passimian appeared to be tossing a Shadow Ball at Oranguru who used its fan to produce an Energy Ball. Judging from the way Hau was cheering it on, Oranguru must have been his own newest Pokémon.
"I can handle it…" Lillie insisted, holding her hat down as she ran. Ash grinned, but wasn't giving the race away just yet.
"Dartrix, now!" Ash called. Suddenly, Dartrix swooped down, careful as he nipped the berries from the bush and carried them over to Ash and Bonnie. Bonnie leaped up, hitting them over to Ash, who opened his backpack and caught them inside with the Mago Berries. "Pikachu, time to go!"
"Pikapi!" Pikachu called, creating an Iron Tail to swing at Pipi. She blocked it with a Brick Break, but the moment allowed Pikachu to run for Ash as he turned right around. He was forced to let go of Bonnie's hand, but the little girl had her own grin of determination, Dedenne running up to Pipi and nuzzling her. As he did so, the Antenna Pokémon jumping back into Bonnie's arms, Lillie darted past the incapacitated Pipi out of necessity to reach the berries, reaching out to grab them with her bare hands. Ash almost stopped a moment at hearing her hiss, but when he looked back, he saw her running forward, still with the same steel glint, bending down to scoop up Pipi.
"Let's finish the race you guys!"
"No way!" Hau called right as Oranguru used a Psychic to slam Passimian into the ground. Just before he was squashed, the lemur created multiple copies of himself, easily slipping out of the control to grin at Oranguru. Ash had a sudden idea.
"Use Shadow Ball on the ground!" he called just as their entire group caught up. Passimian jumped upwards with his amazing leg strength and slammed his shadow swirling berry into the ground. Dust exploded, obscuring them from view as they dashed straight into the leaves and trees again.
"Nice job, Lillie! You all right?" Hau was heard asking.
"A little burned, but just fine," came Lillie's answer. "No more stalling. We have a race to win!"
"Hurry it up!" Bonnie yelled. Ash agreed, gripping for Trumbeak's pokeball. Passimian was having no problem keeping up the speed in guiding them back to entrance, glancing back occasionally to see what they were about to do.
"Trumbeak, I choose you!" Ash called, tossing her pokeball forth. Trumbeak appeared, and both she and Dartrix only needed one look to confirm what needed to be done. Ash did, too, looking back to see that Hau and Lillie were back on Oranguru and floating for the entrance. Suddenly, Ash felt himself pulled up by Dartrix's powerful talons while Trumbeak grabbed ahold of Bonnie. They blasted forward, soon drawing even with Passimian, back on the dirt road. Unfortunately, the sound of crashing trees soon drew Ash's attention as Hau's group began to draw even.
"We're not losing this one!" the cheerful boy said. Ash threw a challenging look to him as what appeared to be the bright exit from Lush Jungle grew closer. Passimian and Oranguru glared at one another, almost looking ready to butt heads, themselves, just as they saw Mallow. Ash and Hau snapped one final glare at each other.
"I'm gonna win!" they shouted, just as Oranguru lost its balance. The Sage Pokémon pitched forward, knocking into them all and bowling them all forward. Only Passimian managed to escape the pile up by leaping overhead. Dartrix was the first up, cleaning his wings off carefully. Ash groaned, raising himself slightly from next to Hau as both boys said the defining words at the same time. "Finish!"
"Pikachu…" their Pikachu responded out. The sound of clapping, along with rousing cheers lifted Ash's spirits and he looked over to see Mallow, with Serena, Clemont and Kiawe up above, throwing their voices of cheer at them. Rotom, funnily enough, was the one to come straight down and start snapping pictures of the two Pokémon that were locking glares with one another.
"Fascinating! Ash and Hau have caught Passimian and Oranguru respectively! That's impressive," Rotom said, snapping a picture. "Oranguru are only said to team up with very skilled trainers while Passimian are great team members. Though, what's more surprising is that Bonnie managed to let Ash tie with Hau."
"Of course! Maybe we didn't help a lot, but we shocked Pipi and bought ourselves the extra seconds to win!" Bonnie groaned out. Ash rolled his eyes a moment.
"Nice to see you, too, Rotom…" Ash groaned, pulling himself to a standing position and helping Bonnie to do the same. Once they had (with Hau and Lillie doing the same), Ash turned to look at Mallow, finally noticing a huge pot, or what looked like one, at least, created from what looked like molten rock over a boiling fire with fresh spring water bubbling up. "So…who won?"
"What do you mean?" Mallow laughed out gaily. "You both won!"
"But that makes no sense…" Hau laughed out. Ash had to agree. It made absolutely no sense that they had seemed to have both won when they were having a competition. "I thought we were competing to see who would win the right to challenge the Totem Pokémon."
"Well…yeah…" Mallow admitted. She turned right around, extending her legs and walking towards the big pot. Ash scratched the side of his head while Hau put his hands behind his head.
"That's confusing…even more than the girl at the malasada shop in Heahea giving me those numbers like the one in Hau'oli."
"Hau…" Lillie said, puffing her cheeks at the boy, like she was angry with him. Bonnie just laughed while swatting the persistent Rotom away. Mallow finally stopped her walking.
"I said you were competing," the captain admitted, tapping the side of the pot and bringing her hand away quickly from the heat. "I never said you were competing with each other. You were just competing against time, and you both made it perfectly!"
"Uh…" Ash couldn't get the words out, genuinely dumbstruck over what Mallow was telling to them. All of that effort trying to hold the other back and catch up to one another proved absolutely pointless. Ash looked to Hau and both boys had their mouths drop open. Then they started laughing in relief. Part of Ash felt so stupid, realizing that the whole time he could have been working with Hau instead of against him. At this particular revelation, Bonnie and Lillie took out the lists of ingredients from their bags, putting them right next to each other.
"They're different…" Bonnie commented.
"And complimentary, if my studies are anything to go by," Lillie remarked. She lifted her head to glance with the others at the grinning captain. "You mean, we were jointly collecting ingredients for a combined recipe and it just called for extra Tamato Berries?"
"That's right!" Mallow replied in a chipper tone. Ash felt his body sag a bit, but he soon replaced it with a grin. "Your trial isn't over yet, though."
"We still have to battle the Totem, right?" Hau called out, coming to stand right next to Ash as they both approached Mallow. Neither were clearly sure how that was going to happen now, what with Mallow's strange process, but they decided to trust in her nonetheless while their Pokémon stood by to cheer them on. Even Passimian and Oranguru stopped their glaring to stand with their respective team members. It made Ash have a greater respect for the boy next to him; Oranguru only chose trainers that were experienced, and it seemed to have no problem working with Hau.
"You'd be exactly right, but the Totem is a little reclusive around here," Mallow laughed out, grabbing what appeared to be a giant bowl and stirring the water. "So, we're going to make a soup as an offering for it, with you boys as the chefs."
"Oh my," Serena's voice echoed out from her placement on the balcony. Ash glared up at his girlfriend, watching her slap her hands to her mouth in apology.
"Sounds fun. Where do we start?" Hau said enthusiastically. Mallow appeared to like that response, and Ash shared in it by digging into his bag to take out the perfectly pruned Mago and Tamato Berries. Bonnie ran up to him with the Revival Herb while Lillie dropped off Hau's ingredients. The two boys offered them to Mallow, who pointed down at the large blanket. Not wanting to bruise them, the two boys kneeled and placed the various ingredients gently down. When they straightened up, Mallow was once more holding a piece of parchment that she handed over to Ash.
"Simple instructions that even the most novice cook can handle…I think," she laughed out. Ash wanted to think so, considering that as he and Hau looked over it, it seemed to be nothing more than "add this ingredient, stir". Hau immediately jumped into action, taking a mushroom he had found, and with the cutlery resting on the blanket, he chopped it up and threw it in.
"Mago Berry is next, huh?" Ash questioned. He looked back at his Pokémon, in particular Passimian, who was watching him closely. Seeing that, Ash grabbed at the Mago Berry he had and took one of the knives, slowly following the directions to peel it. The first one didn't go so well, both because he sliced his finger a little and also because he cut straight through the berry. How people like Brock, Cilan and Clemont could do this every day, he had no idea. By his fourth berry, though, he had finally peeled it and tossed it in.
"This thing won't open…" Hau cried, gripping at a rather large seed, trying to pry it apart. Ash walked over, looking at the directions and stirred the berry and mushrooms into the mixture, it turning a pink color, to his surprise. Finally, Hau cried out, placing the seed down and smashing it with his foot. That appeared to do the trick, as he happily picked up the seed and dumped the insides into the pot. Ash stirred even more vigorously as the Pokémon behind him cheered him on. It was frothing now.
"Quick, Hau, get the Revival Herb over here!" Ash cried. Hau nodded, taking the grass that Ash had pulled and scattering it over the bubbling liquid. It soothed down for a second before truly bubbling and boiling. Ash looked at the final directions; this really was easy, considering Mallow had put in directions like "dice it", "pound it", and "beat it". "Smash 'em!"
"No problem!" Hau said. Both he and Ash turned away from the pot to grab what looked like a hammer each and they proceeded to beat on the Tamato Berries, turning them into complete mush. If Ash was honest with himself, that part was actually fun, and in a minute they were tossing the berries into the pot. Now it looked like it was going to explode, though, until a bubble formed and burst outward, settling it down into a steaming red color.
"Huh…that was pretty easy. Maybe I should try cooking for the group," Ash mused aloud.
"Please don't, Ash," Serena called to him, having obviously heard him. "I love you, but not enough to let you cook."
"That's mean." Mallow ignored the apologetic look Serena was shooting him as she dipped her finger into the substance and tasted it.
"Yep. Perfect. The smell should attract the Totem here," the green-haired captain said positively. Ash and Hau both leaned over the concoction they'd just created. It looked somewhat appetizing, though the smell felt like it was burning Ash's nostrils. Mostly, he was just surprised at how quickly it cooked, figuring it had something to do with the ingredients they had brought.
"Wonder what it tastes like…" Bonnie commented, reaching over to dip a finger into the mix. Ash and Hau shrugged, finding nothing else for it and mimicked her before the three placed the soup into their mouths.
"Tangy…" Ash commented, remembering some of the cornucopia of words Cilan would use to describe things. Bonnie smacked her lips, not finding anything surprising until…"AGH!"
"It's spicy!" Hau screamed. The three fell to the ground, clutching at their mouths. Ash felt like he could pretty much breathe fire, causing Pikachu to run up to him and call for him. Lillie was on the move, too, handing over a water bottle to Hau. Ash accepted the suggestion, digging into his backpack for his own and guzzling it down. Finally, the taste of it vanished and the trio sat there heaving. "You could have warned us!"
"Well…it's not like you made it for human consumption," Mallow pointed out with a quirked eyebrow. Ash realized, with a disgruntled groan, that she was right. Even as Rotom laughed at Bonnie, who ordered Dedenne to use a rather successful Parabolic Charge on it (showing what had truly proved useful in the trial during Passimian's attack), Ash folded his arms and admitted internally that he shouldn't have tasted it. At least it hadn't impaired them for long. The sound of leaves parting and a near stomping sound echoed suddenly. "Oh, it's here."
"The Totem…" Ash said darkly, pulling himself to his feet. Hau was doing the same, aided by Lillie. After he had gotten up, the blonde walked over to Bonnie and the two agreed to join Serena, Clemont and Kiawe on the balcony above. Ash could only imagine how proud Clemont was feeling at the successful display of Parabolic Charge.
"Aw yeah!" Hau said, rolling his shoulder a bit as he jumped up and down into the air. "So, how do we do this, Mallow?"
"Together," the green-haired captain called. Ash realized she had taken out a pokeball by now and was tossing it up and down. Finally, the crashing ceased and a new sound took its place.
"Luran…" Ash and Hau turned to the source of the newcomer's voice. As it parted the trees, Ash was no longer surprised by its size; all the Totem Pokémon were clearly large, and this one seemed smaller than Wishiwashi at the very least. Rotom, unafraid to remain near the battlefield, floated up to it.
"Ah, that's a Lurantis, the evolved form of Fomantis," Rotom pointed out. Ash looked to its screen and recognized the picture next to Lurantis as being the Pokémon that had so unscrupulously attacked Bonnie. "It fires beams from its sickle-shaped petals. These beams are powerful enough to cleave through thick metal plates."
"So it's strong," Ash commented. He had to grin at that one, especially when he saw Mallow approach Lurantis soothingly, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon leaning down to taste the soup.
"Is it to your satisfaction, Lurantis?" Mallow asked. The Totem appeared to smile, nodding its head before consuming the remainder of the soup. The captain reached over and patted it soothingly, just as the familiar orange aura erupted around its figure. The battle was already set to begin. "Okay, boys, we're doing a double battle! Kiawe, you mind officiating?"
"Why you and Lana don't keep trial guides on hand, I'll never understand…" the other boy called down with a shake of his head, yet walked down nonetheless. Mallow just grinned at him and turned back to the other two.
"You each get one Pokémon to face against my two, at the same time," the captain explained. She finally tossed her pokeball into the air and called out her Tsareena. Lurantis finished the soup and stepped forward, making a slight clicking noise. Ash's eyes shifted to Hau as the boy's did the same towards him. They both nodded. "First side with both down loses. If you guys beat us, you both will get a Grassium-Z."
As Mallow said this, she pointed in the direction that Lurantis had come from. If Ash squinted, he knew he could see the pillar like all the past trials. I need to start looking for those earlier…Regardless of his thought, Ash shook his head. Now was the time for battle, not worrying about architectural designs of the trials. "Dartrix, I choose you! The rest of you, cheer as hard as you can!"
"And Torracat, you're up!" Dartrix flapped over to the scene at the same moment that the light from Hau's pokeball receded. Both bird and cat caught sight of each other, staring for a moment until Dartrix broke it by flicking his hair dismissively.
"Merow!" Torracat called angrily, as if he didn't like being dismissed.
"Torracat, this is no time to fight. Dartrix is your partner for this fight," Hau explained to the Fire Cat Pokémon. At the same time, both Pikachu and Pipi ran up to their trainers, standing by their sides. A little ways back, separated from the battlefield, were Trumbeak, Passimian and Oranguru, watching the whole thing carefully. Kiawe finally reached the center of the field from the balcony and raised his hand.
"This will be a two-on-two double battle between the captain, Mallow, and the trial-goers, Ash and Hau. It will be over when either side is unable to battle, and no switching is allowed," Kiawe called, his voice booming across the expanse of space. Ash's fists tightened, and Hau rolled his shoulder once more with a grin. They were finally here. "Begin!"
"Torracat, use Flame Charge on Tsareena!" Hau commanded right away. Ash took the sight of Torracat wreathing himself in flames as a signal for him to join in the battle before Mallow and Lurantis could make a move. Kiawe backed up, watching both of his future challengers intently.
"Dartrix, get in there with Acrobatics!" Ash called, pointing straight for Lurantis, who was clicking its sickles loudly. Dartrix shot into the air, glowing turquoise before he zoomed through the air, right for Lurantis. At the same moment, Torracat was charging along the ground with flames spitting behind him.
"Tsareena, Sunny Day!" Mallow called, her hands in little fists, making her look like she was cheering happily. Ash found it an odd command, considering a Fire type was charging right at her Grass type, but Ash figured Hau could handle it as the area around them brightened through the trees from above. Lurantis' sickles were on the move as Dartrix flew right for it, some of the force from Acrobatics already pressing into its massive midsection.
"Luraaaaaan!" Lurantis cried. From the bushes suddenly leaped a whole swarm of Fomantis. For a second, Ash wondered if they were the same ones from earlier, but he couldn't think about it. Lurantis' sickles had moved, and surrounding it was a pink cyclone of what seemed to be cherry blossoms. It was no doubt Petal Blizzard, and as it blasted out, Dartrix was right in its path. The winds buffeted the Blade Quill Pokémon, halting his assault.
"High Jump Kick!" Mallow now ordered of her Tsareena. The queenly Pokémon leapt upwards, showing incredible leg strength and speed as she brought her lag slamming down upon Torracat.
"Use Bite to catch it," Hau called. Torracat's maw opened wide as Tsareena fell. He snapped forward, biting into her leg and holding her place. With Lurantis' Petal Blizzard still in the process of disappearing, Ash decided to aid Hau; it was a double battle after all.
"Dartrix, use Pluck on Tsareena!" Ash commanded.
"Darroh!" Dartrix said, nimbly changing course and flying straight for Tsareena, the blue glow shining off of his beak. There was another clicking noise and Ash turned in time to see the Fomantis firing a set of Razor Leaves off at the two enemies.
"X-Scissor!" Mallow called. It was the first move she'd given to Lurantis, and Ash wondered just what she was up to. He barely had the chance to, however. Lurantis was fast, both of its sickles glowing purple. Tsareena moved her other leg and slammed Torracat in the face, breaking free as the Razor Leaf made contact. At the same moment, Lurantis sliced in a cross-shaped fashion, sending both Dartrix and Torracat tumbling across the ground. Ash grit his teeth; it was fast…really fast. And it was on the move.
"Dartrix, use Leafage to pull the both of you out of there!" Ash called, realizing that Torracat wasn't in the state to actually pull out without taking some damage. Dartrix flapped up, sending his cyclone of leaves outward.
"Trop Kick, Tsareena," Mallow said, still with that same chipper tone of voice. For how serious Ash and Hau seemed to be taking the battle, Mallow sounded like she was just having fun. Tsareena leapt upward once again, but this time, instead of slamming down, she aimed forward with her kick as her leg glowed green. She, too, was showcasing her speed and flitted right through the Leafage cutting around her to slam into Dartrix and drive him into a tree.
"Torracat, use Flame Charge again!" Hau called. Torracat's body light on fire, igniting even faster than it had before. Only, just like last time, Lurantis was faster. It raised both of its sickles to the air, absorbing light quickly, just for Mallow to give the order.
"Solar Blade!" Lurantis slammed down with the blade of brimming sunlight. At the same time, the Fomantis moved in with glowing claws that sliced all around Torracat. Dartrix wasn't immune to the stunning attack either. The blade of sunlight crushed both Torracat and Dartrix into the ground, snapping one of the trees over in the process. Passimian cried out angrily at that, but did nothing more in the presence of the jungle's leader. Overhead, the sunlight dimmed, fading away to its normal sense of shine.
"Those Fomantis are getting pretty annoying, tag teaming every time Lurantis goes in for a hit," Ash pointed out to Hau. The younger boy nodded, but kept his grin regardless.
"Then let's tag team 'em ourselves," Hau suggested. Ash nodded.
"Dartrix, use Leafage and create some cover!" he called to his Pokémon. Dartrix managed to stand back up and shot into the sky. He threw his blade-like leaves out, the mess of them swirling around both Tsareena and Lurantis in a concealing cyclone.
"Now, Fire Fang on Lurantis! Take the Totem out!" Hau yelled. Torracat pounced, his maw alighting with flames. At the same time, Ash called for Dartrix to use Pluck. The two charged through the swirling leaves, not taking damage from the concealing attack. Mallow gave no orders to either of the two Pokémon that she was commanding, concerning Ash a little. He let it go, however, as Dartrix's attack slammed into Lurantis while Torracat definitively sunk his flaming jaw into the Totem.
"Tissss!" Lurantis screeched in a horrible hiss, crying out from the pain. A sudden flash of flame traveled up the Pokémon and Ash raised his hand out to high five Hau; they had managed to burn it.
"Use Stomp," Mallow called.
"Dodge it!" the two trainers called at once. Dartrix and Torracat immediately made moves to leap backwards, but were suddenly blocked by the quick speed of Lurantis' sickles digging into the ground behind them. Now locked in place, all they could do was take the Stomp attack that crashed into both of them. Like usual, the powerful slam from Tsareena's feet left them all reeling.
"Now's your chance, Lurantis. Use Synthesis and go on the offensive," Mallow said. Ash's fists clenched. Mallow had just been waiting for the right moment to completely take them off their game. Lurantis raised its sickles high once again, drawing energy from the sun…only it was different. While one sickle appeared to be healing it of its wounds, the other was gathering sunlight. Whether it was slower because it was only one or because the sunlight had faded, Ash wasn't sure, but Ash knew they had to strike before it was too late.
"I've got a plan, too," Hau said with his usual grin. It was almost like he'd read Ash's mind. "You just work on Tsareena and I'll take care of Lurantis, 'kay?"
"Sounds good," Ash agreed. Dartrix pushed himself up, hovering just above Torracat, a glint in both of their eyes. Whatever animosity or rivalry they held between them, it was irrelevant for now, each focused on getting the win. "Dartrix, use Acrobatics and take out those Fomantis, then head straight for Tsareena!"
"Koo!" Dartrix cried, instantly sending himself into a dive towards the clustered Fomantis. Each of them raised glowing sickles, as though ready to strike at Dartrix when he got close enough. Ash smirked a bit. The force of Dartrix's swooping slammed into the Fomantis from afar, knocking them out completely before he could get close. He turned his momentum, allowing himself to aim for Tsareena. The Fruit Pokémon shifted her long legs just a bit, like she was anticipating the attack.
"Now, Torracat, use Swagger!"
"Torreow!" Torracat hissed out, his flame sac puffing out a bit with pride. Dartrix swooped past him, right for the waiting Tsareena.
"Use Leafage to surround her and hide your approach," Ash said. Dartrix tossed the leaves out, whirling them around their foe. He vanished suddenly, reappearing behind Tsareena and pelting her with powerful talons. "Now, use Pluck!"
"Get ready, Tsareena, and Lurantis…" Mallow appeared to bite her lip. Lurantis was in no state to even do anything on its own, let alone listening to Mallow. Hau's attempt to take Lurantis out for the moment had worked, and judging by his flaming maw, Torracat was planning on ending it then and there, the Totem Pokémon whirling around, confused and unable to call for help. Dartrix slammed into Tsareena, knocking her through the barrier of leaves. Sadly, she landed upright without a single problem. "Tsareena, High Jump Kick on Torracat!"
"Tsar!" Tsareena said haughtily, her leg glowing brightly yet again. She leapt into the air and extended said leg out, right for Torracat. Hau called for him to dodge, but he was already aiming for Lurantis, the confused Bloom Sickle Pokémon suddenly alighting with fire from its earlier burn.
"Get Torracat out of there!" Ash called. Hau was nodding fervently. Dartrix changed directions from his spot in midair to grab Torracat with his talons. The cat cried out, pawing nastily at the air as Tsareena came crashing down upon the spot he had been.
"Merow…?" Torracat asked in shock as Dartrix dropped him. Ash's Pokémon nodded, as if answering. Tsareena grimaced but a few feet away, the pain of the missed High Jump Kick shuddering through her body. Hau instantly leapt on the initiative.
"Flame Charge!" he shouted. While Dartrix leapt out of the way, Torracat blazed forward, body surrounded in flames as he did so, straight for Tsareena. Ash looked over to Lurantis, seeing that it was slumped over and breathing heavy, almost winded…but no longer stamping around or looking confused. They had to end this.
"Sunny Day!" Mallow said. She was still cheering, causing Ash to narrow his eyes. What did the captain have up her sleeve for this battle? Before, Sunny Day had proven to be quite the boon for her team, but surely the same thing couldn't work twice? Torracat slammed into Tsareena, the flames wracking her body as she flew back, slamming into a rock. Chunks broke off, and then Tsareena slumped to the ground.
"Tsareena is unable to battle!" Kiawe announced. Above, in the balcony, Ash's companions all cheered.
"Not done yet," Ash said. Hau nodded, ordering Torracat to turn his attention to Lurantis, just as their opponent sprang into action. It raised one sickle, charging it just as it had before. Ash's eyes lit up, even ordering a futile dodge. It was the sun. And more than that, he'd figured out a way to actually force the teamwork between the two Pokémon on the field to win this battle. Lurantis swung down with the sunlit blade, colliding with both Torracat and Dartrix, who tumbled backwards and against each other.
"Luraaaan…" Lurantis called out, as though feeling its victory was secured. Even with the burn, even without Mallow. Ash had to admit: the speed with which Lurantis moved was making it difficult to keep up, even with Torracat's speed increasing and all of the damage they had afflicted. The Bloom Sickle Pokémon had a way of making this a war of attrition; one Ash was highly against.
"Well, this isn't looking good for us…" Hau admitted, turning his gaze upon Ash. The raven-haired trainer nodded and turned to face his rival, holding out a fist.
"Then let's work together and really make the odds work in our favor," he said to him. Hau tilted his head in curiosity, so Ash leaned in to whisper his plan, one that he could only hope would work in slowing the Totem down. Hau appeared to get it and he bumped Ash's fist.
"Let's do it!" he stated confidently. "Torracat, no matter what, follow my lead."
"Merow!"
"You, too, Dartrix. It's time to win this." Dartrix replied in the affirmative, looking to Torracat and nodding. They both looked roughed up, but Ash knew this was unequivocally the time to strike. Mallow may have been ahead, judging by her smiling expression and small use of moves, but Ash knew they had the fighting chance to win this.
"Torracat, use Bite on Lurantis!" Hau ordered, throwing both of his fists in the air. Torracat snarled and ran forward, his speed picking up with gleaming fangs.
"Now you head straight up, Dartrix! Use Leafage and get as many leaves up above the battlefield as you can!" Ash yelled. Dartrix nodded and shot straight up. At Ash's feet, Pikachu was cheering loudly for the success of his teammate.
"Petal Blizzard!" Mallow called, putting a palm out. She was clearly taking the battle a little seriously, now that she had lost Tsareena. Ash looked to Hau and stepped towards him with a smirk. They put their backs to each other, each of them feeling the support of the other in the battle. Lurantis was surrounded by the pink petals that blasted out in a spiral for Torracat. Up above, Dartrix was flapping his wings wildly, leaf after leaf shooting out with the wind and hanging in the air. It took a few moments, but Ash noticed the light fading.
"Now, Flame Charge!" Hau screamed. Torracat blasted out with flames around its body and charged right forward. His speed was now beyond unbelievable, almost matching Dartrix's normal speed as he burst into the petals before him. The pink petals scattered as he charged forward and slammed into Lurantis.
"Synthesis! Hurry!" Ash and Hau reached out, slapping their hands against each other before pointing forward. It was the moment they had been waiting for. Lurantis raised its sickles up and began glowing with green, only it was slower than before, the light of the sun preventing energy from reaching the Bloom Sickle Pokémon.
"Now, Acrobatics!"
"Fire Fang!" Torracat's maw opened wide and bit right into Lurantis' body with his fiery fangs. At the same exact moment, Dartrix descended, slamming into the Totem's head from above with Acrobatics, causing it to take a knee and canceling the Synthesis.
"Break them up with X-Scissor!" Lurantis raised up, crying out loudly as it crossed its sickles.
"No way!" Ash and Hau said together. "We're winning this one!"
"Yeah! Go Ash and Hau!" Bonnie's voice could be heard echoing around the place. Lillie appeared to simply be clapping with Serena while Clemont gripped at the balcony. Ash grinned at them and held his fist up into the air. Hau, seeing it, clearly decided he liked it, for he did the same.
"Now, Dartrix, pick up Torracat!" Dartrix practically flipped off, flapping down to Torracat and pulling him up with his talons, just as he had to save him before. Only, this wasn't a defensive move, but an offensive one, even as the purple X-Scissor was making its way for them. "Go!"
"Flame Charge!"
"Torrreow!" Torracat almost roared as flames surrounded his body. Dartrix flew forth at quick speed, further helped along by the flames that were speeding them up, making them appear almost like a blip. Lurantis flinched, the flames wracking its body. Then Ash gave the last command.
"Use Pluck!" Dartrix cried out and their speed made them vanish. Then, Lurantis howled in pain as both Dartrix and Torracat appeared on the other side. Lurantis was blasted back a bit and its body burst with flames, consuming it for several seconds before subsiding. Torracat dropped to the ground and everyone waited, watching Lurantis.
Its sickle plunged into the ground, as though it were steadying itself. Then it fell, crashing down onto the jungle floor with practical swirls in its eyes. Ash let out a laugh, one that he shared with Hau, before both boys turned to Kiawe in order to hear the final judgement call. The other captain stepped forward, looking at Mallow, who appeared to shrug, like the result didn't matter.
"Totem Lurantis is unable to battle, therefore the victory goes to the trial-goers, Ash and Hau."
"All right!" the boys yelled, practically leaping into the air (though in Hau's case, it was quite literal). They instantly threw a high five at one another, grinning the whole while. That lasted all of five seconds before their Pokémon had made their way back over and tackled them.
"You were awesome, Torracat!" Hau proclaimed, holding the cat up into the air. He smiled down at his trainer just as Ash pet Dartrix on the head, hearing him coo. Rustling sounds from behind indicated that both the large Passimian and the smaller Trumbeak were also there.
"See, Passimian. Told you we have a lot of fun," he told the monkey. Dartrix nodded, raising a wing. He looked tired, but Ash could tell he still had quite the bit of stamina in him (at least when it likely came to eating). Though, the battle had been much easier than it first suggested. Shaking the distracting thought away, Ash looked to Passimian.
"Passimian!" he cried out, rubbing his berry against the ground excitedly. Ash had to laugh at that, glad he had earned his newest partner's enthusiasm. Having that, Ash turned to see that Mallow was leaning down by Lurantis, thanking it for the battle by feeding it some of the soup she had saved. That felt nice to Ash, glad to see that Lurantis was all right. More important than that, though…
"You two won!" Serena's voice yelled and Ash found himself tackled to the ground, caught by Passimian as his girlfriend wrapped her arms around him with a smile. Clemont approached slower with Lillie and Bonnie, the egg held in his arms while Rotom hung back, clearly having exhausted itself after taking so many pictures.
"Thanks!" Ash said, putting his hands on her and pushing her off. To his surprise, Serena was actually crying a little, though he figured it was the joy at him clearing his third trial. Ash summoned up the joy of victory inside him and leaned forward to kiss her briefly as they stood. She returned it, the two finally breaking it once Ash saw Mallow approaching with the familiar box.
"You know, I'm not surprised about either of you," the girl spoke out. The Totem Lurantis had gotten upright now, looking down at Bonnie, who appeared enthralled with it for the moment before it slunk back into the jungle. "Not only did you two manage to befriend new Pokémon, but you completely finished the trial before the sun even started to set."
"Why? Is that unusual?" Hau asked, throwing his hands behind his head.
"It is," came the answer from Kiawe. "In all the time I've visited Mallow during her trial as captain, I only saw one other person complete the trial so quickly, and that was about three months back. So, yeah, it's impressive."
"Well, we're coming for you next," Ash said. He looked over to Hau, who was grinning, as well, as they looked to the final trial captain of Akala. Kiawe smirked and laughed, holding out his hand. The boys reached forward and took it, shaking it like a promise that they would overcome the captain.
"Come on, Kiawe," Mallow said, slapping at the boy as she finished her approach. "Stop taking away from my trial. But he's right. It was great fun battling you both. The way the two of you came to work together in the end was awesome."
"That was the point, wasn't it?" Hau asked. Ash looked at him, but realized just how much that made sense. If the first trial was learning about the natural order of things, and the second was about the power of teamwork, this one was a further extension of that, bringing together two people and Pokémon, working together. It made Ash wonder just what Kiawe's trial was about.
"That's correct, and you two worked together really well," Mallow answered. "Not everyone can, you know? That's why I've got no problem presenting the Grassium-Z to either of you."
Ash looked to Hau one more time as they reached their fists out to give each other a bump before reaching forward to the now open box, grasping their green wedges and the crystals next to them. They grinned, bumped each other's forearms against one another and then held their prizes into the air.
"All right," they cried aloud, their Pokémon gathering around them, "we got the Grassium-Z!"
"Pipikachu!"
"Merow!"
"Darroh!" The rest of Ash's team all joined in on the cheering, and even Rockruff's pokeball shook in triumph. Serena suddenly led the others in laughing in joy over their victory. Like the two rivals were synchronized, themselves, they reached down to place the green wedge in their amulets before then placing the Z-Crystal on their rings. Like always, the ring glowed, and then absorbed the crystal.
"Another trial down, then," Clemont stated, handing the egg off to Serena once more. "Guess that means it's back to Heahea City for the Ceremony, right?"
"That's right!" Serena said. She turned to look at Kiawe, a question clearly on her lips. "You said you'd be judging, right, Kiawe?"
"That's right," the boy answered. "After that, I'll reopen the trial. Though for now, I guess I'll help Mallow with hers."
"Looking forward to it, then," Ash said. Ready for the lot of them to set back off on their journey, Ash grabbed for his pokeballs and returned Passimian, Trumbeak and Dartrix. Hau appeared to have done the same for all but Pipi. "But get ready, 'cause we're gonna give you the hardest challenge you've ever had."
"So am I," Hau said, already facing towards the exit from the jungle. "But first, I'm gonna train Oranguru up with the rest of the ohana, and then we're off to Brooklet Hill. I've got a challenge to win, after all."
"Where do you plan to train?" Lillie asked before the boy could run off in his usual fashion. Said boy grinned back at her with a little wink.
"I'll be around," he answered. Pipi nodded, like she fully understood just where Hau was going with this. "I'll probably stop by Royal Avenue for some training. Met a really strong guy there a little bit back and want to see if I can win this time. Good luck, Ash, but I'll be winning!"
"Not a chance! You'll be planning that date for me in no time!" Ash yelled at him. Hau just waved his hands in farewell, racing off and yelling out "alola". Serena stepped forward, shaking her head.
"That boy never stops…"
"That's Hau," Lillie laughed out, dabbing at the sweat on her forehead. Now that Ash was finally calmed down from his trial, he realized that he was sweating profusely as well. Bonnie sidled up to Lillie and elbowed her.
"You're gonna miss him, aren't you, Lillie?" she smirked out. Ash backed up and grabbed ahold of her before either Clemont or Serena could say a word. "Maybe you should confess your-"
"And on that note, we'll be going," Ash chuckled out. "Take care, Mallow. Tell Lana that Kiawe is all that's left. We promised her that we'd tell her when I was going to battle Olivia."
"Will do," Mallow said, raising her hand in farewell. Ash started pushing Bonnie away from a mortified Lillie (though the girl still held her composure well under the pressure). With another wave, they came to the entrance of the jungle, finally ready to start the journey back to Heahea City. "Good luck in your Ceremony, Serena. Take care, Clemont, Bonnie, Lillie! Alola!"
"Alola!" Ash and the others called back before he picked up the pace, setting their sights for Heahea and the next step in Serena's goal.
The sounds of the jungle rushed back. With the absence of so many unfamiliar humans and the two Pokémon that had a natural rivalry with one another, it burst with color and life. Only two other presences remained in that humid, tropical forest. Kiawe folded his arms, and moved to sit upon a rock near the entrance to the Lush Jungle. Mallow continued to watch their friends leave, vanishing beyond eyesight and earshot.
"Well, there they go," she finally said. The smile faded from her face as she turned to face her friend and fellow captain. "I'm surprised in you, Kiawe. You really seemed impressed by the two of them. I mean, sure, they took me and Lurantis down faster and easier than most, even with me giving my all, but still."
"Hmm…" Kiawe hummed out. Now Mallow's lips turned down. She knew that expression; knew it all too well as the pensive expression Kiawe would wear, sometimes before battle or prayer. "Ash intrigues me…"
"Yeah, makes you wonder," she responded to him, tapping her chin in thought. News had always trickled from Melemele to them as though through a grapevine; in this case, Olivia was the one who had first heard and spoken about Ash and Hau, but apparently the Kahuna of Melemele, Hala, had spoken predominantly of the more foreign trainer. It all happened to be for one reason alone, the same reason Olivia had actually taken an interest in him. "Have you spoken with Miss Olivia recently?"
"Mm," Kiawe grunted out, reverting to his usual, and far less sociable, nature. "She asked me to keep an eye on Tapu Lele."
"That seems weird, even if it makes the most sense to ask you out of all of us," Mallow stated, still tapping her chin, only now at a more rapid pace. "Did she tell you why?"
"Not really. She just said that Kahuna Hala indicated that the Tapus might be disturbed. Something about Tapu Koko choosing a trainer."
"Like how Miss Olivia was?" Mallow asked. She couldn't stop the surprise from leaving her mouth. Kiawe shrugged his shoulders, like he genuinely didn't know the answers to her question. Mallow frowned a bit at that, but sloughed it off with a smile. "Maybe that trainer was Ash, and that's why…"
"If I had to guess, it seems likely," Kiawe admitted. Now things made sense to Mallow; Kiawe was interested because it was possible for Ash to have been chosen by the God of Conflict, itself. "But more than that…I heeded Olivia's words, and she was right. I think Tapu Lele has left her shrine."
"It has?" Mallow asked in shock. "But that's…Wasn't the last time that happened when Miss Olivia…?"
"I know," Kiawe said darkly, his face becoming almost overly serious. "Something is about to happen on the islands, and I'm pretty sure it involves Ash and his friends." He looked upward, sharing a glance with Mallow that was as electric as anything before, sending her spine tingling. "Call Lana. Tell her to definitely be ready when Ash completes my trial. I'll keep an eye out in the meantime, but we'll need those answers from Olivia, and I have a feeling she'll only fill us in when she confirms things for herself."
"Will do," Mallow answered. A sound of footsteps, like another trial-goer, reached her ears. Before she went to greet them, however, she leaned over and kissed Kiawe on the cheek. "But lighten up, okay? They're still friends, after all."
Leaving a blushing Kiawe behind, Mallow flounced over to greet her next challenge, the ominous warning of what was bubbling beneath Alola's waves ever present between the captains in the dense jungle air.
Author's Note: Three trials down! This one was fun, no? The first trial to split itself into two chapters, focused on way more than just Ash, too. I hope this particular double battle for the Totem worked out for you. It wasn't quite so pulse-pounding, but there is a reason for that…to be elaborated on later. More than that, though, Ash and Hau have new Pokémon to their teams! That should be exciting, yes? Which also means that Ash's team is full right now, and so soon! I know that in the games you can't catch Pokémon during a trial, however, since in this story the trials are sealed unless you're taking them, that doesn't make as much sense. If you can get a Pokémon to join your team during the trial, more power to you. Hope that makes sense. Beyond that, things are brewing; Clemont's having problems and the captains of Akala fear for what may be going on with the Tapus. What does it all mean? Well, you'll have to find out as we head back for Heahea!
As per usual, time for me to thank everyone who makes this story amazing: Moore98Luke, Ryner510, lio860, zach8920 and Mixt Number XV for favoriting; Riibas for following; and the really huge thanks to Armorshippingfan, Cottonmouth25, Tenzalucard123, AdvancedAlto, ChE clarinetist, Joshua Ketchum, FantasyLover88, The Wind God of the Leaf, Nega Mewtwo, bankerrtx01, aliensinnoh, blue-analytic, ultimateCCC, CommanderAwesome3, potat lasaro, jlogan2748, AmourshippingCanon, David Wilsberg and 1 guest for reviewing. I hope the next chapters are as enjoyable as this one. So, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.