After a hot shower Karma felt worn, but refreshed. The sticky feeling had gone from her skin. Nurse Joy even offered to make sure her clothes weren't stolen as they went through the Pokémon center's wash.
Karma stepped out into the night.
"So where to?" Rotom-dex asked, zipping out to hover in front of her. "Should we head to the first trial?"

"Not tonight." Karma said. "I don't think we have time. Besides, I wanted to see the city." She stopped as she noticed Lillie standing ghost like in the window of a shop just a little while down the strip.

Karma made her way through the crowd towards Lillie.

Lillie didn't see her. Her hand was pressed gently against the glass as she gazed inside.

"Looking at clothes?"

Lillie jumped, gripping her bag. "Oh. It's just you." Lillie turned bashfully away from the window.

"Did you see anything you like?"

"I…I should be looking for the ruins." Lillie said quickly.

"Its getting late…or early." Karma reasoned. "Are the ruins even nearby?"

"I don't know. I should probably study up on that." Lillie said.

"Or we could go shopping?"

Lillie wrung the strap of her bag in her hands.

"Unless you don't want to." Karma added quickly.

"No. I mean yes. I mean…" Lillie took a deep breath, the wide brim of her hat hiding her eyes. "I'd just slow you down. It'll be easier if you just shop yourself."

"Its more fun together." Karma said grabbing her hand. "Shopping with friends, trying on clothes…please, I don't know anyone else here. I mean other than Hau…but he's a guy. And he's probably busy stuffing his face somewhere." Besides, I think you need the experience more than I need new clothes.

Lillie giggled quietly. "He probably is." She turned back to stare at the store light. "I just…are you sure?"

"Yeah. Come on." Karma said leading Lillie into the shop. Lillie hesitated a little at the doorstep, but allowed Karma to pull her inside.

The inside was lit by bright lights. The racks of bright colored clothes lined the walls like a rainbow of blooming flowers. Tables in the center were filled with neat stacks of striped and flower patterned clothes.
"Wow. They have quite the color selection, don't they?" Karma said turning to Lillie. "What color do you like?"

"Me? I…" Lillie's eyes were darting around the store. "I…um…w-what do you like?"

Maybe we went a little too fast. Karma thought. "I usually like black. It's just comfortable, you know. Or grey. They don't seem to have much of that here, though do they?"

"N-no." Lillie said.
"Why don't we try some colors on?" Karma suggested.

"I…there's so many." Lillie said, her voice coming out as a squeak.

"Here um…" Karma grabbed the two closest shirts. "There's a pink and a blue. Which one would you like to try on first?"
"I don't know." Lillie said pulling her hat down.

Karma sighed. Maybe this wasn't the best idea.
"Sorry." Lillie said. "I just…I shouldn't…" She gripped her bag strap before dashing out of the store.
"Wait!" Karma dropped the shirts in a crumpled heap running outside after Lillie.

She was just in time to see Lillie's ghostly white form duck down the road near the beach.

Karma jogged to catch up. The pressing throngs of tourists got thicker as she pushed her way down the road. In the end she came to a grand white building that put the penthouse in Celadon to shame.
The building glowed a proud white under the moonlight. A fountain in front shot up sparkling water into a small pool where Pokémon splashed and soaked.
Karma picked her way through the crowd. Unfortunately the only people she could spot wearing white were a pair in a gold trimmed uniform talking near the entrance.

"You don't see her, do you Rotom-dex?"

Rotom-dex zipped out of her bag, to float in front of her face. "No. She seemed like she would much rather be alone."

"Yes, but-"

"Oh fascinating!"

A man in a white coat towered over her, blocking out the moon light. He bent down to be eye level with Rotom-dex, "what is this fascinating creature? Is it a machine? Or a Pokémon? Or something else entirely?"

Rotom-dex zipped behind Karma. Leaving Karma to face the strange man alone. He rose back up to full height, raising one of his arms in front of him and typing on the sleeve with his other hand.

Karma peeked up at his face. His hair was blond except for blue bangs that wrapped around his head like a strange halo. He didn't seem to noticed her gaze at all as he paused typing to shove his glasses closer to his yellow eyes. "It appears wary of observation. Fascinating."

"Um…who-?" Karma was cut off as he grabbed her hand.
"Is this a Z-ring?" He asked. "Amazing. Such fascinating energy! Although why is it here? And why does it react only to trainer's Pokémon? Does it have to do with the bonds between trainer and Pokémon? Or does it perhaps react to something in both humans and Pokémon? Could a human use it to bring out Z-moves in an unfamiliar Pokémon, or is trust required?" He turned back to his arm keyboard, typing furiously.

With his attention distracted Karma scooched away.

"He freaks me out." Rotom-dex said, sinking back into the top of her bag.

"Agreed." Karma said. "Hey, is that Hau?"

"I'm not coming out, until I'm sure he's gone." Rotom-dex replied, his voice muffled by the bag.

Karma wove her way through the crowd to where Hau was talking with a hotel bell hop.

"Hey! Karma!" He waved as he spotted her.

"Hi. What are you doing here? I thought you'd be looking for Malasadas?" Karma said.

"I thought we were going together!" Hau said. "So I was going to just try the Malasadas at the hotel. But apparently they only serve them for breakfast." He sighed, spreading his hands out. "Anyway, apparently the good malasada shop is on Royal Avenue. But some guy is blocking the entire road treasure hunting or something."

"Really?" Karma said skeptically. "You can't just…go around?"

"Nah. He said I was distracting his Stoutland and told me to leave. I think I'll just have a cup of Tapu Cocoa at the Pokémon center and call it a night. Want to come with?"

"Have you seen Lillie at all?" Karma said.

"Oh yeah. She was talking to some scary looking dude." Hau said with a smile.

"And…you just left her with him?"

"She seemed pretty happy." Hau said. "I did think about dropping by and saying hi. But she seemed really talkative. Besides, I had malasadas to track down." His voice got low as he added. Karma followed Hau back to the Pokémon center. The sky was starting to take on a fiery glow far off on the horizon by the time they reached the center.

Hau and Karma took seats at the counter of the small café. The man behind the counter smiled welcomingly and it didn't take long before they both had a steaming cup of Tapu Cocoa in front of them.

Karma took a careful sip. The liquid was still too hot to taste, so she stirred it with the provided spoon as she waited.

"Do you think he's her boyfriend?" Hau asked.

"Who?"

"The guy with Lillie." Hau said, ignoring his Tapu Cocoa. "Do you think she likes older guys?"

"Whoa. Back up. Isn't she our age? Or younger?"

Hau shrugged. "Maybe? I think she's older. I mean she's more mature than the professor."

"Yeah but she's shy."

"So?"

"How would she get a boyfriend?"

Hau scratched the back of his head, a thoughtful look on his face. "He asked her? I don't know."

Karma dared another sip of her cocoa. This time she could sense some of the chocolatey taste underneath the heat. Maybe I'll ask her about it next time I see her… Karma stared at the dark depths of her cup. Although she probably wouldn't tell me.

Hau grabbed his own cup and downed the entire thing in one gulp. "That's it. I'm going to go find Lillie."

"What? Wait!" Karma caught Hau as he tried to make a beeline for the Pokémon center door. "Does it really matter? I mean for all you know it's a childhood friend, or her cousin or something."

Hau stopped. He rubbed the back of his neck, his mouth turned down in a thoughtful pout. "I guess that would make sense. He was blond too."

Plus if he was her boyfriend she probably wouldn't want you barging in and asking questions. Karma thought, taking another sip of her cocoa.

Hau returned to the counter. "Are you ready for the next trial?"

Karma shrugged. "Is that Mallow's trial?"

Hau looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I know one is supposed to be water, one is fire, and one is grass."

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Mallow's is grass." Karma said.

"Ha. It'd be pretty weird if it wasn't huh?"

"I should be fine for fighting grass types." Karma said. "I have Fukano and Kadigo. And even Cha if I need. And Makenkani can handle the fire trial-"

Rotom-dex zipped out of her bag. "But-"

"Even if he is a fighting type!" Karma said. "He has water moves."

Hau grinned. "We should be good for the grass trial too. Malasada and Pineapple have it in the bag. And Haupia can handle the water trial."

"So that just leaves the water trial for my team, and the fire trial for you." Karma said, watching Rotom-dex hover around the counter. "Hopefully it'll be Mallow's first."

"You'll do fine." Hau said cheerfully. "And no matter which trial it is, we'll have fun."

Karma smiled. "You're right. I guess there's no reason not to enjoy ourselves."

Reminder of party make up:

Karma:

Hawlucha M Cha

Crabrawler M Makenkani

Growlithe M Fukano

Growlithe M Kadigo

Ekans F Rats

Kirlia M Shinji

Hau:
Rowlet- Malasada

Pikachu -Haupia

Noibat- Pineapple