Chapter 4-2: A Destined Faceoff
A light outside the Pokemon Center's room startled Lillie and Ash. "What is that?" Lillie wondered.
"Looks a bit strange," Ash noted. "Let's check it out." He turned and started out the door.
"Wait!" Lillie called, "It could be dange–" Before she could finish, she noticed Ash was already gone. "Oh," she sighed.
The guardian deity of Melemele Island slowly descended to meet May and the two Pokemon. It had its eye on Pikachu in particular.
"What is it?" May asked. "Is something wrong?"
At this, the door to the Pokemon Center burst open as Ash rushed out to see what was happening. "What's going on out here?" he asked, rushing up to May.
"It's Tapu Koko!" she exclaimed. Ash looked up and saw the deity looking at him with a keen gaze.
"Tapu Koko?" Ash blinked as Pikachu hopped on his shoulder. At this point, Lillie emerged from the Pokemon Center and saw what was happening. Tapu Koko then pointed at him, gesturing to him to come, before suddenly flying past him. Ash's head suddenly felt bare.
"Hey!" he shouted. "My hat!" No sooner had he realized what happened than Tapu Koko appeared, holding his hat and seemingly taunting him. "Get back here with that!" He ran after Tapu Koko, who flew away to who-knows-where. May swiftly followed, while Lillie followed at a distance before taking a detour.
"The professor will want to see this!" she whispered excitedly as she ran towards the small beach where Kukui's lab was.
Ash eventually caught up with Tapu Koko at Ten Carat Hill. There, Tapu Koko finally stopped and dropped Ash's hat. "What was that for?" he asked in annoyance, dusting off his hat before placing it back on his head. Tapu Koko, unfazed, pointed at Ash once again, making a gesture as though beckoning him to battle.
"Wait," May said, "you want Ash to battle you?!"
The deity nodded. Ash blinked, confused for a moment, before grinning with excitement. "All right," he said. "If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get. Pikachu and I will give you a battle you won't forget!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed, mirroring his trainer's determination. As they braced for battle, they failed to notice someone watching them from the shadows.
"Tapu Koko? Challenging an ordinary trainer? That's not a sight you see everyday. I guess training can wait."
"Professor!" Lillie cried, bursting into the lab.
Kukui's eyes shot up, alarmed by her suddenness. "What is it?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"
"It's Tapu Koko!" Lillie exclaimed. "It's up to something, and it has to do with Ash!"
"Ash?" Kukui exclaimed in surprise. Then he grinned in excitement. "Woo! Sounds like something exciting. Come on, Rockruff! Let's go check this out!"
"Ruff ruff!" Rockruff barked excitedly. With that, they ran out, Lillie pointing them in the direction Tapu Koko went. Not far behind them, Hala ran as fast as his short legs could carry him.
"I hope nothing's the matter," the kahuna muttered. "What could have agitated Tapu Koko this time?"
"All right, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Start this out with Thunderbolt!"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, jumping up in the air and attacking with his signature move. "Piiiikaaaaa...CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" he screeched as powerful electric energy shot towards the guardian deity, engulfing it in electricity. Tapu Koko, however, was barely fazed and immediately surrounded itself in light energy before flying forward and ramming into Pikachu.
"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed. "It barely even flinched!"
"Well, it is an electric type, right?" May said.
Tapu Koko wasn't stopping, as it was already rushing in for a follow-up attack. "Oh, no you don't!" Ash shouted. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
"Chuuuuuuu...PiKA!" Pikachu growled, slamming Tapu Koko with his hardened tail. Tapu Koko retreated back a little, shaking off the attack, though it was clear that it had struck it in the right place. Unseen by anyone, Lillie and Professor Kukui rushed up.
"Wow!" Kukui whispered. "It wanted to battle Ash?"
"Ruff ruff!" Rockruff barked excitedly.
"How strange," Lillie mused. "Why would a guardian deity want to battle Ash?"
"Must see something in him that we can't, yeah," Kukui suggested.
"Pikachu!" Ash commanded, "Follow up with Electro Ball!" Pikachu complied, jumping up and shooting a ball of electric energy at Tapu Koko. Tapu Koko, however, was ready for this and deflected the ball by surrounding itself in light energy. The ball bounced harmlessly off of the energy field while the guardian deity rushed in to attack once again. Pikachu, seeing it was using the same strategy as before, smacked it away again with Iron Tail. Tapu Koko reeled back once again, while Pikachu leapt into the air to deliver another Electro Ball attack. The ball of electricity shot straight at the guardian deity, but once again it deflected the ball with a field of light energy. But this time, the ball was headed for Pikachu!
"Pikachu! Deflect it back with Iron Tail!" Ash shouted. Pikachu did so, sending the Electro Ball hurling at a blinding speed. Tapu Koko's eyes widened and, unable to react in time, took the full force of the attack. Electric energy exploded as it fell to the ground, clearly damaged by the attack.
"What's going on here?"
Kukui and Lillie turned to see Hala standing behind them, along with Hau. "Tapu Koko challenged Ash to a battle," Lillie explained.
"Whoa! No way!" Hau exclaimed with excitement. "I wanna see this!"
"How interesting," Hala mused.
After a moment, Tapu Koko got back up, glaring at Pikachu with a fiery spark in its eyes. It rushed forward to attack again.
"Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Ash called. Pikachu obeyed, attempting to strike Tapu Koko with his attack. But Tapu Koko was ready this time and hid in its shell to prevent Pikachu from doing any major damage.
"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed. "It was ready for that one!"
"I think it's getting a little serious, Ash," May said nervously. As though to confirm her words, Tapu Koko slammed the ground with its fist. A pink shockwave spread from the spot it struck, knocking Pikachu into the air back towards Ash. When Pikachu landed, several multi-colored energy bolts surrounded Pikachu and damaged him.
"Nature's Madness!" Hala exclaimed.
Lillie looked at him in surprise. "Nature's Madness?" she repeated. "Isn't that the signature technique of the tapus?"
"Yes," Hala nodded. "They only use it when they get serious in battle."
"Pikachu, get up!" Ash called, as his Pokemon was laying on his stomach, weakened by the damage. Pikachu struggled to stand on its feet, as he was still reeling from the damage he took. Before he could fully stand, Tapu Koko unleashed a wave of electric energy, knocking Pikachu back even further.
"This isn't good," May said, even more nervous now. "You need to finish this quickly, Ash; Pikachu can't take much more!"
"I know," Ash nodded, adjusting his cap. "And I know just how to do it. Come on, Pikachu! Time to unleash our full power!"
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. With that, the two of them crossed their hands in front of them, striking several synchronized poses that ended with their arms crossed to look like a lightning bolt.
"Now, Pikachu!" Ash called, "GIGAVOLT HAVOC!"
"PIIIIIKAAAAAAA...CHUUUUUUUUU!" Pikachu screamed, condensing a massive amount of electric energy into a ball and launching it at the guardian deity. Tapu Koko's eyes widened before it covered itself with its shell, but even that couldn't save it. The Z-Move struck, launching the tapu into the air before it fell to the ground in a glorious explosion of energy. When the dust settled, the tapu was laying there, encased in its shell, while Pikachu and Ash stood, breathing heavily from the effort the attack required. After a moment, Tapu Koko peeked out of its shell before fully coming out of it and floating before Ash and Pikachu.
"You still want more?" Ash asked, still eager to battle. Tapu Koko, however, shook its head and looked at Ash with an approving gaze.
"Looks like the battle's off," May muttered.
"I see," Ash nodded. "You wanted to test our power, right? To see how strong we were?" Tapu Koko nodded solemnly. Ash then turned and saw his partner Pokemon standing, breathing heavily. "Pikachu!" he said, coming up to him and scooping him in his arms. "You okay, buddy?"
"Pika," Pikachu smiled, giving him a thumbs-up. Though he was tired from the battle, he wasn't defeated.
At that moment, a sudden streak of light flew through the air. Before anyone knew what was happening, Tapu Koko suddenly found itself in an energy cage!
"What?!" Hala exclaimed.
"Hey!" Ash shouted. "What's going on?!"
"Did someone ask something? We're here to find out!"
"Noble answers are what we're all about!"
"The beauty so radiant, the flowers and moon hide in shame,
"A single flower of evil in this fleeting world,
"Jessie!"
"The nobly heroic man of our times,
"The master of darkness fighting back against a tragic world,
"It's James!"
"It's all for one, and one for all,
"A glittering, dark star that always shines bright,
"Dig it! While Meowth takes flight!"
"Team Rocket, let's fight!"
"That's right!"
"Woooooobbuffet!"
The terrible trio stood over the cage they threw over Tapu Koko, proud of their work. "Team Rocket!" Ash cried.
"Don't you guys ever take a break?" May whined.
"Sorry, but our contract says no," Meowth replied.
"Besides, with the guardian deity of Alola under our control, we'll be unstoppable!" Jessie sneered.
Angered at their words, Tapu Koko sharpened its claws and rammed into the cage bars. The energy, however, shocked it and forced it to move back, grimacing in pain.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," James chuckled. "This electro cage was designed specifically to repel any Pokemon attacks from the inside."
"And to ensure no twoips can do any damage, we've twoip-proofed the outside!" Meowth grinned.
"Wooooobbuffet!"
"How dare you!"
All of them turned, startled, as Hala stepped forward, followed by the others who came to watch. "You dare to try and take the guardian deity of Melemele Island away like it's any other Pokemon?!" the kahuna shouted. "The insolence! The audacity! You...you must be either sacreligious or foolish to even think to do such a thing!"
"Put a lid on it, old man," Meowth snapped back.
"Now if you'll excuse us, we have a Pokemon to take to headquarters," Jessie grinned.
"Absolutely not!" Hala shouted, pulling out an Ultra Ball. "Crabrawler! Go, use Bubble Beam to stop them!" He threw the ball, releasing his signature Pokemon who immediately complied.
"Oh no you don't!" James shouted back, pulling out his own ball. "Mareanie! Block the attack with Spike Cannon!" He threw the ball, releasing his own Pokemon, who immediately complied, spinning in midair while shooting bright white darts at its opponent. The two attacks collided, the bubbles blasting through the spikes at first. But as they got closer to their target, Mareanie upped the ante, firing more darts so that the bubbles couldn't touch it.
"Popplio!" May called. "Use Water Gun to help Crabrawler!" She released her Alolan Pokemon, who immediately complied.
"Mimikyu!" Jessie called. "Use Wood Hammer to stop that ugly little clown!" She released her Pokemon, who immediately struck Popplio with a powerful attack. Popplio cried out in pain as she tumbled to the side.
"Popplio!" May cried.
"Now, finish it!" Jessie sneered. Mimikyu hovered over Popplio, getting ready to finish her off.
"NO!" May screamed, running in between them. Time seemed to slow down as Mimikyu unleashed its attack. It slammed right into May's gut, knocking her in the air. She landed hard on her side, grunting in pain.
"MAY!" Ash cried, rushing over to his girlfriend. He rolled her onto her back. Her eyes were shut tight in pain. "May, it's me! Are you okay?"
"Owwww," May moaned, opening her eyes slightly. "Save...Popplio…"
"Popplio," Ash repeated. He looked up and saw Mimikyu hovering over her menacingly. "Popplio!"
Just as Mimikyu was about to strike Popplio, something ran in between them and took the full force of the hit. It flew through the air and hit a tree before falling onto its side.
Kukui gasped. "Rockruff?!"
While Ash ran over to check on the injured Pokemon, Mimikyu wavered before collapsing in a heap.
"What?!" Jessie exclaimed. "What happened?!"
"Now's our chance!" Hau cheered. "Litten, use Ember to take out Mareanie and save Tapu Koko!" He released his starter Pokemon, who promptly obeyed. The Bubblebeam-Ember combination overcame Mareanie's Spike Cannon, and it was promptly knocked into the air. Hala and Hau's Pokemon then attacked the power source for the cage, easily disabling it.
"No!" Jessie growled.
"How could this happen?" James moaned.
"Uh-oh," Meowth whimpered as a very angry guardian deity hovered over them, electric energy crackling at its fingertips. "I THINK IT'S MAD!"
As if to confirm Meowth's fears, Tapu Koko slammed the ground with its fist. A massive shockwave knocked Team Rocket and their Pokemon into a heap. Before they could comprehend what was happening, several multi-colored bolts of energy assaulted them, creating a large explosion that sent them soaring into the night sky.
"Just when you think you have the perfect plan, you realize that it isn't foolproof!" Jessie grumbled angrily.
"We made our cage twerp-proof," James moaned. "What did we miss?"
"We forgot to make it kahuna-proof!" Meowth growled.
"Kahuna-proof?!" Jessie snapped back.
"How were we supposed to know that was part of the plan?!" James snapped as well.
"It wasn't part of the plan!" Meowth retaliated. "I was saying that we shoulda made it part of the plan!"
"Now he tells us," James mumbled.
"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAINNNNNNN!"
Ding.
"Good grief," Ash growled. "When will they ever learn?"
"I don't know," May shrugged, "but did you see the way Bubble Beam collided with Spike Cannon? There was a sparkly glint. It was kinda pretty, to be honest." She put her chin in her hand. "Maybe I could pull something like that off in a contest."
"Are you two all right?" Hala asked, coming up to them. Kukui, Hau, and Lillie followed shortly after.
"Yeah," Ash nodded. "I think we should be more worried about Tapu Koko right now."
"Oh, Popplio," May whispered, cradling her injured Pokemon in her arms. "Are you all right?"
"Io," Popplio whimpered.
"Don't worry," she said. "We'll get you cleaned up once we get back to the condo." With that, she recalled her Pokemon.
"I believe we all have places to be right now," Hala agreed. "We shall speak about this more tomorrow." He turned to Ash. "I'm quite eager to learn just what happened tonight."
"I'm a little curious myself," Lillie agreed. "It's not everyday I see Tapu Koko personally challenge a trainer."
"Yeah," Ash agreed. "I wonder what it wanted."
Come
Everyone froze. Ash, knowing where that sound was coming from, turned to see Tapu Koko hovering majestically in front of him. "What is it?" he asked.
Tapu Koko responded by holding out its hand. As everyone looked on, they all noticed something sparkling falling from the sky. It came closer and closer until it was right in front of Tapu Koko and Ash. Tapu Koko then lowered its hand while Ash looked on with wonder.
"Is this...for me?" he whispered, taking it in his hands.
Tapu Koko nodded and, without another word, shot into the sky and vanished.
"That's what Tapu Koko wanted?" May muttered. "To give you something shiny? This better be good."
"I don't know," Ash mused, turning to her. "Look at it. It looks like the stone it gave you...only it's...different somehow."
"Hm?!" Hala grunted, curious. "Let me see," he came forward and inspected the stone. "My word!" he exclaimed.
"Another sparkling stone, Kahuna?" Ash grinned.
Hala shook his head. "I've never seen a stone like this before. It's darker," he observed, taking it in his hands, "and this material...I've never made a Z-Ring out of something like this before!"
"Whoa," Hau breathed in awe. "Ash got a special stone?"
"But...he already has a Z-Ring," Lillie pointed out. "Why would Tapu Koko give him another one?"
"I don't know," Kukui grinned, "but considering how fickle our guardian is, seeing it take such a keen interest in a trainer like Ash is a strong sign!"
"Of what?" Lillie asked.
"I don't know, but it must mean something!"
"Hm," Ash mused. "Well, I guess we can figure that out in the morning." He yawned as he started for his condo. "Good night, everyone!" With that, everyone quickly left, leaving Ten Carat Hill as it was several hours before: quiet and undisturbed by any trainers.
Or so it seemed.
"The Ultra Aura readings are off the scale!"
"Yes. That battle must have involved quite a bit of it."
"But what could have produced such massive aura output? Not even we, with all our power, could hope to output that much!"
"I don't know, but that boy who produced these readings seems to be chosen by the very tapu itself. We must find him and learn his secrets if we are to acquire power like his."
"Yes. For only then will we be able to tame the Blinding One."