Chapter 31 - "Take Him For A Ride!"

It had been three weeks since Cyan and Kala had first arrived on Exeggutor Island. The two trained day in and day out with the Pokémon, and at night time, they had small parties. Although Cyan couldn't speak the language of the Pokémon, he started to feel a special bond with the Exeggutor, almost feeling like had become a part of their family.

But three weeks was a long time without any real battling or trials.

Cyan and Kala sat at the top of the hill on Exeggutor Island where they could be, mostly, left alone. It was another day of intense training that had come to an end, and they were exhausted. Any moment now, the lead Exeggutor would come by and ask them to join the festivities. They would feel obligated to join in.

"I think we've trained enough," Cyan said. "My Pokémon are all a lot stronger, and I think that we could wipe the floor with any trainer that we come across."

Kala laughed. "Oh yeah? What about me? Litten may refuse to evolve, but she's still got a lot of fight in her. She was able to take down one of the big and mean Exeggutor all by herself. Even Jangmo-o has gotten stronger."

Cyan smiled. "You can probably even beat Lilo now."

"So, you think we've done enough?" she asked. "You have one more trial left, and from what I know about it, it's not easy. Do you really think you're ready?"

Cyan thought for a moment. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm positive I'm ready. I've never been so sure of myself. Training with the Exeggutor has been incredible."

"Then we should head out tomorrow."

Cyan and Kala became very familiar with the slow stepping but loud thumping that came with Exeggutor's walk. Soon, they would be invited out to the festivities. Sure enough, Exeggutor with its long neck and dopey faces emerged, smiling at the two trainers.

"Exeggutor, thank you for everything," Cyan said as he stood up. "Tomorrow, we're going to go back to Poni Island."

One by one, each of the faces of the lead Exeggutor had turned sad.

Kala stepped forward and smiled. "But don't worry! We should still party tonight! It'll be a going away party!"

"Yeah! And when I finish my Island Challenge, I'll definitely come back!"

The last party that the two had on Exeggutor Island was the most intense, but Cyan and Kala were sure to wake up bright and early, board the boat to Poni Island, and get going. The battling on Poni Island hadn't stopped, and it seemed as though the trainers had almost doubled, but Cyan wasn't afraid of any of them anymore.

But that wasn't their goal today. Today, it was Cyan's intention to finish his final trial. Luckily for them, there was a path straight towards Vast Poni Canyon, the destination of what was said to be the hardest trial in Alola.

"You sure you don't want any tips?" Kala asked as they made their way through Poni Island. They were only a few moments away from what she knew would be an intense battle. "I believe you can get through this, but I really think some tips could help."

Cyan shook his head. "Nope. This is my test. I have to be able to do this on my own. You don't think I can do it?"

Kala smiled as she watched her friend continue his confident forward stride. "You can."

The canyon was a desolate place. Even the strongest trainers on the island had done their best to avoid it, and any and all Pokémon that were around had left a long time ago. It almost seemed like a wasteland, and the sun beat down hard on Cyan and Kala. For the first time since he had been in Alola, Cyan didn't enjoy basking in the light.

The two slowly walked through the canyon, and the further they got in, the quieter it became until it was almost complete silence. The only noise that reverberated through the canyon was the sound of their footsteps, which silently bounced off of the walls.

"What's that?" Cyan asked as the two started to see a light coming from a far away tunnel. At the end was a stone staircase that looked like it had been built many years ago.

"That leads to the Altar of the Sunne and Moone," Kala said. "We're not going that way though. We should stay focused."

The two continued, and they entered a path that lead them into a cavern. The walls were wet with moisture that had built up over the years. And although no wind blew through the cavern, it was incredibly cold, making the hair on the back of Cyan's neck stand. Kala followed closely, and she kept looking up towards the ceiling of the cavern, fearing that they'd be attacked by wild Pokémon.

Down towards the end of the cavern was a shining light. It shone with a yellow, almost golden energy, and upon closer inspection, Cyan found a rectangular statue. It was a stone statue that reminded Cyan of the one from his first trial. At that time, Gumshoos had done everything he could to protect it. Cyan's heart started to race faster and faster as they approached. He was very aware that he would be in a battle in only a few moments, but he was only a few steps away from his new Z-Crystal.

He took one step. Nothing happened.

He took another step. Still nothing. Just silence.

He reached out his hand, only fingertips away from the new Z-Crystal.

And then, for the first time since they had entered Vast Poni Canyon, he heard a noise. Behind Cyan, he could feel heat, as though something was breathing down his neck. And then there was a growl followed by a clanging of what sounded like steel drums. He slowly turned around, finding himself inches away from a beast he had never seen before.

The beast roared loudly, and Cyan rolled backwards. He had been through the Ghost-type trial only a few weeks ago, but he had never been this immediately frightened in his life.

"Cyan, this is Kommo-o," Kala said. "It's the most dangerous Pokémon in Alola that isn't a Tapu. Be careful." She took a few steps back and watched as Cyan slowly stood back up.

He looked up at the Pokémon and grinned. "Perfect! Go, Lycanroc!"

As Lycanroc appeared from her Poké Ball, there was another roar that filled the cavern. One more Pokémon swooped down from the ceiling, and it landed on the statue that Kommo-o stood next to. This Pokémon was black with a purple underbelly, and it had a bat-like face with what appeared to be big speakers for ears.

"If I remember correctly, that's a Noivern," Kala said.

Cyan observed the situation closely. He had the intention of going in for a one on one battle to test Lycanroc's newfound strength, but it looked like Kommo-o and Noivern were going to force him to battle with two of his Pokémon at once. "Graveler, come on out!"

Graveler appeared next to Lycanroc, and he cracked his knuckles before grinning at his partner. The two had become closer over the past few weeks. They were both Rock-types which allowed them to become familiar with one another easily.

Without any warning, Noivern started to screech, sending out waves of sound energy throughout the cavern. Both Graveler and Lycanroc cringed as they tried to cover their ears, but the sound was too powerful.

Kommo-o then took his opportunity, and his claws became surrounded with blue, arcane energy. He ran across the cavern, ripping up the earth below him before taking a gigantic swipe at the two Pokémon.

"Thunder Punch!" Cyan yelled.

Graveler fought through the screeching pain and electrified his fists. With one quick twist of his body, his fists met Kommo-o's claws. For one moment, the two were stopped in a stalemate, but it was clear that Kommo-o was somehow stronger.

"Crunch!"

Lycanroc leapt over her partner, and a shadow-like energy formed in front of her, turning into a set of massive jaws. She clamped them down onto Kommo-o's shoulder, and the Dragon-type let out a howl. With every movement, his scales clacked against one another, and he was able to force Lycanroc to loosen her grip.

As though Kommo-o had made a command, Noivern flew forward with killer intent. From the speakers on his head, he unleashed another loud sound, sending violent waves of energy through the cavern. It shook the entirety of the area that they were in, blasting both Lycanroc and Graveler backwards. The energy had washed over Kommo-o, but he appeared uninjured from it.

Noivern continued forward, and he formed a ball of arcane energy within his mouth. Before Cyan could make his command, Noivern released the ball downwards, and it exploded, turning into a wave that washed over his two Pokémon. He waited patiently while they waited for the results, and to the trial Pokémon's surprise, both Graveler and Lycanroc emerged safely. The damage had been done, and they were clearly injured, but the fact that they survived the attack was something that Noivern clearly wasn't prepared for.

"Graveler, hit 'em with Thunder!" Cyan ordered.

"Graveler!" his Pokémon cried out while unleashing a charge from his body. Once more, the cavern shook as one of the strongest electric attack was sent straight towards Noivern. The Dragon-type looked on in a panicked state, but then, Kommo-o dashed forward, absorbing the attack. Kommo-o laughed as his body was shocked, and when the electricity ceased, he simply huffed.

"Just as I thought," Cyan said. "Electric types are dangerous to Noivern. Which means that Lycanroc will also be strong. Use Rock Climb!"

Lycanroc dove forward, and as though she were a missile, shot and tore through the ground. Moments before she could reach either one of the trial Pokémon, she exploded from the ground and into the air, waiting for Cyan's next command.

"Accelerock!"

Using her energy, Lycanroc created stones around her body, and then she shot downwards, tackling directly into Noivern. The Dragon-type was tossed backwards, but before Lycanroc could celebrate, she was pulled by the tail and tossed into the air. Kommo-o had a sinister look on his face as chakra formed around his fist. He jabbed, getting a direct hit on Lycanroc's belly. As though he were sucking energy from Lycanroc, more chakra formed upon impact, and it went inside of Kommo-o. Lycanroc's body then hit the ground with a hard thud, and it was clear that she couldn't continue.

Without missing a step, Cyan withdrew his Pokémon and then pulled out his next Poké Ball, throwing it with a curve. Venusaur emerged, and he roared, not intimidated by his two Dragon-type opponents.

Cyan glanced around, realizing that there was barely any sunlight that came into the cavern. Venusaur would be unable to utilize one of his newest strong attacks. But nonetheless, Cyan had to act.

"Both of you, use Double Edge!"

A white energy exploded off of the two Pokémon's bodies, and they started a forward run. Graveler was in a weakened state, so he was slow, and Venusaur was naturally slow. The two gradually picked up speed until they were both in a violent bound forward.

Just then, Noivern flew overhead and started to flap his wings, sending energy from them that exploded once it reached the ground, seemingly slicing into the earth. Graveler was blasted backwards, but Venusaur kept forward. He jumped through the smoke and then rammed his body into Kommo-o, knocking the Dragon-type for a loop.

Cyan glanced over and observed his Pokémon. Graveler was greatly weakened by all of the previous strikes, and it appeared that he was on his last legs. Kommo-o and Noivern were distracted with Venusaur, so this was his chance.

"Thunder!"

Once again, Graveler screeched as he unleashed the strongest electrical surge that he could. It exploded into the air and zapped Noivern, making the Dragon-type howl with pain. Kommo-o, unable to do anything, watched as his ally Pokémon fell from the sky and to the ground. Noivern collapsed and fainted instantly, and Graveler, after smiling because of his victory, fell forward.

Cyan nodded and then returned his Pokémon. It was now only Kommo-o left, but he wasn't taking chances, and he drew out his next Poké Ball, releasing Oranguru. The simian Pokémon grunted upon seeing Kommo-o, but he appeared willing to battle.

"Oranguru, start with Future Sight!"

"Oran."

"And Venusaur, use Petal Blizzard!"

As Oranguru started to focus his energy, Venusaur took a few steps back while slowly releasing dozens of pink petals from his body. They whipped up into a storm and surrounded Kommo-o, cloaking him. Venusaur then waited and watched as the petals tore into Kommo-o, but that was a mistake. Kommo-o emerged quickly, his claws glowing with a poisonous energy. He jabbed, hitting Venusaur directly in the face. Venusaur's body was sent backwards, but he was too heavy to be thrown. He instead slid against the ground and scrunched up his face from the surprise sucker punch. Oranguru then finished his prediction for a future attack.

"Sludge Bomb and Giga Impact!"

Kommo-o started to approach Venusaur, his steps shaking the cavern, but the Grass-type wasn't afraid. He lowered his head and pointed the tip of his flower towards Kommo-o before unleashing a thick goop at the Dragon-type. Kommo-o was covered with the goop, and he let out an agonized cry. Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, Oranguru charged. His body glowed with a bright white light, and he crashed into Kommo-o, sending smoke into the air. All three of the Pokémon were hidden in the smoke, but Cyan and Kala could sense a powerful energy coming from it. When the smoke cleared, it revealed Kommo-o and Oranguru in a standoff. Oranguru had managed to get in his attack, but he was now frozen from the use of energy. And Kommo-o, through his pained state, had somehow been able to charge electricity within his fist and jab out. The two stood still.

"Venusaur, use Double Edge!"

Venusaur grunted and then started to run forward once more. Kommo-o had now found the energy to move, and he lifted his arm into the air, filling it with chakra. As Venusaur made contact, Kommo-o swiped, hitting both Venusaur and Oranguru backwards and absorbing some of their energy. Kommo-o howled as his health was restored, and he started to chuckle to himself, thinking that he had won the fight.

Then, a purple haze formed above his body. He looked up as electricity formed from psychic energy crashed down. It shocked the Dragon-type Pokémon, forcing him down to his knee.

"Perfect!" Cyan yelled. "Oranguru, use Psychic! Venusaur, one more Petal Blizzard!"

Cyan's Pokémon were both exhausted, but they started to prepare for their attacks. Oranguru though, found himself in some sort of frozen state. Electricity sparked off his body, and he had realized what had happened. Paralysis had set in.

Kommo-o, now furious by the previous psychic blast, started to run forward. Arcane energy exploded from his claws, and he swung them haphazardly, slicing through Venusaur's storm of petals. He then stopped in front of Oranguru and looked at the simian Pokémon, allowing himself to soak in the fear. Then, with one violent swipe, he tossed the Psychic-type backwards. Oranguru landed directly in front of Cyan's feet, and his arms went limp.

"Oh man," Cyan muttered. He returned Oranguru, and then looked up. He still had Venusaur and two more Pokémon left. He then tossed his next Poké Ball as fast as he could, releasing Primarina onto the field.

Kommo-o looked at the two Pokémon, and he laughed at himself, thinking nothing of them. He started to charge electricity in his fist before he began towards Primarina.

"Moon Blast!" Cyan yelled.

Primarina stood up on his tail and held out his arms while he charged a pink energy within his palms. Kommo-o stopped in his tracks and seemingly braced for the attack, putting his arms in front of his face. Then, Primarina released a thick orb downwards, blasting lunar energy into Kommo-o's body. Kommo-o was flung into the air, and he crashed down hard next to Venusaur, who took a few steps back.

Cyan, Primarina, and Venusaur all waited for the results of the attack, but then, out of nowhere, Kommo-o emerged from the smoke. He swiped arcane energy onto the entirety of Venusaur, taking the Grass-type by surprise. Cyan couldn't make out what it was exactly, but Kommo-o chewed on something as though it were tobacco. He spit it out, revealing a mangled berry.

"Whatever that was, it was probably something that weakened the damage it took from Moon Blast," Cyan said to himself. He then looked at Venusaur, who had fainted. He sighed and then withdrew his starter Pokémon.

Kommo-o laughed as he watched the red light absorb Venusaur. He held out his arms wide and started to bark at Cyan, as though he were taunting the trainer.

Cyan grabbed his last Poké Ball. "I refuse to lose." And with that, he threw it forward. It wasn't Salandit that emerged from the ball though, but rather a fully evolved Salazzle. Training with the Exeggutor had done wonders for Cyan's team, and Salazzle was the physical embodiment of those results.

"Time to see what she can do," Kala said. She held onto Litten tightly. "C'mon…"

"Primarina… Salazzle… it's on you two. We can do this!"

His two Pokémon nodded calmly in response.

"Sparkling Aria! Dragon Pulse!"

As Primarina began to chant and his voice reverberated off the cavern walls, Salazzle slithered forward. She jumped into the air and unleashed a ball of arcane fire towards the ground. It exploded, and Kommo-o focused his energy on jumping over it. What he didn't notice were the giant bubbles that had formed from Primarina's attack. They exploded, sending out waves of sound, and although the waves clashed with Kommo-o's giant body, nothing happened.

"Wait. What?" Cyan wondered.

"That's Kommo-o's special ability!" Kala yelled. "Sound based moves like Sparkling Aria aren't going to do anything to it."

"Man…"

Kommo-o roared, and his fist became electrified once more. He started to run towards Primarina while he scraped his tail against the ground, tearing it up.

"Can't dodge this one if you're close!" Cyan yelled. "Blizzard!"

Primarina put an end to his chants and then opened his mouth, unleashing a snow storm in the small area. It blew around violently, getting a direct hit on Kommo-o, but he fought forward. Before the attack could do its full damage to Kommo-o, he lunged, punching Primarina in the throat. And then, he continued his battering, hitting the Water-type repeatedly.

"Flamethrower!"

Salazzle stood up straight before opening her mouth and unleashing flames. The flames blasted Kommo-o directly in the back, and he put a stop to his relentless assault on Primarina. He now turned his attention to Salazzle, but the Fire-type didn't back down. He roared, but there was still no response. This had seemed to enrage the Dragon-type, and he tried to walk forward, but something stopped him. He looked back to find Primarina with a firm grip on his tail.

"Take him for a ride! Use Surf!"

Similar to Primarina's old Aqua Jet technique, he was engulfed with aquatic energy. He kept his grip on Kommo-o's tail before shooting forward like a rocket. Kommo-o's body was dragged against the ground and then pulled into the air while Primarina swung him around. Once the weight became too much, Primarina let him go, and both of them crashed into the floor. The repeated Thunder Punch attacks and the strain of using his attacks had done enough on Primarina, and he fell unconscious.

Cyan returned Primarina and then observed what remained. Kommo-o slowly stood back up, his body shaking from the pain. His scales clanged together, but they were a lot slower this time around. Salazzle was still not intimidated.

Kommo-o's eyes started to glow with blue energy, and his claws were enveloped by the arcane fire. He roared before running forward, lifting his arms into the air.

"Hit him with your own Dragon Claw!" Cyan ordered.

Salazzle mimicked Kommo-o's actions, and she darted at the Dragon-type. The two clashed, sending arcane fire flowing throughout the cavern. They both paused as the fire faded away, and the two remained still. Kommo-o twitched and then took a step back. He fell forwards while Salazzle remained cool. The trial was finished.

"Yatta!" Cyan yelled. "We did it! We did it!"

"They actually did it," Kala mumbled. She walked onto the field towards the downed Kommo-o and Cyan's Salazzle. After smiling at her friend's Pokémon, she knelt down towards the dragon. It looked at her through one eye and then smiled. "Long time, no see."

Cyan was making his way towards the statue when he heard this. He stopped and looked at Kala with his eyes widened. "Wait. What?"

Kala softly pet Kommo-o's head. "This is my mom's Kommo-o. She's the trial captain here."

"I see," Cyan said. He wasn't sure how to respond entirely. The two had never really talked very much about their families. Cyan avoided the conversation.

"She's a bit busy, so she's never actually around, but she does leave Kommo-o to terrorize trial goers," she said. She stood back up and motioned towards the glowing stone that was situated in the statue. "Only a few people have ever beaten Kommo-o, Cyan. You're very talented, or lucky. That Dragonium Z is yours."

Cyan grinned. "Luck doesn't have anything to do with it." He grabbed the stone, feeling the energy flow through his body. "But thank you nonetheless."

"You know what this means, right?"

Cyan nodded. "It's time to face the Island Kahuna and finish my challenge!"

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This was an intense battle to write! Cyan's Pokémon still have a few more surprises, and in the next few chapters, I'll be showing off a few more of their techniques. Next chapter, the Island Kahuna appears!

REVIEWS:

pokemonking0924 - "We're learning more about Cyans sister, that she was a Kanto league champion and she disappeared while training to beat the elite four on Mt. Sliver. Hope we'll find out what happened to her one day. Meanwhile Cyan is getting ready to do some serious training on Exeggutor island. I also enjoyed the way the group's Pokémon were interacting." - If the worst happened to Aoi (death), then I don't plan on showing it. Haha

CrescentApple - "Anywho... this was a pretty funny battle. I like the progressiom in Cyan's strength relative to his quest. It gets a lot lot harder the further he goes. The previous battle I thought Cyan would have lost, but thanks to Primarina he managed a nice win. It's always fun to every now and then to read a quick short of each Pokemon individually of what they are doing in their free time. Cyan's sister.. does she have a connection with Kenta? I have had a vague suspicion Kenta trained hard in Mt. Silver to get as strong as he did, just a few years after Cyan's sister disappeared... ah, im over thinking itvhaha." I like the overthinking part. Kenta was in Johto before he went to Hoenn...so...who knows? (I know)

wisdom-jewel - "I wonder what happens to Cyan's sister. I'm thinking they just hearing unfounded rumors about her but still. I'm wondering if she's a replacement for Red or something. Or that Logan would meet her at some point." - Aoi disappearing in Mt. Silver is inspired by Red going off to train in Mt. Silver. I like the take that it could just be rumors though. If you reread the first chapter of Healing in Hoenn, there is a reference to Aoi in it. So, it'd be a well-known rumor/story.