Alola, everyone! We're finally back to get ourselves into the Ula'ula Arc of the story. Bear in mind, we're only three-tenths of the way through this 100-chapter story. So you can expect this arc to become one of the longest thus far.

So it's time for our Ketchum twins to continue their island challenge! Enjoy the chapter!

POKÉMON SUN & MOON

THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME

"Ahhh~…" a tired Leslie yawned as she arose from her bed, stretching up her left arm. With it being her second day back home at the vacation household on Melemele, she was really glad to get the chance to relax. Having battled through the past just days ago in order to retrieve an Infinity Stone had tired her out. Not to mention that she'd been de-aged significantly along with her comrades of the Omni Force Future team.

It felt nice to be younger in her eyes. And though she'd regressed to being 16 years old like her many comrades, she still retained her battle prowess and tactical skill. The other nice thing was her breasts being significantly smaller than they were now. By the time she was 16, her chest had gotten to a size she was content with, happy to no longer be flat as a board. But as the years went on and her bra sizes changed, she started to get freaked out.

Her mother always thought of it as an inherited trait. She thought of it as a blessing that turned into a curse. And she had no one to blame but herself for having such a buxom chest. She was the one who wanted bigger breasts in the first place…

"Leslie, breakfast's ready!" Mirajane called out from the kitchen, catching her attention as she looked towards her door.

"Coming!" she responded, quickly hopping out of her bed and putting on her slippers. A while later, she contently enjoyed her buttered toast and scrambled eggs at the kitchen counter. Her mother smiled at her.

"I'll have to figure out what sort of dress will fit you best for the wedding…" she pointed out, getting her attention.

"Come on, Mom…" she grumbled out, "Raya and Rae haven't even told me about it themselves yet…" she noted while glancing off to the side with her cheeks puffed out.

"But they're obviously going to ask you to be a bridesmaid at the very least!" Mirajane retorted with an excited smile, "Oh, I think you'll look so beautiful!" she gushed while clasping her hands together.

"You should save those compliments for people who are actually getting married…" her daughter remarked bluntly in response, letting a drop of sweat trickle down the side of her head.

"Well, you might get married soon yourself…" the Satan Soul Take-Over wizard noted cheekily to her surprise, "Haven't you been wanting to find yourself a boyfriend?" she inquired. Leslie's face went as red as a Tomato Berry.

"M-Mom!" she stammered out, "Wh-Why would I want a boyfriend now of all times?!" she wondered aloud as her face remained red.

"Well your father and I were married around your age," the former model pointed out in reply, "And I think it'd be a great time for you to start seeing someone!" she added excitedly.

"Mom, please don't start playing matchmaker with me…" Leslie pleaded, sounding desperate, "Anyways, back to the whole wedding thing…" she continued, reverting to the original subject, "Are you sure you're gonna be able to find a dress that'll fit… these?" she questioned, looking down at her chest. Mirajane let off a chuckle.

"Leslie, you and I both know there are plenty of people who can help make you look beautiful in anything," she told her, "So don't worry about something as silly as that," she insisted, putting her right hand onto her daughter's shoulder. She gave off a small smile.

"Thanks, Mom," she said in gratitude.

"Peekah!" a familiar voice squeaked out as a greeting, belonging to none other than Pikachu as he ran in and leapt onto Leslie's right shoulder. She giggled, scratching at his cheek with her left pointer finger. "Cha~!" he cooed contently.

"Morning…" Ash yawned as he entered the room tiredly.

"What kept Dad up?" Leslie wondered curiously.

"He wanted to check in with Ben and the others about the next move they'll be making with tracking down the other Infinity Stones," her mother replied, "Although… aren't they all in Kronos' possession?" she inquired to her husband as he went over to get some coffee from the pot, pouring it into a mug.

"Yeah," he responded with a nod, "Ben's seriously considering going on the offensive," he told his wife and his eldest daughter, "After everything we've managed to do, leveling the playing field against Kronos gives us all the chance to make things right and take them down," he declared firmly.

"Mmm…" Leslie hummed worriedly. She assumed that after her mission, things would start to settle down. But so long as the villains didn't rest in their pursuit of victory, neither would the heroes. Taking a breather after a battle didn't seem like an option for them these days.

"Well, anyways…" Ash continued as he sauntered over and sat on the stool beside his daughter, "You wanna head over to Kukui's place with me later?" he offered to her.

"Uh, sure," she responded as she finished her eggs, "But why?" she asked aloud out of curiosity.

"He's off to Ula'ula for something big he's planning," her father replied while taking a swig of his coffee to wake himself up more, "So we're gonna be housesitting for him for a few days," he explained.

"Plus, you'll get to look after any of Calvin and Erika's extra Pokémon!" Mirajane mentioned with a giggle.

"I guess it'd be nice to help keep an eye on Eri's Oricorio…" Leslie noted as she smiled a little.

"Pikah!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement, giving her a nod. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Oh, I'll get it," Leslie assured, hopping down from her stool and jogging towards the door. She opened it up and…

"Um… hi…" the sheepish voice of a rather muscular young man greeted. He had green eyes and messy, ash blonde hair with bangs in front of his forehead and a single strand protruding upwards from the center of his head. He kept his hair together with a black headband, which had three red-colored, four-pointed stars on the front right side and the Black Bull insignia on the left. He had numerous scars all over his body, and a large one on his abdomen. His right arm was black with blood red cragged markings, while his fingers were blood red with black cragged markings and black fingernails.

For clothes, he wore a tight-fitting black shirt that covered his shoulders, upper arms, and some of his chest. It was open in the middle and had a gold clover on the right side. Over this, he bore a modified version of his squad's signature robe draped over his left shoulder and attached by a red cord that wrapped around his neck. He also wore a pair of black, high-waisted pants that were tucked into knee-high boots and a large, brown, double-pronged belt, from which hung his grimoire pouch. Upon seeing him, Leslie blinked in surprise.

"Asta?" she uttered out, "What are you doing-?" Her question stopped the second she saw the person who was holding the devil-possessed Magic Knight. It was a tall man with a very muscular build. He had grey eyes and black hair of medium length that was messily combed backward, making it stick outwards. Additionally, he sported a stubble mustache and beard.

His attire was very simple and consisted only of a white A-shirt and black trousers. The trousers had an extra layer of tan leather that covered his outer thighs and went down to his knees. The trousers were only supported by a belt around his waist. Yami wore another pair of belts, one of which he used to carry his grimoire. Lastly, he wore black high boots that covered most of his calves.

He also wore a black banner with the Black Bull squad's insignia on it. It was donned over his right shoulder and was attached by two strings to his left shoulder, wearing it under his arm in a cape-like fashion. The banner also had tattered edges, seeming to have been ripped off from a bigger one.

"M-Mister Sukehiro…" Leslie stammered out, somewhat surprised to see the Magic Knight captain there along with his vice-captain.

"Oh, hello Yami!" Mirajane greeted from afar upon noticing, "What brings you here today?" she asked curiously with a tilt of her head.

"Training for this muscle-head," he responded as he looked down at Asta.

"Yeah!" his vice-captain responded as his eyes sparkled, "I wanna get super strong after all we went through in that world against those guys Kronos used…" he pointed, balling his blackened and normal hands into clenched fists, "So I gotta do everything I can!" he declared firmly.

"But then… why come here?" Ash wondered, cocking an eyebrow up.

"Because it's not that type of training I had in mind for this brat," Yami replied, causing Asta to blink in confusion.

"Wait, whaddaya mean, Captain Yami?" he questioned curiously with a tilt of his head. His superior pointed at Leslie.

"Huh?" she uttered out, pointing at herself.

"You use those monster things to fight like some of your friends from other worlds, right?" the Dark Magic user inquired.

"Uh, yeah, I use Pokémon," the Ketchum girl responded with a nod.

"Good," Yami said, "Then teach this idiot how to use one," he advised, chucking Asta out at her. His face landed right between her breasts.

"AAH!" she shrieked in embarrassment as her face went red. Ash sighed, while Mirajane shook her head.

"I'll be back in about a couple hours… or a day, maybe," the Black Bull captain assured before walking off. His subordinate quickly removed himself from the Ketchum girl, shaking his head to regain himself.

"Hey, Captain Yami—!" But the Dark Magic user was already gone, having walked out the door and likely already departed back to his universe. "Aw, man…" Asta groaned out.

"Huh…" Leslie sighed deeply with embarrassment.

"Peeka, pikah…" Pikachu squeaked reassuringly, going over to pat her on the ankle.

"You know, having a Pokémon partner might be a great idea for you!" Ash pointed out to Asta, getting his attention.

"Yeah, it'd be awesome!" he agreed in response, "But… um…" he tried to say, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"What's wrong?" Leslie asked curiously upon seeing his reaction shift.

"Well, Captain Yami already kinda gave me one of his old Pokémon to use for the time being…" Asta told her in response, reaching down to his belt and pulling off a Dusk Ball he had, "Thing is… I haven't exactly gotten along with him…" he confessed sheepishly.

"Well, why don't you show us who it is?" Mirajane insisted, eager to see what the vice-captain of the Black Bulls had for a partner. With a deep breath, he opened the Dusk Ball, letting the bluish-white light from it spill out over the floor, dissipating to reveal an Aegislash.

"Gee!" he exclaimed in greeting.

"Oh, an Aegislash!" Ash yelled excitedly, "We haven't seen one of those since we battled Wikstrom a while back…" he recalled as he glanced down in thought for a moment.

"Pikah," Pikachu responded with a nod.

"So Aegislash was one of Mister Sukehiro's old Pokémon?" Leslie guessed as she leaned over towards the Royal Sword Pokémon.

"Yep!" Asta replied proudly with his hands at his hips, "Captain Yami said he'd be a good match for me since I use swords and all," he mentioned.

"Do you think there might be more to it than that?" the white-haired Ketchum girl inquired to him.

"Uh, whaddaya mean?" he asked back.

"Like maybe you and Aegislash could be a really good match for each other in a Pokémon battle," Leslie inferred, crouching down to pat the Royal Sword Pokémon atop his hilt, "It's more than just physical compatibility," she pointed out with a grin.

"Oh… I get it… I think…" Asta responded while crossing his arms over his chest and nodding, "Then yeah, let's have a Pokémon battle!" he insisted, "And we'll be great friends in no time!" he affirmed additionally, grasping his partner by his handle.

"Ah…" Leslie uttered out with a worried look, while her parents widened their eyes.

"What's wrong?" the vice-captain of the Black Bulls asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Geeeee…" Aegislash growled, catching his attention as he saw him glaring at him. He then hopped out of his shield and smacked Asta off of him, sending him crashing into the door in a flurry of dust. "Gee, slaahh…" the Royal Sword Pokémon muttered out, putting himself back into his shield before floating away. The Ketchums were just stunned.

"Huh…" Leslie sighed, "I'll make sure to help him train…" she promised before walking over to the downed Magic Knight.

"And I'll get the broom…" Ash added while heading off towards the closet.

"Peekah…" Pikachu muttered out worriedly, while Mirajane just let off a giggle. Things were certainly starting to look interesting for today. She could only hope her twin children were about to have their own fun on their journey as well…

OPENING

Insert "Koko" by Beverly

Opens with the rising sun over the ocean horizon as a boat is sailing towards Ula'ula Island. Upon its bow are Calvin and Erika Ketchum, standing alongside their Pokémon as the wind rushes through their hair. They're about to embark on the next stage of their island challenge, smiling with excitement.

As the music picks up, the Pokémon logo appears in bright green letters, followed by "The Challenge of a Lifetime" appearing in bright yellow underneath it. The brightness of the logo envelops the screen before we transition to the Ketchum twins disembarking from the boat onto the island.

We cut to Calvin fishing in Maile Garden as Steenee and Incineroar are bickering in the background. Once Calvin sees his lure go underwater, he pulls the line hard to reel in a Poliwag. Watching from afar, Paige smiles while holding onto his egg, which shakes a little in her arms.

The scene then changes to Erika trudging tiredly up Mount Hokulani. She's about to fall backwards, but Primarina and Lycanroc are there to help push her up. She smiles gratefully, continuing the trek up the mountain.

We then see several new faces around the island, including Samson Oak, Acerola, Molayne, Sophocles, Grimsley, and Nanu. We also get a shot of Guzma, sitting upon his chair in the Shady House of Po Town. He grins deviously at the screen.

As the music picks back up, we see Calvin swing his left arm out as his Incineroar and Marowak charge in with a Flamethrower/Flame Wheel combination to take down a Skarmory. Meanwhile, we cut over to Erika as she orders for Fomantis to use Leaf Blade on an Alolan Geodude. Drifblim then floats in and sprays out a Gust to blow away a flock of Fearow. Afterwards, he floats over Fomantis to her chagrin as she seethes in frustration.

We get shots of Hau with his Alolan Raichu and Decidueye, Trent with his Mightyena and Greninja, Paige alongside her Combusken and Medicham, and Pyrrha alongside her Quilava and Ariados. Each of them are in their own battles, with Hau's Decidueye using Spirit Shackle on a Haunter, Trent's Mightyena blasting back a Kadabra with Snarl, Paige's Combusken using Flame Charge to ram into a Shieldon, and Pyrrha's Ariados landing a Cross Poison on a Sylveon.

The song continues from back on Melemele at the Ketchum vacation home. There, Leslie gets herself dressed and throws on her visor, heading out of her room alongside her Lopunny and shiny Gabite. As she heads outside onto the front porch, she smirks upon seeing Asta Sutarria there alongside Shiki Granbell and Tanjiro Kamado, as all three of them are looking to train Pokémon with her guidance for them.

Asta commands an Aegislash as he takes on his sword form and slashes at Leslie's Magmortar, who jumps back before firing off a Flamethrower. Meanwhile, Tanjiro's Croconaw attempts to land an Ice Fang onto Gabite, who uses Dig to get away before popping up from the ground and chomping down on his foe's tail, causing him to scream in agony. Watching from afar are Shiki and his Bronzor, who both giggle.

We cut back to Ula'ula Island as we see Erika commanding her Lycanroc to use Rock Slide against the Totem Vikavolt inside the Hokulani Observatory. The Stag Beetle Pokémon dodges the attack and lets electricity surge around his body before zipping down at his foe, who prepares to use Counter. Afterwards, we get a scene of Calvin and Incineroar facing down the Totem Mimikyu inside the abandoned Thrifty Megamart. As the Heel Pokémon lands a Darkest Lariat, a smaller Mimikyu watches from afar in awe.

There are several shots of a Cleffa poking out from a sleeping bag, a Togedemaru near a power plant, and an Alolan Sandshrew wandering about the cold area at the base of Mount Lanakila. We see Professor Kukui staring at the peak from Hokulani, hoping to host a Pokémon League there someday. However, we also see him glaring down Guzma in the Maile Garden as his Golisopod appears behind him. We get shots of Plumeria with her Salazzle and Gladion with Null and his Zoroark.

To end the opening, we see an anxious Lillie looking out over the horizon, concerned for the future. However, Calvin and Erika come to her, both giving her reassuring smiles. She grins, thankful for their presence as they all trek onward through the island…

END OPENING

Welcome to Ula'ula!

"We finally made it!" Erika exclaimed as she jumped onto the paved dockyard from the boat, stretching her arms up.

"I can't believe the ride took us all night…" Calvin grumbled, disembarking with Hau via the ramp along with a few other passengers, with Rotom floating beside them.

"Well, the whole storm didn't help us out…" his cousin noted in response, folding his arms behind his head.

"But now we're here on Ula'ula, zzt!" Rotom buzzed excitedly, "And that meanzzz a whole new island of Pokémon for us to find!" it pointed out.

"And more trials to have!" Erika mentioned excitedly as she grinned.

"You sure you don't wanna take it easy for a bit, Eri?" Hau asked of her with a raised eyebrow, "I mean, I get that we haven't been on the island challenge for a while 'cause of the Aether Tournament…" he remembered.

"Ah, it's cool!" the Ketchum girl assured with a wave of her hand, "Anyways, you wanna have a battle?" she inquired while pulling out a Poké Ball from her belt. Both Calvin and Hau blinked in surprise.

"Right now, Erika?" her brother asked back.

"Duh, when else?" she remarked in question, "Me and my team gotta stay in tip-top shape for the trials and whoever the kahuna might be!" she noted while flipping her Poké Ball up and down in her hand, "So that means we gotta get ourselves ready with some training!" she mentioned firmly.

"It'd be for the best zzzince you're battling the kahuna first, right Calvin?" Rotom questioned to the Ketchum boy, getting his attention.

"I guess so…" he agreed after a moment to consider.

"Why don't I battle Eri first?" Hau insisted, chiming into the conversation, "I haven't had the chance to give her one in a while!" he pointed out, grabbing his own Poké Ball off of his belt and enlarging it. He then jogged over to be about a dozen yards apart from his female cousin as they both reared their arms back.

"And… go!" they yelled simultaneously, chucking their respective Poké Balls up into the air. They popped open, and the bluish-white light that spilled out from them dissipated in midair, revealing Erika's Fomantis and Hau's Alolan Raichu.

"Foh mah!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon exclaimed as she landed upon the paved ground, taking a ready stance.

"She'zzz awake!" Rotom buzzed in surprise.

"Ry, ryyy!" Raichu cried out as he floated down, being right in front of his trainer.

"Ready to give 'em a battle to remember, Raichu?" Hau inquired to him, getting his attention.

"Ryy!" he exclaimed in response with a nod.

"Do your best, Fomantis!" Erika cheered with clenched fists.

"Mahn tee!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon squeaked out as a reply.

"Okay, use Growth!" her trainer called out, swinging out her left arm.

"Raichu, Quick Attack!" Hau commanded as he pumped his right fist forward. Fomantis had her body glow and grow slightly in a greenish aura, followed by a reddish light flowing up her form. At that same moment though, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon dashed out at her while outlined in white. He rammed into her hard, sending her tumbling along the ground back towards her trainer before she came to a stop upon her stomach.

"Mahn…" she groaned out, pushing herself up onto her stubby feet.

"Ingrain!" her trainer yelled.

"Foh!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon squeaked out, making roots shoot out from her back and attach to the pavement. A greenish, healing light flowed up her body, soothing her as she exhaled a relieved sigh.

"Saw that coming…" Hau remarked with a grin, "Raichu, Thunderbolt!" he ordered as he pumped his right fist forward. Smacking his sparking cheeks as he flew upwards, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon coated his entire body in yellow electricity before firing off a bolt of lightning down towards his foe. It struck in a fierce blast, sending Fomantis flying before she landed down upon her back. She hopped back onto her feet though, shaking her head to regain herself.

"Okay Fomantis, Fury Cutter!" Erika commanded. Making her bladed arms glow a bright yellowish-green, the Sickle Grass Pokémon lunged up at her opponent.

"Dodge it!" Hau shouted. Raichu swiftly evaded the swipes from his foe, zipping around quickly.

"Raichu's really fast…" Calvin commented, "It's no wonder how hard it was for Gumshoos to land a hit on him…" he mentioned in remembrance.

"Yeah…" Rotom agreed.

"Now Psychic!" Hau ordered. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon had his eyes flash a bright pinkish-purple before his incoming opponent was outlined by that same light, being telekinetically stopped in place. Her body was contorted before she was flung towards the ground by her foe's psychic force.

"Fomantis!" her trainer screamed.

"Thunderbolt, Raichu!" Hau commanded, pumping his right fist forward. Electricity sparked around the Alolan Mouse Pokémon's body once more before he fired off a massive bolt of lightning towards his target, striking her again in an explosion of smoke.

"Mahh…" she voiced out as she bounced along the pavement, coming to a stop right beside her trainer.

"Fomantis, you okay?!" she asked immediately out of worry.

"Mah… teee…" the Sickle Grass Pokémon weakly squeaked out, slowly pushing herself back onto her feet.

"Still good to go, Eri?" Hau inquired from afar, not wanting to continue the match if it meant Fomantis was seriously hurt.

"Foh, mah!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon exclaimed with a determined look in her eyes, prepared to keep fighting.

"That's the spirit, Fomantis!" her trainer complimented, closing her left hand into a fist. Hau also smiled upon seeing his opponent's resilience.

"Alright… Quick Attack!" he ordered, swinging his right arm forward.

"Ry!" Raichu responded, outlining himself in a white light before dashing towards his foe.

"Use Growth and then Leaf Blade!" Erika instructed quickly. Making her body shine in a greenish aura once more before a reddish light flowed up it, Fomantis made her bladed right arm glow a bright green before it sharpened and extended. Just as her foe approached, she slashed forward, while he nicked her.

"Ryyy…!" he grunted out, wincing as he flew back over to his trainer with a grimace on his face.

"Nice hit, Fomantis!" Erika complimented as her teammate stood firmly, "Now let's keep up the pressure!" she insisted.

"Foh!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon squeaked in agreement. All of a sudden, her body began to glow in a bright bluish-white light, much to everyone's surprise as they gasped.

"She's… evolving!" Calvin realized, seeing her legs and arms grow out as she grew taller, with extensions blooming from her body as scythe-like blades formed upon her. Once the light finally dissipated around her like shattering glass, it revealed her new form. She had become a Lurantis!

"Awesome!" Erika exclaimed with delight. Meanwhile, Rotom pulled up an image of the Bloom Sickle Pokémon upon its screen.

"Lurantis, the Bloom Sickle Pokémon and the evolved form of Fomantis," it began, "It requires a lot of effort to maintain Lurantis' vivid coloring, but some collectors enjoy this work and treat it as their hobby. For self-protection, she pretends to be a bug Pokémon. Both of her arms bear keen-edged petals," it explained thoroughly.

"Luraahhh~!" Lurantis sang happily, looking herself over and bouncing around gleefully. Now she finally evolved and was no longer the shortest Pokémon of her trainer's team.

"Well, that happened…" Hau noted while scratching at his right cheek incredulously.

"Okay, let's keep things up!" Erika insisted excitedly while pumping her fists, "Lurantis, Fury Cutter!" she ordered.

"Lurah!" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon responded, lunging forward and making the scythe-like blades on her arms glow a bright yellowish-green. She then crossed them into an x-shaped pattern and slashed at her foe with the energy from her blades trailing off.

"Whoa!" Calvin yelped in surprise.

"That wazzz X-Scissor!" Rotom exclaimed while blinking rapidly.

"And you learned a new move!" Erika excitedly noted, "Nice going, Lurantis!" she complimented with a pump of her fist.

"Lurr!" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon squeaked happily.

"Ryy…" Raichu groaned as he rubbed at his hurting chest from the blow he had just taken.

"Hang in there, Raichu!" his trainer called out, "This fight's not over until we say so!" he declared firmly.

"Ry!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon agreed with a nod.

"Now use Psychic!" Hau commanded. With his eyes glowing a pinkish-purple, Raichu outlined his opponent in that same luminosity. She tried to fight against its hold, but it ended up contorting her body before flinging her backwards. She thankfully landed upon her feet, breathing somewhat heavily.

"Still not done yet, huh?" Erika guessed, grinning a little, "Lurantis, Leaf Blade!"

"Ahn tee!" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon responded, making her scythe-like blades glow a bright green and sharpen. She lunged out towards her foe, rearing her arms back to attack.

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" Hau instructed. Raichu outlined his body in a white light before dashing around, avoiding his foe's attempted swipes.

"Even though she evolved, Lurantis still can't keep up…" Calvin noted worriedly.

"Now Thunderbolt!" Hau commanded, pumping out his right fist. Smacking his sparking cheeks, Raichu enveloped himself in yellow electricity once more before unleashing a bolt of lightning that streaked down towards the Bloom Sickle Pokémon. However, she narrowed her eyes. Multiple glowing pink petals started swirling around her body before she swung her arms to have launch towards the lightning bolt, striking it in a fierce explosion.

"Ah!" Hau gasped.

"What the heck was that?!" Calvin asked as he blinked rapidly.

"Analyzing… Analyzing…" Rotom repeated as a loading wheel was upon its screen, "That wazzz Petal Blizzard!" it exclaimed in conclusion.

"Another new move?!" Erika yelped excitedly, "Way to go, Lurantis!" she shouted with a bright smile on her face, "Now finish it up with Leaf Blade!" she ordered as she swung her right arm out.

"Lurraahhh!" the Bloom Sickle Pokémon exclaimed, lunging through the smoke and slashing mightily at Raichu with her right scythe-like blade, sending him hurdling towards the ground.

"RYYYY!" he shrieked in agony before crashing into the pavement in a flurry of dust.

"Raichu!" his trainer cried out worriedly. When the dust settled, it revealed the Alolan Mouse Pokémon with swirls in his eyes. He was defeated.

"Ryy…" he groaned out.

"Woohoo!" Erika exclaimed in delight at a new victory.

"I guess that makes up for her loss to me…" Calvin concluded, still holding onto his incubated egg.

"Way to go, Lurantis!" his twin sister called out as she jogged over to the Bloom Sickle Pokémon, "Now you're gonna be even more ready for the tri-!" She stopped talking upon noticing something. Her teammate was fast asleep… while standing. "…Seriously?" her trainer grumbled in question, letting a drop of sweat roll down from her head.

"Lurrahhh…" Lurantis snored as a bubble of snot came from her sleeping form. Meanwhile, Hau approached Raichu from behind, returning him to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

'Cal and Eri really got stronger…' he realized, clutching the spherical container in his hand tightly. After seeing their battle in the finals, he wondered just how far behind them he was in terms of strength. And with this recent battle, his theory had been proven. He was now behind his twin cousins.

"Huh…" Erika sighed, returning her newly-evolved Lurantis to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "Old habits die hard, I guess…" she remarked with a shrug.

"So where to now?" Calvin inquired as he walked over with Rotom still floating beside him.

"My map sayzzz there'zzz a Pokémon Center ahead!" the Pokédex stated, pulling up a topographical map upon its screen and zooming in on the specific location.

"Then let's go!" Erika insisted before skipping off.

"Hey, wait up!" Calvin yelled, jogging after her. As Rotom floated after them, Hau stayed behind for a moment, taking a deep breath. He then smiled, hurrying after his twin cousins. He wasn't going to be deterred by their strength. In fact, it excited him to think about how to overcome it.

X

A little while later, the three trial-goers had made their way into the Pokémon Center of Malie City. Having given their Pokémon to Nurse Joy, they went into the lounge to relax as Erika downed a bottle of milk she had bought.

"Ah~…" she sighed out after finishing the beverage, "Man, I can't wait to get back on track!" she exclaimed excitedly, "There's new challenges, new Pokémon, and new trials for us to beat!" she listed off.

"Don't forget that we agreed that I'm taking on the kahuna first…" her brother pointed out bluntly.

"But we never said anything about the trials…" the pigtailed girl retorted, teasingly sticking out her tongue. Calvin puffed out his reddening cheeks.

"Well, what a surprise…" a familiar voice chimed in, catching their attentions as they looked to see Paige standing at the entrance to the building, "I figured you were already off and running at this point…" she remarked, putting her hands onto her hips. The group of trial-goers smiled. Moments later, they were all gathered at the couch.

"So you beat Olivia?" Calvin guessed. As proof, the silvery-haired girl held up a Rockium Z for her rivals to see.

"Took a lot of effort…" she admitted as she looked at her new Z-Crystal, "but thanks to Combusken and Medicham, we really pulled off a big one," she pointed out, flipping the Rockium Z up before catching it in her fingers, "By the way, what about the special Z-Crystal you got, Erika?" she inquired, causing the pigtailed girl to perk up, "Can you use it yet?" she asked.

"Huh… no…" Erika groaned out, pulling the Lycanium Z out from her pocket, "I get that it'd work great for me and Lycanroc, but I don't have a Z-Ring like Calvin's…" she pointed out, puffing her cheeks as she glared at her brother.

"I'm not giving it to you!" he shouted.

"Anyways, did you see Pyrrha?" Hau inquired, getting Paige's attention and changing the subject.

"I think she was about to fight Olivia before I left…" she recalled, glancing up for a moment in thought, "I'm sure she'll be fine!" she assured with a grin.

"Yeah," Erika agreed upon overhearing. Just then, the familiar jingle of a completed healing rang throughout the building, catching their attentions. Moments later, they all went over to the counter.

"Your Pokémon have all been fully healed!" Nurse Joy said with a bright smile, having three trays of six Poké Balls each laid out upon the counter.

"Thanks so much!" the three trial-goers exclaimed in gratitude, while Paige stood off to the side and grinned. As the trio gathered their Poké Balls, Calvin heard a small thud.

"Huh?" he uttered, looking down at the egg within its incubator. He thought he heard something from it… and then saw it twitch again. "Ah!" he gasped out.

"What? What is it?" his cousin inquired. He then noticed the egg shake as well. "Whoa!" he yelped.

"Something wrong, guys?" Erika asked after setting all six of her Poké Balls onto her belt.

"Th-The egg shook!" her brother stuttered out in response.

"Wh- Really?!" she exclaimed excitedly as she zipped over. Paige curiously walked over as well. They both saw the egg twitch.

"Whoa!" they both yelped out.

"It's already gonna hatch…" Paige noted, putting her hands onto her hips as she cracked a grin, "Guess it's no surprise since it's been carried by a pretty strong trainer…" she mentioned, giving Calvin a wink. He blushed a little, glancing off to the side with a sheepish smile.

"What kind of Pokémon do you think it's gonna end up hatching into?" Erika asked curiously.

"You know, Tutu says you can always be sure from seeing the pattern of the egg!" her cousin pointed out.

"Really?" the Ketchum girl inquired in response, looking at the egg closely, "Then… it might hatch into something pink…" she realized.

"Like a Swirlix or a Spritzee!" Hau chimed in as guesses. Calvin chuckled.

"Either way, I'll be glad to have a new team member," he said, smiling at the incubated egg.

"Oh, there you are!" a familiar voice suddenly called out, catching his attention along with those of the others. They looked to see Lillie there at the entrance, waving to them. Moments later, they were all gathered outside the Pokémon Center.

"It's great to see you again, Lillie!" Erika exclaimed happily. The assistant giggled.

"It's good to see you too, Erika," she replied with a nod, "Calvin, congratulations on your victory in the Aether Tournament!" she complimented to the Ketchum boy, making him perk up, "I heard about it just yesterday," she mentioned.

"Thanks!" he said in gratitude, "So… what are you doing here?" he asked curiously.

"Is it stuff to do with Nebby again?" Hau guessed, arching an eyebrow. As if on cue, the Cosmog poked its head out from its caretaker's bag, causing Potions and Repels to spill onto the ground around them.

"Pew!" it squeaked happily.

"Nebby!" Lillie yelled in a reprimanding tone, while the others laughed.

"Here, let me," Erika insisted, squatting down to pick up each of the scattered items along the ground. Paige did the same.

"Thank you…" Lillie said in gratitude with an embarrassed blush upon her cheeks, "Anyways, I'm actually heading over to the Malie Library to do some research," she told the group.

"Research?" Hau repeated in confusion.

"On what?" Paige asked, standing up with Erika as they had gathered the last of the scattered items on the ground.

"On the legendary Pokémon," Lillie replied, taking the items and putting them back into her bag securely, "If I'm going to be able to get Nebby back where it belongs, I'll need to find out all I can about what the guardians of Alola may do for it," she explained.

"Pew?" the Cosmog squeaked in confusion, perplexed by its caretaker's words.

"So you need someone to walk you over?" Erika guessed after a moment. Lillie blushed.

"W-Well… um…" she stuttered out, evidently embarrassed, "…yes…" she finally answered, lowering her head with shame. The Ketchum girl giggled a little.

"Don't worry, Lillie," she assured, putting her right hand onto the assistant's shoulder to make her perk up, "I'd be happy to be your guide!" she pointed out happily with a smile. Lillie beamed.

"Thank you, Erika!" she exclaimed with gratitude.

"Pewpew!" Nebby squeaked excitedly.

"Oh, by the way…" Lillie continued, causing the others to perk up, "Professor Kukui's out in the Malie Garden," she told them, "I think he wanted to get the chance to talk to you, Calvin," she pointed out to the Ketchum boy.

"Bet it's to congratulate you on your victory, cuz!" Hau remarked, elbowing his capped relative.

"We'll be sure to give him the good word," he assured to Lillie with a nod.

"Then I guess we'll see you guys later!" Erika decided with a bright smile. With that, the groups split in separate groups, with Rotom floating alongside its user and Lillie, while Paige was with Calvin and Hau as they entered through the archway into the expansive Malie Garden.

"Whoa…" the Ketchum boy uttered in amazement. The garden seemed to be very well-tended to, with Japanese architecture strewn throughout it in forms of small bridges, a tea shop, and even a tall tower at the end of it.

"You know, Malie was designed by people who moved in from the Johto Region," Paige pointed out, catching the attentions of the two boys.

"Really?" Hau inquired.

"Mm-hmm," the silvery-haired girl replied with a nod, "In fact, the whole city's like that, even the recycling center at the end of the city," she mentioned.

"Whoa…" both boys uttered in amazement. At that moment though, Calvin took notice of a familiar white lab coat upon someone. He immediately recognized that person as Kukui.

"There's the professor!" he exclaimed while pointing ahead. He and his fellow trial-goers excitedly ran over across the bridge. They had so much that they wanted to tell him about their journey to Aether Paradise and what they were looking forward to now…

X

"Man… it feels like this city stretches on for miles…" Erika pointed out as she and Lillie wandered about the streets with Rotom tailing after them, "I hope you're not in any hurry, Lillie…" she said in an apologetic tone.

"Oh, don't worry!" the assistant assured with a shake of her head, "We don't have to head there right away since it's still early…" she pointed out.

"Which meanzzz you could get that haircut you've been wanting, zzt!" Rotom buzzed as it floated beside its user, getting her attention.

"Oh, you're looking to get a haircut, Erika?" Lillie guessed as she walked up to the other side of her friend, "In that case, could I come along?" she requested of her.

"Sure!" she immediately replied, "After all, doing stuff with friends is better than doing it alone!" she pointed out.

"The last time you two did zzzomething like this together wazzz back in Heahea!" Rotom noted curiously, "But now Pyrrha isn't here, zzt…" it added in realization.

"Where is she?" Lillie wondered curiously.

"She's back on Akala to take on Olivia in her grand trial," Erika explained in response, "I think she's gonna rock it!" she assured confidently.

"Wazzz that pun intentional?" Rotom questioned, causing both girls to giggle.

"Oh, Rotom!" a voice suddenly called out, catching their attentions as they looked ahead to see someone waving to them. It was a tall man with long grey hair, tanned skin and brown eyes. He wore a short-sleeved teal collared shirt, which was decorated with blue Wishiwashi and a white stripe. He also wore white shorts and blue flip-flops, as well as a watch on his left hand. "It is you, isn't it?" he inquired as he started walking over.

"That guy… looks like Old Man Oak…" Erika pointed out as she blinked rapidly.

"Profezzzor!" Rotom suddenly exclaimed as it floated over excitedly to the approaching man.

"Ah, I thought it was you!" he noted with a laugh, "How's the new appliance suiting you?" he inquired while putting his left hand onto his chin curiously.

"It fitzzz like a glove!" the Pokédex responded proudly.

"And I suppose your user's been treating you well?" the man guessed, cocking an eyebrow.

"Erika'zzz a bit zzzcatterbrained, but she'zzz great," Rotom noted assuredly as the two girls ventured over.

"Ah, Erika Ketchum!" the man exclaimed, "You're the spitting image of your father!" he pointed out.

"Uh… thanks…" the pigtailed girl responded nervously, "How… do you know my name?" she asked him, somewhat freaked out.

"Ah, right… where are my manners?" the man muttered in question, smacking his head and shaking it, "My name's Samson Oak," he introduced, "You must think I look a lot like my cousin, Samuel," he concluded.

"Mister Oak happens to be the principal of the Pokémon School you and Calvin attended a while back," Lillie mentioned, chiming into the conversation.

"Oh…" Erika uttered in realization, patting her right fist into the palm of her left hand, "so you're basically Alola Oak!" she assumed. The blonde-haired girl beside her blinked in surprise.

"Ahahahaha!" Samson laughed, "Now that's one way to put it!" he admitted, chuckling still.

"That wazzz really rude, Erika…" Rotom pointed out, sounding somewhat frustrated with its user.

"Sorry…" she apologized, sheepishly blushing.

"No need to apologize, Erika!" Samson assured, "I hear that you've had yourself quite an island challenge so far," he noted, "Have you happened to capture any Alolan Forms of certain Pokémon?" he wondered curiously.

"Oh, uh, no actually…" the pigtailed girl replied with a shake of her head.

"Well, I should tell you that some of them are quite interesting!" the principal told her, "I myself find their appearances in comparison to the ones in other regions something to behold," he pointed out, reaching into his pocket for something, "Anyhow, I'd like to give you something," he said, pulling out a small box that had a clear lid, handing it over to the Ketchum girl. She took it into her hands and peeked inside. Within it were seven different Poké Balls: a Level Ball, a Moon Ball, a Friend Ball, a Lure Ball, a Love Ball, a Heavy Ball, and a Fast Ball.

"Whoa…" Erika uttered in amazement.

"Those Poké Balls were all fashioned in the Johto Region by an extremely talented man!" Samson noted, getting her attention, "I trust that you can put them to use as well as your friends could!" he added assuredly.

"I-I will! Thank you!" Erika stuttered in gratitude, bowing to the principal.

"Well, enjoy your journey!" he insisted before heading off.

"Bye, Profezzzor!" Rotom called out in farewell, waving to the departing Samson. Meanwhile, Erika excitedly looked at her newly-obtained Poké Balls with sparkles in her eyes.

'I wonder who I'll end up catching next…' she wondered aloud, smiling with excitement. But before she could worry about that, she knew that she had a job to do. And that was to help Lillie however she could. Meanwhile…

"You saw an Ultra Beast?!" Kukui exclaimed from within the Maile Garden, having just been told the story by an excited Hau.

"Yeah!" he responded with a nod, "And it tried taking Calvin's egg, but we ended up stopping it!" he mentioned.

"Seemed like those Aether Foundation guys wanted to catch it…" Paige recalled, crossing her arms over her chest curiously, "I wonder if they thought they could use it somehow…" she said while narrowing her eyes in thought.

"In any case, I'm glad you kids were able to handle that situation as best you could," Kukui admitted, standing up from his seat at the bench and placing a hand onto Calvin's shoulder, "Congratulations on your victory," he complimented to him, "Your parents and I watched together," he mentioned to his surprise as he blinked.

"Thanks, Professor…" he said in gratitude, somewhat embarrassed by all the praise he was getting.

"We noticed that Lillie was here, too," Hau chimed in, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Kukui replied with a nod, "I had to make sure I left early yesterday to get here before the storm hit," he told them.

"We weren't so lucky…" Calvin admitted sheepishly with a drop of sweat rolling down his head, while his cousin chuckled cheekily.

"But look at you all!" the professor pointed out, "I'd say the three of you are all fine trainers!" he noted excitedly, "By the way, where's Erika at?" he wondered.

"She's helping Lillie go to that library she wanted to stop by," Hau replied while gesturing back towards the entry archway.

"Huh, that's good…" Kukui exhaled in relief, "I was worried she'd try going off on her own like before and wind up lost…" he admitted while rubbing the back of his head, "So…" he continued, "what are you kids gonna do now?" he inquired curiously.

"I think I'm gonna take it easy and wait for the egg to hatch," Calvin answered, looking at the incubated egg.

"Yeah, same," Paige chimed in, "After beating Olivia, I could use the break…" she admitted while stretching her arms up.

"And what about you, Hau?" Kukui asked of the ponytailed boy. Normally, Hau would've followed the lead and relax alongside his friends. But now…

"I'm gonna go train," he decided, causing the professor and the other trial-goers to blink in surprise, "I know I made it pretty far in the Aether Tournament…" he started to say, closing his right hand into a fist, "but I really gotta get myself toughened up if I'm gonna get as strong as Cal and Eri!" he declared firmly.

"Hau…" his cousin uttered in surprise. Meanwhile, Kukui grinned and placed a hand onto Hau's left shoulder.

"Do what you think'll make you happy, cousin," he advised, "That's all I can tell ya," he added with a nod. The ponytailed boy nodded back.

"See you guys!" he yelled in farewell as he dashed off, "Next time we see each other, I'll be way too strong for you, Cal!" he vowed. The Ketchum boy let off a smile.

"We'll see, cuz!" he shouted as a response.

"Well, I gotta get going…" Kukui said while starting to walk away as well, "Gotta head up to Mount Hokulani before sunset," he told Calvin and Paige, "The view up there's just incredible…" he pointed out with his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Mount Hokulani…" the silvery-haired girl repeated curiously, "Isn't that where one of the trials is gonna be?" she guessed.

"Correct!" Kukui responded with a thumbs-up, "I'm guessing Erika's gonna be heading up there pretty soon, right?" he inquired.

"Probably…" Calvin replied, knowing how excited his twin sister was about getting started on the trials as soon as possible.

"Then I guess I'll see her up there tonight!" Kukui concluded, "Catch you around, Calvin! Paige!" he called out in farewell, waving goodbye.

"See you, Professor!" the former of the two yelled back. Now it was just him and one of his many rivals.

"So… shall we get to relaxing?" she insisted, earning a nod in response from the capped boy.

X

"Hup! Hup!" Asta repeated as he rapidly performed push-ups on the sandy Melemele shore line. Staring at him incredulously were Leslie and his Aegislash.

"You really don't get this, do you?" the Ketchum girl guessed as a drop of sweat rolled down from her head.

"Not a clue, ma'am!" the vice-captain of the Black Bulls shouted in response. Leslie felt her eye twitch in annoyance. She knew about Asta's strength from how he performed against their foes during their retrieval mission. But what really surprised her was how muscle-headed he really was. He lacked any proper intelligence.

"Aegislash, do you wanna try and figure out how to battle with him?" she inquired to the Royal Sword Pokémon, crouching to his eye level.

"Gee!" he responded, moving its body to act like it was nodding.

"So… do we fight together?" Asta inquired as he jogged over upon overhearing them. Leslie groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No, a Pokémon battle is only for Pokémon to fight…" she told him, "That's the basic rule," she stated, "You're just the trainer who helps guide your Pokémon to victory," she explained.

"Oh, so it's like a pact," Asta inferred as he blinked.

"Huh?" Leslie uttered in confusion, arching an eyebrow.

"A pact," the muscular man repeated as he crossed his arms and looked up in thought, "Like the one me and Liebe formed during that binding ritual," he recalled, "It's how we're able to work together when we're fighting," he pointed out. Leslie vaguely recalled seeing Asta's devil and how he worked with him.

"Uh, it's a little less complicated than that…" she noted to him, "You're not going to be fighting, but Aegislash is," she mentioned, "So I think it's a good idea for you to learn just what he can do in a battle," she insisted with a grin, "Aegislash, you think you can show Asta just what you can do?" she asked of the Royal Sword Pokémon.

"Gee slaa!" he replied, hopping out of his shield and grasping it with his right, sash-like arm. He then positioned himself to aim for a nearby rock. "Geeee…" he buzzed, suddenly cloaking the blade of his body in a whitish light to make it appear black and white, "SLAAHHH!" he exclaimed, dashing out and slamming into the rock in an instant, shattering it into pieces.

"AWESOME!" Asta exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

"Iron Head, huh?" Leslie inquired with her arms folded underneath her large chest, "Seems perfect for an Aegislash," she remarked. The Royal Sword Pokémon then had a shadowy, black aura with a purple outline shroud his blade before he swung around and swiftly chopped down a nearby tree.

"Whoa!" his trainer yelped.

"Shadow Claw…" the Ketchum girl noted, grinning a little. Aegislash then made his blade glow in a dark reddish light before swinging himself around to cut grass cleanly on the ground.

"That was amazing!" Asta exclaimed as his eyes continued to sparkle.

"And Brutal Swing…" Leslie pointed out curiously, putting her left hand onto her chin. Lastly, the Royal Sword Pokémon flung his shield out before flying into it, assuming a defensive stance. Light blue, connecting hexagons of luminosity appeared in front of him, forming what looked like a barrier.

"Uh… I don't know what that is…" his trainer noted with a confused look on his face.

"King's Shield," the Ketchum girl chimed in as an answer, getting his attention, "Your Aegislash has some great moves," she pointed out while walking over, "Wanna try 'em out?" she inquired to the vice-captain of the Black Bulls.

"Yeah!" he responded eagerly with a pump of his fists, "You ready to do this, Aegislash?" he inquired of his partner.

"Gee!" he replied, moving his body as if he was nodding. Moments later, the two of them were positioned about a dozen yards apart from Leslie, who pulled out a Great Ball and enlarged it by pressing its center button.

"Let's go, Mortalius!" she called out, tossing it up into the air. It popped open, and its light spilled forth onto the sandy ground, dissipating to reveal a Magmortar.

"Mahg!" he exclaimed, readying his cannon-shaped arms.

"Whoa!" Asta yelped in surprise, while Aegislash gave off a nervous look.

"Mortalius here is a Fire-type Pokémon," Leslie told her opponent, getting his attention, "He's got a great advantage against Aegislash, who's a Steel-and-Ghost-type," she mentioned in explanation. Tilting his head to the side for a moment, the vice-captain of the Black Bulls tried to understand the information he was given.

"Ah, is it like how super-hot things melt down metal?" he guessed.

"Yeah, exactly!" the Ketchum girl replied, glad that the muscular man was finally starting to understand, "All Pokémon have distinct types, giving them or disadvantages against one another," she explained, "In your case, Aegislash is at a disadvantage against Mortalius here," she added.

"Geee…" the Royal Sword Pokémon growled in frustration, knowing she was right.

"That doesn't matter!" Asta suddenly remarked, causing him to blink in surprise, while Leslie and her Magmortar perked up, "I've had to face lots of different challenges without magic when I first got my grimoire," he pointed out, patting the book he carried upon his belt, "For me, this is like starting from square one with something new!" he mentioned excitedly. Hearing that brought a smile to Leslie's face.

"Well, let's get this started!" she insisted.

"Mahg, mor!" Mortalius exclaimed, retracing the claws of his left arm before aiming it forward like a cannon.

"Aegislash, you ready?" the muscular man asked of his partner.

"Slaa!" he responded eagerly.

"Okay… let's start with that Iron Head move!" his trainer instructed, pumping his right fist forward. The Royal Sword Pokémon lunged out from his shield, taking it into his right, sash-like arm. He zipped towards his foe, making a bright whitish light shroud his body, making him appear black and white. The point of his blade was aimed for the Blast Pokémon.

"Mortalius, block!" Leslie called out. The Magmortar crossed his arms over his chest, taking the attack as Aegislash pushed against him hard. He slid back along the sand for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "Now Lava Plume!" his trainer commanded.

"Mahg!" the Blast Pokémon responded, making his body suddenly glow a bright red. The ground beneath his feet started glowing as well, followed by a powerful explosion that engulfed the area in smog and fire.

"Aegislash!" Asta cried out. Thankfully, the Royal Sword Pokémon flew out from the smoke and fire, but was littered with burn marks. As the smog finally settled with the flames, it revealed the Magmortar standing firm, re-aiming his cannon-like left arm.

"Flamethrower!" Leslie ordered. Mortalius unleashed a powerful spray of fire from the opening of his arm, heading right for his opponent.

"We'll block that, too!" Asta declared. However, Aegislash seemed reluctant to do so as he flew himself away from the flames, moving back towards his trainer. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked of him as he blinked, "You could've blocked that, right?" he guessed.

"When I was talking about type effectiveness, I might've forgot to mention just how bad Fire-type attacks effect Aegislash," Leslie pointed out, getting his attention, "whereas Steel-type attacks don't do much to affect Mortalius," she explained.

"Morrr…" the Blast Pokémon uttered, deploying the claws from his left arm again.

"I think I get it…" Asta said, narrowing his eyes.

'But I doubt Aegislash can dodge his attacks forever…' he noted inwardly, 'That first one he used really did a number on him…' he pointed out to himself, seeing the burn marks upon his partner's body. He then took a deep breath and grinned.

"We're just gonna have to push past our limits to win this thing!" he declared fiercely as he pumped his right fist. The Royal Sword Pokémon perked up in surprise. Those were the words of his former trainer… being repeated by his new one.

"Sounds like something you're used to doing, Asta," Leslie said, putting her hands onto her hips, "Mortalius, Thunder Punch!" she commanded. Orbs of yellow electricity shrouded the ends of the Magmortar's cannon-like arms before he charged forward towards his opponent.

"Shadow Claw!" the vice-captain of the Black Bulls ordered. Aegislash had a dark aura with a purple outline shroud the blade of his body. He soared over and clashed against his opponent's hands, making sparks fly all around them. Both trainers grinned excitedly as they were starting to get into the heat of the battle. At one point. The Royal Sword Pokémon evaded one of his foe's punches, ending up landing a powerful slash across his chest to blow him back.

"Slaashhh!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Nice!" Asta complimented, "Now go for a Brutal Swing!" he yelled. Now having his blade glow in a dark reddish light, Aegislash spun himself around as he soared towards his foe. However…

"Lava Plume!" Leslie commanded as she threw her left hand out.

"MAAHHHHGGG!" the Blast Pokémon bellowed, making his body shine a bright red again along with the ground beneath his feet. An explosive blast of lava then occurred, with smog and flames shooting out towards the oncoming Aegislash.

"Watch out!" Asta screamed desperately in a panic. The Royal Sword Pokémon managed to bring himself to a stop and fly above the incoming smoke and fire. His trainer breathed out a relieved sigh.

"Mortalius, Flamethrower!" Leslie ordered suddenly, causing him to perk up in shock. A stream of fire launched out from the smoke, heading straight for the airborne Aegislash!

'Oh no! He's gonna get hit!' Asta realized with a grimace, 'Agh, what do I do?' he wondered, rubbing his hands through his hair as he tried to think. But then he remembered something. 'That last move…' he recalled, having seen the Royal Sword Pokémon move himself back into his shield.

"Aegislash, King's Shield!" he called out. Upon hearing him, the Royal Sword Pokémon gave off a form look in his eye. He let go of his shield and flew into it, crossing his sash-like arms behind himself. Light blue hexagons of energy began connecting in front of his body, forming a barrier. It took the incoming flames, leaving Aegislash unaffected. From afar, Leslie could only grin.

'He's picking up on this pretty fast…' she realized, crossing her arms over her chest.

"All right, Asta!" she yelled, getting her opponent's attention, "Hope you're ready for some more!" she pointed out.

"Of course we are!" the vice-captain of the Black Bulls responded, "After all, our power comes from never giving up, right?!" he inquired loudly to his partner.

"Gee, slaa!" the Royal Sword Pokémon voiced in agreement. As the two continued their match, Ash watched from afar alongside his Greninja and Lucario upon the porch of Kukui's house, while Pikachu had perched himself onto his trainer's shoulder. The Pokémon Master was proud of his eldest daughter for being able to teach someone like Asta. And he hoped that his other children were doing great things, too.

X

Going to the salon, shopping for clothes, and eating lunch at a popular restaurant. Those were things Erika wouldn't bat an eye at doing unless she felt forced to. But now she was happy to take part in all three. Lillie watched on as her friend let the hairstylist do all the work in the salon, trimming at the Ketchum girl's raven-colored hair. In terms of a new style, she wanted something different, yet cool. And that something would turn out to be a romantic tuck with sideswept bangs.

"And… done!" the hairstylist exclaimed upon removing the black cape that she had put on the trial-goer. She opened her eyes and looked into the mirror, taking in her new hairdo. And she beamed.

"I love it!" she exclaimed delightedly, causing the hairstylist to giggle with joy. Afterwards, she, Lillie and Rotom ventured over to the apparel store next door.

"I guess a new look would really suit your haircut, Erika…" the assistant noted as she overlooked a few clothes lying upon the display tables.

"Yeah!" the Ketchum girl responded she held up a blue vest she had found, "I don't wanna change too much… but I'd like to go for something… sporty, you know?" she admitted, blushing somewhat sheepishly.

"Then why not get a new hat, zzt?" Rotom suggested as it floated over, "Nothing screamzzz zzzporty like that!" it buzzed. Its user took off her porkpie hat, holding it curiously in her hands with the vest she had.

"Erika, what about this one?" Lillie inquired, getting her attention as she saw her friend hold up a red-and-white baseball cap that looked extremely familiar. The green logo upon it was almost identical to the one her brother had, though some parts of it were missing. She walked over and took it into her hands.

"Thanks, Lillie!" she said in gratitude. A few moments passed as she had gone into the changing room to try on the clothes. When she came out, she was wearing a blue vest with yellow outlines over a plain white t-shirt with a Poké Ball upon it. She had her teal shorts on from one of her previous outfits, while also having her Litten-themed sneakers still on her feet. "What do you think?" she inquired curiously, adjusting her new cap.

"I think you look great!" Lillie complimented.

"Perfect, zzt!" Rotom added. Erika smiled delightedly. She was enjoying every minute of this. Even though she was eager to get going towards her first trial on Ula'ula, she also wanted to spend a good time with Lillie. Especially after how things almost ended up going wrong when Plumeria had shown up during their journey to the Ruins of Life on Akala.

A few minutes passed before the two girls and the Pokédex had ventured to the local Sushi High roller restaurant. Using her chopsticks, Erika swiftly grabbed and ate one of her sushi rolls from the bento box she had ordered.

"Mmm~!" she moaned happily as she chewed her food.

"You're really good at using chopsticks…" Lillie noted, taking a small bite of rice she had.

"Yeah, my dad used to take me to this place that served really good ramen," Erika told her in response, eating another roll of sushi, "When I first went, I actually finished a whole bowl!" she mentioned while still chewing. Lillie giggled.

"It sounds like you were a bit of a glutton…" she pointed out before they both laughed heartily

"Pewpew!" Nebby squeaked out from the duffel bag, poking its head out.

"Nebby, no!" its caretaker reprimanded firmly, "We can't have people seeing you…" she pointed out, sounding concerned. Erika looked on worriedly. She knew Lillie was just protective, but this seemed like a bit much. She swallowed her food.

"So anyways, what kind of book at the library would have the info you're looking for?" she asked, catching the assistant's attention to change the subject.

"Preferably a history one…" she responded, "Although, I do hope that it'll be easy for us to find…" she grumbled out worriedly.

"We'll be fine, Lillie," the Ketchum girl assured as she held out her right fist confidently, "And I swear, we'll help get Nebby back to where it belongs," she declared in addition.

"Pew!" the Cosmog squeaked out gratefully. Lillie smiled, glad for her friend's willingness to assist. Moments later, they left the restaurant after paying for their food, heading down the sidewalk towards the end of the town.

"By the way, I noticed you picked out something while we were in that clothing store," Erika remarked, glancing back at her friend with a teasing grin, "Gonna change up your look, too?" she guessed. The assistant blushed.

"Th-The lady at the counter told me it was on sale… and their last one…" she stuttered in response, "Even though I don't think I'd have the guts to wear something like it…" she admitted in embarrassment, "But she did tell me how we could find the library!" she mentioned, "Even though we'd just find it if we kept going…" she pointed out sheepishly. A sound of galloping caught their attentions as they turned and yelped in surprise to see a Mudsdale coming towards them.

"Nehhhh!" he neighed loudly.

"Ah!" Lillie yelped in surprise.

"Wait a sec…" Erika uttered, blinking upon recognizing the Draft Horse Pokémon.

"Whoa there, Mudsdale!" a familiar voice chimed in, walking over to reveal herself as Hapu, "Can't go scaring the locals now…" she pointed out in a reprimanding tone.

"Hapu!" Erika exclaimed upon seeing the short girl, getting her attention.

"Well if it isn't Erika!" she responded with a grin, "Took me a second to see that it was really you there…" she admitted, scratching at her right cheek sheepishly, "It's been a while," she noted.

"Yeah, it has," Erika agreed with a nod.

"I actually saw you roughin' it up on that fancy, man-made island during the tournament they showed on TV," Hapu pointed out, "That was a pretty close call there in the end…" she mentioned.

"Yeah…" Erika replied as she rubbed the back of her head, "But my brother really is tough…" she noted.

"Your brother?" Hapu repeated as she blinked, "Well, that's quite a surprise!" she remarked with a laugh.

"Um…" Lillie chimed in, catching their attentions, "Hello there…" she greeted while raising her right hand up.

"Oh, sorry!" Erika immediately apologized, "Hapu, this is my friend, Lillie," she introduced, "Lillie, Hapu here's someone I met back on Akala Island when we fought off some Team Skull grunts," she told her.

"And they walloped those numbskullzzz, zzt!" Rotom buzzed additionally.

"Ha, ha!" Hapu laughed, "And is your friend a trial-goer like yourself, Erika?" she asked of the Ketchum girl.

"Oh, uh, no," Lillie stammered in response with a shake of her head, "I'm actually researching more about the ruins of the Tapu in Alola," she told the farmer, "We were about to head into the library to learn a bit more," she added.

"That's some fine initiative!" Hapu complimented, "If you ever wanna visit the ruins themselves, my Mudsdale's happy to give y'all a lift!" she assured to them.

"O-Oh!" Lillie yelped, "Thank you for the offer," she said in gratitude with a slight bow. The short farmer went back over to her partner, petting him as he neighed contently.

"Well, I best be going now," she said, "The day's not as young as it may seem, you know!" she remarked, hopping aboard the Draft Horse Pokémon, "Let's go, Mudsdale!" she called out.

"Daaaaayyyy!" he neighed proudly, trotting off.

"See you around, Hapu!" Erika yelled in farewell as she waved, "Let's have a battle the next time we meet!" she insisted, much to the farmer's surprise as she blinked. But she then cracked a grin, waving back to the two girls.

"Now let'zzz go do zzzome reading!" Rotom buzzed, floating in between the two girls, who both nodded. Moments later, they were inside the relatively small library.

"So where should we look first?" Erika inquired as she glanced around at the various books along the many bookshelves, "Don't tell me we have to look through all of them…" she grumbled with a panicked look on her face.

"No, don't worry," Lillie assured with a shake of her head, "The book I'm looking for is an old one Professor Burnet told me about," she said, "It's one that speaks of myths and legends," she mentioned, "And those tales speak about how the Legendary Pokémon of Alola may have come from another world," she told her.

"You mean… like the Tapu?" she guessed in response.

"Not exactly…" Lillie replied as she went up the stairs to the second floor.

"You think it hazzz something to do with Ultra Beastzzz?" Rotom guessed, floating beside its user as she hummed in thought for a moment.

"Guess we'll have to find out…" she concluded, heading up the stairs after her friend. Upon arriving at the second floor, she found Lillie looking around curiously at the bookshelves.

"It's a valuable book… so I don't know if they'll let me take it out of the library to read on my own time…" she pointed out quietly.

"I can record notezzz you come acrozzz!" Rotom assured, getting her attention.

"Oh, thank you, Rotom!" she said in gratitude. As the Pokédex and the two girls scoured the bookshelves for signs of the old book, they failed to notice a figure approaching the table behind them. All of a sudden, they heard a thud.

"Eek!" Lillie yelped, clutching her duffel bag tightly. Both she and Erika blinked in surprise. Having set down an old book onto a table was a young girl who had purple hair and purple eyes. She wore a patchy dress of black, dark purple, and light purple, with two ribbons coming from her back, a gold armband on her left forearm and light purple sandals. Her hair was a rather messy short bob with her bangs collected in a small ponytail, just above her forehead with a golden, clover-shaped badge.

"This what you're looking for, princess?" she inquired to Lillie while giggling cheekily. The assistant looked at the book she was referring to, noticing how old and dusty it seemed.

"O-Oh, yes!" she stuttered in response as she ventured over to the table with Erika and Rotom in tow, "Thank you very much…" she said in gratitude.

"No problem!" the seemingly unkempt girl replied, "Always happy to give someone something good to read!" she mentioned with a smile and a tilt of her head. Moments later, the three girls sat at the table with Rotom floating alongside them, readying itself to record.

"It's titled 'The Light of Alola'…" Lillie noted curiously, "Um, I'll read aloud…" she decided, taking a deep breath, "The empty sky broke asunder, a hole appearing where had been none. A single beast appeared from in it; it was called the beast that devoured the sun," she read. From how it started, it sounded like a poem to Erika. "The king of Alola bowed before it: the beast that shone so like the sun. The island guardians fought against it, but in the end the best had won," she continued, "Then did the beast that devoured the sun shine its light on the line of kings. Then did the beast that had won bring nature's gift to bless all things," she kept going.

"Interesting, huh?" the unkempt girl noted quietly to Erika, getting her attention, "I love getting to see people's reactions to these kinds of things!" she exclaimed in a whisper.

"Beast of sun and beast of moon. Through their union, they brought new life. A fragile heir in Alola born that island guardians would keep from strife," Lillie continued reading, "The ancient kings sang their thanks for Solgaleo with song of flute. Two tones rang out across the altar – a perfect pair, ever after mute," she finished.

"Solgaleo…" Erika repeated, "Is that the name of the Legendary Pokémon?" she guessed to herself, putting her hand onto her chin

"Wasn't that great?" the unkempt girl inquired, "My dad's books are all amazing!" she pointed out.

"Your… dad?" Erika said in confusion. She and Lillie shared shocked looks.

"Well, yes, it is good…" the latter of the two assured, "But when you say this book belongs to your father, then…" she started to say. The unkempt girl nodded, guessing what she was going to ask.

"Yeah, it belonged to my dad," she told them, "I know I don't look it, but my family used to be pretty much royalty," she pointed out.

"Whoa, really?" Erika inquired as she blinked rapidly.

"Yep!" the unkempt girl responded with a wink, "Name's Acerola by the way!" she introduced, putting her hands onto her hips, "What are your names?" she inquired to the two visitors.

"Oh, I'm Lillie…" the assistant introduced with a bow of her head.

"And my name's Erika!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed in greeting.

"Well, it's dandy to meet you two!" Acerola pointed out excitedly, "Oh!" she yelped in realization, "There are a lot more of my dad's old books here in the library if you wanna read up some more!" she told the girls, gesturing towards some of the nearby bookshelves.

"That would be wonderful!" Lillie said happily. Erika was a bit anxious about the prospect of reading, especially when she knew she wanted to get to the trial site as soon as possible. "Erika, you can go," her friend said, catching her attention as she blinked in surprise, "I know you're eager to get started on your trials, and you already spent a lot of time touring around the city with me today," she pointed out.

"Lillie…" the Ketchum girl uttered out.

"You're a trial-goer?!" Acerola exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, then the first trial you should take would be the one atop Mount Hokulani!" she insisted, "It'll be just the thing for you to start this leg of the island challenge," she mentioned assuredly.

"I will!" Erika affirmed as a response, quickly grabbing her bag and leaping down the stairs, "Mount Hokulani, here I come!" she declared as she pumped out her fist.

"Wait for me, zzt!" Rotom cried out, floating after its user. Looking on, Lille giggled. She was happy for her eager friend. And she hoped she would do well.

X

"Rrraaaaahhh~…" Incineroar yawned as she slept on the soft grass of the Malie Garden. She and Gumshoos were resting beside each other, while their trainer was busy with battling a wild Ariados.

"Marowak, Flame Wheel!" he commanded. The Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon he was with ignited both ends of his bone by rubbing it against the marking upon his forehead, somersaulting forward to engulf himself in the greenish flames before rolling towards his opponent, colliding with him in a fierce explosion.

"Areee…" the Ariados groaned out afterwards once the smoke cleared, having swirls in his eyes as he had been defeated.

"Way to go, Marowak!" Calvin complimented with a pump of his fist as his teammate hopped back.

"Wak," he huffed proudly as his bone's flames went out. Relaxing was definitely something the Ketchum boy had done a bit of, but he was also enjoying the chance to train a little. It only happened because the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon had gotten restless about just sitting around.

"Hey, Cal!" Paige's voice cried out, catching his attention as he looked to see the silvery-haired girl sitting on a picnic blanket with the incubating egg sitting in her lap, "It shook again!" she noted, causing him to beam excitedly before he ran over.

"How much did it shake?" he asked curiously upon arriving.

"About the same as before…" his rival replied, "But I think it'll be hatching sometime soon," she assumed, opening the incubator to take the egg out, holding it in her hands, "You sure you're okay with me holding onto it for you?" she inquired in concern.

"Yeah, I trust you," Calvin assured as a response, "But I feel bad just leaving you here to look after it…" he admitted ashamedly.

"Don't sweat it, dude," Paige remarked to his surprise, "Unlike your team, my guys and gals aren't so antsy to get into action today…" she noted, looking back at her snoozing Combusken, Medicham, and Mudbray. Among them was a Vullaby that hopped over.

"Bee, bee?" she chirped to her trainer, earning herself a pat on the head.

"You got a Vullaby, huh?" Calvin noted, putting his hands onto his hips.

"Yeah, just a while before we left Melemele," Paige replied as she let the Diapered Pokémon hop into her lap beside the egg, "She's a feisty one in a fight," she pointed out, "Wish I got to use her against you…" she admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Well, we'll give ourselves a rematch soon," Calvin promised in response, sharing a chuckle with the silvery-haired girl.

"Nee, neeee!" Steenee's voice cried out, catching their attentions as they looked over to see her by the river with a fishing rod in hand.

"Oh, shoot!" her trainer yelped, hurrying over. While thinking about doing some things to relax, he decided that fishing for another Pokémon, like he did once for Araquanid when he was a Dewpider, would be the best course of action. But as he was dragged off by Marowak to train against wild Pokémon, Steenee took charge of fishing for her trainer. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't as physically strong as him.

"N-Neee…" she stuttered out with a reddening face, straining herself to hold onto rod. She had gotten a nibble on the rule, but couldn't find herself able to reel in the catch as it was too strong. Pulling as hard as she could, the Fruit Pokémon suddenly found the fishing rod flying out of her digit-less hands. "NEEEEEE!" she shrieked in fright, thinking she had just lost her trainer's rod. But fortunately, he arrived just in time to catch it.

"Thanks for holding on, Steenee!" he yelled to his teammate, causing her to beam in delight, "Now… here… we… GO!" he grunted out, reeling in the catch with a splash. Letting go of the lure and landing upon the grassy ground upon his feet was a Poliwag.

"Poll?" he squeaked out, blinking as he looked at his surroundings.

"Hey, a Poliwag!" Paige exclaimed upon noticing, "Nice find, Cal!" she complimented.

"Thanks!" he responded, taking out a Poké Ball and enlarging it with a press of its center button, "And now we're gonna catch him!" he declared, "Steenee, go!" he called out.

"Steee!" the Fruit Pokémon squeaked as she hopped in front of her trainer, prepared for battle. The Poliwag reeled himself back before firing off a spray of bubbles from his mouth, heading towards his foe.

"Dodge and use Magical Leaf!" Calvin instructed quickly. Jumping up to evade the bubbles, Steenee had her hands glow a light green before waving them around and bringing them together to form an orb of energy. It unleashed a flurry of glowing green leaves down towards the Tadpole Pokémon, striking him in an explosion of white smoke.

"Pollleee…" he groaned as he shot back onto his feet, taking on a serious expression. He made his tail glow a bright white as he lunged out towards his foe.

"Now he's going for Double Slap!" Paige pointed out from afar.

"Then we'll do that, too!" Calvin decided with a swing of his arms. Upon hearing him, Steenee had the tips of her side leaves glow a bright white as well. As her foe approached, she countered his tail with her right leaf before exchanging blows rapidly against him. The two wound up smacking each other, gritting their teeth before blowing each other back.

"Neeee…" the Fruit Pokémon growled in frustration, while Poliwag puffed out his cheeks. He then fired off several balls of mud from his mouth, each splattering onto his target as she tumbled back with a dirtied form.

"Steenee!" her trainer cried out. Getting up and wiping the mud off of her face, the Fruit Pokémon glared at her now giggling foe.

"Stee, stee nee!" she insisted to her trainer while pointing towards her opponent.

"Yeah, let's try that instead!" he decided with a nod, "Use Sweet Scent!" he instructed. Releasing a pink powder from the leaves upon her head, Steenee had it float over to Poliwag, who blinked in surprise. He then sniffed the air, giving off a content expression.

"Polleeee…" he said, feeling as if he was in heaven from such a pleasant aroma.

"Now Magical Leaf!" Calvin ordered, thrusting his left hand forward. Prepping another green orb of light upon her hands, Steenee fired off multiple green glowing leaves from it. They all struck the unaware Tadpole Pokémon in a blast of white smoke.

"LEEEEEE!" he shrieked before falling back onto the ground upon his back, bouncing upon it for a few feet before stopping.

"Nice!" Paige exclaimed. Calvin then reared his right arm back and fired the Poké Ball he had towards the weakened Poliwag. It hit him, popping open as his body turned into a reddish light, zipping into the spherical container. It closed afterwards, landing upon the grassy ground. The button blinked a bright red as it shook, as everyone watched on with anticipation. After another moment, the Poké Ball stopped moving with the sound of a click, as its button blinked a bright green.

"Yes!" Calvin exclaimed as he ran over to pick up the container, "We just got a Poliwag!" he yelled excitedly.

"Neee!" Steenee squeaked with delight. Suddenly though, the Poké Ball shrunk in the Ketchum boy's hand.

"Huh?" he uttered in confusion, pressing the button upon bringing the container down to his eye level. Nothing happened. "What's wrong with this thing?" he wondered aloud with an arched eyebrow. Paige chuckled.

"You already got six Pokémon, right?" she inquired, getting his attention, "When you capture one more, you have to send one of them back to the professor like your sister did," she explained to him.

"Oh, right…" he uttered in realization, "My dad ran into this a couple times…" he noted out of remembrance, stuffing the Poké Ball into his right pocket for the time being, "Thanks for the help, Steenee," he said in gratitude, crouching down to pet the Fruit Pokémon atop her head.

"Neee…!" she squeaked happily, smirking as she hoped that her interactions with her trainer would bring about the envy of the others. But none of her teammates seemed to even remotely care, with Incineroar and Gumshoos still sleeping, Trumbeak flying about the garden, Araquanid swimming in the water of the river, and Marowak battling against wild Pokémon on his own. "Neee…" she growled in frustration, puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms.

"What's wrong?" her trainer asked in concern. Watching from afar, Paige let out a quiet laugh. She found Calvin to be really strong, no doubt. But there was also something about his interactions with his Pokémon that made him a highly exceptional trainer. It's what she assumed earned him the victory in the Aether Tournament, along with the egg he received as a prize, which rested in her arms… and suddenly flashed.

"Whoa!" she yelped, "Cal, I think it's happening!" she pointed out, causing him to perk up in surprise, "Come over, quick!" she insisted, waving to him. He immediately ran over with Steenee. The egg started shaking wildly and shining brightly.

"B-Beee!" Vullaby squawked as she flapped her wings to hop out of her trainer's lap. At that very moment, the egg glowed at its brightest, suddenly reshaping into the form of a bear-like creature. When it subsided, it revealed that it was a quadrupedal Pokémon resembling a bear cub. Her body and head were mostly pink, while her legs were brown. Each foot had a single pink paw pad on the bottom. There was a white, semicircle marking around her face similar to a headband, and she had a white muzzle with a triangular, black nose. Her white-tipped ears were situated on the sides of her head, and there was a small, white-tipped tuft of fur under each. Around the center of her short, puffy tail was a dark pink ring marking. Under the tail was a small, white flap resembling the tag on a stuffed toy.

"Stuh?" she uttered out, looking up at the astonished expression on Paige's face.

"It hatched!" Calvin exclaimed, quickly pulling out his phone. After opening the Pokédex app, he scanned the newly hatched Pokémon to pull up her name. "Stufful, huh?" he read off, "Well, it's super nice to meet you, little guy!" he greeted while crouching down to the Flailing Pokémon's eye level.

"Stuh ful?" she squeaked in confusion, tilting her head to the side. Calvin chuckled.

"What you think of her, Paige?" he asked his rival. He then blinked in surprise to see the still astonished expression on her face. She seemed to be lost in the Stufful's eyes as she stared back at her.

"Stuh!" she yipped out as she turned to the silvery-haired girl.

"Sh…She's…" she began, trembling a little, "SO CUTE~!" she gushed suddenly, embracing the Flailing Pokémon tightly. In response, Stufful flailed her feet, desperate to try and break free. Meanwhile, Calvin and Steenee were shocked. They both remembered Paige being… more tomboyish than this.

"Guess you really like her, huh?" the Ketchum boy guessed with a nervous chuckle.

"I LOVE HER!" Paige exclaimed with delight, blushing cutely as she nuzzled her head against the Flailing Pokémon's head, "She's so fluffy and adorable~…" she cooed, not noticing how Stufful was trying to break free of her hold.

"Yeah, she really is…" Calvin agreed.

"Nee!" Steenee huffed, crossing her arms as she turned away in a huff.

"You really are lucky, Calvin…" Paige said as she sighed, "Getting a Pokémon as cute as this little one will definitely make you even better…" she pointed out while petting the Flailing Pokémon gently, though she still was trying to break free of the silvery-haired girl's hold. Hearing her say that made the Ketchum boy feel somewhat bad for her. He'd just won a tournament, caught a Poliwag, and was now about to add a Stufful to his team. Meanwhile, Paige didn't even have a full team of Pokémon. And seeing how she clung happily to the newly hatched Flailing Pokémon…

"Hey, would you wanna take Stufful?" he inquired suddenly, causing his rival to perk up in surprise.

"Wh-What?" she stuttered out, "No, I couldn't!" she exclaimed with a shake of her head, "I mean, it was your egg she hatched out of…" she noted, sounding guilty.

"Yeah," Calvin replied as he nodded, "but I caught an extra Pokémon, while you've still only got four," he pointed out, "Besides, I feel like Stufful would fit in with your team better than mine," he admitted, glancing over to see Steenee curiously batting an eye open towards him. Meanwhile, the silvery-haired girl looked down at the Flailing Pokémon in her arms. Her face lit up with delight as she realized that her rival was granting her permission to catch the newly hatched Pokémon.

"Thank you so much, Calvin!" she exclaimed in gratitude as she suddenly approached.

"It's no problem," the Ketchum boy responded, having his eyes closed for a moment, "I just-" All of a sudden, he felt something press against his left cheek. He opened his eyes and widened them to see that Paige was planting a big kiss onto it with her lips.

"Neee?!" Steenee yelped in shock upon noticing, blinking rapidly. Vullaby seemed just as stunned. As the silvery-haired girl removed herself, she had a gleeful expression on her face, while Stufful continued to flail in her arms.

"I promise I'll take real good care of her!" she vowed happily. However, she didn't get a response. "Hm?" she uttered in confusion, opening her eyes to see the astonished expression upon her rival's face. She blinked. "What's wro-?" She stopped talking as she realized what she had just done. Her cheeks turned pink, as did Calvin's. The two of them stared at each other, all while Stufful continued to flail about in Paige's arms…

X

"Huh… huh…" Erika breathed out with sweat practically pouring down her face as she trudged up the road leading to the peak of Mount Hokulani.

"I told you that you zzzhould've waited for the buzzz, zzt!" Rotom reprimanded as it floated after her.

"I can't wait thirty minutes for a darn bus…!" she complained in response, falling down onto the asphalt upon her stomach. Thankfully, it wasn't hot due to the cooling wind coming from the west. "Huh…" she exhaled in exhaustion. After leaving Malie City and heading down Route 10, she found herself being faced with the option to either trek up Mount Hokulani to the trial site or wait for a bus called the Exeggutor Express to pick her up.

She chose the former after learning that the bus wouldn't be around for another thirty minutes. Needless to say, she was starting to regret her decision. But she steeled herself, getting back onto her feet and wiping the sweat off of her brow.

"It shouldn't be that much longer to the top…" she noted, closing her hands into fists, "We'll just have to keep trekking on!" she declared, pumping her right fist up.

"I thought you'd zzzay that, zzt…" Rotom buzzed out, exasperated by the stubbornness of its user. Just then, a bus with an image of an Exeggutor upon it drove by them, coming to a stop. Its door opened, allowing a familiar figure to lean out from it.

"Alola, Erika!" Kukui greeted with a wave of his left hand, "Care to come for a ride?" he offered to her with a grin.

"Professor Kukui!" she yelped in surprise. Moments later, she sighed with relief as she sat beside him in the bus.

"I almost didn't recognize you with that new look…" he confessed, crossing his arms over his chest, "You look like your old man a little!" he pointed out with a cheeky grin.

"Thizzz is Alola Erika Two-Point-O!" Rotom exclaimed while gesturing towards its user, who blushed sheepishly, "ZZZhe even picked out her own clothezzz today!" it mentioned.

"Yeah…" Erika replied while rubbing the back of her head, "Honestly, I bet Pyrrha would've found a better look for me…" she confessed sheepishly.

"Well, I think you look great," Kukui said, "You'll definitely be set for the trial at the observatory," he pointed out assuredly.

"Observatory?" Erika repeated in confusion.

"It'zzz a facility for zzztudying the phenomena in zzzpace!" Rotom answered, showing off an image of the blue building upon its screen.

"An old friend of mine works there that'd wanna meet you for sure," Kukui mentioned, putting his hand onto the Ketchum girl's shoulder, "And you'll do great in your trial," he assured confidently.

"I know I will!" Erika affirmed, closing her left hand into a fist, "Whatever comes our way, we'll handle it!" she stated confidently. As the drive up the mountain continued, the trial-goer looked out the window to see the surrounding area. She marveled the sights of different Pokémon lurking about the grassy areas on both sides of the mountain road. But as the bus drove around the bend, she took notice of something else, blinking in surprise. There was a figure sitting near the edge of the mountainside. In fact, it was a person with a familiar hairstyle of red-and-yellow streaks. "…Pyrrha?" Erika uttered out.

It was indeed her rival, whose lips were quivering as tears rolled down her cheeks…

ENDING

Insert "Fushigina Fushigina Ikimono" by Tortoise Matsumoto

Opens in a hospital, with the newborn Calvin and Erika lying in separate cribs as they snooze soundly. Watching from outside the window to the nursery is Leslie, who's excited about having both a little brother and sister. Her father comes up behind her and puts his right hand onto her shoulder, giving her a warm smile.

We cut to the Ketchum family returning home. Leslie spends a lot of time with the infant twins, helping her parents feed, bathe, and put them to sleep. As the years go by, we see that she struggles to keep up with trying to take care of the rambunctious twins. At one point, Erika actually refuses her baby bottle and tries getting her milk from her sister's breast, much to her shock and embarrassment.

We cut to when the family started vacationing in Alola, with Leslie having drifted somewhat apart from her twin siblings. It saddens her that most of the good memories she had with them are now fleeting. We see her put on her new dress as she goes to the Iki Town festival, where she witnesses Calvin and Erika attempt to battle for the first time. Though they both lose, she's happy that they tried.

From Ash and Mirajane's point of view, they've had a wonderful life with their three children. Ash and Pikachu had helped teach Calvin how to walk, while Mirajane showed Erika how to garden as they water plants together. There's another scene of the twins getting to see their sister in a tournament as her Krookodile goes up against Benga's Garchomp, countering a Dragon Claw with his own.

We cut to the present day, where Leslie contently watches the highlights of the Aether Tournament. As she sees the final match between her twin siblings, she doesn't even realize that she's crying happily for getting the chance to witness it at all. Her parents take notice of her emotional state and venture over to give her a comforting hug.

As the ending slowly winds down, we cut to the twins camping together on Ula'ula. They both glance up at the stars and smile. They're grateful to be on a journey that they never thought they would enjoy in the first place.

END ENDING

And thus, the Ula'ula Arc begins! Hope you're all happy with two chapters this weekend! Now it's time to get "Omni Force: JUSTICE" finished for you to all enjoy!

Oh, but before I go, here's a summary for the next chapter to hold you all over!

SUMMARY

Finding out that Pyrrha lost her grand trial back on Akala, Erika tries to find a way to bring her friend's spirits up… But what can she do when she threatens to quit taking the island challenge altogether?!

In the meantime, there's an awkward amount of tension between Calvin and Paige after that sudden kiss. Will they be able to mend the thaw in their relationship caused by it?

END SUMMARY

See you all next time, everyone!