AUTHOR'S NOTES:

For new readers: This story is the sequel of my "Awakening" series. I'm going to try to write this in a way that anybody (new and old) can come in and give it a read. However, if you're inclined to, I recommend reading "Awakening Alola," "Awakening Alola Special - A Nightmare Prism," and "Awakening Johto - Mt. Silver Rescue" first. This story will make plenty of references to them, but it'll still be accessible (I hope), and I hope this stands by itself. That said, this chapter alone does include a few spoilers for those stories though.

Anyways, let's get into it.

Overcoming the Orange Islands

Chapter 1 - "I'm Gonna Beat You, Old Lady!"

Alola - Melemele Island

It was a normal autumn day in Alola. The weather was hot and beat down on the locals, but they still enjoyed the beaches and the warm water.

New trainers were coming into the region to take on the Island Challenge or the gyms depending on their preference, and experienced trainers were leaving after the third ever Manalo Conference had wrapped up.

On the beach nearby Route 1, laid a boy. He had dug himself a small sand bath, and he relaxed as the sun tanned his face. Next to him sat a large green Pokémon with a massive flower on its back. Under that Pokémon was a much smaller, snow white Pokémon with purple eyes. It rested under the shadows created by the Venusaur it called its friend.

The boy had two other Pokémon. One swam through the ocean nearby and played with the wild Pokémon while the other challenged wild Slowking to a battle of wits that only they could possibly understand.

"Perfection," the boy muttered.

"Cyan!" a voice called from up on the hill.

The boy shifted and looked up towards the hill where a girl, a few years older than him, was waving.

"Mom's made dinner! It's time to go!"

"Dinner!" Cyan exclaimed. He sat up quickly, revealing that he had been holding a small blue and cream colored Pokémon with a long snout on his chest the whole time. Upon coming out from under the sand, the Pokémon released a small spout of fire from its back.

Cyan, alongside his Pokémon all raced across the beach and up the hill. They caught up with his older sister, and then hiked up the hill where their house awaited. Upon entering the house, Cyan's nose took in the smell of boiled potatoes and cooked meat.

"Cyan, you're filthy," his mom said once she took notice of all of the sand that had clung to his body. She huffed before walking towards the bathroom and pulling out a beach towel. "Go wipe yourself down, mister."

Cyan exited with the towel. As he wiped the dirt from his body, he looked down the hill and at the beach. The wind blew gently against his body, and then he turned and looked at the sun as it began to set over the ocean, painting the water orange.

It didn't take him long to get wiped off, and when he entered back into the house, a bowl of nikujaga was waiting for him at the counter. He sat down next to his sister, took his chopsticks, and began to eat.

"So, I got the results back, and the Elite Four made a decision," his sister said.

"What? What did they say?" Cyan asked, his voice muffled by potato.

She smiled before saying, "They accepted me. I'll be taking Lilo's position."

"Congratulations!" Cyan exclaimed, trying to keep all of the food in his mouth.

"Aoi, the Elite Four member. It doesn't have a bad ring to it," their mom said. "I'm proud of you."

"We both are!" Cyan said.

Then, there was a knock on the door. Cyan got up to answer it, and upon seeing who was waiting for him, he smiled from ear to ear.

"Kala!" he exclaimed.

A girl, aged 15, walked through, and she hugged Cyan tightly. She smelled like flowers. Her hair was pitch black, short, and it naturally curled at the ends. She was wearing a long, red flower-print dress.

"Sorry for the sudden intrusion," she said. She turned, allowing for a woman to follow her and come into the house.

This woman looked to be in her late 30's. She had the same black hair as Kala, but it hung almost all the way down to the middle of her back. She had on a floral-print shirt that she tucked into jeans.

"Kaarina," Cyan's mom said.

"Mizuko," Kaarina replied with a gentle smile. She looked at Aoi. "And Aoi."

"We weren't expecting you," Cyan's mom said. "I could have made more nikujaga."

"We've already eaten," Kaarina said. "We just wanted to drop by and congratulate Aoi on her new position."

Aoi grinned. "Thanks!"

Kala wrapped her arm around Cyan's shoulder. "How have you been? I was told you haven't battled in months."

"I'm alright. The beach is a great place," Cyan answered, ignoring the comment about his lack of battling.

Kaarina sighed before she put her hand to her chin. "It's a shame, Cyan. I was hoping you'd be putting in more effort to train. I wanted to see how we'd fare against one another if we battled, but if you're not training, then that means your Pokémon are also getting out of shape."

"Wait what?" Cyan asked.

Kaarina smiled. "After I battled with your sister, it got me thinking. I wanted to challenge you. I know that you were never technically the champion, but I'm curious about what a battle between the two Alola Champions would look like."

"I-I… what?" Cyan wondered.

Aoi huffed while putting more meat into her mouth. "If I couldn't beat you, then there is no way that Cyan could in his current condition."

Cyan rubbed the back of his head, ruffling up his dark brown hair. "I hate to admit it, but that's true. I'd need to practice a bit before, and even then, my team isn't what it used to be."

"That's a shame," Kaarina muttered. "If you ever get the urge, let me know. I'll battle you anytime. Aoi, one more time, congrats. You'll do great."

Kala and Cyan hugged once more, and then the two guests left, leaving the Kokura family alone with their food. Cyan now ate quietly while Aoi and her mother discussed what kind of Elite Four member she'd be. Cyan couldn't help but get the idea of battling with the champion out of his mind, but every time he thought about picking up a Poké Ball, his hand shook and it felt like his heart was going to explode out of his chest.

They finished their dinner, and one by one, they took their baths. Cyan put on his peach colored pajamas, and then got snuggled into his bed. He stared out the window and over the horizon, away from Alola.

"Maybe it's time to get back into the swing of things," he said to himself. He held his Cyndaquil close to his chest. "Maybe."

The next morning, Cyan was up bright and early. For the past few months, he hadn't been making the effort to wake up in time for breakfast, and his mother was surprised. She toasted a few more pieces of bread for him, and for the first time in months, the three of them ate as a family.

"So, Aoi will be going off to Ula'ula this week to start her job as an Elite Four member," his mother said.

"I still haven't decided on a type specialty," she said. "But I could potentially work with Grass-types, because I have Venusaur."

Cyan nodded. "I think, if it'd be okay, that I'd like to get back to adventuring also."

The two women of the household paused, and they looked at Cyan. He hadn't shown any sort of inclination for traveling the past year, so him suddenly saying he'd like to adventure had surprised them.

"Where are you thinking of going?" his mother asked.

Cyan finished a bite from one of his pieces of toast. "Well, I was thinking I can do something light. We used to vacation in the Orange Islands when Aoi and I were young, so I think that could be doable. They have a gym challenge there."

Aoi smiled. "If it means that you get to go back out into the world and get your Pokémon back into fighting shape, then I'm all for it."

Mrs. Kokura nodded. "As nervous as it makes me to let you go out on your own, you've proven yourself more than capable of coming back. I'll support you if this is what you really want."

Within the next few hours, Cyan had prepared for his journey to the Orange Islands. He packed his regular traveling goods, spare Poké Balls, and clothes. He knew that the islands were hot, so he opted for a pink tanktop and white shorts. As always, he had his BayStaryu hat, and as a memento of his journey through Alola, he kept the challenge medallion hanging around his neck.

During this time, his mom bought him the cheapest ticket she could find online, and the Pokémon that he had with him at the house all did stretches. They hadn't battled in such a long time, so they felt the need to prepare their bodies as much as possible.

Once finished, he walked onto his house's porch where his Pokémon: Venusaur, Primarina, Oranguru, Vulpix, and Cyndaquil all waited for him.

"So," he said while he looked over all of them. "I was thinking long and hard about this, but I don't think I can take all of you with me."

The Pokémon looked at one another, slightly disappointed in their trainer's words.

"Oranguru, we've already discussed this, and since you've retired, I don't want to force you to come along with me."

Oranguru smiled as he held at his back to take a seat on the swing that sat on the porch. Honestly, he was relieved that Cyan wasn't going to have him go to a foreign land.

"And then as much as I thought about it, I think that Primarina should stay too."

"Prrri?" his Pokémon cooed.

He got closer and then knelt down so he could pet his Pokémon on the head. "Mom's about to be all alone again, and as good as Oranguru is as keeping her company, you're a natural entertainer. I think she'd love to have you around."

Primarina nodded and then popped a quick bubble from his nose before laughing to himself. The others didn't quite get the joke, but Cyan was still happy that his Pokémon was taking it well.

"Alright, it'll be Venusaur, Vulpix, and Cyndaquil! I'm excited for what awaits us on the Orange Islands!"

The door opened, and Mrs. Kokura walked out onto the porch. She held an envelope in her hand, and she had a slightly worried expression on her face. "Your flight is going to leave in a couple of hours." She held out the envelope. "Here is your ticket and some money that you can use on the Orange Islands. Please… please be careful."

Cyan nodded. "I promise. I'm just going to relax and find my purpose."

She stepped forward and held Cyan tightly. "I believe in you."

Meanwhile…

The Orange Islands - Tangelo Island

Tangelo Island was a large part of the Orange Archipelago and one of the first stops that most tourists would make. The weather was hot, the beaches were full of people, and the Pokémon on the island all enjoyed living in peace.

The port at Tangelo Island was relatively small, but it took in small boats daily. On one of the docks, a young trainer, aged 11, took her first steps into the Orange Islands. She got off of the boat and wiped sweat from her brow with a towel.

"It's so hot," she muttered. She pulled the map from her back jeans pocket and tried to unfold it, but the sweat that had latched onto the paper made it difficult, and it tore. She sighed and then perked up as they made an announcement over the speakers, but it was in a language that she didn't understand.

"Great. It's too hot, my map is torn, and they don't use English," she groaned. She folded the map up to the best of her abilities before entering into the small lounge where there was air conditioning.

She looked around for an information desk where she could get a new map. Soon enough, she found one. The girl behind the counter appeared as though she wanted to help, but they were both too nervous to strike up a conversation.

"Now I have to find a trash can," she said. She held the wadded up map in her other hand and started to peek around the room. There was no visible trash can in sight, so she turned back to the information desk and smiled at the girl. "Can you throw this away for me?"

The information desk lady looked slightly disgusted by the sweat-filled map, but she took it anyway with a smile, but before she could ask if she needed anymore help, the trainer disappeared.

She looked around at the street and all of the beautiful buildings and foreign architecture. In the distance was a lush, green jungle. "Mikan Island is so beautiful," she exclaimed loudly. "Now I just have to find the gym." She looked over her map. There was seemingly nothing that resembled a gym, but in the upper corner of the map was what appeared to be a theme park.

"If it's anything like Unova, then that's where it's at!" she exclaimed happily. She looked at her surroundings and then down at the map, trying to figure out exactly where she was at, but it seemed fruitless. She couldn't make out the different characters on the signs and map, so she decided to go back into the information hut.

"Excuse me," she said as she walked back to the counter.

The girl smiled. "How can I help you?" She secretly hoped that she wasn't going to be given any more trash.

"Where are we right now?" she asked while she put the map down on the counter.

The information girl perused the map before pointing towards the bottom where there was a big red circle. "Right here. Anything else?"

"No thanks! I have a good sense of direction! Mikan Island is beautiful, by the way!"

The information girl cocked her head, but the trainer didn't notice her visible confusion. Instead, she lifted up the map and focused on it while she walked outside once more.

"Mikan Island?" the information girl wondered.

"Alright, so I gotta go up!" the trainer declared. She looked up towards the sun that beat down on her before sighing. "But it's so hot." She raised the map and put it over her head, providing her with a small amount of shade.

The trainer continued into Tangelo Island, with 100 percent confidence in knowing where she was going while simultaneously being completely oblivious to where she actually was. Soon enough, she started to see signs for an Orange Islands Theme Park, which allowed her to turn her map officially into a hat to shield her from the sun.

Now, she could hear the noises of a theme park, and the smells of fried food filled the air. Sure enough, she'd soon be at her destination, but what waited for her was dozens of stairs. She climbed them with no sense of fear on her face, but now her body was starting to heat up from the exercise. No hat made from a map would save her now. It took her only ten minutes to make it up the stairs and to the entrance of the park.

"Hello! I'm a challenger!" she declared to the park attendant at the booth.

"Um. Okay?" the attendant said. "You can enter for 500 and pay as you go or you can do 4,000 and do everything unlimited."

"I have to pay?" she wondered before huffing and pulling out her wallet. She dropped 4,000 Pokédollars down and allowed the attendant to put a paper bracelet around her wrist. "If I'm here, I may as well enjoy it."

The trainer entered into the theme park and enjoyed the shade that came from the entrance. She tied up her dark brown hair into a ponytail to keep it off of her sweaty shoulders, and then she looked around. She was in need of another map to get around the park. Luckily for her, there was a set of them at the information stand, and they even provided some in English. She unfolded and peeked at it closely, looking for anything that resembled a gym.

"Nothing," she groaned. "Nothing at all. Maybe I have to draw out the gym leader. Maybe I have to battle with some of the trainers around here first to get their attention. That's it! It's a test!"

She put her finger on the map and searched for the closest area where a potential gym trainer would be hiding.

"Water gun racing!" she declared.

She tucked the map into her back jean pocket before she started her confident stride forward. Within only a few meters, she found the area with all of the carnival games. Sure enough, all of the people who worked at the different games looked suspicious. She casually walked up to the booth that held the water gun racing game and smiled.

"You know what I'm here for," she said while tilting her head.

The man, with only a few teeth left in his mouth, smiled. "Come to play my game?" He looked down, noticing that she had the bracelet on. "That thing only gives you free rides. This game is 200."

"200?" the trainer asked. "I can't believe this… This is new." She pulled out her wallet and drew out two coins before handing it over to the greasy man.

"Alright! Step right up! Shoot the target; fill up the balloon! If you win, you get a prize!" he yelled.

The trainer took her seat next to a little boy who appeared a couple years younger than her.

"Hello," she said.

"I'm gonna beat you, old lady!"

"Old lady?!"

"Begin!"

The boy's tactic worked, and he got a two second head start on the trainer. He aimed and blasted, but luckily, he wasn't very coordinated yet. The trainer took her chance, and she shot her stream straight down the middle. It hit right on target, and they were off. The two watched as their balloons filled with water, but they never once took their focus off of the targets.

I can't lose! I can't lose now! the trainer thought.

Slowly, they filled. She knew that these games were rigged, but she had hoped that it was rigged in her favor. Normally, she'd feel terrible about beating a child, but he was rude, and he deserved to lose.

And then, pop.

The trainer's balloon exploded, sending water all over the place. She was within the blast zone, and her face was soaked with water. She didn't care though, because she had won, and she stood up while pointing at the little boy.

"Haha! Skylar Hayes never loses!" she declared as she stood up. She then pulled her Poké Ball from her belt and flashed it at the worker. "Time for our battle!"

"Battle?" the worker wondered. He was holding onto a small plush stuffed Pikachu that was given to the winners. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not here to play games! I'm here to battle the gym leader!" Skylar exclaimed. "And if that means that I have to play games, then so be it!"

"Gym leader? There is no gym leader here," the worker said.

"What?" Skylar asked while she lowered the Poké Ball. She looked down towards the boy, who now had tears in his eyes. "What?"

AUTHOR'S NOTES (PART 2):

So, Cyan is off on a new adventure. As you may be able to tell from the story description though, he'll be joined by Skylar. This story takes place during "Kickin' It In Kanto" and roughly 10 months after "Awakening Johto," so Cyan has been relaxing for about a year. Something that I'd like to get into with his character is that he's not entirely comfortable with battling at the moment. This journey through the Orange Islands will be him coping with certain things that I suffer from in real life. I want to sort of get into PTSD without making it too dramatic or heavy handed.

As for Skylar, she's out to prove herself. She's based off of one of my best friends in Japan, so I'm very excited to write her character. This experience that she's having with being in a place where she doesn't understand anything is very much based on real life experiences (mostly mine).