A/N: ... Hi there. It's been a while, I know. My muse for fanfic writing has since taken a little nosedive as a result of everyday responsibilities and such, so I haven't felt the desire or motivation to update my other fanfics as of yet. Recently though, I rediscovered my love for Pokemon Sun and Moon through the anime (since I've already completed Moon and Ultra Moon ages ago) and felt compelled to write something for it. Hopefully working on this fanfic might spur me into updating my other fanfics at some point. But we'll have to see how it goes.

I'd like to preface this new fanfic by saying that although it is a retelling of my experience in the gaming franchise, I've done my best to craft something original out of it. By this I mean that both game and anime canon will be mashed together to help this story stand out against the other retelling fanfics, as well as giving my character a strong enough backstory that'll help to bring elements from other games into the plot too. The same is going to apply to canon characters too, so if you find some of them sound a little out of character it's because they're a mash-up of their canon and anime selves. Also, I'd like to point out that while my OC does possess a name I frequently use as an alias, she is not a self-insert character. I just like the name. I'll add as well that this is the first time I've properly explored Pokemon battles in a fanfic, so any that occur will be following the style of the anime and not the game's turn-based system. I find the anime ones are more exciting and imaginative and that it's suited best to this type of media instead of the game's style.

But enough of my rambles. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of my new fanfic. As usual, don't expect any scheduled updates.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Pokemon' or its canon characters; however, I do own the OC used in this fanfic.

Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

Before her arrival to the Alola region, Viola had only ever heard stories of its tropical beauty and tourist friendly atmosphere. But never did she think she'd experience any of it first-hand. Yet here she was: staring out at the scenery of Melemele Island from the deck as the ship she was on slowly moved closer to its destination. The longer Viola stared, the more she understood just how accurate Professor Sycamore had been with his descriptions. They were surrounded by cloudless skies and clear blue sea glistening under the rays of the mid-afternoon sun. It looked like a heavenly paradise.

The young blonde was resting her bare arms against the railings, remaining still at the light breeze around her as it blew at her long hair and low ponytail, white t-shirt and blue skirt. Her brown eyes were almost vacant, staring ahead without appreciating the true majesty of where she was or what she was witnessing.

'What am I even doing here?' thought Viola as she quietly groaned, slouching her body forward against the railing. 'Others in my position would be in awe. But here I am moping. Why did I let everyone else talk me into this?'

Viola's eyes looked to the approaching beachfront of the island, scanning the small gathering of sunbathers and their Pokemon stretched out across the sand in the distance.

'I understand why he suggested this place. He did mention that compared to other regions, Alola is rumoured to have developed a unique culture that allow Pokemon and humans to coexist peacefully. That's not something you'd normally experience around Kalos or anywhere else.' She huffed. 'Even so, I don't see how that's going to be helpful to someone like me.'

Viola glanced at her reflection on the surface of the water, stroking her fingers against her pale cheek. 'I know they're worried about me. I can't deny it. My behaviour over the last few months hasn't been the best. They must have thought sending me to another region would help me cope with my grief. Although I personally don't see that happening…'

Viola perked up at a quiet growl behind her and a light tap on her shoulder, prompting her to look back at the blue and black furred bipedal canine Pokemon standing at least a foot shorter than her. At seeing the Pokemon's brows furrowed with concern, her eyes drooped in dismay. 'Of course it knows what I'm thinking about. I forgot it was like a mind reader.'

Viola quickly looked away and righted her posture, continuing to lean against the railings when addressing the Pokemon. "I'm fine, Lucario. You can wipe that concerned look off your face."

Lucario responded with a grumble that Viola took as a sign that it didn't believe her in the slightest. But that didn't stop it from moving to her side and copying her actions, placing its arms against the railings and staring ahead as the gap between the ship and Melemele Island continued to shrink.

"How are ya holding up?" Viola asked after a brief silence, side glancing Lucario to gauge its reaction. The last time the blonde had clocked the Pokemon's previous location on this ship, it had been standing on the other side of the deck and focusing on the fish Pokemon manoeuvring through the sea's currents. Viola had opted to leave Lucario alone for the time being then, but she couldn't help wondering if it was beginning to get homesick. "You're not still nervous, are you?"

Lucario said nothing and rested its chin on its arms, its ears drooping. Viola turned to properly face Lucario with a raised brow at its silence, finally standing up from the railing.

"No one said you were obligated to come with me. You could have stayed behind in Vaniville Town. But this is what you chose to do, so you've got no one else to blame but yourself."

Lucario snorted and raised its head to look Viola in the eyes, its own eyes narrowing. Viola's shoulders slumped.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

Lucario stared silently at Viola for a few seconds before eventually turning to the ocean once more. Viola took that as her cue to follow its gaze, waiting a few seconds before talking again.

"You shouldn't be worrying about me. If anything, I'm very worried about you. You've been glued to my side since that day and haven't left it. And now you're willingly following me all the way out here. What I'm feeling probably can't be compared to whatever's going through your head right now…"

When Lucario still didn't respond Viola glanced its way again. It was continuing to stare at the island, paying her words no mind in the meantime.

'Its behaviour has been just as bad as mine. At first, I just assumed Lucario was sticking around me specifically because it sensed my pain. But now I'm starting to think there's more to it than that… Lucario might be a Pokemon, but Pokemon are just as emotional as humans. It's probably hurting too.'

After a while of silent staring Viola reached out a hand to give Lucario a light pat on the head, prompting the Pokemon's ears to perk up at the physical contact. "But that doesn't matter. It was your decision to stay with me back then and it's still your decision to follow me to a new region. I wouldn't have stopped you either way. But…" She paused, her cheeks taking on a faint pink at what she quietly muttered next. "… I'm glad you're here. It's comforting to know I have at least one familiar face."

Lucario side-glanced Viola with wide eyes at first, unable to believe what it was hearing. But then it finally responded with a low hum and quickly looked away, hoping it would go unheard. Viola still heard it though, prompting her to smile in amusement as she pulled away. "Good to know you agree."

Viola looked towards Melemele Island to gauge how far away they were from the mainland. At seeing they'd gotten closer, the blonde took that as her cue to turn away and stretch her arms above her head with a grunt. "Well then, Lucario, let's get our luggage. We'll be docking at Melemele Island soon."

Lucario silently nodded and followed Viola as she began to walk away, speeding up a little so the pair were walking from the deck side by side.

Shortly after the ship had docked in the Marina of Hau'oli City, the small crowd of passengers mixed with tourists and returning citizens were quick to depart, either eager to explore the wonders Melemele Island had to offer or to seek out the reason for their return. Viola and Lucario were the last ones to leave, having purposely waited for the crowd to get ahead to avoid either of them being accidentally separated. Lucario led the way down the ramp with an eager spring in its steps, while Viola slowly followed behind with her pink travel bag secured with one hand around her shoulder, pulling her black suitcase along by her handle with the other.

"Lucario, slow down! Wait for me!" Viola's call fell on deaf ears even as Lucario was the first to come to a stop when it got off the ramp, with Viola doing the same when she managed to catch up. The blonde placed her suitcase upright and sighed heavily, staring at Lucario's back all the while. "Please don't go running off without me. We don't know anything about this place yet."

Lucario showed no further reaction or turned around to face Viola, prompting her to shake her head and not say anything else. But Lucario's ears soon twitched at cawing above them, raising its head to the skies as a group of unfamiliar bird Pokemon passed overhead. Viola looked up when Lucario did, squinting and shielding her eyes from the sun's rays beaming down with her arm.

"I regret not bringing a hat with me. I knew it was going to be sunny here, but it's much brighter than back home."

Lucario silently nodded and focused its gaze elsewhere for the time being to escape the sunlight, tilting its head with interest at the sight of the beachfront directly opposite the Marina and then the city of Hau'oli just up ahead.

"Oh well. I can just purchase one here if I have to." Viola lowered her gaze to her socks and trainers, lifting a foot slightly to get a glimpse at the sole of her shoe. "The rest of my outfit should be fine though. It's not that much different from-" As she put her foot down and looked up, she noticed movement from Lucario out of the corner of eye, who was already walking away from her towards the town.

"Hey!" Viola reached out for the shorter Pokemon and grabbed its elbow, causing Lucario to stop and look her way. "Where do you think you're going?" Lucario frowned and pointed towards the buildings at the other end of the dock. "Don't tell me you've forgotten why we came here in the first place."

When Lucario responded with only a blink, Viola sighed and let the Pokemon go, placing her hands to her hips. "We're not here on vacation, remember. We're supposed to be assisting Melemele Island's professor. It's our way of repaying him for letting us stay in his home. So we have to wait here until he shows up."

Lucario's body slumped over a little, prompting Viola to give Lucario a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"I know you're the type to seek out excitement and adventure, but this isn't the time for it." She gave a small smile. "I promise we'll get to do plenty of that later though, when we're more familiar with the island."

Lucario still didn't look pleased with her response, but it was quick to relent and turn away, folding its arms with a quiet huff. Viola focused her attention towards the other end of the Marina when it appeared the crowd from had mostly dispersed, her gaze scanning for any signs of the mentioned professor.

"Professor Sycamore said he was called "Kukui". I have no idea what he looks like, so just keep an eye out for someone in a lab coat, Lucario."

Lucario grumbled in acknowledgement but chose to focus on the beachfront. It didn't take long before Viola spotted a tall, muscular man with black hair tied into a bun, dark eyes, and a goatee wearing a white lab coat with rolled up sleeves, a white cap, grey baggy trousers, green shoes and no shirt heading in their direction. Upon taking notice of Viola and Lucario, the unknown man called out to them and waved.

"Alola!"

Both Viola and Lucario turned to the stranger with shocked blinks as he made his way over, only for Viola to frown at realising what he'd just said.

"Wait… what?"

The stranger shared her look of confusion for a few seconds, but eventually smiled in understanding.

"Ah! You don't know, do you? "Alola" is how we greet people here. It's not just our region's name."

"Oh…" Viola mumbled in realisation, her thoughts briefly flitting to Professor Sycamore. 'So this is like when I heard Professor Sycamore speaking French during our first meeting. It's déjà vu.'

The man's smile morphed into a grin as he held out a hand towards her. "You must be "Viola", yeah? I'm Professor Kukui. It's nice to meet you."

Viola's reaction was delayed. But after a couple of seconds her brows raised in surprise, with Lucario staring at the man with a slight tilt of the head.

"Hang on… You're Professor Kukui?"

Kukui nodded in confirmation, his grin staying intact. "That's right."

She gave Kukui a quick look up and down, attempting to compare him to the mental image of Professor Sycamore she had in her head.

'If it wasn't for the lab coat, I wouldn't have guessed. Professor Sycamore is always dressed so smart. Yet Professor Kukui isn't even wearing a shirt! Maybe it's a culture thing…?' Viola took a glimpse at Lucario, only to see the Pokemon rubbing at its eyes with both paws and then repeatedly blinking afterwards. 'And apparently, Lucario shared the same thought.'

"Is something wrong?"

Kukui's question and concerned tone brought Viola back to reality with a forced blink. At remembering where she was, she forced out a chuckle and went to shake Kukui's hand. "Sorry. I was expecting to meet someone who was dressed a little more… formal."

Kukui laughed, giving Viola's hand a firm shake. "No worries!" As the two pulled away Kukui glanced at Lucario when he noticed the Pokemon was quietly observing them from Viola's side. "And you must be Lucario. Professor Sycamore said I should be expecting you too."

Lucario grumbled out of acknowledgement and turned its head away, causing Kukui's brow to raise. Viola stared at the Pokemon with drooped eyes for a few seconds and then slowly shook her head.

"Please excuse Lucario. It's been a long trip and it's grumpy." Lucario growled in objection without facing her, but Viola only responded with the roll of her eyes.

"That's fair. Well then," Kukui pushed his glasses back on his face. "let me be the first to welcome you both to Alola. We've got a lot to discuss. But first," Kukui glanced between Viola's suitcase and shoulder bag. "we should get you two settled in. You're probably tired after your journey."

Viola nodded without any hesitation while Lucario huffed quietly. She currently couldn't see her reflection, but the blonde girl was certain her face had a hint of exhaustion on it that easily gave her away. "That would be great. Thanks."

"Then follow me. We've got a long walk through the city."

"Long walk?" Viola repeated in disbelief as she watched the professor turn around and start walking up the pier. "You mean you don't live in the city?"

"No. I live on the outskirts."

Viola's eyes drooped at the response, but it didn't stop her from following after Kukui with Lucario in tow. 'I think I'm too used to living in cities. My expectations keep being challenged at every turn. I doubt this will be the last time too.'

Kukui led the way with Viola close at his side, while Lucario hung back and followed behind them at a small distance. As expected, the moment they entered the city, Viola's and Lucario's gazes started to wander between the various buildings and surroundings, their eyes alight with curiosity.

'It's not as busy as I thought it'd be. Still, it's very lively and colourful, like Lumiose City. Just not as big.'

Viola couldn't keep track of all the places they were passing by as her focus for now was just to get from "A" to "B" so she could rest. But it didn't stop her from looking at the unfamiliar Pokemon who were running around or interacting with their trainers on both the street and the beachfront. At one point she even glanced back at Lucario to gauge its reaction, noticing its eyes were wide with awe at the same sight she was seeing.

'I haven't seen Lucario look like that in a while. It must be feeling nostalgic. It's been a while since it last ventured to a new place.'

"So Viola," Viola faced Kukui when she was addressed. "do you know why you're here in Alola?"

"You're looking for someone to help you with your research on Mega Evolution, right?"

Kukui gave a wide smile. "Exactly! I guess that means you brought everything I asked for?"

Viola nodded and tilted her head in the direction of her shoulder bag. "They're right here. Professor Sycamore made sure I had them before I left."

"That's great!" Kukui's smile morphed into a grin as he placed a hand to his head. "I can tell you're going to be a real help to my research."

Viola looked away to focus on Lucario as her cheeks warmed up, whose eyes seemed to widen with interest at something it had seen ahead of them. "Oh. I honestly don't think so. I'm sure there are others much more qualified than me."

"Don't be so modest. Professor Sycamore told me all about your travels throughout the Kalos region. You're more than qualified for the role."

Viola quietly gulped at the lump forming in her throat, her gaze briefly turning to her shoes. 'Did Professor Sycamore not explain my situation to Professor Kukui? It sounds like he hasn't. But I would have thought he'd have said something. After all, I wasn't like everyone else working under him…'

"Well… I don't know what Professor Sycamore has told you, but-"

Viola was interrupted mid-sentence when a brief gust hit her, forcing her to stop and look up out of surprise.

"Huh?"

Viola's eyes widened at Lucario running ahead of them with its arms stretched behind it, leaving a small trail of dust clouds in its wake.

"Lucario, where are you going?!" Viola called out to the dashing Pokemon after snapping out of her brief trance.

When it didn't appear to hear her and kept going, she started running after Lucario with as much speed as she could muster, continuing to pull her suitcase along behind her while gripping tightly onto her shoulder bag to keep it in place. Kukui stared after the pair with his mouth partially open, but after allowing them to get a little bit ahead he shook his head to restore his senses and closed his mouth, yelling the pair's names loudly as he went to follow them. "Lucario! Viola!"

As she continued to run after Lucario, Viola dared to look in the direction Lucario seemed focused on, blinking in surprise at the sight of a large and brown building approaching their left. It was difficult to see properly due to being surrounded by a tall and grey wall, so all Viola had in her line of sight for now was the top of the building.

'Is that what Lucario is looking at?'

By the time Viola caught up with Lucario it had stopped in front of the sign that was on the end of the wall. The blonde slowed down and lifted her suitcase upright, bending forward slightly with heavy breaths and placing her hands on her thighs.

"Lucario-" Viola paused to take a breath and forced herself to speak despite sounding winded. "What- What did I just tell you- about running off without…" She trailed off when she saw Lucario wasn't paying attention and was instead staring longingly at the sign in front of it.

Viola followed Lucario's gaze then, frowning as she read the contents of the sign out loud after catching her breath. "Pokemon Trainer's School?" She turned back to Lucario and straightened out. "Did you know that's what this place was?"

Lucario shook its head without breaking eye contact, prompting Viola's body to slump. "Ah. So you were just being nosy. Of course."

Lucario nodded and switched its gaze to the building as a faraway look entered its eyes.

"Viola, is everything okay?!" The blonde glanced over her shoulder when Kukui shouted her, witnessing the Professor jogging the rest of the way over to them.

Viola waited until Kukui had come to a complete halt before she replied, inwardly noting how he only placed a hand on the wall to steady himself while his chest heaved for air. "Everything's fine. Sorry." She scowled at Lucario. "It seems Lucario took an interest in your Pokemon Trainer's School."

"It did?" Kukui raised a brow, scrutinising the look in Lucario's eyes. "I wonder why that is…"

Viola scratched at the back of her head. "Beats me. It didn't even know it was a school until it saw the sign."

Kukui sighed in relief and stood up from the wall. "Well, as long as you're both alright, that's all that matters." After straightening out the collar and front of his lab coat and pushing his glasses back onto his face, Kukui put his hands in his pockets and walked around Viola and Lucario. "Let's move on. We can't keep Lillie waiting."

"Lillie?" Viola repeated the unfamiliar name as she grabbed her suitcase and followed the Professor.

"My assistant for my Alola region research," Kukui answered as Viola jogged up to his side. "She also lives with me."

"She does?" Viola rubbed the back of her neck, her brow furrowing. "Gee. Now I really feel like I'm imposing."

Kukui started to chuckle, causing Viola to tilt her head at him. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing." Kukui stopped chuckling and dismissed Viola's response with a quick wave of his hand, still smiling. "Lillie once said a similar thing. It's a funny coincidence, don't you think?"

At first Viola blinked in surprise, having not expected that. But after a few seconds of silent staring she scratched at her cheek with a finger and broke eye contact. "I guess so…"

'Although, I assumed I was going to be living alone with Professor Kukui. Professor Sycamore never mentioned anything about another assistant.'

Viola looked back over her shoulder when she and Kukui had started to pass the wall's opening to the school to make sure Lucario was still following them, only to stop in her tracks at noticing the Pokemon hadn't moved at all.

"Lucario! Come on! We've gotta go!"

Viola watched Lucario blink a couple of times in shock before turning in her direction, its eyes widening as if it had only just remembered where it was. The young blonde smiled in amusement as she waited for Lucario to jog after them, eventually turning around to resume walking beside the Professor. That smile soon disappeared when she returned to her thoughts though, her gaze falling to the ground as they approached Route 1.

'I hope this isn't going to cause any problems. Professor Kukui doesn't seem concerned, but depending on who this "Lillie" is things could go downhill in an instant…'

Viola, Lucario, and Kukui journeyed through Route 1 without any further incident (especially on Lucario's part), allowing them to keep to the dirt path that would lead them to the Hau'oli City Outskirts despite the former two finding themselves constantly attracted to the lush trees, tall grass and the occasional unknown Pokemon popping up amongst it. Viola had been expecting to see new Pokemon upon her arrival, but not as often as she had done already.

'Professor Sycamore really wasn't kidding. Everywhere you look, you see so many Pokemon out and about in nature. They're literally coexisting with humans while maintaining a suitable living environment. It's a completely different atmosphere to Kalos.'

The gentle rolling of waves up ahead brought Viola out of her thoughts with a blink, with Lucario's ears straightening at the noise. She could see now that Kukui was guiding them to the top of a small hill, where a wooden, one-storey building happened to be situated.

"Is that your lab?" Viola asked with a surprised tone.

"Indeed it is."

"So… your lab is literally your house."

Kukui closed his eyes and placed a hand to the back of his head with a wide grin. "Let me guess: the damaged roof gave it away."

"Damaged roof?" Viola glanced at the roof's slanted left side as they got closer to the hill's peak. "I don't see- Oh…" The blonde's eyes drooped at seeing a pair of wooden planks that had been nailed to the bottom of the roof under one of the windows, easily standing out against its dark green colour. "I see it now."

Kukui laughed a little and looked away. "Yeah. I do a lot of my research inside. And sometimes it can cause quite a mess."

Viola's brows raised. "That hole was caused by research? What in Xerneas are you researching for that to-"

The blonde cut herself off and halted when she reached the top of the hill while Kukui continued towards the house, her gaze immediately becoming drawn to the pale sand and calm sea that was just ahead of them, partially blocked off by a white picket fence. Lucario stopped beside Viola and followed her gaze, its jaw dropping slightly in awe as it, too, took in the empty beach. Kukui stopped walking and glanced back when he heard Viola speak up in awe.

"Whoa…"

"Beautiful, right?" He said as he straightened his back and placed his hands to his hips, staring out at the sea with a long exhale and grin. "It may not seem like it, but this place is perfect to conduct my research in."

"Because you're away from distractions?"

"Yeah, you get it! Folks in Alola get along with Pokemon by living and working together with them. So it makes sense to be in a place where that can happen." Kukui closed his eyes, his face beaming. "Every time I look down there, my worries and concerns wash away with the ocean. 'Cause it's always just me and my Pokemon out here giving our all. Nothing else in the world matters during that moment."

Viola briefly side glanced Lucario when she saw it turn to Kukui at hearing his words, its eyes widening out of familiarity. 'It looks like Lucario has seen the professor in a new light.' Her eyes drooped a little, prompting the hand clutching her bag strap to loosen its grip. 'But I suppose that's only because he's starting to sound like…'

Viola quickly shook her head before she finished that thought, inhaling deeply. "You really weren't kidding about living on the outskirts, huh." She glanced over her shoulder at the dirt path behind them. "We're isolated quite a way from the city."

Kukui looked at Viola with a furrowed brow, his grin vanishing. "… Is that going to be a problem?"

"Not at all." Kukui blinked in surprise as Viola answered promptly. "In fact, it's actually ideal for us."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh." Viola fiddled with her bag strap and turned her gaze to the ground, lightly running the sole of her trainer across the dirt. "Kalos is a busy region. There's always so much going on, and sometimes it can be suffocating. So when Professor Sycamore offered me the chance to come to Alola as an assistant for another professor, I expected to end up in a similar environment." Viola briefly locked eyes with Lucario, who silently returned her stare. "But even though I've just arrived, I've already been proven wrong. The atmosphere is very different—better actually. I'm sure Lucario agrees with me too, right?"

Lucario nodded stiffly and hummed, leaving Kukui staring at the pair with a slight gape as Viola continued. "I still have mixed feelings on being here. After seeing this view though, I'm starting to think that this trip isn't going to be as bad as I thought." She faced Kukui again with a small smile. "Right now, staying out in the middle of nowhere is what Lucario and I need, so it's worked out in our favour."

Kukui stared between Viola and Lucario in silence for a few seconds, his eyes wide with shock. But then he found himself returning Viola's smile and giving her a rough pat on her closest shoulder, wiping her smile away and causing her to flinch. "I'm glad. But don't sweat it. It's pretty normal to feel unsure in a new place." Kukui gave Viola one more pat on the shoulder before pulling away. "Though I hope you'll come to love it in time."

Viola's smile briefly returned. "I hope so too."

Kukui nodded and moved away towards the house. "Well then, shall we head inside?"

Viola and Lucario followed closely behind Kukui up the wooden steps to the front door, with Viola pausing so she could lift her suitcase over them without dragging it. Kukui entered the home first, loudly announcing his arrival as he opened the door and stepped inside. "Alola, Lillie! I'm back!"

Viola and Lucario entered side by side as Kukui stopped beside the bannister for the stairs leading to the basement floor and gave the room a quick look over. When Kukui didn't get a response he called out again, jogging round to the basement stairs and walking halfway down them to peek over the bannister. "Lillie?! Are you here?!"

The blonde gaped slightly at her well-lit surroundings from the natural light streaming into the room, her gaze briefly turning to the roof's skylight. 'When Professor Sycamore said I'd be staying at Professor Kukui's lab, this is definitely not how I pictured it looking. It is his living space.'

Viola's eyes were immediately drawn to glistening blue over to her right, prompting her eyes to widen at the aquatic tank situated near the centre of the room. Its wide, oval shape took up a good section of the room, and the water was so clear she could see through to the other side without difficulty. But what really caught her attention were the two familiar and pink Pokemon floating around inside, prompting her to release her suitcase and slowly walk over to get a closer look.

"A Luvdisc and Corsola!" Lucario perked up at Viola's words and jogged to her side to get a look for itself, its eyes curiously following the Luvdisc as it swam through the water. "I haven't seen these two together since we travelled across Route 12 from Shalour City."

Meanwhile, Kukui had returned to the first floor and moved to the two doors opposite the tank, still calling out as he opened the closest one and looked inside. "Lillie?!" Viola and Lucario finally broke away from the tank to glance at Kukui, watching him move to the second door and repeat the same action. "She's not here either?"

"Is something the matter, Professor?" Viola finally asked.

Kukui turned to the pair with a hand to his forehead, his brow furrowed with obvious worry. "I can't find Lillie anywhere. I thought she'd be back from her errand in Iki Town by now…"

"Maybe she's just a little delayed?" Viola said in attempt to sound reassuring, despite sounding unsure with her own response.

"I doubt it. She left long before I did. And she's usually quite punctual." Kukui closed his eyes and huffed loudly, beginning to mumble to himself. "If she's with the kahuna, she should be fine. Still, it wouldn't hurt to go over there and make sure she's okay."

Viola and Lucario exchanged frowns at this, with Viola lowering her voice to a whisper. "Kahuna?"

Lucario grumbled quietly and shrugged its shoulders as if it had just read Viola's mind, sharing her confusion on the matter. But then it focused on Kukui when he spoke to them with a deepened frown of his own, his hand now rubbing the back of his head. "Viola, I'm sorry to ask this given you're tired from your trip, but would you and Lucario mind accompanying me to Iki Town to check on Lillie? I want to make sure she's alright."

"I don't mind," Viola's answer was immediate, causing Lucario to blink at her in surprise and Kukui to lean back in shock. "It's the least I can do to thank you for welcoming us into your home. And it gives us the chance to see a little more of the island to boot." She turned to Lucario with a cheeky grin. "Which is what a certain Pokemon probably wants. Right, Lucario?"

Lucario's eyes drooped as it let out a loud sigh, but then gave a brief nod to show it agreed. After a quick blink though, Kukui recovered and gave a grateful smile. "Thank you. Iki Town isn't that far from here, so we'll have to go through Route 1 again." He held out a hand towards the opened door beside him. "You can leave your belongings in here. They'll be safe for the time being."

Viola's body slumped, responding sarcastically as she went to collect her suitcase to put it away. "Great. More walking." She paused when she heard Lucario quietly chuckling, only to shake her head. "But I suppose it's the price to pay for being helpful…"

After putting her suitcase and shoulder bag away, Viola accompanied Lucario and Kukui back to Route 1. Instead of walking back the way they'd originally come from, however, Kukui led the pair to a diverging path that sloped up and wound through another hill. It wasn't like the hill where Kukui's home was situated, being taller and a little steeper in comparison. But Viola found she had no problem tackling it now that she didn't have her belongings to hinder her. Despite being a little tougher to reach though, the trio didn't have to go far before they found themselves approaching Iki Town at the hill's top, walking up its stone steps and under its wooden arch.

"I can't believe there are other towns outside of the city," Viola commented as she glanced over her shoulder at the path they'd just walked up. "And one so high up too."

"Well, Iki Town is where folks come to worship the Pokemon that watches over Melemele Island," Kukui replied as Viola turned back to him, sticking close to his side alongside Lucario as they entered the town. "It makes sense that they'd want to live as closely as they can to it for their own protection."

"The Pokemon that watches over Melemele Island? What do you mean by that?"

Kukui smiled in amusement and tapped the side of his nose with a finger. "That's something you'll learn about another time."

Viola frowned at that and turned away, deciding to get a quick look at the town as she followed Kukui along without any of them stopping. Due to the urgency of the situation, her focus was more on watching where she was going rather than on where she was, especially since it was obvious the Professor had an exact idea of where they needed to go. Still she managed to get a good glimpse of the small, wooden and hut-styled homes on the town's lower ground, sparsely spread out amongst vibrant grass and separated by dirt paths. Compared to the streets of Hau'oli City, Iki Town appeared almost abandoned with the lack of people out and about. But it was clearly more immersed with the island's natural resources, as proven by its lush surroundings. Lucario was also having a quick look, but remained silent and close to Viola's other side the whole time with its arms folded.

As the trio headed up another set of stone steps to the town's higher ground, Viola found herself drawn to a lone house standing on the far right of the town. It shared a similar design to the others but much larger in scale, making it stand out a lot more despite it not sharing its area with any other homes.

'Why do I get the feeling that is where the Professor wants us to go?'

Viola's thought was soon answered when Kukui stopped at the top of the steps, prompting her and Lucario to do the same as they reached his side. Kukui placed his hands in his pockets and turned his head to scan the town, frowning as his eyes scrutinised every inch of land that he could. "Hm… I don't see any signs of Lillie or the kahuna anywhere. I wonder…"

As Kukui trailed off and paused his search when crossing gazes with the house ahead of them, Viola's brow raised at hearing the word "kahuna", recognising it as the same word she'd heard Kukui say before. 'There's that word again. I wonder who the Professor is talking about. I have no idea what it means.'

"I should probably ask around in case anyone has seen them." Kukui turned to Viola and Lucario, with the pair silently watching him all the while. "Could you two stay here? I'm going to check to see if the kahuna's home."

"Of course," Viola replied, with Lucario briefly closing its eyes and nodding in agreement.

"Alright. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."

Viola watched Kukui walk towards the large house, eventually looking away with a quiet sigh to the homes below them. She remained oblivious to Lucario opening its eyes and glancing around before it spotted something just in front of them, causing its eyes to light up with interest.

"Well Lucario, it looks like we're on our own for now. We should probably take this time to process everything we've been hearing." The blonde brushed her hands under her hair to comb it back behind her shoulders. "I'm getting déjà vu hearing and seeing all of these unfamiliar things. Kahunas, mysterious Pokemon watching over people… It's like I've started my Pokemon journey all over again." She went to face Lucario. "What about you-"

Viola interrupted herself at realising Lucario was no longer beside her, prompting her eyes to widen. She started to look around while raising her voice to call out to the Pokemon.

"Lucario?!"

A loud and familiar bark promptly responded from close by. Viola quickly faced the direction it had come from to see Lucario a small distance away, partly turned towards her. "What are you doing over there?"

Lucario waved its hand in a beckoning motion and pointed with its other one at the object in front of it, prompting Viola to approach its side so she could get a closer look. 'Looks like Lucario's found something.'

She found herself staring at a large and square wooden platform that was slightly raised from the floor. A closer inspection showed it was decorated with white rectangle symbols of varying shapes and lengths around its sides, with a small set of steps on two of its sides. It looked a little out of place in this area, which Viola thought was the reason why Lucario had been drawn to it.

"What is this?" Viola asked out loud, daring to walk away from Lucario a little and lean her body to the side to try to peek underneath it, putting her hands behind her back. "It looks like some kind of platform." When she couldn't see anything of interest, she righted her posture. "Do you think people are supposed to stand on this? Assuming the steps are there for people to walk on?"

Lucario let out a quiet hum of thought and squinted at the platform. It stayed that way for a few seconds before suddenly jumping forward, causing Viola to flinch in shock as she watched the Aura Pokemon land on both feet on top of the platform. She quietly observed Lucario staring down at the platform and then proceed to stomp on it hard with its paw.

"Don't do that!" Viola cried out, causing Lucario to glance back with a blink. "You might break it!"

Lucario ignored Viola and stomped at the platform again, only to then nod in satisfaction.

'Wait… Was it just checking to see how sturdy the platform is?' After a couple of seconds of staring, Viola smacked her palm against her forehead with a loud groan. 'Arceus! What was I thinking? Lucario wouldn't-'

Loud rustling from close by interrupted Viola's train of thought, with Lucario lifting its head when its ears twitched at the noise. The pair immediately looked to their right, their gazes focusing on the pathway which appeared to cut through a forest area leading away from Iki Town.

"Did you hear that?" Viola asked Lucario, which the Pokemon answered with a brief nod. "Good. Glad to know I wasn't hearing things."

Lucario walked to the edge of the platform and jumped down to be level with Viola, its eyes staying glued to the palm trees and shrubbery out of caution. Viola slowly approached Lucario and stayed close to its side, wrapping her arms across her middle. The area ahead was shrouded in shade, casting a shadow over the path that contrasted the rays of the mid-afternoon sun.

"That path doesn't look very inviting." Viola muttered, reaching her hands to her arms to give them a rub. "I hope there's nothing dangerous over there-"

A yellow blur darted from the left before Viola had a chance to finish her sentence. She shrieked and stumbled backwards into the platform, watching with a gape as it moved through the air and disappeared towards the path. Lucario, however, let out a vicious growl and dashed forward without warning, charging along the path and into the forest with great speed. Lucario's actions brought Viola out of her state of temporary shock, causing the blonde to run after the Pokemon while yelling.

"Lucario, get back here! The Professor told us to wait until he comes back! You're going to get lost!"

When Lucario didn't stop or show any acknowledgement, the blonde scowled and picked up the pace in her running. 'Drat! I guess I'm chasing it down!'

Viola pursued Lucario into the forest, following behind it while sticking to the path as best as she could. It wasn't long before the blonde noticed they were beginning to head through mountainous terrain, with either side of the path having cliff-like walls towering over.

'I can't let Lucario go any further. We're getting too far away from the town.'

"Lucario, slow down!" Viola shouted out of desperation, watching Lucario run up a long set of steps protruding from a hill without acknowledging her at all.

Cool air brushed against Viola's exposed skin, slowing her down as she shuddered at the chill that rippled through her body. However, Viola did her best to ignore it, gritting her teeth and pushing onward up the steps. She'd lost sight of Lucario, but the path she was following was narrow and without any forks. She could still find Lucario without the need to keep it in her sights, at least for now.

The blonde carried on running as the path winded off to the left and then the right in a short bend that sloped upwards, her chest heaving with each breath she took. Proceeding further caused Viola to faintly pick up on rushing water somewhere nearby when she approached another set of protruding steps veering the winding trail to the left again. There were three stout statues surrounding the base of the steps, but still no sign of Lucario.

'Oh, Arceus. How far ahead did Lucario go?'

She pushed on to the top and twisted to the right at encountering more protruding steps just in front of her. But as she prepared to go up she spied Lucario standing at the top with its back to her, staring directly up at the sky in silence.

"Lucario!" Viola called out to Lucario as she dug her heels into the ground, skidding to a brief halt.

Viola hunched over a little with a hand to her hip, giving herself a moment to catch her breath while waiting for Lucario to react to her presence. When Lucario didn't move from its current position or speak though, she angrily spoke up again. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"

When Lucario still didn't react or make any noise to acknowledge her, the blonde's hands balled into fists. She stomped her way up the steps to reach it, her fists shaking all the while. "I know I don't have the right to boss you around, but you can't just go running off like that! The Professor told us to stay put!"

Lucario still didn't respond with its gaze remaining fixated on the empty blue sky above it, its eyes showing an almost vacant look in them. Viola growled as she came up behind it, reaching out to grab at Lucario's shoulder. But then a loud and distressed shriek sliced through the silence.