Gamelover41592: Thank you!
Matt (Guest): I'm still planning them out.
IllusionSign (Guest): I take it you like the idea?
This is most likely going to be a shorter chapter, but it's time for us to meet everyone's favorite meme shouting team boss, YA BOI GUZMA! Let's go!
"What the heck happened here?!" Emma exclaimed. After Kitty finished up the Trial (the power went out again. Emma was pretty sure it was part of the Trial), the girls had been told to head back to Malie Garden. Once they arrived, they found that the Garden was full of Team Skull members.
"Look! It's dad!" Kitty pointed towards Kukui, who was confronting two Team Skull grunts. The girls raced towards him.
"Yo, yo, yo! Hold up, yo, !" The first grunt snapped.
"You say you wanna make a Pokémon League!?" The second grunt questioned. "You got rocks in your skull!?"
"Four turns!" Kukui declared as he held up his fingers.
"Huh?" The first grunt asked.
"Bring it on, both of you!" Kukui declared. "I've been researching Pokémon moves, yeah, so I'm always ready, oh yeah! I'll take you both on in a Battle Royale, and you'll be down with just a Swift and Incinerate or two! You gotta beat the man to be the man, boys!"
"Yo, for real?!" The first grunt exclaimed in shock.
"F-fine! You asked for it!" The second one unsurely replied.
"Get'em good, Professor!" A man called out.
"You numskulls should learn your place!" A young woman chimed in.
"You got this dad!" Kitty added in, while Emma just crossed her arms with a smirk.
"Battle Royale, huh? Nice idea Kukui. You can beat down three Pokémon at once, huh?" A strange white haired man dressed in Team Skull themed clothing said as he walked towards Kukui.
"Em, do you know who that is?" Kitty asked.
"Uh...no?" Emma replied. "But I have a hunch."
"It's Guzma…" Someone nervously said.
"The boss has graced us with his presence!" The first grunt declared.
"And that was my hunch," Emma promptly said.
"The hated boss who beats you down, and beats you down, and never lets up…Yeah, Big Bad Guzma is here!" Guzma declared. He then began to laugh uproariously. "Greetings, cowering public! We have an excited bout for you tonight! In the opposing corner, the Pokémon professor Kukui! And in this corner, the boss of Team Skull and the hardest guy around, Guzma!"
"That's what she said," Kitty whispered to Emma, who snorted as she tried to bite down her giggles.
"Here we are, Kukui…" Gzuma began. "Fellow rejects who could never become captains." Emma and Kitty looked at each other. Did they have history? "We've got all these moldy old traditions in Alola-the kahunas, the captains..it's about time we cut out all that silly garbage and make something new for ourselves. Trust me, I get that. Don't get me wrong, though, Kukui. We've got no need for a Pokémon League. After all, everyone already knows who the strongest Trainer is on these islands!"
"Speak for yourself, Guzma," Kukui said sadly. "It's not like I couldn't become a captain. I chose not to. I had other dreams, see?" He then walked away, facing away from what the girls could guess was his old friend. "I wanted to figure out which moves would be strong enough to beat old Hala...and I finally found what I was looking for. The strongest moves you can use are the one a Trainer and their Pokémon choose together...in the heat of the moment, when it really counts.
"Dad…." Emma and Kitty said quietly.
"That's when I knew that I had to make a Pokémon League, yeah, to give everybody a chance to be pushed to the limit with their team and find that perfect move!" Kukui finished. "Let's see it, Guzma! Show me your moves and prove you aren't all just talk! If you really can, that is…" He then turned around, noticing the girls. "Right, girls? Don't you agree?"
"You said it dad!" Kitty cheerfully agreed.
"C'mon! Let's see if you're any better than your grunts!" Emma mocked as she crossed her arms.
"So, you're his supposed daughters, huh?" Guzma asked. "And you're on his Island Challenge. You don't look like you two are from around here!"
"This is Emma and Kitty, my daughters," Kukui explained. "And we're not really sure where they're from! But no one really cares. Discovery! New experiences! Adventure! They're loving every second of it!"
"Heck yeah!" Kitty declared. "I'm gonna be the first champion of Alola!"
Guzma burst out laughing. "First champion!? That's a real good joke!"
"Kitty and her Pokémon can unleash some really strong moves," Kukui said, backing up his daughter.
"So if you're so strong, why don't you try to beat her!?" Emma challenged him in her sister's place. Kitty just grabbed a Pokéball from her bag.
"Tch! This move fanatic is just getting me all riled up!" Guzma boasted. He then took notice of Kitty's Z-Ring. "You got a Z-Move Power Ring, huh, kid? Why even bother with the Island Challenge? What's the point of it?"
"There's a lot of reasons to bother with it!" Kitty fired back. "Some people, like me and Hau, just do it for fun! Others, like Emma, want to learn more about the Pokémon living here. And others just want to use it to get stronger. There's so many reasons to do it that I can't think of a reason why people wouldn't want to."
"Ugh, that was so sweet, it's gonna make me sick!" Guzma mocked. He then turned back to Kukui. "Watch closely, Kukui! Someday, I'll destroy you. But first, I'll destroy everything you care about!" He then began to laugh again. "Wanna see what destruction looks like!? Here it is in human form-it's your boy Guzma! Go get her, Golisopod!"
"Lycanroc, take this clown down!" Kitty ordered as he tossed her Pokéball forward.
"Lycan!"
"Now, Stone Edge!" Kitty ordered. Lycanroc launched the attack, dealing major damage. This caused Golisopod to stagger back.
"Golisopod, hit that wolf with Razor Shell!" Guzma barked out. Golisopod attacked, but Lycanroc dodged out of the way.
"Let's try this out…" Kitty said as she inserted her Lycanium Z Crystal into her Z-Ring. She then pressed it down. "Alright Lycanroc! Unleash your power with your Z-Move: SPLINTERED STORMSHARDS!"
"LYCANROC!" The attack was powerful, and sent the Golisopod into the air.
Guzma growled. "Ariados! Finish this off!" He then sent out his Ariados.
Kitty knew that Lycanroc could finish this off, but she wanted to give her other Pokémon a chance to shine. "Lycanroc, you did great, come back!" She then grabbed another Pokéball. "Ribombee, let's finish this!"
"Ri!" The fairy came out.
"What's that puny little bug gonna do!?" Guzma exclaimed.
"This!" Kitty replied. "Ribombee, Psychic!" This knocked Ariados in one shot.
"Nice one, Kit!" Emma cheered as she gave her sister a high five.
"Guzma! What is wrong with you!?" Guzma roared as he started clutching his head and ranting. "Now's the time for your vaunted team to let loose and destroy everything! It was Kitty, right?"
"Yes," Kitty said as stoically as she could.
"I'll remember you and your sister...as someone I'll be happy to beat down anytime!" Guzma warned her as he walked off. He then froze. Hau was standing next to him. "So, you're Hau, huh?"
"And you're Guzma...so?" Hau questioned.
"Y'know you don't have to do this Island Challenge thing just because your granddad's a kahuna." Guzma said as his two grunts ran up to him. "Even if you finish, you might not get what you want." With that, he walked off.
"Woo, Kitty!" Kukui cheered as he wrapped around his daughter. "Those were some nice moves! I can feel my soul shaking! Oh yeah! I almost forgot to give you and your sister something important!" He then handed both girls a Z-Crystal. "These are the Z-Crystals for your starters!"
"Alright!" Kitty cheered.
"Sweet!" Emma said as she looked over the Crystal, even placing it in her Z-Ring.
"And, uh, about that mask you got there, Em…" Kukui began. "Molayne gave you that, yeah?"
"I think it belongs to you," Emma said simply as she held it out.
"Uh, I don't know what you're talkin' about," Kukui said unsure. "But I'll make sure it gets back to the Masked Royal safe and sound."
"Uh, Hau?" Kitty questioned as she walked over to her friend. "Are you okay?"
"Huh? Oh yeah! I'm fine!" Hau said a little too quickly. "You did awesome, Kitty!"
"Maybe someday Guzma'll figure out what it is you kids learn on your Island Challenge," Kukui said proudly. "So what happened to Lillie? You guys lose her somewhere?"
"Last I saw her, she was in the library," Emma replied.
"I'm right here," Lillie said as she and the other girl from the library.
"And so is Acerola!" The other girl replied.
Lillie shook her head nervously. "You and the professor fought those horrible Team Skull thugs, Kitty?"
"It wasn't that hard," Kitty replied as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Thanks for the concern though!"
"Just thinking about it makes me worry…" Lillie nervously noted. "They sound like a scary group…"
"It's scary how pathetic they are," Emma mocked under her breath.
"You think?" Kukui asked. "I don't know. Exchanging a few moves in battles is the quickest way to get to know someone in my book. Well, I'm going to head up Mount Lanakila. I've gotta make sure the Pokémon League gets finished and everybody has the chance to find their own perfect move! Keep training hard on your Island Challenge. One day the three of you'll make it there, too!" With that, he walked off.
"Guys...make sure you're not pushing yourself too hard," Lillie requested.
"You guys made it through Sophocles's Trial, right?" Acerola asked.
"Just finished up before we came here," Emma replied.
"That's really great!" Acerola cheered for them. "You can take the next trial up past Route 11. Through Tapu Village, you know? If you get lost on your way, ask a police officer for directions. They're here to serve, right?"
"I guess so," Kitty replied.
"Now, Lillie, you're coming with me to do some shopping!" Acerola declared as she dragged Lillie off. Hau and Kitty waved them both off.
"I'm gonna make my way towards the next Trial," Emma said. "Follow me if you two want."
"We'll see you soon Em!" Kitty called after her sister as she raced off. She then turned to Hau. "So, what did you think of my battle with Guzma?"
"Yeah, you did awesome!" Hau cheered. "But...do you really think you can become the first champion?"
"Ugh, too many people have been telling me what they or I can't do!" Kitty snapped. "I need to hear more people telling me that about the stuff they/I can do! Be more positive!"
Hau smiled. Why was she so good at pep talks without even realizing it? "I'll keep that in mind."
Yep, we are moving closer and closer towards that end game. But for now, we have a ghost loving girl's trial to do! Also, HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE!