There was no telling how long it would take for Hau to successfully complete his Grand Trial, so in the mean time, we all decided to use the time we had practically.

The Professor told the officials on Akala Island about me via phone, including the trial captains and the Island Kahuna.

"Yeah, no, I'm not kidding. She's already completed her Grand Trial over here; just beat old Hala earlier this evening," I overheard him that night over the phone. "She's just waiting for one of her friends here to complete his own before she heads on down...No, he's a human. Hau; you know, Hala's grandson? Yeah, him. They've taken quite a liking to each other...Speak? Ah...no, not really, but she does understand it. Her Rotom Dex usually just translates everything for her."

It felt like something pricked me right in the middle; the Professor meant nothing of it, but it...hurt that I couldn't speak like them. I wished there was someway I could fix this.

"H-hey, bud. You okay?"

{I have a question, Rotom.}

"Yeah?"

{Do you think that, with some practice, I could...teach myself how to speak like the humans?}

"Well...maybe! With some practizzze, you might be able to pull something like that off!"

{It feels...weird not being able to speak the way they do.}

"Hey, d-don't get all down in the dumpzzz about it, bucko; it doesn't matter whether you can or not! You're still our friend!"

That helped for the time being, so I decided not to fret over it. The following morning, I opted to train some more to prepare for the Akala portion of my Island Challenge; I wasn't sure what kinds of Pokémon I'd meet on the other islands that made up the Alola region, and I wasn't about to walk in unprepared.

{We'll have to watch out for Brionne's Icy Wind attack in the future, Dartrix,} I informed him as we headed north through Hau'loi City. {Even if we are at an offensive advantage, so is she with that coverage.}

I left for Route 3, deciding to take the opportunity to train some more; the Pokémon flying among and above the rocks were stronger than the Pokémon along Routes 1 and 2, and, therefore, would yield more strength for my own. And the better news was that, even though they were stronger, they were still barely any match for my team's speed and power advantages, and we cleared through five Rufflets and nine Spearows within an hour, and came out with nary a scratch, partly in thanks to the Potions I had leftover from the Grand Trial. Already, I was seeing benefits; Red learned two new moves in the form of Roost and Aerial Ace. I was pleasantly surprised to find that one didn't always need to use Potions to heal a Pokémon mid-battle, and that some had access to self-healing moves. I had him forget Wing Attack for Aerial Ace, seeing that even though both moves had the same power, the latter outclassed the former with the additional benefit that it never missed its target, no matter what; something that would be helpful against Pokemon with Sand Attack and the like.

Along the way, I discovered Melemele Meadow, which I immediately thought was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen; it was an enclosed, open-topped space among the rocky crevices, and the sweet-smelling, bright yellow flowers stretched unceasing all around. My first thought was that I never wanted to leave this extraordinary place.

All that glittered, however, wasn't gold; the Pokémon there were almost exclusively Bug-Types, none of which were worthy opponents, and therefore not worthy of being added to the team. We fought our way out of the flower field regardless; every bit of experience counted.

The one Pokémon that wasn't a Bug-Type that we faced off against was another birdlike one. It was a cute little thing; bright yellow like the flowers, and it had soft, puffy feathers on its wings and head and a cheerful demeanor in battle. Before Dartrix showed it a good strong Astonish attack, Rotom identified the Pokémon for me.

"Bzzrt! Oricorio: the Dancing Pokémon! This Flying-Type can take on four different forms, such as the Pom-Pom Form you see here! It chargezz up static electricity in the pompoms on its wings and uses it to deliver electric punchezzz! Shocking, isn't it?"

{That is pretty shocking...Hey, wait...I see what you did there.}

"Oh, you did, didja? Zzt! Glad you noticed!" he giggled.

It didn't take much; Dartrix's Astonish made it flinch so much it couldn't even land an attack properly, and we took it down without much effort. But by the time we finally emerged from the meadow, my team was worn out; the sheer number of Bug-Types that had jumped us was insane, and the day wasn't getting any cooler. I decided that I'd head to Iki Town to see how well Hau was doing with his Grand Trial; it wasn't long before I was entering the wooden gates, and when I came to face the battle stage...

"Now! Finish it off with Disarming Voice!"

I arrived just in time to see his partner Pokémon finish off the Kahuna's Crabrawler with it's attack. When the move finished, the Fighting-Type was on its back, just as fainted as fainted could be; even more so, it seemed, when I'd defeated it.

"...You finally did it, my boy," the Kahuna congratulated him as he returned his defeated Pokémon. "You completed your Melemele Trials...and you finally beat your old man."

"I...I did. I did! Brionne, we did it!"

Hau was elated, and so was I; the achievement of beating someone you'd known your whole life was certainly something to be proud of.

"And look who came to witness your victory."

He motioned to me, and one of he biggest smiles I'd seen yet spread across his face.

"Hey! Echo! Didja see that!?"

I didn't hesitate to meet the two of them on the podium.

"We did it! We finally finished our Melemele Trials!"

I chittered; it was the closest I could manage to a congratulation.

"I'm ready to head on up to Akala Island whenever you are, bud! Just give me the word!"

I barked in response.

"Wait...Now? Like, right now?"

I nodded.

"Pshh, well why not!? Just let me head on down to the Pokémon Center before we head over to the ferry; we might have won, but the squad still took a pretty good beating! You go on ahead and I'll meet you there!"

Hau darted off for the city, and I turned toward the defeated Island Kahuna.

"It feels good, you know," he said to me. "seeing him grow so quickly. I'm confident that he'll be able to take on the Akala trials just fine, especially with you by his side."

I answered with a low purr.

"You best head on out; you've got a ferry to catch."

{Rotom. Show me a map to the ferry.}

"I'm on it!"

He displayed the map, and our destination was marked with a red flag.

{Just outside the city; excellent. Let's go.}

One could hardly consider it far away, especially considering my ground speed. Hau was still absent when I reached the marina, so I decided that I would inform Lillie and the Professor about my departure. I was glad I got to the lab when I did; even with the short distance between us, the increasing heat of the summer sun wasn't making it any easier.

I scratched at the door, and to my satisfaction, the Professor answered.

"You look like you've been busy!" he commented. "You training?"

I nodded.

"Well, have you seen Hau around? With any luck, he's finished up his Grand Trial by now."

"Actually, Profezzzor, we were about to tell you that he's done just that! We're all going to head on to Akala Island once Hau comezzz back from the Pokémon Center!"

"Whoa, really! That's amazing! Hey, Lillie! Echo and Hau are headin' off to the next island! Ain't that great!?"

"W-what? Already?"

She briskly came over to the door.

"That's great! I'm so happy for you guys!"

I nodded...not as energetically as before.

"Hey, pal, why the long face? Uh...no pun intended."

I chattered to Rotom.

"Oh...She-uh, well...we just wanted to say goodbye. She says that you've all been so good to her, she couldn't be more happy that-"

"Goodbye!? Are you crazy!? We're coming with you guys!"

"W-we are?!" Lille stammered.

"Well, yeah! Echo might be an official Trainer, but I still gotta keep an eye make sure she's okay! And you'll finally be able to get around some more!"

"...Really? Oh..."

{You don't seem very excited.}

"Uh, Echo says that you-"

"Ack!"

I grabbed my PokéDex and put one of my scaly hands over his mouth; he didn't mean anything by it, but I didn't want him to offend her by mistake.

"Hey, you know, I got a boat myself!" the Professor stated. "Why don't you get Hau to come on down to the beachfront and we can set sail there instead of having to take the ferry?"

I barked and nodded in agreement. Knowing Hau, he would probably be on board with the idea...no pun intended.

"How about you go give him the notice?"

Instead of responding, I turned tail and made a dash for the Pokémon Center, and I saw Hau coming down from Iki Town...Odd. Hadn't he left the village before I did?

"Hey! I'm finished with my stuff! You ready to go?"

Rotom reiterated the plan to him.

"That's awesome! Dang...I didn't know Professor Kukui had a boat. Well, if they're coming along for the ride, then I'm game!"

Rotom and I explained that it would probably take some time for the Professor to set the boat up, and he made the suggestion of another trip to the Malasada Shop before we left.

"Thought we might as well celebrate before we head on up to Akala! You in on it?"

My response was a lively craw of a "yes."

{Rotom. Go alert the Professor on where we'll be at.}

"Aye, aye, captain! Kzzrt!"

Hau and I departed for the eatery. My pockets were empty; maybe the Trainers around here didn't know I was legitimate, so they hadn't given me any prize money. I'd finally earn some dough on Akala Island since the Professor had informed the officials of my situation ahead of time, and while Hau was glad to pay again, I promised to pay him back as soon as I got the chance.

"Over here, where we were last time!"

We sat down to await our fried dishes; I thought it'd be funny if those two Team Skull blokes tried to confront us outside the shop again like they had the first time; that'd be a strange occurrence.

But I also hoped that it wouldn't be the case. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of last time.

I looked up at an unnaturally quiet Hau; the smile on his face was a tad smaller than I remembered, and he glanced off to the side, his normally cheerful gaze suddenly uneasy. This wasn't right.

{What's the matter?} I finally gurgled. He seemed to understand what I meant.

"Eh...I've been thinking about some things, and, well...It dawned on me. I'm actually, finally going to Akala Island. Don't get me wrong, Echo, buddy, you bet I'm excited, but...I realized. I've never really been that far away from home before. I guess you could say I found myself kinda nervous, going to another island...I'm gonna miss Tutu; if you're wondering why you saw me coming out of Iki Town instead of the Pokémon Center, well...I did hit the Pokémon Center; didn't take very long. But I went back to say goodbye to him one more time. He can't come with us, since he's got stuff to do here, you know?...But, hey! At least Lillie and the Professor are comin' with us! That's pretty awesome!"

His smile returned, and I, for one, was relieved when it did.

"Hey, here comes the grub."

And the malasadas were placed before us.

{I wonder if Red and Dartrix would like these...?} I chippered to myself as I sniffed at mine. I thought that if I did, they might.

"Alright! Here's to the Akala Trials!"

He raised his malasada into the air, and I did the same before we chowed down. Mine was gone before he was even half finished...Stupid giant mouth I have.

"Hey guys! I'm back!" Rotom squeaked, entering through the doors of the building. "How'zz everything?"

"Pretty good, little dude," Hau answered him. "How's the boat coming along?"

"Profezzzor said it probably won't take azz long as he thought! Especially with Lillie helping out!"

"So, we won't have to wait around too long? Awesome! So, uh, Echo," he said to me as he took another bite out of his Malasada. "What do you think you're gonna do when you finish the Island Challenge?"

{I...didn't think that far ahead,} I realized, Rotom translating my speech. {I just thought I'd keep training and getting stronger.}

"Yeah...I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I could be the next Island Kahuna! Wouldn't that be cool!?"

{It would. Erm...This is the Alola region, right?}

"Yeah."

{Are there...other regions besides Alola?}

"Oh, you bet there are! There's Kanto, Sinnoh, Galar, Hoenn, a few more. They have something called the Gym Quest; it's kinda different from the Island Challenge, I've read. Basically, you go across the region fighting all of the different Gym Leaders instead of completing trials and fighting Totem Pokémon. And then once you're done with that, you get to take on the Elite Four and the Champion in the Pokemon League and see if you can beat 'em! And if you beat the Champion, then...well...You're the new champion!"

{Wow...Do you think...they'd let me be a champion?}

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't...Oh. Ohhhh, I see what you're worried about. I don't see why not, though! Even if you're not a human, if you beat the champion fair and square, they don't have any place trying to stop you!"

{Do you think I have what it takes?}

"Heck yeah!"

{Then...I might just do that! I wanna take on the Gym Leaders and Elite Four! I wanna be the very best! Like no one ever was!}

"That's the spirit!" he cheered, finishing off the rest of his malasada. "Oh, man, I'll never get tired of those things...You know, Pokémon can eat them, too! Maybe once you've got some dough on you, you could get some for your teammates!"

{I was thinking about that not too long ago,} I answered him. {Rotom. What do you think?}

"I think that'zz a great idea!"

"Hey, come on, guys! Let's see if the boat's done yet! Race ya to the beachfront!"

Hau got up out of his seat and bolted out the door.

{Race you?} I echoed back. {You're on.}

I followed him out the door, Rotom inserting himself back into my pack; a smart decision on his part.

I fired up my legs, then dashed after the human. I could barely tell he was moving at all, he was so slow compared to me! Almost no time had gone by before I passed him up and ran ahead down the slope and onto the sand, kicking up dust as I skidded to a halt.

Hau took a minute to meet me there, and when he finally did, he was entirely out of breath.

"...Man..." he huffed. "How...That's...so awesome...You could...be...an athlete if...you wanted, man!"

{No. Too easy.}

"Hey, fellas! You made it just in time, yeah!"

The Professor. He was calling from the far north, and the boat looked about ready to set sail.

"Whoa, Professor, this is amazing!" Hau remarked as we rushed over. "How'd you get it done so fast?"

"A little elbow grease never hurt anyone, did it? Besides, when you've got a great assistant, things get done pretty quickly, you know what I'm sayin?"

"Aw, yeah! We ready to check out Akala Island, pal?"

I nodded.

"Alright, fellas! Get ready to taste some ocean spray!"

We all boarded the small vessel, and we were pushed off the shore. For a good several minutes, Hau and I hung out at the back of the boat, watching Melemele Island get smaller and smaller in the distance.

"...We'll be back, Melemele Island," Hau promised, almost as though the landmass could hear him.

And from somewhere on that island, I could have sworn I heard Tapu Koko calling out in response.

...

"Land ahoy! Or...ashore?" Hau speculated as he got off the boat and onto the dock. "Whatever you say!"

"Isn't it a bit late to declare 'land ahoy' when you've already arrived on shore?"

"Come on, Lillie, don't be such a stick in the sand! Come on, Echo, that was funny, right?"

I bore a toothy grin in response.

"See what I mean!?"

"Yeah! Hau knows where it's at!" the Professor added.

"Phew! Finally! Hello, Akala Island! We're gonna meet all sortzz of new Pokémon here, right bucko?"

{You bet I am. What'd you think of the boat ride?}

"Zzzr...I'll be completely honest; it made me feel kinda queasy...But maybe it was just me being nervous about falling into the water somehow and less from the boat moving, you know? Hee hee...I'm fine and dandy now, though!"

"Still haven't found a shirt that goes with your lab coat, hmm, Kukui?"

The unfamiliar voice came from the dock steps. I turned to face the source; two humans were standing there, both female, and quite a bit taller and darker than the other.

"I've told you you're gonna scare off strangers looking like that," the taller one continued.

"Oh! Olivia! How's it been?" the Professor greeted her.

{You two know each other?} I asked, but Rotom remained silent; probably just to be polite.

"Just about the same as ever. I'm guessing this is the new Trainer you were telling me about?"

That was who he was on the phone with?

"Echo, right?" she confirmed, stepping towards me. "Nice to finally see you in person. You shouldn't be hard to spot."

I could feel the blood rushing to my face in embarrassment, and I managed to chitter a friendly greeting.

"Wow...I've never seen anything like it!" the second one exclaimed, also approaching. "Uh, you don't bite, right?"

I shook no, then cordially extended an arm.

"Ooh, formality!" she remarked, meeting me the rest of the way. "I'm Mallow, one of the captains here."

{So, you have a trial to complete?} I asked, and Rotom translated my question.

"Yup! My trial will be a chance for all the fine ingredients that make up your team to shine!"

I grinned; it seemed like it'd be an enjoyable experience.

"So, what's the plan, kids?" Olivia inquired.

"Well, I guess that's up to them," the Professor replied. "It's their Island Challenge after all, yeah!"

"I think I'll look around and get myself familiar with things around here before gettin' down to the serious business," Hau decided. "Echo, you coming?"

I nodded, and Rotom flashed his map across the PokéDex screen.

"Awesome!"

"Okay, then. Enjoy your time on your Island Challenge, kids, along with your Pokémon. I'll be waiting for my chance to face you in battle when the time comes."

"See you guys later!" Mallow bid, and they headed back down the road ahead.

"She's a real kind Kahuna, you know?" the Professor told me. "Though she isn't very outspoken about it. Ha!"

{That was the Island Kahuna?} I marveled, and Rotom repeated it for me.

"Oh, yeah. Don't let that make you underestimate her, though; she's just as strong as Hala, if not more so!"

My eyes widened; if this was true, I'd probably need at least one more Pokémon on my side by the time I faced off against her.

{Rotom. Show us the map; I'd like an idea of where we should go.}

"On it!"

He displayed a new map now, and it was safe to assume that it was of Akala Island.

"Well, there's a little rural town just to the north of here called Paniola Town! There'zzz a lot of farm land up that way, so there should be an abundance of Pokémon!"

"So we're goin to take the country road? Sounds like a plan! You comin' with us, Lillie?"

"Ah...I think I'll just stay in the city for now and catch up to you two later. I might see what the shops here have...and maybe while I'm at it, I'll take Nebby to the Ruins here; it seems awfully fascinated by them, and I feel that it's...more than just the looks of them."

{Do you think there could be a connection?} I asked, and Rotom did his job.

"Just a hunch, but it wouldn't surprise me."

"You two should be fine on your own out there. Just don't get into any trouble, ya hear?"

"Heh heh...We'll stay out of trouble! Hey, come on, Echo, let's see what this place is all about."

Rotom's map lead us past the Tide Song Hotel and north up a dirt road lined with grass. I cleared a few of the patches with via jumping, but Hau ended up getting a little stuck behind when some wild Pokémon decided to pitch a fight with him.

"Man...I knew I should have packed some Repels. These guys are feisty!"

It was a little hard to tell what was going on in the tall grass, but on his third encounter, Hau gasped, then pulled out a Poké Ball and chucked it down at...something rustling in the foliage. When I heard the capsule click, I saw a huge smile spread across his face, and he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Ho, boy...Can't believe I got that in one shot!"

{What'd you catch?}

Rotom didn't even need to translate for him to know what I meant.

"Heh heh...It's a surprise! These things are super rare in the wild! It's a little scrappy, though...I think it might have to wait until its a bit stronger to battle against a team like what you've got. For now, I guess I'll stick it in the P.C. once we get to Paniola Town! Let's keep goin'!"

It wasn't long until we spotted the town up ahead, and the strong smell of dust and dry grass entered through my nostrils.

"Wow...Nice little place, huh?"

I nodded.

"...Whoa. Hey! I just had an epic idea!"

I cocked my head and gave him my full attention; I was all ears.

"Oh...Just let me take my Ee-uh, I mean...new Pokémon to the Pokémon Center and store him away!"

He dashed off towards the red and white building not far north of the entrance, and was back before I could have said "Malasada Shop." When he returned, he flashed a confident smirk and tossed one of his Poké Balls in his hand.

"Alright. As I was saying...Let's have ourselves a Pokémon battle! Right here! Right now! This place has a real Western vibe, doesn't it? We'll be facing off against each other just like the cowboys from the olden days! You game?"

{Well...Alright! It'll warm us up for what's to come, won't it?} I agreed, with Rotom echoing.

"Awesome! Wait till you see what happened during my Grand Trial!" he exclaimed, pulling one of his Poké Balls out.

"Okay! Pikachu! Show off your sparky snazz!"

He sent out his first Pokémon; the Pichu he had claimed back on Melemele was now bigger, with longer, thinner ears and tail, and looked ready to fight.

"Pika, pika!" it squeaked.

{That's what a Pikachu looks like?}

"Sure izzz! People love them! They're pretty cute, huh?"

{I suppose...But I've seen cuter Electric-Types.}

"Really? Which onezzz?"

{I'll tell you when the fight's over! Dartrix! Show this fella what you've got!}

I sent out my partner Pokémon, and he formed on the ground with a shrill battle cry.

"Koo, ROOOOOOOOO!"

"Ooh, smart choice! Dartrix is part Grass-Type, so he won't be azz damaged by Pikachu's Electric attacks!"

"Alright, Pikachu! Start this off with Electro Ball!"

"Pi-KA!"

{Dartrix! Razor Leaf!}

"Rrrrrrroo!"

Pikachu started to fire up a sphere of electricity by spinning its tail while my fighter summoned his array of leaf bullets. The electric orb was launched into the air, and both it and the pointed leaves crashed into each other head on, causing a blast of smoke and a flurry of burned leaves before us.

{Dartrix! Try again! And make it a good one!}

"Quick Attack! Let's go!"

Before Dartrix could finish firing up his leaves, the Pikachu ran at him with blinding speed, ramming itself right into the Flying-Type's middle. But he didn't let himself fall over; right when the opponent finished the attack, he sent his series of leaves right at it from the short distance.

"Ooh, wow! Critical hit!" Rotom buzzed in excitement.

The Mouse Pokémon, on the other hand, squealed in pain upon receiving the blow of the attack.

"Pii-Kaah!"

Before we knew it, the opposing Pokémon was on the ground, out cold.

"Aw, man, Pikachu! Come on back!"

He returned his fallen Pokémon back to its ball, then pulled out a second one.

"Don't worry, Pikachu. Brionne's comin' out to avenge ya!"

His partner Pokémon emerged with a high-pitched, bubbly trill of a bark.

"Brrrrrrii!"

That thing knew Aurora Beam; Dartrix wasn't safe against her, so I called him back and sent out my own second fighter. Both of them were weak to Ice-Type Attacks, but Red didn't have the additional Grass-Type, so he was safer.

"Lu-CHA!" he cawed.

{Alright, Red. Show off your Aerial Ace!}

He flapped his wings and took to the air, launching himself right into the baby blue opponent with glowing, open wings. Brionne exclaimed upon the attack, but held on fast.

"Aurora Beam! Let's go!"

And just like last time, she shot an icy cold beam from her nose at incredible speed, slamming my fighter back onto the ground. When he collided with the dirt, he tried to push himself back up; he was barely hanging on by a string. I was about to send him back and switch Dartrix out, but then I remembered a trick I had up my sleeve.

{Red! Use Roost!}

He obeyed quickly, and a soft, white glow enveloped him; soon enough, most of the scuffs he'd gotten from the Ice-Type Attack were gone, and he had renewed his energy.

"Give 'em another Aurora Beam! He can't hold on forever!"

{Now! Karate Chop!}

My Hawlucha took off and fired up his next attack before the enemy could, and before I even knew it, he'd slammed his glowing red claws right into Hau's Brionne, sending her Aurora Beam flying into the sky before dissipating. And the opponent's energy disappeared along with the attack; she collapsed onto the ground in a faint.

Yet another victory.

"Wow...Man, you guys are SUPER strong, you know that!?" Hau marveled as he returned his starter. "Even with my Ice and Electric-Type Attacks, you STILL pulled through! That's incredible...But I'll get you one of these days! I promise! Oh, and here's for winning, bud."

Hau gifted me with 500₱ by stuffing it into my bag. I tried to tell him it wasn't necessary with a shake of the head, but he begged to differ.

"Oh, yes it is. How are you gonna afford Poké Balls and Potions and stuff without any cash?"

That was when I caved; he did put up a good argument.

"Nice going, Echo!" Rotom congratulated as I returned Red to his own Poké Ball. "But if I might offer up some advice; we'll have to catch some more Pokémon besidezzz Flying-Types. We don't want the whole team to have the same weaknesses! Zzrt!"

{Good point; the pack does need a bit more variation. Maybe we can start working on that here.}

"Soundzzz like a plan! So, uh, now that they battle'zz over, tell me; if it's not Pikachu, what IZZZ the cutest Electric-Type you've seen so far? Oh! Wait! Don't tell me! I think I guessed it! It's that Oricorio we fought earlier, isn't it?"

{Nope. Guess again.}

"Hau's Pichu before it evolved?"

I chattered out a raspy snicker.

{No. It's you, silly.}

"Zrt!? Me?"

His screen turned bright pink.

"Really? Well, hee hee...Shucks, buddy, I-I'm speechless. Heh...Hey! I guess that meanzzz I'm pretty adorable, if I'm competing with the likes of Pikachu! Kzzrt!"

Hau seemed amused by our conversation.

"Hey guys! How about we hit the Pokémon Center again? Our teams took a beating, didn't they?"

I nodded, then followed him back to the Pokémon Center in the north corner of the small town. Now would be a good time to put those 500₱ to use.

We healed our Pokémon, and Hau brought me over to the Poké Mart to he right of the front desk to show me how things worked. I watched curiously as he exchanged 800₱ for a Great Ball and a Potion.

"Okay; now you give it a go."

I tensed up a little bit as I came face-to-face with the store clerk; it wasn't much of a surprise that he seemed a bit unnerved by me.

"Uh...Is this the Trainer the Island Kahuna came by telling everyone about? Brown? Scaly? Claws?"

I nodded to confirm this.

"Well, uh...Okay, then. What can I getcha?"

I ended up using 400₱ for two more Poké Balls, Hau coaching me throughout. I still had 100₱ to spare.

"You're gettin' the hang of this, ya know? Keep up the battles and the next thing you know you'll be as loaded as me! Well...I'm not THAT loaded, but I've got more than enough to get by with Potions and Poké Balls and stuff! Oh! And I thought I'd hand ya one of these!"

He pulled something out of his own pack and put it in my open hand; it was another spray container, but according to the writing on the label, it wasn't a Potion. It was a...Repel? I chittered to him, asking what it was for.

"While you were doin' your thing with the cashier, I took a peek at Rotom's map. To the north, there's this place called Paniola Ranch, and the path there is LOADED with tall grass, so there's definitely gonna be some Pokémon hiding out there. I know you said something about looking for another team member, but if you get tired of running into a challenger every two steps, go ahead and use that on yourself. It'll keep pretty much anything at bay! Cool, right?"

"Huh..." I gurgled.

"Wanna head on up there? Might find some cool new Pokémon, eh?"

{Maybe in just a bit; we just battled, didn't we? Our Pokémon might still need a bit of a break,} I suggested, Rotom doing his job as usual.

"Good point. How about we park at the café until then?"

I nodded, and we did just that. Hau ordered up a round of the cleverly-named Tapu Cocoa for us, and I offered to give him back my remaining 100₱.

"No sir-ee, that's yours. You won fair and square back there. Any one else here will do the same thing, so once its yours, its yours. No trouble."

I accepted his decline, but not without a twinge of guilt, which he apparently took note of.

"Hey, pal. Don't worry about it, okay?"

{...Okay.}

"You know somethin'? It could just be me rubbin' off on ya," he joked. "But you're a good gal. You're good with Pokémon, you're good with people...even if some of the people around here might have to get used to ya, but that's besides the point."

He took a swig of his Tapu Cocoa.

"Like, look at you. You might have scary teeth, sharp claws and whatnot, but that doesn't matter, you know? What matters is that you're a good person and you want what's best for other people. And if you ask me, you're doin' pretty good in that department. So don't sweat it too much, okay? You're great in my book."

I gave him a smile; what did I ever do to deserve such a great friend?

"So...I'm really the cutest Electric-Type you've ever seen?" Rotom inserted, breaking the brief moment of silence between us as he planted his tiny red feet on the table.

I nudged my PokéDex with the tip of my snout and pulled him into a hug.

{I'd be lost without you two, you know that?}

"Aww, ghee..."

It was funny; I had only spent upwards of four days with everyone, yet it felt like I'd known them my entire life. They were like family to me...And that got me thinking.

Was it possible to, perhaps, find a new family, even when your old one could still be out there somewhere? Another twinge of guilt panged in my chest somewhere; I suddenly felt like I'd just abandoned my sisters and Alpha when they needed me most. So many questions still haunted me. Where were they? How did I end up so far away from them? What was the monster that attacked us? What did it do? Were any of them even alive anymore?

Even with this new family of humans and Pokémon that I'd come to know so well, I felt as though the sooner I had my questioned answered, the more at ease I would be.