I would never get over just how conveniently efficient Pokémon Centers were. They healed your Pokémon, sold gear, items, beverages...It was incredible.

"Alright! Now that the team'zzz rearing and ready for action again, what's say we take out our new friend and see what she thinks?"

{That's my plan. Let's see how she reacts to all this.}

I pulled out the Poké Ball containing my new Salandit and gave it a toss. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon materialized on the floor in front of me.

"Srrr...?" she trilled when she saw me, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

{Okay, Salandit. I'm your Alpha now, and you're a part of the pack. That means from now on, you'll be following my commands. Understood?}

She peered up at me with dubiously squinty eyes, wrinkled up the slick scales on her snout and puffed out a small cloud of smoke in contempt; she wasn't on board with the idea of TAKING orders instead of GIVING them just yet.

{Maybe if I put it to you this way: training with us will make you stronger way quicker than you could have imagined being out in the wild. Besides, I can take care of you just as well as those male Salandits out there did, if not better. Think about it; you get the food, the shelter, the attention, and a band of friends to boot. You just have to battle for me, like the rest of my team does. Now are we getting somewhere?}

"Brrrrr..." she pondered, tapping a finger against her chin. Finally, she hissed in response.

"Sal, grrrrrrrip!"

{What'd she say, Rotom?}

"She sayzzz that she'll give it a try, but izzzn't making any promises yet!"

{That'll do for now. She did just join us. Well, Salandit, once evening sets in, we'll be heading back out to Wela Volcano Park to take on the next trial. That'll be a good time to get some training in and see what you're capable of. You weren't half bad when we went against you, so I'm willing to bet you'll do marvels for the team, as long as you cooperate.}

There was a pleased flicker in her lavender gaze, but she tried to hide it with a forced scowl.

{Now, one more thing. I need to get you acquainted with everyone else.}

I released my other three pack members from their capsules, and they all materialized before her.

{This is Dartrix.}

"Koo, roo...?"

He seemed a bit wary of her.

{And Red.}

"Cha..."

The Hawlucha gave her an intimidating glare, insinuating that she not try any funny business.

{And you should remember Grace.}

"Eievui!"

She was the only one who seemed excited about the new teammate, despite having been poisoned by the Pokémon.

{You're a new member of the team. I might even give you a nickname, like some of them...I'll have to think of one first, though. Any suggestions, Rotom?}

"Ah...I'm blankin' right now, bucko. But you'll get a burst of inspiration at some point! Zzrt!"

"Oh, man...Guess it's a good thing you got a couple critical hits on that thing, Pikachu. Otherwise, we'd have been toast!"

I turned my head to face whoever said it; there was Hau, entering into the Pokémon Center. I let out a chuff of a greeting, and he looked up to face me.

"Hey, Echo! Didn't think I'd see you still here!" he exclaimed. "Thought you'd be tryin' out the trial on Wela Volcano by now!"

Rotom and I explained to him that the intense heat there this time of day interfered with us doing it right now, and we would wait until the evening.

{But while I WAS there, I did manage to snag another Pokémon. Check it out.}

I pointed down at the Salandit at my feet.

"Oh, WOW! That's ultra-cool!"

{How did Lana's Totem Wishiwashi treat your team?}

"We were almost obliterated," he admitted. "Pikachu here was the last one standing out of everyone, and he managed a couple stronger Electric-Attacks on that thing when it was finally startin' to get worn down. I was TOTALLY floored by how strong its attacking power was. Everyone took a major beating; even Pikachu here."

The Mouse Pokémon was perched on his shoulder, looking fairly battered and very worn out.

"Pika, pi..." it squeaked, a faint smile on its muzzle, flashing us a small thumbs-up of victory.

"So...Your Pokémon all okay?"

I nodded.

"Great...That means I can go ahead to heal 'em right now!"

He did just that, and then motioned for me to sit down with him at one of the tables by the café, and we started up a conversation.

{So...What have Lillie and the Professor been up to lately?}

"Lillie went to browse the shops for some new duds; said she was gettin' tired of the ones she had now. Said that her mother usually picked out what she wore, and she was supposed to wear, like, ONLY that. Heh...Kinda weird, huh?"

I glanced off to the side, then nodded again.

"Professor Kukui said he was gonna stick with her and help her out...But...I think I might have seen him go into the Battle Royal Dome on my way here? It looked kinda like him, but...I dunno, man. Maybe my eyes were just playin' tricks on me."

{Are you going to be trying the next trial? I won't be going back out there until it starts to cool off.}

"Eh, I think I'm cool here. My team needs a break after that Totem battle. Hey, by the way...I'm not sure if I'd bring Dartrix this time; he'd get CREAMED out there, with all of the Fire-Type Pokémon."

"That'zzz what I said!""

"I can imagine you did, lil' guy...Hey, how 'bout while we hang, we bring out our Eevees again? It'll be funny to see mine all like 'Ew, gross, girls!'"

We both dug out our Poké Balls containing the Normal-Types, and they materialized on the floor. Hau seemed impressed with how much stronger Grace looked now.

"Dang...She's really lookin' fighting fit, now!"

"Ei, eievui!" she chippered happily. His own Eevee rolled his eyes.

"What? Jealous?"

Grace trotted up to her male counterpart and feigned a kissy face, her brown eyes squinted with amusement. In response, he ended up screeching in disgust as he ran all the way to the opposite side of the building as her.

Hau was right; this was DEFINITELY an entertaining idea.

...

Dusk was one of my favorite parts of the day; the air had cooled, the bright light of the sun had dimmed into a soft glow, and the sky was streaked with brilliant colors. It was special to me, especially knowing now that I could appreciate its beauty. Part of me wondered why I hadn't been able to before, but that thought was usually pushed to the back of my head. I had other things to worry about, now.

Particularly, completing this next trial.

I had since put Dartrix into the P.C. It was an odd mechanic; you would put the Poké Ball into the slot, and the Pokémon, along with its ball, would be transferred directly to the system from there. It said that someone managed the Pokémon from somewhere else, and that the Pokémon stored in a P.C. were not kept in the device itself, but rather taken to an actual place to rest and relax while they waited for their Trainer to return. Technology sure was amazing...

I made my way back to Wela Volcano Park from the Pokémon Center. The blazing heat had now softened into comfortable warmth, and now was the best time, if any, to take on the trial. I had Grace and Salandit's Poké Balls ready to draw in the event of another wild Pokémon attack. Grace was stronger this time around, and I wanted to see if I could fight fire with fire when time came to battle the Trial and Totem Pokémon.

I stumbled across a few more of those small bird Pokémon with the red heads-A "Fletchling," Rotom said they were called-and I sent my Eevee up against all of them. I found out the hard way that her Sand Attack, being a Ground-Type move, did nothing against the Flying-Types, despite not being an actual attacking move. Nonetheless, Tackle and Growl got us through, and the Fletchling didn't use that many powerful moves itself, mainly having just flailed about over my fighter. The more damage it took, the stronger its struggling seemed to be, but it was ultimately nothing worrisome against Grace, who was becoming stronger by the minute. During the second Fletchling battle, she even learned a new move in place of Growl: Baby-Doll Eyes, which lowered an opponent's guard like Growl did, except it could be executed faster.

Needless to say, I was pleased with the diversity of my team, even without Dartrix, but without what I considered my strongest Pokémon, I was a bit of edge, and especially when I remembered that I was low on healing items.

After we made it into the clear, we headed up a small slope, and my nostrils caught wind of a peculiarly familiar scent. I turned my head in its direction and saw something on the ground, nestled among a bare patch in the grass. I took longer strides through the dry vegetation, and picked up the item, reading the label on the bottle.

"HYPER POTION"

"Heals 200 HP!"

{Ah, HA!} I gurgled. {Where did THIS come from?}

The bottle was covered in dust, and there was an impression left in the ground when I picked it up, so I figured it had to have been there for a while, and nobody was coming back for it. Knowing that, I slid it into my pack for later use.

{I don't know who left that there,} I chittered to my PokéDex. {But if I knew them, I'd definitely give them my thanks...Uh...Or the potion back.}

"Oh, don't get to worried about, bucko! People lose stuff and forget about it all the time! No one will miss it! And you need it, anyway! Bzzrt!"

He did make sense, so I kept going. Grace needed a bit of a break before I could send her out again; she'd gotten quite a bit stronger fighting the Fletchlings, but she was still fairly new to the battlefield, and I wanted a Pokémon with just a bit more experience taking up the next challenge. With Salandit's Poké Ball in hand, I kept going up the slope of the path. There was another patch of grass to my right, as well as...

It was a human; another Trainer, looking for someone to pitch a battle with.

She didn't notice me at first, so I sounded off a bark, and then she turned to face me.

And when she did, she freaked out.

I was startled by her panicked reaction, myself; I thought everyone had heard about me by now...Why not this one?

To prove I meant no harm(except maybe towards her Pokémon with my own,) I showed off the red and white capsule in my hand, tossing it up and down a few times.

"Wh...Wait, you, y-y-you want a battle?"

I nodded.

"Ah...Alright."

She pulled out her own Poké Ball.

"Meowth? Let's do this...!"

The creature that emerged was small and curious-looking; it's cream coat was pointed with brown feet and black ears, and there was a shiny gold...thing on its head.

"Meow...?"

And then, it looked up and saw me.

"MYAOW!"

It darted behind its Trainer, and in attempt to coax it back into the battle, I released Salandit.

"Hrmmm..." she trilled skeptically.

"Meow, meow?"

The opposing Meowth cautiously came to face my Toxic Lizard Pokémon, then finally got onto all fours and arched its back, trying to ignore me as best it could.

{Alright, Salandit,} I ordered. {This one doesn't look so tough, does it? Start this off with your Smog Attack, okay?}

"Sal..."

She gave me somewhat of a cynical look, then turned away, not doing much of anything but sit there.

{What are you doing?} I asked her. {Just use Smog! It's not hard!}

"Uh...Meowth? Try a Bite Attack!"

{SALANDIT, HURRY!}

She simply ignored my command, opting to slide to the side as the feline Pokémon tried honing in, teeth bared. She raised her scaly brows at me again, turning up her snout in mock-contempt; she didn't seem keen on cooperating right away.

I knew she was hesitant to join me in the first place, having lost her freedom in the wild, but I wasn't going to get angry just yet. As the Meowht awaited further orders from its Trainer, I tried to reason with my new teammate again.

{Come on, Salandit. Just...Use Smog. Please? For me?}

She tapped her chin with one of her slick forefingers thoughtfully.

{I'll tell you what; If you can win FIVE battles for me before we finish the trial, I'll go ahead and get you something from the Malasada Shoppe back down on Royal Avenue when we're done out here. How's that sound?}

"Sal, salrrrit...!" she answered, holding up three of her fingers at me now.

"She said three," Rotom translated. "Take it or leave it."

{Alright, fine...} I agreed. {Just use your Smog Attack, okay?}

"Try a Scratch Attack now, Meowth!"

Now Salandit flashed a sly smile, and when the Meowth got near enough, she drew her head back and let loose a thick, inky cloud of smog from her gaping jaws. The enemy was caught inside the swirling cloud of toxins, and came out of it coughing and sputtering, looking about ready to pass out already.

{I think we poisoned it, Salandit!} I cheered. {Now, try your Ember Attack!}

She fired a flaming projectile at the dazed enemy, now, and it hit its target right on point.

{Excellent! Now! Uh...What other attacks do you know?}

I saw her roll her eyes, and Rotom filled me in on that.

"I think she might also know Dragon Rage! It's a good move to use against weaker opponents, or ones with less health; it alwayzzz deals a fixed amount of damage to any opponent! U-unless it's a Fairy-Type, at least...Which Meowth is not, I assure you! Kzzt!"

{That might work...Okay, Salandit! Try a Dragon Rage!}

She let out a trilling growl, then fired up another missile in her mouth; it was a glowing ball of blue and purple energy, and it blazed with those colors as it shot out across the field like a meteorite towards the opposing Pokémon. Again, the attack made its mark, and finally, the Meowth toppled over backwards into a faint.

"Oh, no..." the human fretted, returning the creature to its Poké Ball. "Oh, no, no, I lost, what am I going to do!?"

"Uh...Mind if I ask a question?" my PokéDex spoke up.

"Wait...Aren't you one of those Plasma Pokémon?"

"Rotom! Yep! That'zzz me! Ah...Are you from here?"

"No...?" she answered him. "I-I'm visiting here from the Johto Region; I didn't think there would be any Trainers here that looked like this!"

"Ah, well, that explains it, Echo. She'zzz a tourist! She's not as informed as the locals, I don't think," he remarked. "See, Echo's a special case. She turned up on the beach one day, figured out how to uzzze a Poké Ball and now she's gotten permission to take the Island Challenge! And I function as her map, digital Pokémon catalogue, constant companion and handy-dandy translator! Bzzt!"

"Wait, so...She's a trial-goer?"

I nodded in answer to this, stepping closer.

"Wow...I've been looking for trial-goers to battle against, but I wasn't expecting this!" she exclaimed, suddenly beaming. "Here! Take this for winning!"

She dug into her own bag and handed me...

1,140₱!

"Whoa! That'zzz a fortune compared to what you've got so far!"

{Wow...This is amazing. I guess I'll have to hit the PokéMart again after this.}

"And your Salandit..." she continued. "She's incredible!"

My fighter feigned modesty, waving her hand at the remark in fake dismissal.

"Although, she's got a bit of nerve, wouldn't you say?"

It was at this that Salandit's eyes finally got big, and she shot the Trainer a displeased look.

{I'll cut her some slack; I did just catch her today, after all, so I don't expect her to have warmed up to me just yet,} I explained, Rotom translating it.

"Still, she's a bit of a sassafras, wouldn't you say?"

{A what?} I asked, tilting my head to the side a bit.

"A sassafras. You know, cheeky, defiant, doesn't like to be told what to do."

{Sassafrass...} I repeated. {...That's it.}

"What?"

{That's her name,} I decided, without any hesitation. {Sassafras.}

I tipped my hat to the Trainer, not yet noticing the now aptly named Sassafras staring up at me in bug-eyed disbelief.

{Thanks a million for the idea. Hope you enjoy the rest of your sightseeing.}

"You too! Defeated by a trial-goer...A truly Alolan experience!"

I trotted off, heading up th slope to an opening in the mountain. Sassafras was emitting a series of strung-out complaints as she followed after me.

"Somethin' tellzzz me she hasn't warmed up to that nickname yet, boss."

{I might know what to do.}

I turned to face her.

{You know, you might come to like that name if you were sassy to your opponents instead of your Trainer,} I suggested. {Give it a try the next time, alright?}

She puffed a bit of smoke from her nostrils in response, a frown on her face.

I decided not to bother her anymore right now, and returned her to her Poké Ball before approaching the cave entrance in the mountain. Someone was standing next to it.

"You the Trainer all the locals are talking about?"

I nodded.

{Where does this cave lead?}

"It leads right to the top of the volcano! I should know; I'm on of the three Seismic sisters, and we just love, love, love volcanoes! We come here all the time!"

{That's good to know. I'm here for the trial. Wish me luck.}

"Sure thing! Good luck!"

With that, I stepped into the cave; it was just barely light enough to see, but the light at the end of the tunnel was visible, so I went up the path towards it. The sooner I got there, the better; the cave air was extremely muggy; the dampness coming from the soil and the heat coming from the heat of the volcano trapped inside of it.

"Phew...Stay too long in here and I might burn out. Kzzrt!"

{Hang in there, Rotom.}

The upward slope had added to the exhaustion piling on throughout the ascent, and then, finally, I reached the end of the tunnel, stepping out into the cool night air again. I turned the corner, and there were the trial gates, just waiting for me to enter.

"Good job making it this far!" one of the humans standing there guarding it congratulated me. "Why don't we heal your Pokémon for you?"

I hastily agreed. Grace was the only one who really needed any healing, so it wasn't long until she was all patched up and ready to fight again.

"Eie, eievui!" she chippered at me, eyes bright and ready to take on the next foe. I released Red and Sassafras next.

{Ready for the trial, everyone?}

"Rucha!"

"Hermmmm..."

{Alright...Here we go.}

My team following behind me as I stepped through the gates. There was a round, stone podium at the top of the slope, and flaming torches stood blazing on either side of the short stairway. And there, standing right before me...

Was a human.

One that fit the atmosphere of the volcano quite well; his eyes had a fiery glow about them, and his dark skin tone gave off a charred appearance. The sight of him was...a bit intimidating, to say the least. He didn't seem quite as mild-mannered as Illima or Lana; when it came to the trial, it looked like this one meant business.

"...I am Kiawe," he introduced himself, conveying little emotion in his voice. "My Marowak and I are students of the ancient dances that have been passed down in Alola for generations...You will find that this trial will be a bit...different from the ones you have faced to this point."

{In that it'll be harder?}

"I'll have you know, I know some things about you. You're Echo. You defeated Lana's Totem Pokémon in one attack. You tussled with a raging Tauros and subdued it. You are not a creature to be messed with. You are very capable, and I am convinced that this trial will make you stronger yet, regardless of whether you win or lose. Harder? Perhaps
...But that isn't the only difference here between the other trials...Though you will have to see that part for yourself. Of course, you will attempt the trial, right?"

I drew in a deep breath through a slightly agape mouth, then let it out through my nostrils before giving a light nod.

{I'm ready.}

"Then let the trial begin!"

When he called out, he was joined by three creatures that hopped up onto the stage behind him. They were all the same species of Pokémon; they all had bare white skulls as heads, and their bodies were a dark, eerie shade of maroon. Each of them wielded a large bone, and each end of it was alight with spooky green and yellow flames.

"Marow!"

"Wak!"

"Marowak!"

{These must be his Pokémon...Rotom. I see that their heads are just skulls with eyes and a mouth. Are Marowak the evolved form of Cubone?}

"That'zzz right, pal! Say, you're gettin' good, ya know?"

{I hope that holds up during this trial.}

"My trial will test your powers of observation," Kiawe explained. "There will be one dance, and then another. Your task will be to spot the difference between the two. Got it?"

I nodded.

"But be prepared! After each dance, you will be engaged in a battle!"

{Oh...}

"Alright, Marowak! Just like we practiced!"

They all struck a pose, then spun their bone clubs around, the flames at their tips trailing behind their path. Then, they stopped short, all striking yet another pose each. The one in the front of the group was the one that caught my attention the most; it had taken a fighting stance, its bone held behind it in preparation to attack. But it didn't come forward to strike. It just stayed like that for several seconds.

He had trained these dancing Marowak well, no doubt. I wondered how well they fought.

"Now...watch carefully and spot the difference."

The trio of Pokémon started up another dance, just the same as the last time, it looked like...until the end.

The middle Pokémon had struck a different pose; it held its bone in front of it, and was leaning back in a dramatic manner.

"Now...What was different here from the previous dance?"

I gargled out my answer, pointing at the Marowak in the middle with one of the claws on my hand.

"Ah-ha! Excellent job, Trainer," Kiawe praised. "That was truly spectacular. And to add to the spectacle...Marowak! Come forward!"

"Marow, marowak!"

That was when the middle Pokémon came forward, aggression flashing in its eyes.

"Alright, trial-goer! Bring forth your Pokémon! The first battle will begin!"

{Alright...Grace. See what you can do against this one.}

"Eievui!"

She hopped forward, tail swishing in anticipation.

"Uh...I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, bucko," Rotom told me. "Eevee'zzz a Normal-Type. Tackle won't do anything against a Ghost-Type like Alolan Marowak! But since she's already out, you might as well try her new move out on it before you send her back! That'll probably work!"

{Thanks for the tip...Okay, Grace, you heard him. Baby-Doll Eyes!}

She flashed her eyes at him, and the mild pink glow that emitted from them was absolutely endearing. A skeptical look settled in the Marowak's eyes, and the grip on its bone loosened some.

{Keep it up, Grace!}

Now her eyes got even bigger, and sparkled more. The enemy Pokémon raised a bony brow, but then tightened the grip on its weapon again. It knew it couldn't let its guard down too much, and if I kept it up too long, I might become predictable.

{Alright, Grace, return!} I ordered. {Red! Let's see what you can do here!}

I released the Wrestler Pokémon, and he struck his own pose upon landing.

"Lu-CHA!"

{Rotom. How well do Fighting-Type moves do against Ghost-Types?}

"No good! They're immuse to Fighting movezzz too! Flying-Type moves, though...They should do something! And to boost, Red will be immune to Ground-Type Attacks!"

{That'll help us...Red! Aerial Ace, let's go!}

He flapped his wings to become airborne, then shot himself at the enemy Marowak, wings glowing as they struck. Red's speed had yet to let me down; he was the fastest and most agile Pokémon I had, and he used these traits to his advantage on the field. The opposing Pokémon staggered some, but still stood firmly on the ground after the attack.

"Marow, Marowak...!"

It set its entire form alight, then sent itself charging right at my fighter, curling into a ball and rolling out towards him.

{Dodge that!}

Red was swift to evade as much as he was to attack, springing up out of the way of the enemy as it wheeled by...But when he thought it safe to land, the Marowak made a sharp turn, then slammed right into him from behind!

"CHACK!"

He was practically ran over by the attack, but got right back up and shook it off. Some of his feather tips had been slightly singed, but it didn't do much but make him angry at the attacker. He faced it when it stood to its feet again, an angry grimace on his beak.

"Haw...Cha..."

{Now! Aerial Ace again!}

"Marow..."

It emitted a low, snarling growl in attempt to ward off its opponent, but we kept at it, and Red struck the Pokémon yet again, passing right by it across the podium. This time, it wasn't quite as quick to get up, and I saw the opportunity to land a finishing blow before it could surprise us again.

{One more Aerial Ace! That ought to do it!}

He U-turned, then, before the Marowak even saw it coming, hit it one more time, right in the back of the skull. Its eyes widened for a moment, and then it came falling down onto the stage floor, the wind completely knocked out of it. It was defeated.

Kiawe whistled in awe.

"Your Hawlucha certainly knows how to handle a situation like this," he said. "...Even Marowak seems pleased by this."

"Marow...Wak!" it agreed, using its bone club to stand to its feet again. It had no more energy to fight, but it could still go on dancing.

"Right, then...Now! On to the second dance!"

The trio of Marowak started up again, all of them striking another pose once they'd finished.

"Now...Watch carefully."

They did the exact same thing again...

But the difference THIS time wasn't any of the Marowak, but rather a new face on the field.

Out of the blue, someone jumped out onto the podium and struck a pose with the Pokémon; it was a human, and he wore an amused grin on his face.

"So, tell me...What's different this time?"

I was very thrown off by this, and as I pointed it out, I was fairly certain my face was locked into a confused stare.

"So, you noticed that, too!"

{How could I NOT?} I wondered aloud.

"So, now that you've seen him...You'll battle him! Hiker David! Show her what you can do!"

"Aloooooo-LA!" he boomed, stepping forward and pulling out a Poké Ball. "Show me watcha got, trial-goer!"

He tossed it into the air, and his Pokémon materialized before him.

...It was a strange-looking creature, with a flaming head and tail and sharp clawed hands.

"Alright, Magmar! Let's see what this Trainer's got!"

"Mar..." it bellowed softly.

{Sassafras! Now's your time to shine!}

I released the Toxic Lizard Pokémon from her confines, and she looked up at her opponent, eyes getting a bit wider and turning to face me. She was unsure about this battle.

{Just do as I say, and you should be fine,} I reassured her. {See what your Dragon Rage does to it!}

She glanced off to the side for a moment, still "thinking about it," probably. Was she just doing this to mess with me?

{Remember the Malasada Shop, Sassafras...}

Finally, she rolled her eyes in reluctant agreement, then fired up the Dragon Rage attack.

"Alright, Magmar! Smokescreen 'em!"

Just when she readied her attack, the opposing Pokémon spewed out a cloud of black smoke from its puckered bill, clouding the entire stage in blackness. From within the inky blackness, I saw the purple and blue-glowing ball of energy fire up into the air, dispersing in the sky. She hadn't been able to see to aim right.

Finally, the smoke cleared, and by now, the Salandit had fired up yet another attack. She knew I would call for the same move again, so she'd prepared for it. Clever...

{NOW!}

The projectile fired right at the enemy Pokémon, and it sent if flying across the arena. A lot had been taken out of it with just one Dragon Rage.

"Try your Feint Attack, Magmar!"

"Srrrr..."

The enemy slowly drew closer, guard seemingly down. I knew we couldn't trust it, so I ordered out my next attack.

{Watch out for anything unexpected, Sassafras,} I warned her. {Do you think you can catch it off guard with a surprise Smog attack?}

She looked back at me, then raised her eyebrows, insinuating that I thought she COULDN'T do it.

Then, suddenly, the Magmar clenched its clawed fist and tried to send it into my Pokémon, only to miss. She was fast and slippery, and she slid right out of the attack without so much as a scratch on her. I beamed at her efficiency; I was skeptical about her mildly rebellious attitude, but this Pokémon may hold potential, yet, I hoped.

Once she was out of its way, she spewed a stream of her poisonous smoke into the opponent's face, and I heard it sputter, the flames on its head and tail seeming to flicker. Once the first attack was donw with, she intensified her breath, and this attack was strong enough to obscure the battlefield in smoke yet again.

After a good several seconds, the field came back into vision. The Magmar was on the ground, Sassafras hovering over it, a mocking glint in her eyes. The enemy tried to get back onto its feet, but it had taken too much damage, now, and fell back onto the ground.

We'd won this one, too.

"Whew!" the opposing Trainer puffed. "Your lil' Salandit there sure is a bundle o' power in a small package...Keep it up!"

{Hear that, Sassafras? Even he's impressed.}

"Hmmm..."

"Excellent job, all of you!" Kiawe announced. "Now, we move onward...to the final dance! Everyone! You remember what to do!"

In their grande final encore, the three Marowak performed their ancient dance, and at the very end, Hiker David struck the finishing pose along with them. It was hard not to laugh at his inclusion; he was definitely an entertaining character.

"Now...Pay attention, and spot the difference."

They did their routine one final time, and when they struck the pose at the end...

Yet another new face was added to the crowd.

A fifth dancer. It appeared behind two of the Marowak and the human. A tall, thin Pokémon with slick black and pink scales. In an odd way, it almost looked like...

{...Sassafras...Is that your...evolved form?}

She took a few moments to answer me; her eyes were kept on the new Pokémon, the shock that had initially appeared in them now hardening into contempt. When her eyes had narrowed to the point where I could barely see them, she turned back to me and nodded.

I gave off a bark, and pointed the tip of my snout down at Salandit, who was, in turn, pointing at the new Pokémon with one of her fingers.

"Absolutely right...Your Salandit seems to resent this one's greater power. Females of this species tend to form rivalries with one another...I recommend you fight carefully. This is the Totem Pokémon! Totem Salazzle! Come forth, and show this trial-goer your true power!"

"Salaaaah!"

The three Marowak and Hiker David ran off the stage to allow for the Totem Battle, and the Totem Salazzle beckoned her pre-evolved form to make the first move, her eyes flashing with a sort of sly aggression. Sassafras actually seemed somewhat intimidated by this; she slunk toward her opponent slowly, staying close to the ground.

{...Alright, Sassafras. Try your Dragon Rage!}

She didn't hesitate at all this time, firing up her attack in her open jaws.

But the enemy fired up its own attack, and in its mouth, a fairly large ball of flames was forming. She shot it out at my fighter, and it sped across the field like a comet.

{Dodge that!}

She tried to slip to the side, but it was too late. The flames had already made their mark, and despite resisting her own type, Sassafras took a fairly bad hit. She couldn't take too many of those; one or two might prove to be too much, and I decided I would have to switch her out if that happened.

Nonetheless, she refused to let her own attack dissipate, and when she finally pulled herself back together, she fired the attack out...Only for the enemy to slide right past it.

It gave me a cynical look, as though to remind me that my Pokémon weren't the only ones who could dodge attacks, and she fired up another flame attack.

This time, we could predict its speed, and I called for my Salandit to zip off to the side before it could land. By now, she was firing up another Dragon Rage attack, and I had conjured my own plan, giving it to my Pokémon in a low snarl.

{Feign the move,} I whispered. {Fake-fling the missile and then when she moves around it, aim the REAL attack at her.}

She gave me a quick glance, then swung her head towards the Salazzle, who darted off to the side...and the for didn't realize that the Dragon Rage was still in her mouth, and when it got back onto its feet from avoiding the attack, she was only met with the ball of draconic energy slamming her in the chest and dispersing the damage across her entire body.

Again, the Dragon Rage attack did a lot; the Totem Pokémon doubled down onto all fours and tried to keep herself from writhing in pain...But then, another sly grin formed on her face, and she let out a trilling series of sneers at my Pokémon, who was taken aback by the sudden verbal outburst. She growled herself, and something seemed to click somewhere inside of her.

"Oh, no! The enemy uzzzed her Torment attack! Sassafras can't use Dragon Rage again until she uses a different move!" Rotom panicked.

I let out a low growl of frustration myself; if not for that sabotage, we'd have been able to win the battle with just one more Dragon Rage. But my Salandit did have other moves at her disposal, and if she could land one and take one more hit, she would be home free.

{Try your Ember Attack! It might not me much, but it's something!}

The enemy retaliated by firing up one more flame attack. Sassafras predicted this move, and got out of the way of the initial impact of the missile...only to be struck by the bursts that came out of it as it hit the ground, tumbling off to the side. She struggled to stand again, but, her anger seething, actually managed to push herself onto her two back legs, standing up much like I did, and she sent a furious series of consecutive attacks at the enemy Salazzle, who tried to weave around the Ember attacks. However, the damage she'd already taken from the earlier Dragon Rage was beginning to catch up to her, and after a vain attempt to slide around the assault, she was finally struck, and that was when she fell to the podium floor. And now that she was down, my Salandit saw her chance to nab victory.

She fired and landed one shot. Two. Three. Four. And with each hit she landed, she stepped even closer, now running on her hind legs.

And then, finally, she drew her head back, firing up one more Dragon Rage attack, and sending it careening right into the Salazzle's face, sending up a cloud of dust from the dry, volcanic ground surrounding the battle stage.

When the dust cloud dissipated, it revealed Salandit standing there on her hind legs, the Salandit lying before her, completely unconscious.

The Totem Pokémon had been defeated.

...We won.

Sassafras won.

To announce her victory to the entire park, she rose her head one more time, and let out a piercing, trilling shriek, letting it echo across the badlands.

"Srrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

Then, finally having exhausted herself, she let herself fall to all fours again, huffing and puffing.

"...Whoa..." Kiawe marveled. "...That was amazing...! Your Salandit, a prevolve, defeated the Totem Pokémon with such ease! Astounding..."

{I'm surprised myself,} I admitted, stepping further out onto the podium to fetch my Pokémon. She was lying there, out of breath, but with a faint smile across her snout.

{Three battles, Sassafras,} I reminded her. {You did just that, and you know what happens now.}

"Sala...Mala...sada...?"

Wow...I didn't typically understand Pokémon speech, but I definitely got that part.

{That's right. We go to the Malasada Shop...Great job out there. I'm proud.}

"...Srrr...?"

A dazed look appeared in her eyes, and she looked away. Maybe the fatigue was beginning to get to her head.

{Alright, you need a good long break...Return.}

I brought her back to her Poké Ball, then turned to face Captain Kiawe again.

"As reward for completing the trial, you also get this,"

He tossed something to me, and I caught it in my scaly hands, trying to be careful with my claws on the small object. I unfurled my fingers to reveal a small device, not even as big as my own hand, and there was the image of a Pokémon just above the green button. The Pokémon in the picture was covered with orange scales, its broad blue wings stretching out on either side of it, and there was a flame blazing at the tip of its tail.

{...What does this do?}

"That would be a ride pager, friend," he explained. "I don't suppose you own one already? I hear that your trial at Brooklet Hill requires you to borrow Lana's Lapras."

{I don't own one...I don't really see the need, except for crossing water.}

"Well, this ride pager can be used to summon a ride Pokémon; Charizard. Here in Alola, we use specially trained ride Pokémon transported from Paniola Ranch to get from place to place whenever the need arises. This Charizard can be summoned with the press of a button, and will fly you anywhere you are allowed to enter, depending on how far along you are in the Island Challenge. Some places might be blocked off from you still...I recommend you only use Charizard to fly you to places you've been before."

{That's...amazing! Thank you, Captain!}

Rotom gave his own thanks, and even added in some positive reviews of his dancing Marowak.

"Impressed, are you? Well...You don't get this good overnight. Just as you don't become a Pokémon Master overnight. It all takes time...But in time, like myself, you will grow into a fine Trainer. Now...You best be going. A lot of wild Pokémon are going to be coming out now that night is upon us, and you don't want to overexert your team as you go back down the slope of the volcano."

{You're right...} I agreed. {What if...Hey...Would this be a good time to use the ride Charizard?}

"As good a time as ever, Trainer Echo," he answered. "Go on ahead and give it a try."

I nodded, then pushed the green button on the ride pager.

Instantly, something shot out of the small screen on the pager, almost like what a Poké Ball did when it released a Pokémon. And then, the red energy stabilized, collecting on the ground before me. The creature that formed there towered tall, stretching out its wings and emitting a loud roar of a greeting.

"Raaauuuuwwwrrrgh!"

It had a passenger's seat strapped onto its back, and it took a moment to look over me, suddenly skeptical.

"Trust me," Kiawe said to it. "She is a Pokémon Trainer."

The draconic creature shrugged, then lowered its form to let me climb into the flat saddle it had on its back. I got into the 'lying down' position on the seat, then held onto my hat with one hand and the center of the handlebar reins with the other, Rotom carefully setting himself into the small space between me and the bar. I couldn't help but smile a bit; this Charizard would likely save me some walking in the long run.

{Alright, Charizard. Take us to Royal Avenue! We have a Malasada Shop to visit!}

The creature nodded, then spread its immense, blue-membraned wings and took to the skies with me boarding it.

It didn't take long for me to realize just how far off the ground we were, and I looked down to find that Wela Volcano Park was far below us. If somehow, I fell off...

{Uh...Charizard!?} I chattered, trying not to panic. {Maybe fly a little lower!? I've never done this before...!}

"Rauuurgh."

It nodded in understanding, then proceeded to stoop its wing downwards, and I saw the earth get closer...a bit too quickly for me. I suppressed a scream, almost certain that we would crash-land somehow. How was Rotom able to stay so calm!?

"Afraid o' heightzzz, Echo, bucko?"

{Don't rub it in...}

I resorted to squeezing my eyes shut, blind to any potential 'beautiful view' that I might be missing, and just held tighter onto the handlebars. Rotom made the smart decision to grab my hat as I let go of it to focus more on my grip of the former.

"Hey, no shame in bein' uneasy! This is just your first time flying! Who knows? You might get used to it over time! Kzzt!"

{I don't know if there's going to BE a next time, Rotom! Augh, I think I'm gonna be sick...}

"Uh-oh. Ah, don't do the technicolor yawn on me! Just hang tight! We're almost there!"

I felt the ride Pokémon begin to descent, and it didn't take long for its flight to slow, and when I finally mustered the courage to open my eyes again, it was stretching its legs out just feet away from the paved road below us, and it flapped its wings to steady the landing. Once it had its feet planted on the ground again, a huge rush of relief went over me. I pushed off the Charizard and staggered as I stepped onto the ground again, stumbling bit as my body began catching up to my mind.

{...Thank you for that, Charizard,} I chittered, leaning against the side of the Malasada Shop to keep from falling, my heartrate still all over the place.

The creature nodded, then, in a flash, was returned into the ride pager. I finally let myself slide down onto the ground.

"You okay there, bud?"

{I will be,} I assured him, my voice still a bit raspy. {Hey...At least I don't have to fly anywhere else.}