Chapter 3
"There's something...that might give you the fresh start you're looking for."
Saturday, August 5th
Giselle sat at the rear of the water taxi, her legs crossed and hair flailing about as the wind blasted her face. Cubone stood in the seat beside her, peering over the edge of the boat into the watery depths. Under Hala's direction, their destination was Poni Island.
The Kahuna of Melemele Island also advised her to pack clothing and supplies to spend at least two weeks there, which further intrigued Giselle. What is in store for her on this island?
According to Anela, Poni Island several sacred sites that played a significant role in the development of Alola's culture. She recommended that Giselle visit any of these sites if she had the opportunity. That would wait until after Giselle completed what she came to do.
Once they arrived on Poni Island, Hala's direction was to find the Kahuna, an older man that went by the name of Sofu. Hala already reached out to him to inform him that Giselle would be visiting him today.
"Cu-bone?"
Giselle's vision came into focus as she heard Cubone's voice. She looked to her partner and saw that his gaze was fixated on the island they approached in the distance. Giselle leaned back to get a better view. Unlike Melemele Island that largely forests and greenery, Poni Island was a more barren terrain with a topography that featured many plateaus. It was clear most of the people lived on the coastline that was more friendly to plant life.
Their taxi arrived at the eastern dock of the island within ten minutes, and Giselle and Cubone disembarked with thanks to the stewardess and driver. She was among a group of eight passengers, all of which were directed to a building that overlooked the docks from the closest plateau. There they could hire a ride Pokemon to get around the island as opposed to traveling on foot.
Giselle sighed with relief as she stepped into the air-conditioned building. It wasn't often she got to feel cool air, however, such a luxury wouldn't last for long. There was a pair of attendants at the front desk that was making the arrangements for them to receive a ride Pokemon. Giselle and Cubone joined the short line, though she refrained from making small talk with the others as they waited.
"Alola!" The attendant said with a smile as he motioned for Giselle to come forward.
"Alola," Giselle said flatly, but his cheery expression didn't change.
"Welcome to Poni Island," He went on. "Where are you heading today?"
"I don't know exactly," Giselle revealed and he raised his brow. "I'm looking for the Island Kahuna, a man named Sofu."
"I see," The attendant noted with a nod. "Sofu actually lives close by. If you follow the main road heading east, you'll reach his house in about thirty minutes on foot."
"Great, thank you," Giselle said with a nod. "Let's get moving, Cubone."
And with that, the two of them were on their way. Returning to the sweltering heat, Giselle groaned. It was much hotter here than on Melemele Island, and she was sure it had to do with the lack of shade and how the rocky terrain was exuding the heat it gathered from the sun. It was no wonder they recommended that visitors travel on a ride Pokemon, otherwise the locals would find collapsed travelers all over the island. Giselle drained one of her water canteens during the walk to Sofu's home and her back was sweaty from having her backpack pressed against it.
Just as the attendant said, she found a home resting on a flat open plain. It was small, with a sizeable farm to tend to in the front yard. As Giselle and Cubone entered the property, there were two Pokemon in the back that took notice of them. A Mudsdale and a Golurk. Mudsdale flapped his lips, which caused some movement among the plants. A purple hat popped up to check on the Pokemon, and Giselle raised her brow as a very short girl stood up from among the plants. She was barely taller than the stalks of grain.
"Oh, Alola," She said with a wave to Giselle.
"Alola," Giselle replied as she approached. "I'm was told the Island Kahuna lives here, do I have the right house?"
"Yup, you got it," The girl replied. "That's my grandfather. He's inside right now…and now that I think about it, he told me someone was going to visit today. I'm Hapu, by the way."
"My name is Giselle, and this is Cubone," Giselle said to complete the introductions. Then she took a glance at Hapu to size her up. "So, are you on summer vacation too?"
Hapu shot her a narrow glance in reply.
"I'm nineteen, I graduated last year," She stated and Giselle deadpanned. Cubone didn't bother to conceal his amusement as he snickered at Giselle's expense.
"S-Sorry," Giselle replied. "I thought that…"
"It's okay, I get that a lot," Hapu replied with a sigh. She then motioned for Giselle to follow her as they went to the house.
They entered Hapu's humble abode and Giselle instantly found a small older gentleman laying on the couch in only a pair of shorts with two fans pointed at him. It took him a moment to realize that the front door opened and his eyes became wide as he saw they had guests and a woman no less.
"Grandpa!" Hapu exclaimed as she saw him begin to scramble for his shirt that rested on the floor. "Weren't you the one who said we were expecting a visit today?"
"Ah, it slipped my mind," He admitted as he pulled a t-shirt over his head. Once he was upright and settled, he grinned at Giselle. "Alola, my apologies for my appearance."
"Not to worry," Giselle replied.
"I'm sure you must have heard from Hala, my name is Sofu and this is my granddaughter, Hapu," He introduced them as he motioned for her to take a seat on the opposite sofa. "I'm the acting Kahuna of Poni Island, although Hapu here is being groomed to take on those responsibilities."
Giselle raised her eyebrows as she looked at the teenager. Sofu chuckled at her expression.
"I know, you wouldn't think she was a Kahuna considering we're in a generation where nothing but old men are the Kahunas," Sofu noted with a laugh. "You have me on Poni Island, Hala on Melemele Island, Nanu on Ula'ula Island, and that old fart Kalama on Akala Island…though I heard he's found himself a protégé."
Giselle nodded, though she was far from concerned about the identity of the other Kahunas.
"Hala didn't tell me much about what I would have to do here," Giselle changed the subject. "Are you going to shed some light on the mystery?"
"Certainly," He replied kindly. "According to Hala, he recommended that you take on the ancient trial of Vast Poni Canyon."
Hapu's large eyes grew wider at her grandfather's announcement. "No way," She exclaimed.
"Ancient trial?" Giselle repeated in question.
"I understand you're not familiar with Alolan culture. We hold something called the island challenge for our trainers to help them unite with their Pokemon and deepen their relationships. Of course, over the years, we've made adjustments to these trials," Sofu noted before he made a gesture to Giselle. "In your case, Hala recommended that you undergo the trial of Poni Island that we abolished about sixty years ago."
"Oh really, and what am I expected to do?" Giselle inquired and Sofu raised his brow.
"As the name implies, you'll be spending a great deal of time in Vast Poni Canyon. The environment is harsh there, you will have to rely upon your own knowledge and your Pokemon to survive," Sofu explained with a nod toward Cubone.
"So, it's just survival exercise?" Giselle concluded.
"Oh no, that's only the beginning," Sofu replied as he shot her a smirk. "You'll be in the canyon for at least a week. While your there, you will have to obtain three items from the Pokemon that inhabit the area. You will need a Black Belt from a Mienshao, a Hard Stone from a Boldore, and a Dragon Scale from a Hakamo-o. Once you have obtained these items, you will then have to present them to the Totem Pokemon."
"Mienshao, Boldore, and Hakamo-o," Giselle repeated the Pokemon to commit them to memory.
"Are you ready to begin?"
The next few weeks would be unlike anything she experienced before.
Vast Poni Canyon was almost blurry from the intense heat that parched the land. Once believed to be a single great plateau where the Alolan deities resided centuries before, a climactic battle ripped the plateau apart, producing dozens of chasms that established the appearance that Vast Poni Canyon was recognized for. Giselle and Cubone stood alongside Sofu and Hapu as they stood alongside the river that traveled through the heart of Vast Poni Canyon. They promised to return to the entrance of the canyon in ten days to check on her trial progress.
Sofu advised her to camp along the river and stay hydrated. The heat in Vast Poni Canyon was intense and Giselle's lips were already parched despite only being here for a few minutes. Sofu and Hapu wished them good luck and departed. It was just the two of them now.
She didn't hesitate to take a drink from one of the three canteens she brought, and she offered Cubone as well. Together they drained their first canteen, but it was a quick refill thanks to the river beside them.
"Alright, let's get started."
Since they had a source of water already, the next step was to find food. There were three levels to Vast Poni Canyon, and the river occupied the lowest level which gave them some shade to stay in as they traveled. Giselle knew that they would have to go up to the higher level at some point to get a proper lay of the land. She wasn't looking forward to baking in the sunlight.
Cubone marched in front of her, his bone resting against his shoulder.
"Well, I know you like the heat," Giselle muttered to her partner who pumped his fist eagerly.
They continued alongside the river for at least an hour before they found an incline on the rock face that they could use to ascend to the second level of the canyon. They refilled their canteens just to be safe and proceeded to the higher level. This level was mainly short caverns and overpasses that they could use to move from one canyon to the next.
Once they were situated on one of the overpasses, Giselle had an excellent view of where the river led. She began to spot other ramps and caverns that they could use to travel around Vast Poni Canyon, so she pulled out her notepad and began to sketch a map.
"Cu-Cubone!" Cubone called out as he pointed to a small pathway on the lower level that branched off from the river. A stream could be seen flowing out from the river, and Giselle's curiosity was piqued.
"Let's go," She said and they returned to the lowest level to follow the river.
When they arrived at the crevasse in the chasm walls, they followed the small stream down a soft decline. Eventually, it opened up into a small basin that was filled with vegetation unlike the other levels of the canyon. Giselle marveled as she saw several tall stalks protruding from the ground around the basin of water. Mago and lum berries hung from the stalks!
There were several Pokemon among the stalks, partaking of the berries and noisily munching away. They paid no mind to Giselle and Cubone, and they both didn't hesitate to join in. While Giselle did her best to eat modestly, Cubone devoured what he could. Giselle rolled her eyes as she found him laying on his back after a few minutes with a swollen stomach. He groaned and shivered on the ground, and Giselle could tell that he was dealing with a stomachache.
"You brought that on yourself," She muttered with a chuckle. Knowing that she would have to wait for Cubone's stomach to settle, Giselle took a seat at the edge of the water and she began to observe some of the Pokemon as they ate.
She saw all sorts of different types of Pokemon that ate together with no sort of prejudice. From the hulking Machoke to the humble Roggenrola. As she spent more time watching them, she noticed a small detail. Once they were finished eating, they would replant the seeds of the berries they ate in one of the empty areas around the basin. She furrowed her brow at the sight of this, and thankfully, it didn't take long for her to get an answer. Another Pokemon arrived at the basin, a Maractus.
She was welcomed warmly by those present and she waved back before she approached the empty plot where the berry seeds were being planted. She was standing over the soil, Maractus began to sing a delightful tune while the flowers on her head began to glow. The sunrays in the room became more pronounced before there was a brief flash of light. Then sparkling dust was released from her hands.
Maractus twirled in place, spreading the dust over the soil. It coated the ground completely before it sunk into the dirt. There was an immediate response as spouts began to break free, slowly rising and then they bloomed. Giselle's eyes grew wide. She'd never seen anything like that!
Maractus cooed as she saw the success of her work, and bide everyone a farewell. Giselle could hardly believe her eyes. Maractus must have done something to accelerate the growth of the seeds that were planted because it seemed as though those newly planted stalks appeared to be a few days away from bearing fruit. Giselle placed a finger against her chin as she thought about it. These little basins might have been the only source of food for the Pokemon of Vast Poni Canyon. If all of the Pokemon relied on them, accelerated berry growth was probably the only way to make sure everyone was well-fed.
Giselle raised her brow. What incredible creatures!
Monday, August 7th
Day three. They had a map. They had food and water. And they finally knew where they were going.
By a stroke of luck, Giselle and Cubone ran into a Mienfoo at one of the 'berry basins' and Cubone conferred with him to find out where the Mienshao lived. According to Mienfoo, their little clan lived up in the highlands on the western tip of Vast Poni Canyon. That was a full day's journey to get there.
Thankfully, they got to travel alongside the river for most of this trip, so Giselle would dunk her face in the water to cool off when needed. They found a new berry basin on the way and this one featured the enormous iapapa berries. Neither of Giselle or Cubone had tried one before, so the sourness came like a punch in the face. Their lips puckered and Cubone dropped his bone as he ran in a circle whining.
It was very sour, so she wouldn't fault him for his over-the-top reaction.
As the name implied, the highlands the highest level of the canyon and it took quite a bit of effort to reach it. Cubone spoke with many Pokemon to double-check the paths they took to make sure they ventured to the correct summit. Otherwise, they would have to go all the way back down and follow the correct pathing. A friendly Murkrow was kind enough to direct them until they reached their destination and Giselle breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a pack of Mienshao practicing under the evening sun.
"We made it," She said softly.
Cubone thanked Murkrow who gave a salute before he departed. She and Cubone were left to approach the Mienshao. A group of eight of them stood in line together practicing their kung fu forms with a dozen Mienfoo seated behind them, observing their every move. Giselle eyed the Mienshao intently as she saw the black belt that they wore around their waist. All they would have to do is challenge them for it and win!
Giselle decided to take a page out of Ash's back and boldly approached the group with Cubone.
"Mienshao, we're here to challenge you to a battle for a black belt!" She declared and Cubone pointed his bone at the group.
All the Mienshao paused as she issued her challenge. Then they turned their noses upward and continued to transition from one stance to the next. Giselle creased her brow and her nostrils flared.
"Don't ignore us!" She exclaimed. "We want to challenge you as part of the trial!"
The farthest Mienshao stepped out the line thrust his hand forward. A gust of wind was released from his hand that blast Giselle in the face to silence her. Then he fell back in line and synchronized his movements with the others.
Giselle stomped her foot, her jaws tight as she raised a fist. Cubone tapped her shin with his bone and she looked down at him. He pointed to the Mienfoo, all of which were staring at her nervously. She lowered her fist, turned, and stalked off to take some distance from the Pokemon. Cubone followed her and watched as she kicked a small stone angrily.
"What the hell is their problem?" She asked with a huff. "Why would they turn down a challenge for a battle?"
As Giselle complained, Cubone looked back to the gathering Mienshao and Mienfoo and tilted his head. Then he returned to them and took a seat beside one of the Mienfoo. He didn't even talk with them; he just sat there and watched the Mienshao.
Giselle stood with her neck craned and mouth agape when she discovered that Cubone left her. Rather than join him, she kept her distance and observed. The highlands of the canyon meant there was little to no shelter from the sun, and Giselle was cooking. They only had one canteen of water left for the trip back down to the river, so she drank conservatively. She would wipe the sweat from her brow with the small towel she brought and pull at her tank top to peel from her skin.
The Mienshao continued their practice until the sun was sinking into the horizon, and at long last, they stopped. Now they all gestured to the Mienfoo that were watching, and the group of little ones jumped to their feet. Both parties swapped positions as the Mienshao became the observes, and the Mienfoo demonstrated the forms.
Compared to the Mienshao, there was a vast difference in the level of refinement. All of the Mienfoo lacked the fluidity of their evolved form, their movements jarring and lopsided. Cubone remained seated until one of the Mienshao tapped on him on the shoulder and motioned for him to join Mienfoo in demonstrating what they learned. Cubone was surprised at first, but he didn't hesitate to join them, leaving his bone where he sat. Giselle held back her urge to giggle as Cubone was the worst out of the bunch. However, as she watched them, one Mienfoo began to stand out.
His imitation of the Mienshao was almost flawless and everyone took note. His peers marveled and his instructors clapped once he rested in the basic position. Gaining their approval, one of the Mienshao stood up and removed the black belt he wore. He gave a brief announcement before he presented the belt to the skilled Mienfoo who accepted the belt with a bow.
Giselle palmed her forehead and her chest became tight. She interrupted their lesson earlier like a complete moron! She wanted to rip her hair out and apologize, but it was clear the lessons were done of the day as the gathering of fighting type Pokemon dispersed. Cubone returned to her side and Giselle dropped down beside a boulder with her head lowered.
She should've known better…this trial wasn't going to be a test of her skill as a trainer. She came to Alola because she wanted to be tested in different ways. She clapped her hands against her cheeks and looked up to the skies.
"We're coming back tomorrow, Cubone," She declared, and her Pokemon smirked proudly.
They returned bright and early the next morning. As soon as the Mienshao gathered, Giselle approached them to bow and offer an apology. The group shared a glance and nodded before they motioned for her to take a seat alongside the other students. Together, she, Cubone, and the Mienfoo watched as the Mienshao demonstrated their forms for hours.
At lunchtime, their positions swapped. Giselle and Cubone were allowed to show what they learned. One of the Mienshao offered them additional guidance, correcting their stances and helping them position their arms and feet correctly. Despite the help, Giselle made little progress on their first day and that trend continued over the next few days.
For all her poise and composure, Giselle wasn't very coordinated. While Cubone began to grasp the lessons and make the needed adjustments to improve, Giselle was still trapped on the basics of each. There were five basic stances that they were taught and while Giselle was able to hold each stance, transitioning between them is where she struggled. She fell flat on her butt and face more times than Cubone could count, but she didn't give up. That's what he admired most about her…
After a week and a half, Giselle was finally invited to demonstrate alongside the Mienfoo. However, she fell during her first demonstration. And her second…and her third. Even as the number of bruises on her skin increased, she didn't lose her heart.
She would practice late into the night on her own, and of course, Cubone would join her. Sleeping on the highlands meant the moonlight shined down on them with no obstructions. They practiced and practiced until…
Giselle stood before the Mienshao in the rest position, her knees bent, back straight, and feet flat. She angled her feet, shifted her weight, and lowered her arms into her first stance. Then she turned and lowered her center of gravity to extend one leg beside her. She kept one arm tucked against her side and the other crossed in front of her chest for her second stance.
Next came what she considered the most difficult transition for the third stance. She brought her back leg around to squat on one leg while the other was crossed in front. Again, she kept one arm against her body while the other was fully extended in a punch. For her transition to the fourth stance, she was tasked with balancing on one leg again as she shifted her weight to bring her back foot forward. Her posture remained low with her back bent and as she waved her arms through the air. One arm was now crossed in front of her chest while the other remained extended with her palm showing as the final stance.
She raised her arms and turned her feet forward as she returned to the rest position where she exhaled. Giselle looked to the Mienshao, and they motioned for her to do it again. She bit down on her lower lip and proceeded.
Cubone watched as she did it perfectly three times!
'You did it!'
Giselle heard a small voice cry out and she looked around in search of it. She only had a moment to look before the Mienfoo began to cheer and their evolved forms clapped for her, each earing a proud smile. She and Cubone were presented with their black belts together, though Cubone wouldn't share with her that he actually passed the trial days prior.
They celebrated that night, proudly wearing their newly acquired belts. Cubone tied it around his waist as he posed, and Giselle decided to tie her own around his skull.
Saturday, August 19th
"Giselle!"
"We finally found you!"
The day after they obtained their black belts, Giselle and Cubone were greeted by a trio of visitors. Sofu and Hapu were seated on the shoulders of Sofu's Golurk. Golurk extended his legs from his upper body as he came in for a landing on the highlands where Giselle and Cubone spend the night.
"You never came to the meeting spot last week!" Hapu exclaimed as Golurk kneeled for both her and her grandfather to jump down to the ground. "We were worried so we searched the canyon for you."
Giselle's eyes grew wide as she realized that she'd forgotten all about meeting with Sofu and Hapu to provide a progress report. Her heart sank as she realized they must have been scouring the canyon for days searching for them.
"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. "We've been up here with the Mienshao since last week. I completely forgot to come to meet you guys."
Sofu chuckled as he saw the black belts that Cubone wore around his waist and head. "I see that your first trial went well."
Giselle and Cubone gave him a nod together.
"Excellent," He remarked. "And how have you been handling the environment?"
"It's been tough," Giselle replied with a sigh. "But we're managing."
"I didn't think you would spend this much time in Vast Poni Canyon, so we'll give you a bit of help on the remaining trials," Sofu noted as he motioned for Giselle to approach Golurk.
They took her up into the skies, and Sofu pointed out the areas of the two trials they had to do. From the skies above, Giselle realized how little of Vast Poni Canyon they had actually seen so far. Despite the two and half days of exploring they did, they only managed to cover perhaps a quarter of Vast Poni Canyon. What she saw so far was fascinating, and she couldn't wait to see what else was in store for them.
Giselle did a rough sketch of the rest of the canyon, to create a pathway that would take her to the caverns where Boldore resided, as well as the den of Hakamo-o. Once her sketch was complete, Sofu returned her to the highlands where Cubone and Hapu were waiting for them.
"So, Giselle," Sofu began as they all stood together. "Let me ask you a question."
"Sure, go ahead."
"What did you learn from Mienshao?"
Giselle pursed her lips as she thought carefully about her reply. "I learned that I can't address every problem with the same approach," She answered.
Sofu smiled and raised his brow.
"It took me a little while to realize that, and I was kind of rude as a result," Giselle went on with a small laugh. "But I'm trying to keep my mind open going forward."
With that, Sofu and Hapu departed.
Sunday, August 20th
It took a full day to reach their second trial.
The caverns where Boldore and many other rock type Pokemon lived was situated near the center of Vast Poni Canyon on the middle level. If there was one thing Giselle didn't enjoy, it was traveling through the caves. The air was heavy and humid in there during the day, but they had no choice if they wanted to meet with a Boldore.
Up until this point, they managed to avoid spending an extended period of time in the caverns of Vast Poni Canyon. Their very first exploration of one of the caverns was met by a pack of Golbat screeching their lungs out as they fluttered around Giselle and Cubone, chasing them back outside. Since then, Giselle didn't have much interest in exploring the caverns, but she wouldn't let some ill-tempered Golbat stop her.
They arrived at the entrance to Boldore's cavern and Giselle gave a nod to Cubone. A small test they did before traveling through any of these caves was to have Cubone thwack the wall with his bone. It would produce an echo throughout the cave that would earn a response from the Pokemon dwelling within. Thankfully, this cavern didn't garner any such response from a Pokemon. Only the echo of Cubone's bone meeting the wall.
They ventured in. Sunrays pierced through the darkness of the cave from the skylights above, providing dim lighting for them to see. Aside from their footsteps, it was totally silent and that caused Giselle's skin to crawl. Hopefully, the only inhabitants of this cavern were the Boldore, but Giselle's imagination ran wild as she considered the possibility of a sleeping giant waiting for them somewhere in the depths of this cave.
"Cu," Cubone stated as he raised his bone with one hand and tapped his tiny chest with the other. "Cu-bone, bone!"
Giselle smiled, gave him a nod of thanks and they pressed onward. After several minutes heading down a decline, Giselle began to notice rocks that had orange crystals protruding from them. She and Cubone stopped to investigate and they admired how the crystals sparkled before they continued.
Soon enough, they arrived at Boldore's nest. In this closed environment, the air was especially stale. There was no activity in this room and Giselle furrowed her brow. According to Sofu, there should've been multiple Boldore burrowing through the cavern floor but nothing was happening.
"Did we go in the wrong cavern?" Giselle wondered out loud.
Cubone approached one of the stones decorated with orange crystals and poked at it with the tip of his bone. He heard a groan in reply and tilted his head. Cubone poked at the rock and it shifted. He jumped back and called for Giselle to come to see as the 'pile of rocks' began to move.
"Bol," It grunted. "Bol-dore."
Giselle and Cubone circled Boldore to examine its form. "This is Boldore?"
There was a grumble in reply and Giselle nearly jumped out of her skin as the pile of rocks in front of her slid to the left. She struggled to find a face on Boldore, though perhaps it didn't have one. Or if it did, she couldn't see it in the dim lighting of the cavern.
"Boldore," Giselle began as she kneeled in front of it, or behind it…she couldn't tell. "We're taking the trial of Vast Poni Canyon. We were told to come here to get a Hard Stone from you. Can you help us?"
There was no movement from Boldore. It remained completely still despite her question. They waited for upwards of thirty seconds before Giselle looked to Cubone.
"What do you think we should do?" Giselle asked her partner. Cubone tilted his head and he poked at Boldore using his bone. There was still no response, so he shrugged his shoulders. Then he went to the edge of the room and dropped down onto his bottom. Giselle tilted her head, realizing that he did the same thing when they first encountered the clan of Mienshao.
Her initial thought was to challenge Mienshao to a battle to get a black belt. Of course, that wasn't the answer and it only took a few minutes of watching Mienshao to realize what they had to do. They would apply that same line of thinking here through observation.
However, Giselle soon realized that she wouldn't be getting an answer any time soon. They watched Boldore together for ten minutes, and it remained completely still. Twenty minutes went by and boredom crept in. Their first canteen was empty after the first hour. The second hour they decided to practice the forms that they learned from Mienshao, but the exercise made them drink more water which they had a limited supply of. So…they sat and waited.
Two hours in a dimly lit cavern. Giselle spent the time counting the other orange crystals that she could see around the room. There were nineteen in total, all of them likely connected to one of these unresponsive Boldore. She swayed her head back and forth, unable to think of something of interest to pass the time and Cubone took note. He placed his most prized possession on her lap.
Giselle furrowed her brow as she took a hold of his club and then raised her brow as she lifted it. His bone club was a lot heavier than she imagined…the size of it was misleading.
"And you can lift this no problem," Giselle noted as she tested its weight. It wasn't a balanced weapon since one end of the diaphysis grew thin so that Cubone's small hands could grip the bone, while the other end had a full epiphysis that carried most of the weight. "Why are…why are you letting me hold it?"
On a few occasions, Cubone would put his club down, but he would never allow someone else to hold it. Whether he was eating or sleeping, it was attached to him. And yet, he gave it to her without a second thought. She looked to Cubone and saw a shimmer in his eyes.
'I trust you with it…'
She heard a faint voice speak and she looked around the cave. Was there another person here?
"Did you hear that?" Giselle asked Cubone and he tilted his head.
"Bone…" He muttered and shook his head.
Cubone's bone club provided a few minutes of mild intrigue before the boredom took over again. After three hours, it reached a point where Giselle and Cubone were resting on their backs, side by side, staring up at the ceiling. They counted the number of skylights until a rumble caused Cubone to perk up. Giselle waved off the noise as nothing more than a few rocks falling over, however, a faint orange glow forced her to sit upright.
The orange crystals on one of the Boldore began to glow, lighting the area around it. This particular Boldore began to move, using its makeshift appendages like a pickaxe. As they watched, the crystals of other Boldore's began to glow and they too awakened. Even the one Boldore that they disturbed when they first arrived was hard at work, though Giselle didn't understand what they were doing.
The commotion only lasted about fifteen minutes before Boldore's crystals began to dim. They flickered and one by one, the Boldore's returned to their slumber. There was only one of them that was still moving, and it approached Giselle and Cubone.
As she looked down at Boldore, she saw that there was a stone on its back that was a different color from the stones that composed Boldore's body. This stone was gray and almost reflecting the light around it. Boldore grunted, which caused Cubone to give Giselle a nudge before he pointed to the stone that she noticed.
"Is this…a Hard Stone?" She inquired and Cubone nodded. "Thank you."
She accepted the item from Boldore and the light from its crystals faded completely. Giselle tilted her head as she looked at the statue like Pokemon.
"So, is that that?" Giselle asked. "All we had to do was wait?"
There was no response from Boldore. Giselle exhaled and shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't wait another three hours for an answer. They didn't have enough water to stay in this cavern without getting dehydrated.
"Well, I guess we keep going…we can't stay," Giselle noted. Cubone agreed and in an anticlimactic fashion, the second part of their trial was complete.
Tuesday, August 22nd
They spent the night in the first berry basin that they found along the river. This one produced bluk berries, a dark and sweet berry that Cubone adored and it came with an odd effect.
Giselle was confused when Cubone couldn't stop laughing at first, but when she demanded an explanation, Cubone held up one of the berries and stuck out his blackened tongue to show her. She went to the small watering hole of the berry basin and looked at her reflection in the water.
"It was the berries…" Giselle stuck on his tongue and she saw that it was black. She grimaced at first, but after a quick inspection, she could see the humor in it.
From the bluk berry basin, their journey to Hakamo-o's den began. Based on the map she made with the help of Sofu, their newest destination was located at the northern end of Vast Poni Canyon. Giselle calculated that it would take about a day and a half to cover the distance, so once their canteens were full, their travels continued.
The first day came and went as they traveled alongside the river, discovering a pair of berry basins along the way. They stopped at one for lunch and, though their stay became slightly longer than planned. The grass of the berry basin provided a soft location for them to sleep, and Giselle succumbed to the temptation of a 'quick' nap. A flock of Murkrow descended into the basin early in the afternoon and their constant chatter served as a wake-up call for Giselle and Cubone. Once they refilled their water supply, they went on their way. The second basin they found was where they stopped for the night and they resumed their trek at the crack of dawn.
Hakamo-o's den was located in the highlands like the Mienshao clan, so the second day was dedicated to traversing the caves and overpasses that would take them to the top. At long last, around midday, they arrived at the windy highlands where they found a group of Jangmo-o wrestling under the supervision of a Hakamo-o. Their scaly exterior gave Giselle a chill, and their sharp eyes didn't help her find any sort of appreciation for the small Pokemon. At the sight of her and Cubone, their contest came to an abrupt end and they all went dashing for cover in a nearby rock formation.
"That must be it," Giselle noted as she looked to Cubone. They shared a nod and proceeded into the formation where they found a small plateau at the center of it. The Jangmo-o were huddled around several Hakamo-o that previously slept on the elevated area, but now awake due to the disturbance, they shot leers at Giselle and Cubone. The duo stood their ground and Giselle opened her mouth to speak. "We're here as part of a trial. We need a Dragon Scale."
Their demeanor relaxed as she made her announcement and it triggered the appearance of the biggest Hakamo-o. The rest of the Hakamo-o were about half of Giselle's height, however, this particular one almost rivaled her. He shouted at the others to leave the platform, and then he beckoned for Giselle and Cubone to join him on it.
It was a battlefield.
"Is this part of the trial…a battle?" Giselle inquired as Cubone climbed onto the field. Hakamo-o threw his head back and roared, a signal for the others to gather at the perimeter of the battleground. Cubone twirled his bone in one hand with a glint in his eyes.
"Cu-bone!" He shouted in return, ready to begin.
There was no communication to mark the start of their battle. Hakamo-o initiated the battle as he dragged the claws of his left hand against the scales on his right arm. The action ignited them in a green aura before he rushed forward to attack with Dragon Claw.
"Cubone, defend with Bone Rush!" Giselle called in reply. Cubone held his club out and it burned blow before it doubled in length to become a two-handed weapon. Even though Hakamo-o was significantly taller and stronger than Cubone, the smaller Pokemon dug one end of his bone into the ground while he used the other parry away Hakamo-o's strikes. This provided the leverage he needed to stay on his feet and not get tossed aside.
Hakamo-o attacked four times with his Dragon Claw before he saw what Cubone was doing to negate his advantage in strength. He smirked and jumped away from Cubone before he roared again. Hakamo-o then dropped to his knees and began to pound the ground, his body gaining a red aura that sent a chill down Giselle's back.
"He's using Work Up, Cubone," Giselle noted after a quick observation of Hakamo-o's odd behavior. "We can attack him right now, use Iron Head!"
Cubone's bone club returned to its usual length while silver energy coalesced at the front of his skull that became a jagged pattern. Cubone rushed forward and as he came close to Hakamo-o, he lowered his head and lunged at his target. Hakamo-o stood upright and summoned a second Dragon Claw attack to meet Cubone's Iron Head, and Giselle cringed as the two attacks met. Cubone screamed as he was sent flying off the field, head first it one of the large rocks at the edge of the formation.
His collision with it left a web of cracks across the surface before he slumped to the ground. However, Cubone wasn't the only one who was hurt. Hakamo-o shook his attacking hand furiously since it went numb from the impact with Cubone's Iron Head. Even with all of his protective scales, the damage still came through.
"Cubone! Are you okay?" Giselle asked as she ran to approach Cubone. He was already getting back to his feet by the time she got close to him, though he wobbled from side to side.
"Ha-ka-mo!" Hakamo-o roared, causing both Giselle and Cubone to look back at him. He pointed to the field as an invitation for Cubone to resume the battle.
"You have to be careful, Cubone," Giselle said to him. "Trading hits with Hakamo-o isn't a good idea."
"Cu-bone-bone," Cubone stated in reply as his eyes regained their focus. "Don't worry."
Giselle looked to Cubone as she heard a small voice that resembled his. Was that…Cubone?
They returned to the field and Cubone held up his bone to challenge Hakamo-o. The dragon Pokemon put on a devilish grin before pupils vanished behind an ominous red glow. The aura that surrounded Hakamo-o from his use of Work Up became several shades darker and it began to crackle violently. Giselle took a tentative step back as she recognized this move as Outrage. She'd seen it once before during a battle at the Hidden Cove. A Primeape used it and his already terrifying attack strength fueled his rampage on the field.
"Cubone," Giselle began and that faint voice spoke to her again.
"Just trust me…"
Cubone lowered his bone and spread his feet apart in the rest position that they learned from the Mienshao. The air around him wavered for a moment, and Giselle caught sight of a white glow around Cubone. It was difficult to spot under the sunlight, but she knew what he was doing. Their newly developed Focus Energy. A move designed to draw out all of Cubone's strength for one attack.
"You want to face Outrage…head-on," Giselle concluded as she studied her small companion. Her statement was taken for its exact words as Cubone then summoned his Iron Head once again.
Cubone made eye contact with his opponent, unfazed the state of Hakamo-o's eyes. They shared a nod and Giselle knew that there was no going back.
"Alright Cubone," She stated as she took up the same stance as him. "If this is the way you want to do this, then let's not hold anything back."
Cubone looked back at her and smiled. "Together!"
Hakamo-o roared once before he rushed forward and Cubone did the same.
Cubone lunged at his opponent, his lowered and poised to strike. Hakamo-o used his shoulder to create the point of contact, and the energy that surrounded both Pokemon sparked as they met. They battled for dominance and Hakamo-o's eyes grew wide as he saw that this small Pokemon was far larger than he appeared to be!
"I have my trainer with me!"
The conflicting energies ignited and it resulted in an explosion between them. Both Hakamo-o and Cubone were sent flying from their point of contact, and while Hakamo-o was able to land on his feet, Cubone hit the ground and eventually came skidding to a halt. Giselle rushed to his side and kneeled to inspect him. He was unconscious as he laid on his back, but the skull that adorned his head was unscathed from the impact with Hakamo-o's Outrage.
As much as she wanted to berate Cubone for his boneheaded choice of facing Hakamo-o's Outrage, Giselle only sighed and lowered her shoulders. She heard some footsteps approaching and she glanced over her shoulder. Hakamo-o was coming their way, but he stopped for a moment and kneeled to pick up something from the battlefield. It reflected the sunlight for a moment before he concealed it within the palm of his hand. Then he came close to Giselle and Cubone and extended his hand toward her.
When he opened it, Giselle saw that it was one of his scales.
"Is this a Dragon Scale?" Giselle inquired, and Hakamo-o gave a nod. "For us?"
Hakamo-o set the item down in her hand, and Hakamo-o then pointed to his left shoulder which he used to combat Cubone's Iron Head. There was a noticeable gap in the scales that covered his shoulder, and she realized that this must have been dislodged from the exchange of attacks. Even though Cubone was left unconscious, his Iron Head was nothing to take lightly.
Slowly but surely, they were making progress.
Cubone awoke a few minutes later and Giselle proudly showed him the Dragon Scale that he managed to knock off of Hakamo-o's shoulder. Now that they obtained the Black Belt, Hard Stone, and Dragon Scale, Giselle openly wondered what they had to do next. Was their battle with Hakamo-o the conclusion of the trial? It didn't quite feel like the end of it.
Thankfully, Hakamo-o heard her question and the dragon Pokemon led Giselle and Cubone to the edge of the highlands where he lived. From there, he pointed out another plateau in the distance that was different from all the others. This plateau was shaped by humans, who built what appeared to be some sort of ceremonial site. There was a particularly tall rockface at the end of the site with a design carved into it, though Giselle couldn't see any of the details from her current location.
"Is that where we have to go next?" Giselle asked Hakamo-o and he gave them a nod.
Thursday, August 24th
Getting to that ceremonial site was harder than Giselle thought. What seemed like a distance they could cover in two or three hours, turned into two full days of scouring the lowest level of Vast Poni Canyon. According to a group of Dugtrio they met in a berry basin, there was a special pathway they had to follow from the depths of Vast Poni Canyon to reach the location Hakamo-o showed them. With some help from the local Pokemon along the way, Giselle and Cubone found the entrance to the cavern that would take them to the heart of the canyon.
The path through the caves was direct, and Giselle noticed that the Pokemon they passed would stop to watch them. Golbat hanging from the ceiling would open their eyes wide and Carbink would pop their little heads out of the ground. As they neared the exit of the cavern, there was a delightful breeze that began to pass through as a reward for their trip. Cubone paused and raised his arms, allowing the wind to embrace him completely, and Giselle smiled before she did the same.
Daylight blinded them once they stepped outside, but when her vision finally cleared, Giselle gasped at what sat in front of her. The stairway she saw from Hakamo-o den was truly massive as it towered over them, and the ceremonial site waited for them at the top.
"Well…we did it, Cubone," Giselle said with a nod to her partner. "You ready?"
"Cu-bone!" He declared, lifting his club over his head.
They ascended the stairway and despite the sun beating down on them from above, the breeze they felt in the cavern grew more intense the higher they got. When they arrived at the summit, Giselle took a moment to rub her eyes to make sure they weren't playing any tricks on her.
Sofu, Hapu, and their Golurk were waiting for her at the top of the stairway.
"Ah, she has arrived," Sofu remarked.
Hapu approached them and kneeled first to congratulate Cubone, and then she beamed up at Giselle.
"Great job, Giselle!" She declared.
"Wha…What are you guys doing here?" Giselle exclaimed.
"Word travels quickly around Vast Poni Canyon when there is a special visitor," Sofu replied. "A Murkrow came to our house yesterday to tell us you were making your way to the final step of the trial. So, we came to see you."
Giselle pursed her lips as Sofu invited her to take a look at the ceremonial site alongside him.
"This altar was built by Alola's people centuries ago," Sofu began with a gesture to the incredible stone monument at the far end of the site. "The people of Poni Island gather once a month to take care of this altar and preserve it."
"Why was it built?" Giselle inquired.
"Throughout Alola, there is a natural energy that exists in all things…centuries ago, we learned how to wield that power by developing bonds with Pokemon. The trial you took part in with your Cubone was an ancient one that was designed to bring trainers and Pokemon together by surviving the rigors of this environment and learning from the Pokemon that live here," Sofu continued. "Once they complete the trial, they would travel to the altar and present their bond to the guardian deities who would then teach them how to wield Alola's natural energy."
"So, by completing this trial, Cubone and I can meet these deities to get stronger?" Giselle asked as her hands began to tremble at such a prospect.
"Unfortunately, the guardians no longer take part in this ceremony. The Island Kahunas were given this responsibility, and while you may have passed this ancient trial, you still aren't ready to take the next step," Sofu stated and Giselle felt her chest grow tight.
"Wait…wh-what do you mean?" Giselle stammered. "We finished the trial! How can we not be ready?"
"Can you tell me what you've learned from each part of the trial?" Sofu asked her.
Giselle looked down as she recalled each lesson. "Mienshao taught us to be open to new or different ideas. When we battled Hakamo-o, I realized that I needed to trust Cubone's decision making, and…" She paused and bit down on her lower lip. She still didn't understand Boldore's lesson.
"What did Boldore teach you?" Sofu asked again.
"I…I don't know!" She admitted, her hands clenched into fists. "But we passed! Why can't we try out the final part of the trial?"
Sofu frowned before he posed his next question. "Would you like to proceed?"
Giselle furrowed her brow. "Huh?"
"I didn't come here to stop your trial. I came to share my opinion as a warning of what could take place during the final step," Sofu said before he made a gesture to a dark figure that rested at the center of the ceremonial site. "Noivern is the current Totem Pokemon that will evaluate the bond between you and Cubone. I think she has been waiting here for you since you entered Vast Poni Canyon, so she might be hungry."
Sofu nodded to Hapu who fetched their bag from the small camp they made at the edge of the site. Haku returned with the bag opened it to reveal a plethora of berries within it.
"Present these to her first," Hapu stated as she placed the bag in Giselle's hands. "Then present the items you collected from each trial."
Giselle gave them each one last look before she and Cubone ventured to the center of the ceremonial site. There were patches of grass that sprouted through the cracks in the stone slabs, and there were stone pillars with either a crescent moon or the blazing sun resting at the top of them. Noivern slept soundly on her side even as Giselle and Cubone came close to her. Giselle turned the bag on its side and allowed the berries to spill out into a pile before she and Cubone stepped back and kneeled.
"Noivern," Giselle began as she removed her own backpack to take out the items they acquired. "Cubone and I have finished the first three parts of the canyon trial and we would like you to judge our progress."
As Giselle set down the Black Belt, Hard Stone, and Dragon Scale in front of herself and Cubone, Noivern opened one of her eyes to study them. Giselle felt a chill as Noivern's pupil-less eyes shifted from her to Cubone repeatedly, but then as she looked to the berries, Noivern sat upright and began to eat.
Giselle waited quietly, though her skin would crawl as Noivern would look to them occasionally. She assumed that Noivern was evaluating them while she ate, but what could she discern about their bond while they sat there? Noivern placed the final pecha berry she held into her mouth and licked her small fingertips before she set her sights on Cubone. She raised one of her wings and it glowed white which caused Giselle's eyes to grow wide.
A blade of wind went crashing into Cubone that sent him tumbling away.
"Cubone!" Giselle shouted as she jumped to her feet, but as she took a step toward her downed partner, another blade of wind crashed against the ground in front of her. It sliced through the rocky surface they stood on, and Giselle felt her blood turn cold at the prospect of that hitting her. Her head snapped back to Noivern and she saw that the Totem Pokemon wore an intense stare that held her in place.
Noivern rose to her feet and approached the three items that Giselle set before her. She reached down for the Dragon Scale and Black Belts and held them tightly. Then she turned away from Giselle and returned to her resting spot in front of the alter.
Only the Hard Stone remained.
It didn't take Giselle more than a moment to realize that they failed the ancient trial of Vast Poni Canyon.
Ho'omau - Carry On
A/N
This was a big chapter. The ancient trial became a lot longer than I thought it would be based on the outlines I wrote. But I'm quite happy with the final product.
I hope you all enjoyed it so far. I think Alola is my favorite region next to Sinnoh. And speaking of Sinnoh, my hype for Legends Arceus is real! As a fan of Sinnoh, I was over the moon after hearing about the remakes of DP, then I hear there ANOTHER Sinnoh game on top of those. Oh lord, someone at GameFreak was thinking of me!
Have a great day everyone, see you at the next update!