Alola, everyone! We're back with the 70th chapter of "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! I'm still amazed that we've made it this far in the story.

And as of now, we're about to start the Alola League Arc! Last time we left off, preparations were being put into place, and now the opening ceremonies are about to commence as everyone's gathered at Manalo Stadium. But surprisingly, it looks like Guzma and Plumeria are joining in on the tournament! So let's go ahead and see where that leads, shall we?

POKÉMON SUN & MOON

THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME

"Those are the guys from Team Skull, huh?" Leslie assumed upon seeing Guzma and Plumeria.

"Yeah…" Rotom answered. It looked over and flinched with fright to see Pikachu's cheeks sparking wildly as he glared at the pair of new arrivals. Though his anger paled in comparison to the expressions upon Ash and Mirajane's faces.

"Guzma…" Calvin uttered again.

"Hey, quit gawking already," Plumeria insisted, chiming into the conversation, "We get it, you're not exactly cool with us…" she muttered.

"That's one way to put it…" Erika grumbled in response.

"What are you two doing here?" Kukui asked, taking on a serious expression as he walked up to Guzma and Plumeria, "I'd think after what happened with you in the Ultra Wormhole, you'd wanna stay out of anything like this…" he noted to the Team Skull boss. The tension between the two was quite apparent, and everyone could see it. After a moment, Guzma exhaled a sigh as he stepped forward. He reached into his pocket, pulling out what looked be a passport.

"I'm registered for the damn league," he said, opening the booklet to reveal the stamps inside, having one for each of the four Alolan islands. The professor blinked in surprise. "I don't remember there being a lot of people finishing the island challenge up 'til this year," the former Team Skull boss pointed out, "And those that did before then didn't have anything else to do other than get the chance to be trial captains," he mentioned, "Something you and I didn't get the chance to do…" he added, narrowing his eyes onto Kukui. Another moment of tense silence passed.

"I'm in, too," Plumeria mentioned, reaching into her pants' pocket, "Though, in a different way…" she noted on, taking out a badge case and popping it open to reveal eight badges inside. Ash blinked in surprise, noticing a few ones in particular, "As long they haven't been registered for another league, these are good, right?" she asked of the professor, getting his attention.

"Yeah, they're fine," he answered, "Same with your stamps, Guzma," he mentioned to the former Team Skull boss.

"Hm," he scoffed, starting to walk past the professor, "You know, you could be in this thing too if you wanted…" he pointed out, "So why not?" he asked curiously.

"…It's the same reason I didn't wanna be a trial captain," Kukui replied, "There're others better suited to guide than me," he told his old friend.

"Heh," Guzma chuckled, "You always were such a stuck-up guy…" he grumbled out as he walked off.

"Hey, Guzma!" Calvin suddenly called out, making him stop as he glanced back at the Ketchum boy, seeing the determined look upon his face as his fists were clenched.

"Hm," he scoffed again, "I'm gonna beat you this time, kid," he vowed firmly, "And it'll be an even match for us," he added, "No help, no friends, or any kind of dumb crap to get in the way," he listed off, "I'll still be the best trainer I can be without any damn Z-Power…" he declared on.

"Well, I'm not gonna lose," Calvin proclaimed in response, "So you better watch out…" he remarked, much to the former Team Skull leader's surprise as he blinked. However, he cracked a smirk.

"Lookin' forward to it," he remarked, waving as he walked off.

"Guess that means you're probably looking for another match with me, huh?" Plumeria assumed of Erika, getting her attention as she blinked in surprise, turning to face her.

"Uh, yeah!" she responded, balling her hands into fists, "Just because we're not enemies anymore, it doesn't mean I don't owe you payback for what you did to Lillie and my other friends!" she pointed out additionally.

"Hm," the former Team Skull admin chuckled, "I like that you're motivated," she noted before heading off, "Make sure you stay that way before we're matched up," she advised, waving goodbye.

"Y-You bet I will!" Erika stuttered back in response, "Huh…" she groaned out afterwards.

"Are you okay, Erika?" Rotom asked out of concern as it floated over, "You look a bit nervouzzz, zzt…" it pointed out.

"Well… kinda…" its user admitted as a reply, "It's weird talking to anyone from Team Skull knowing that they're not really a thing anymore…" she noted.

"Still, it's a good thing Mom and Dad kept their composure…" Leslie chimed in, walking over to her little sister, "I don't think they'd go ten more seconds without shouting…" she mentioned, nervously looking back at their parents to see them both exhale deep breaths.

"You two good?" Kukui asked as he came over.

"Yes, thank you…" Mirajane replied, "Honestly, we should've had better control over our emotions…" she admitted.

"Peekah…" Pikachu huffed as he cheeks still sparked a little.

"It's okay, Pikachu," his trainer assured, petting his head gently, "I don't think they're gonna be causing the twins any trouble," he said, "At least, not outside of a battle…" he added in correction.

"Well, there's no point in dwelling on everything," Kukui noted, putting his hands onto his hips, "The Lanakila Conference begins tomorrow!" he pointed out excitedly, looking at the several stadiums ahead, including the one at the very peak, "I'm looking forward to some hot battles that'll warm this mountaintop up!" he declared, looking back at Calvin and Erika with a big grin. They smiled back, determined to emerge victorious themselves.

OPENING

Insert "Rise Above" by Rainych

Opens with the sun dawning over Mount Lanakila. In spite of its freezing air, Calvin and Erika stand firm alongside their full teams of Pokémon as the wind rushes by. Near the base of the mountain is the site of what will be Alola's first ever Pokémon League, where Kukui stands with an excited grin on his face.

A rainbow of flower petals washes over the logo as we cut to Calvin lamenting on the boardwalk of the Seafolk Village, sitting alone and wondering if he can really take on the rest of the island challenge. At the same time, Erika is lying on her bed upon her side, thinking about the exact same thing. They both clench their fists determinedly, ready to see things through.

We cut to Calvin flying aboard a Charizard, while Erika's aboard a Pelipper. They fly throughout each of Alola's islands, smiling all the while. They see Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Acerola, Mina, Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu along the way as they arrive at the Pokémon League.

There, they're greeted by their parents and their big sister, who encourage them as they enter through the doors into the stadium. Inside, they find Hau, Pyrrha, Paige, Trent, and Gladion there. Others like Ryuki, Plumeria, and even Guzma are present. The Ketchum twins both grin excitedly, prepared to engage in some amazing battles.

The scene changes to Calvin commanding his Toucannon to use Beak Blast to take down a Machoke, while Erika has her Lurantis use X-Scissor to down an opponent's Bisharp. Hau's Decidueye goes up against Gladion and Silvally. The Synthetic Pokémon evades his foe's arrow quills before landing a powerful Fire-type Multi-Attack. Decidueye endures it, while Hau prepares a green Z-Crystal with a symbol similar to his partner, cracking a smirk.

We cut to Paige revealing a Key Stone around her neck as she uses it to Mega Evolve her Blaziken, who speeds out to attack Pyrrha's Typhlosion with a Blaze Kick. He counters by using Flamethrower. In the meantime, Trent commands his Alolan Ninetales to use Blizzard on Ryuki's Turtonator. The Blast Turtle Pokémon endures the freezing winds, unleashing a Flamethrower that appears to engulf his foe.

Calvin and Erika are then facing off, with Incineroar and Primarina battling for them. The two collide via a Flare Blitz/Aqua Jet, resulting in a powerful blast. As it clears, we witness Lycanroc slamming his clenched paws against the ground for a Stone Edge aimed to take down Araquanid. However, the Water Bubble Pokémon blasts the incoming stone pillars apart with Liquidation. Oricorio in her Baile Style comes out to unleash the searing fireball of a Revelation Dance toward Toucannon, who endures the attack and retaliates with Hyper Voice.

As the dust settles, we see Lurantis enduring Trop Kicks from Tsareena, gathering sunlight to unleash a Solar Blade onto the Fruit Pokémon. Mimi comes out from the dust, unleashing Shadow Claws onto Starbright, who endures them. She then strikes back with a Meteor Mash, merely busting the costume of the Disguise Pokémon as she chases after her opponent. Finally, we have Marowak using Shadow Bone to bash the incoming icicles of Sandslash, who dives down at him with an Iron Head.

The dust clears again, revealing the Ketchum twins staring at each other confidently with their teams. They're prepared for whatever else is ahead for them as they stand outside the stadium as the sun sets…

END OPENING

Where the Sun Finally Shines

"Hey!" a voice called out, getting Calvin and Erika's attentions as they turned and smiled to see Mallow waving to them, walking alongside Lana and Kiawe. The former of the trial captains ran over to the twins. "So you got yourselves registered for the tournament too, huh?" she guessed with a smile.

"Yep!" the Ketchum girl responded.

"And are you guys gonna be competing, too?" her brother inquired.

"Of course," Kiawe answered, "As trial captains, we had to complete the island challenge ourselves before being eligible to become captains," he explained to them.

"And Professor Kukui mentioned that the others have the opportunity to compete as well," Lana mentioned.

"Wow, that's awesome!" Erika noted excitedly, "I can only imagine how many trainers from each of the islands we've been to are gonna be here…" she added, closing her eyes in thought.

"Registration's closed, so we'll find out tomorrow during the opening ceremonies," the Water-type trial captain pointed out.

"Hope you're ready for some really spicy battles!" Mallow remarked to the Ketchum twins, "We're giving it our all to be Alola's first champion!" she added with a pump of her fist.

"We'll give it our all, too," Calvin declared for himself and his sister, who nodded. It wasn't long before the two went over to the registration hall to receive their room keys for the lodgings they would be staying at. Erika rubbed her nose a little as she shivered.

"AHCHOO!" she suddenly sneezed, causing both Calvin and Rotom to flinch, "Ugh…" she groaned out.

"Are you okay, Erika?" her Pokédex asked in concern, hearing her sniffle as she rubbed her nose.

"Yeah… it's just really cold…" she grumbled as a response, "I wish I wasn't dressed for summer weather…" she added with another shiver.

"I bet Professor Kukui would say that the battles around here would warm you up in no time!" Calvin remarked with a laugh, causing his twin sister to smile a little.

"Yeah, he'd definitely go and say that…" she agreed, "Anyways, it looks like we're about to split," she pointed out.

"Huh?" her brother uttered in confusion.

"We're not roomed together," Erika noted to him, "In fact, we're not even in the same building," she mentioned. Blinking out of surprise, Calvin looked at his room keycard, which was labeled '6-129'.

"Oh, you're right," he realized, "I'm a little further down…" he concluded, letting off a sheepish chuckle.

"Calvin," his twin sister said, holding out her left fist to him, "let's both give it our all," she insisted to his surprise. However, he smiled.

"Yeah," he agreed, bumping his fist against hers. They waved goodbye to each other before Erika ventured into her lodgings, seeing quite a few trainers already gathered there. A couple were with Pokémon that she didn't recognize, much to her surprise as her eyes shimmered a little.

"Erika, watch where you're going, zzt," Rotom warned.

"Yeah, yeah…" she grumbled repeatedly in surprise, making sure to look in direction she was going. She then blinked in surprise and smiled to see a familiar face ahead. "Pyrrha!" she called out in greeting, getting the attention of the red-and-yellow-haired girl, who was with her Typhlosion as they perked up to see the Ketchum girl jog over alongside her Pokédex.

"Oh, Erika!" she exclaimed with a bright smile, "You made it!" she excitedly noted.

"Yeah, the trip here was a bit weird…" Erika admitted as she scratched at her cheek, "But we're here and ready!" she affirmed with a pump of her right fist.

"So are we," Pyrrha retorted as she grinned confidently.

"Ty frah!" her Typhlosion agreed.

"There'zzz so many Pokémon I've never zzzeen before, zzt…" Rotom noted, floating about the lobby area while taking various pictures.

"Oh, Rotodex…" Erika sighed with a shake of her head.

"By the way, what room are you in?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"I think I'm on the second floor…" the Ketchum girl replied, pulling out the keycard she had been given, reading '2-226' upon it.

"Oh, that's the same as mine!" her friend pointed out with a smile as she revealed her own keycard, "Looks like we're roomies!" she confirmed excitedly. Blinking in surprise, Erika giggled. She was glad that during the course of the league, she would get to spend more time with someone who had become her best friend.

Meanwhile, Calvin found himself at the last lodging center, entering inside. He was surprised by the few trainers in the lobby, including a few Pokémon that he had never seen before. He felt a little awkward as he walked by, glancing back and forth at his future.

'I wonder if Erika got to her room okay…' he noted inwardly. He wasn't paying attention as he accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry!" he yelped apologetically. However, he then blinked in surprise. The person he bumped into was a young boy with pale skin and purple eyes. His black hair was fairly short, but with a few long strands in the front and a long curved cowlick at the back. On his face was a white mask with large holes for his eyes and mouth with motifs that looked similar to a Corsola's motifs on the sides. His outfit consisted of a long-sleeved black shirt and shorts. Around the ends of the sleeves were rings of light purple— a pair on each one, and on the right sleeve was a red-and-blue symbol. His shirt had a purple and gold upside-down triangle on the front with a black and gold spirit-like shape in the middle. This same symbol also reappeared on his right pant leg. Around the neck of the shirt were two light purple collar folds. His shorts and shirt shared a light purple dot-like pattern, and on the left pant leg are two symbols — the numbers '291' and green X's. Extending from his upper waist to his shoulders are two white suspenders, reuniting behind him in an eerie-looking face intersection, and on his left hand was a purple glove with black fingertips. On his feet were white and black shoes with ruffles on the top.

"I-It's… okay…" he stuttered out meekly to Calvin's surprise, seeing him walk off in the opposite direction.

'Who was that…?' he wondered through his thoughts. He then approached his room, swiping his keycard over the door handle to make it flash green, unlocking it. He pushed down the handle, opening the door. As he entered, he was surprised to find Gladion inside with a Lucario standing beside him.

"Oh, so you're my roommate," he immediately realized, letting off a small grin.

"G-Gladion!" Calvin stuttered out, letting off a chuckle, "Glad to see that you actually finished the island challenge in time…" he noted as he walked in, closing the door behind him.

"I finished and registered just before they opened up to trainers around the world with eight certified badges," the blonde-haired boy pointed out, "Honestly, it feels like I got lucky," he admitted, sitting down on his bed.

"Nah," Calvin disagreed to his surprise, "You're strong," he said, taking off his backpack and setting it down at the foot of his bed, "I've known that since you and I first met," he added as he sat upon the plush surface of his bed before lying down, "Huh…" he sighed with relief, "So you got a Lucario, huh?" he noted curiously upon spotting the Aura Pokémon.

"Oh, yeah," Gladion responded, "I caught him as a Riolu back on Poni Island," he told the Ketchum boy.

"He reminds me of my sister's," he mentioned, much to the former enforcer's surprise as he blinked.

"Erika has a Lucario, too?" he questioned aloud.

"No, my older sister, Leslie," Calvin corrected in reply with a laugh, "She's as strong of a trainer as my dad even…" he recalled, looking up at the ceiling, "You know… I didn't think I'd want to be on this kind of a journey back when we came to Alola so long ago…" he admitted, "But now… I'm happy that I came this far," he told Gladion, "And I know I can only go up from here," he added confidently.

"Hm," the former enforcer chuckled out, "The truth is, I think I feel the same way," he confessed to the Ketchum boy's surprise, "With my mom slowly recovering and Lillie still hopeful, I'm happy that I came as far as I have, too," he noted thoroughly, "But… I don't know what'll happen after this," he mentioned.

"Me either," Calvin confirmed as he sat up, "But we're gonna still do our best, right?" he assumed, holding out his right fist to his rival, who blinked in surprise. However, he let off a small laugh.

"Yeah," he responded, bumping his left fist against the Ketchum boy's, signifying their continuing rivalry throughout the tournament ahead. All kinds of trainers were arriving. Hau, Trent, Paige, Ilima, Milo, Selene, Acerola, Sophocles, Ryuki, Mina and many others were aiming to take the throne as the Alola Region's first Champion Master. It was only a matter of time before the battles actually got underway.

X

"Wow…" Leslie uttered in amazement, looking up at Manalo Stadium alongside her parents, "I didn't think it was gonna be this big…" she admitted, putting hand up above her eyes to block out the sunlight while also getting a better view of the arena at the peak, "I should've come along with you, Dad…" she pointed out, remembering how he had gotten the chance to see the stadium a month earlier.

"It's too bad that they couldn't develop any hotels on the mountain," Mirajane noted, "Then again, there's already a lot that's here…" she pointed out, letting off a giggle.

"Pika, peekah," Pikachu agreed as he nodded.

"This really is amazing…" Ash said, getting their attentions, "Calvin and Erika are about to be a part of history in Alola for being the first of many trainers to compete in the first ever Alola League," he told the others, putting his hands onto his hips, "I think we're gonna see something really amazing today," he affirmed confidently. His wife giggled in agreement, while Leslie and Pikachu nodded.

"Well, we better hurry to our seats," the Unova Champion Master pointed out.

"Yeah," Ash agreed, about to walk forward until an arm suddenly wrapped around him.

"Figured that was you, Ketchum!" a voice noted, causing him to yelp in surprise as he found himself hoisted up from the ground, with Pikachu hopping off of his shoulder into Leslie's arms. The person who had grabbed him was a woman with an athletic build, having muscular arms and legs, though she stood slightly below average height. She had dark skin, red eyes which were tilted slightly inwards, long eyelashes, and straight white hair was cut short. On her head, she had a pair of long white rabbit ears pointing upwards with a slight crook, with the tip of her right one being cut off. Along with these, she also had a white round tail. She had prosthetics for her right leg and left forearm, wearing jeans, a white tank top, and an orange jacket. "How've you been?!" she asked with a grin.

"R-Rumi!" Ash stuttered out, "Hi!" he greeted, "You look well…" he noted before the Rabbit Hero set him down onto the ground.

"Yeah, I'm still out there kickin'!" she pointed out with a grin, "But what about you already?" she wondered curiously, "Last I heard, you were starting to take it too easy…" she noted, narrowing her eyes onto him.

"Uh, well…" he tried to respond, holding up his hands in a placating manner as he chuckled sheepishly.

"Take it easy, Rumi," another voice chimed in, belonging to Sunset as she approached, "Things in this universe did get a little hectic recently…" she pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah…" the Rabbit Quirk user muttered repeatedly in response, rubbing the back of her head.

"It's good to see you, Sunset!" Mirajane greeted, getting her attention, "You're here to cheer on Pyrrha?" she assumed, earning a nod in reply from the Equestrian Magic user.

"So is Miss Mirko here to watch with you?" Leslie inquired, looking over at Rumi. She smirked.

"I'm here to watch my own kid go and win this thing!" she proclaimed in response, causing everyone aside from Sunset to widen their eyes.

"Wait…" Ash uttered, "your daughter's in the tournament?!" he questioned emphatically. Elsewhere in the lodging areas for the participants, one girl was finishing gathering her belongings as she tightly fastened the bow of her uniform. She was a slender, fit young girl with tan skin, gray eyes, and gray hair styled as a bob cut. She wore a skintight black bodysuit, through which the imprint of her navel and abs could be seen, and a uniform that slightly resembles a modified karate gi. It consisted of a cut-off white shirt with a black collar and some designs on it, including the Fighting type and Gym Challenge symbols. The shirt also had a black bow that sat just below her bust. To complete her uniform, she wore a pair of white shorts with orange and black details and the number '193' on them, along with a black and orange glove on her right hand. For accessories, she had a black and orange hairband in her hair that slightly resembled rabbit ears and gray kneepads. Finally, she was also barefoot.

She looked into the mirror, nodding at her appearance. She exited her room along with several other trainers, embarking up to Manalo Stadium. There, Kukui was standing in one of the VIP booths with his arms folded over his chest.

"So you went ahead and invited three of Galar's Gym Leaders to compete?" he asked of Rose, who was seated on a sofa while having a glass of water.

"Ah…" he sighed out, "I figured I'd make this endeavor of yours a little more exciting," he told the professor, "Rest assured, I invited them once the registration period extended to those who hadn't completed the island challenge but had gym requirements met," he affirmed.

"That's not really my issue here…" Kukui retorted as his eyes were narrowed, "Gym leaders or not, you can't just shove them in just to make the tournament more exciting," he argued, "Every other challenger worked their way to get here, whether by finishing the island challenge or earning eight gym badges," he pointed out.

"And the gym leaders haven't?" Rose questioned back to his surprise, "Kukui, like Alola's trial captains, Galar's gym leaders work hard year in and out against various challengers," he explained, "trying to adjust their strategies in battle while also making for a good challenge for trainers," he mentioned on as he stood up, "It's no different from how the trial captains have to change the format of their trials," he told the professor, walking over and patting his shoulder reassuringly.

"Huh…" he sighed, "Just… run it by me next time, alright?" he requested, "I wanna make sure gym challengers have a fair shot, too," he added as he walked off.

"Of course, of course!" the PLF chairman repeated in understanding, chuckling all the while. Kukui left the room through the sliding doors, which shut a moment later. Rose went back to his seat, sipping his drink. "I wonder how a league's viewership will be without things like Dynamax to add to the hype…" he said to himself. Everyone was gathering in Manalo Stadium, with spectators getting to their seats. Ash, Mirajane, Leslie and Pikachu were in one section, while Sunset and Rumi were in another. Sawyer and Lisanna were also there, seated amongst the crowd.

"Oh man…" Hau uttered, walking down the long tunnel alongside Trent, "I'm getting kinda nervous now…" he admitted nervously.

"I get what you mean…" the dark green-haired boy concurred, "Compared to what was at the Aether Tournament, there's a much bigger crowd here…" he pointed out.

"Don't get too nervous, boys," Paige advised as she walked up between them, "Remember, everyone else is probably feeling same way," she mentioned, giving them a reassuring smile.

"Good point…" Trent agreed, while Hau chuckled. Calvin and Gladion were making their way through a separate tunnel, with the former glancing back to see the masked boy he had bumped into yesterday trudging along. He had to wonder what kind of a trainer he was, especially considering his uniform.

As Erika and Pyrrha were continuing through their own tunnel, the former noticed a peculiar person amidst the group. It was a tall and stocky young man with fair skin, beige hair with yellow highlights, and blue eyes. He wore a stylish outfit that consisted of blue-and-black sunglasses, a brown-and-black jacket, and a white-colored blazer with the Rock-type symbol on it. He also donned gray-and-white shorts with a multitude of symbols and the number 188 on them, along with a contraption with which he carried his Poké Balls. Finally, he wore gray-and-blue shoes and had a gold necklace with a blue gemstone inset around his neck.

"That guy sure looks stylish…" the Ketchum girl noted quietly to her friend, who giggled.

"By the way, where's Rotom?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, they said it's not allowed in official matches, so it's gonna hang with my folks for now," Erika explained in response. At that moment, they finally exited the tunnel, widening their eyes. Many other trainers were gathered upon the expansive dirt field, which was much larger than any that the Ketchum girl had ever seen, including the one from Aether Paradise. Needless to say, she was a lot more excited now.

"Erika! Calvin!" Mirajane's voice called out, getting the attention of the twins as they perked up to see their mother waving to them from the stands. They waved back happily. Pyrrha spotted her own mother and smiled, but then took notice of Rumi next to her. She immediately started looking around before spotting a familiar face.

"Wow, I can't believe it!" she exclaimed as she ran over to the barefoot girl, who perked up and blinked in surprise.

"Oh, Pyrrha," she uttered out, seeing the red-and-yellow-haired girl come to a stop next to her, "It seems you're competing as well," she noted, maintaining a firm expression.

"You look as serious as ever, Bea!" she remarked in reply, causing the gym leader to blink in surprise, "Oh, Erika!" she called out, waving the Ketchum girl over, "I wanna introduce you!" she yelled.

"Um, hi," her fellow trial-goer greeted, "My name's Erika," she introduced, holding her right hand out.

"Bea," the barefooted girl responded, accepting her extremity into her own while also supporting her elbow with her left hand, "I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of trainer you are," she stated.

"Y-Yeah, same here!" Erika replied with a stutter, somewhat unnerved by how firm Bea's tone was. Pyrrha just giggled between them.

"Welcome to Manalo Stadium, everyone!" Rose's voice echoed through the loudspeakers, getting everyone's attention as he was within one of the announcer booths, "I'm happy to be here to get the opening ceremonies of the Lanakila Conference started!" he proclaimed, "My name is Rose Johnston, the chairman of the Pokémon League Federation in the Galar Region," he introduced.

'Galar?' Calvin repeated in confusion, having never heard of the place until now.

"When I heard that a league was going to be established here in this beautiful land of Alola, I knew I had to help as much as I possibly could," Rose explained to his audience, while Kukui and Oleana were standing behind him, "With that in mind and with the help of Macro Cosmos, we built this famous Manalo Stadium at the peak of Alola's tallest mountain!" he pointed out, outstretching his arms as the crowd cheered excitedly.

"They're really going ahead and amping this whole thing up…" Gladion noted, folding his arms over his chest.

"I'm not surprised…" Calvin admitted as he scratched at his left cheek.

"Along with this extravagant stage, there are also six arenas surrounding it, dubbed the Hau'oli, Heahea, Konikoni, Malie, Hokulani, and Tapu Arenas!" Rose listed off, "Prior to the larger battles we'll be seeing in this stadium, there'll be several rounds conducted upon those stages!" he proclaimed, "Now, I'll relay the formatting of the first Alola League to my humble secretary, Oleana Ellis!" he decided, handing the microphone off to her as she stepped forward.

"Hello, everyone," she greeted through the loudspeakers, "Please direct your attention to the jumbotrons," she instructed of them. The big screens in the stadium lit up, enticing everyone to look over to at them curiously. A round-robin tournament bracket appeared upon it, though it was shaped much differently than a regular one.

"Interesting…" Bea uttered curiously with narrowed eyes.

"There are five-hundred-and-twelve participants in the Lanakila Conference," Oleana confirmed, "Therefore, the brackets will section trainers off into one of the six arenas," she explained, "Additionally, the battle formats will change throughout the tournament," she mentioned to everyone's surprise, "The first round will consist of single, one-on-one battles, the second will be double battles, and in the third, triple battles," she listed off, "The fourth round will consist of Battle Royals, the staple of the Alola Region," she told the audience, "That will thin the competition down to sixteen trainers," she added on.

"The Battle Royal round sounds like the harshest of them all…" Gladion pointed out.

"Yeah…" Calvin agreed with a simple nod.

"Those in the top sixteen will continue in a standard tournament bracket here in Manalo Stadium, starting with single, three-on-three matches prior to the quarterfinals," Oleana continued, "From the quarterfinals onward, all matches will be full, six-on-six battles," she finished, bowing to the crowd, "Thank you for your time," she said with gratitude, "Now I believe it is time for the head organizer of the Alola's first league tournament, Kahoni Kukui, to say a few words to you all," she declared, waiting for the professor to walk over to give him the microphone, "Don't screw this up…" she whispered into his ear in a threatening tone, making him flinch in surprise as she walked back to stand beside Rose.

"Jeez…" he grumbled, adjusting his cap, "Alola, everyone!" he greeted into the microphone, "I know you're all super excited for the Lanakila Conference to finally start!" he exclaimed, earning a plethora of cheers from the crowd. Down below, many of the challengers had determined looks upon their faces. "I won't keep you all waiting any longer!" Kukui declared, pointing forward, "Here are the matches for the first round!" he yelled. All of a sudden, the pictures of each of the competitors appeared upon the screens. They were all shuffled around randomly, being flipped over before moving to parts of the bracket one after another. Once all 512 of them were in place, they flipped over, revealing the first round matchups. In addition, each match had a label for the specific arena where the battle would take place.

"Looks like I'm heading to the Heahea Arena…" one person noted.

"Aw, lucky…!" another complained in response, "I'm stuck in Hokulani, and that's not great…" she grumbled.

"Tapu seems like a hard arena…" a young boy mentioned out of concern.

"No, that's nothing compared to Hau'oli," someone else chimed in, "A water field's basically a Water-type's match…" he pointed out. Erika looked up at the bracket curiously. Her match was going to be in Hokulani Arena based upon the icy symbol between her and her opponent, who was a young woman with violet, bushy hair that covered her left eye. But aside from that, she noticed that her brother was on the other side of the bracket, being up against a spectacled boy in the Konikoni Arena.

'So Calvin and I probably wouldn't get a chance to battle unless we both make it to the finals…' she realized inwardly, smiling a little, 'I'll see you there!' she affirmed through her thoughts.

"I think that'll be it for now, folks!" Kukui concluded through the microphone, "But before you trainers get to those arenas and start showing off some hot matches, please give a warm welcome to our opening performance from Lisia and Serena Gabena!" he insisted, snapping his fingers. All of a sudden, a portion of the dirt field opened up, with a few competitors being sure to step back for safety. Coming up was a small, decorative stage with two women upon it. One was dressed in blue and white. She had teal blue hair with two large bangs, clipped by a tiara called that held a Key Stone. She wore a sleeveless blue top with a blue ribbon design that exposed her belly button. She also donned white shorts that were laced with two large blue and white frills that mimicked a skirt. She wore a pair of diamond-designed anklets around her light blue high-heeled shoes, which made her look like she was somewhat taller than an average person. On her left leg, she wore a blue and white striped stocking. She also had cotton puffs on her forearms, on the back of her neck, and just above her shoes.

The other woman next to her had fair skin, gray eyes, long legs and a slender frame, with short, honey-colored hair. Her outfit was similar to her partner's, though hers was orange where Lisia's was blue. She also had a ribbon instead of a tiara upon her head.

"Serena?!" Ash exclaimed in shock from the stands as his eyes were widened.

"Dad, you shouldn't be that surprised…" Leslie noted as she grinned sheepishly, "The Gabenas are pretty famous worldwide…" she pointed out.

"I-I know that…" her father stuttered with embarrassment as he blushed.

"Hi there, everyone!" Lisia exclaimed over the mic that was in front of her, "We're really happy to be here to perform to kick off what'll be an amazing Pokémon League!" she declared.

"Now it's time to give you all an amazing performance fit for all of you!" Serena added. She and her partner each threw up a single Poké Ball into the air. They popped open, with their lights spilling out beautifully onto the stage before forming. Dissipating moments later, they revealed a Delphox and an Altaria respectively. The crowd cheered, awed by the entrance of the two Pokémon.

What followed was the Fox Pokémon drawing a stick from her sleeve-like fur along her left arm, igniting it at its tip with fire. She drew a flaming circle and then released a stream of fire from her mouth through, making it sparkle. The Humming Pokémon reared his head back before unleashing a multicolored beam of light in the shape of a dragon's head. It streaked up and chomped onto the flames, causing it to explode brilliantly like a firework.

Calvin and Erika found themselves awed, like many others around them. Such a performance was meant to inspire the challengers to persevere for the battles ahead. And they would, with all their might…

X

"Looks like Cal and Erika's battles could take place at the same time…" Leslie noted as she checked her phone, seeing that matches were already underway, "I guess we could split up to at least be there for both of them…" she pointed out to her parents, as they were hanging out in the plaza.

"In that case, I'll go to Konikoni with Pikachu and Rotom," Ash decided, "I wanna see if Calvin's gonna go with the strategy he showed me before we came here," he noted with a grin.

"I'd be happy to zzzee Calvin get to battle, zzt!" Rotom buzzed, "I've already zzzeen a lot of Erika'zzz matchezzz…" it mentioned as it floated over.

"Then we're off to Hokulani then," Leslie confirmed for herself and her mother, "See you later, Dad!" she called out, waving goodbye before walking off. Ash waved back, chuckling before turning around and heading off toward the specific arena. There, Calvin was sitting on a bench in the locker room, watching one of the matches take place live. The field was a rocky arena, no doubt signifying the style from Konikoni.

'Most of our battles have taken place at a lot of different environments,' the Ketchum boy noted to himself, placing his hand upon his chin, 'No doubt you need to understand what kind of arena would best suit your Pokémon…' he mentioned inwardly.

"Seem pretty focused there, Calvin," a familiar voice commented, getting his attention as he looked to see Kiawe there.

"Oh, Kiawe!" the Ketchum boy greeted, "Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how to best use the field to my advantage," he told the Fire-type trial captain, who sat down next to him, "What about you?" he inquired.

"I'm going to let the fates decide how my battle will unfold," he answered, "For starters, I'm up against someone pretty incredible…" he pointed out, looking off to his left. Calvin looked over and lightly gasped to see that the trial captain's attention was upon Ryuki. "He cleared my trial with quite a fire in his step…" he recalled, "And his Pokémon are far stronger than most…" he added on.

"I guess that's a good point…" the Ketchum boy concurred. The last time he encountered Ryuki, he managed to win their battle without too much difficulty. However, things seemed to be different with him…

"And Bastiodon goes down to Plumeria's Toxapex!" a play-by-play announcer exclaimed from a TV in the locker room of Hokulani Arena, "Even with resistance to poison, Bastiodon was no match for Toxapex's tricky tactics!" he mentioned. Erika looked up at the TV with narrowed eyes, seeing the former Team Skull admin return her Brutal Star Pokémon to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.

'Take it easy, Erika…' she insisted inwardly, inhaling and exhaling a deep breath to calm herself, 'Focus on what you have to do right now before thinking about who you'll fight next…' she advised of herself, looking down at her selection of Poké Balls upon her belt.

"Match Four will be starting next!" an official chimed in, getting her attentions, "Trainers, please head to your designated tunnels!" he instructed. Taking on a determined expression, Erika walked toward where she needed to go, spotting her opponent out of the corner of her eye. She was ready to do her best, no matter what it took.

Elsewhere in Tapu Arena, Pyrrha was in the midst of her battle against a girl with long blonde hair, having her Lapras up against a Crustle. They were dueling upon a grassy field, with Nanu acting as the referee. Watching from afar in the stands was Sunset, who smiled.

"Sona, Hydro Pump!" her daughter commanded, enticing the Transport Pokémon to rear her head back before unleashing a powerful stream of water from her mouth onto her opponent, who ducked into his shell to try and defend himself. Unfortunately, he wound up quickly washed away as he tumbled over the grass.

"Cruhhh…" he groaned out with swirls in his eyes as he poked out from his shell. Nanu nodded after assessing his condition.

"Crustle is unable to battle! Lapras wins!" he announced with her left arm raised, "Therefore, Pyrrha advances to the next round!" he declared, gesturing toward the red-and-yellow-haired girl.

"Alright!" she exclaimed happily as she pumped her right fist up.

"Arrrooo~!" Sona sang with delight. In Hau'oli Arena, Hau's Vaporeon was hopping from platform to platform, avoiding the globs of brown sludge shot her way from a Swalot.

"Ariel, Aurora Beam!" the ponytailed boy ordered. The Bubble Jet Pokémon opened her mouth, unleashing a multicolored beam of light from it toward her foe.

"Stockpile!" the chubby man on the other side of the field called out. Swalot's body suddenly swelled up before a reddish aura flowed up his body, taking the beam harmlessly to his stomach.

"Reee…" the Vaporeon hissed in frustration, while her trainer grimaced. Officiating the match was none other than Hala himself, who looked at his grandson worriedly. He was definitely determined to win, more so than he had ever seen from him.

"Now Body Slam!" the chubby trainer commanded. The Poison Bag Pokémon leapt out toward his foe, about to crash onto her.

"Use Acid Armor!" Hau instructed. Ariel quickly had a purple light appear all over her body, followed by a reddish aura flowing up it. Swalot slammed down onto her, but she endured his attack with gritted teeth, pushing back against him.

"N-No way!" the chubby trainer stammered in shock.

"Now Aqua Tail!" the ponytailed boy commanded, enticing the Bubble Jet Pokémon to have water erupt and swirl around her tail. It struck her opponent, knocking him off of her as he went flying up into the air.

"Sludge Bomb!" the chubby trainer ordered.

"Counter with Water Pulse!" Hau called out in response. The Poison Bag Pokémon unleashed several globs of brown sludge from his mouth, all heading down for the Vaporeon below. She opened her own mouth and formed a sphere of water in front of it, aiming it upwards. She fired it off, striking the incoming globs in a burst of white smoking, veiling the field.

"Ergh…" the chubby trainer growled out, unable to see anything. His Swalot landed upon one of the platforms above the water, looking around for a sign of his opponent. He didn't realize that she was lurking in the water, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"Aqua Tail!" Hau ordered, sticking his right hand out. The chubby trainer and the Poison Bag Pokémon widened their eyes in shock as Ariel splashed up from the water. With water swirling around her tail again, she swung it out to strike her opponent, sending him crashing into the water below. After a moment, he emerged with swirls in his eyes, floating on his back. Hala cracked a small grin underneath his moustache.

"Swalot is unable to battle! Vaporeon wins!" he announced with his left hand raised, "Therefore, the victory goes to Hau!" he declared.

"Yes!" his grandson exclaimed with delight as Ariel swam over, leaping happily into his arms. The Melemele kahuna smiled, very proud of him.

"Way to go, Hau!" Lisanna cheered from the stands, while Sawyer smiled as well. Many battles were starting and ending, with various outcomes. Trent and Paige managed to persevere through the first round with ease, along with several of the trial captains and other notable trainers, including Guzma. Back in Hokulani Stadium, Leslie and Mirajane took their seats just as they saw Erika make her way through the tunnel out onto the field. She had seen from earlier battles that it was an ice field, which had several blocks and stalagmites scattered about, though they were in different positions as opposed to prior matches.

She looked to see that the referee was none other than Molayne, who gave her a kind wave in greeting. She waved back, followed by seeing her opponent take her place on the other side of the field. Aside from her bushy purple hair that covered one half of her face, she wore a dark red vest over a black shirt with skintight dark jeans and leather boots.

"Now Match Four between Janice and Erika will now begin!" the referee declared, raising his right arm, "Trainers, please select your chosen Pokémon at the same time," he instructed of the competitors, as they each pulled out a Poké Ball, enlarging them with a press of their buttons, "Now… begin!" he exclaimed, swinging his arm down.

"Weavile," Janice said, lightly tossing her spherical container forward.

"Magmar, let's go!" Erika exclaimed as she threw her Poké Ball up into the air. Both popped open, with their lights spilling forth onto the field, shaping into form. When they dissipated, the lights revealed both the Sharp Claw Pokémon and the Spitfire Pokémon respectively.

"Maggg!" the latter exclaimed, taking on a ready stance… only to accidentally slip momentarily on the ice.

"Hmmm…" Mirajane hummed worriedly from the stands, "Magmar has a type advantage here…" she pointed out.

"But the field's another story…" her eldest daughter noted for her, putting her right hand onto her chin.

"I guess we'll go first," Janice mumbled out, "Weavile, Throat Chop," she ordered.

"Wee!" the Sharp Claw Pokémon responded, skating forward along the ice as his claws became cloaked in a purple light.

"Magmar, use Clear Smog!" Erika commanded, pumping her right fist out. The Spitfire Pokémon puffed his chest before expelling a greyish smog from his mouth onto the icy field, veiling the area almost entirely. Weavile found himself unsure of where to go, looking around for a sign of his foe. "Now Fire Punch!" the Ketchum girl yelled. All of a sudden, the Sharp Claw Pokémon found himself ambushed by the enflamed right fist of his foe, sending him flying back through the smoke before he crashed into a nearby block.

"Sounds like he got a hit in!" Leslie excitedly noted as she stood up a little, making her mother giggle.

"Use Ice Beam!" Janice ordered, taking on a louder tone. Standing up on the ice, the Sharp Claw Pokémon opened his mouth as a light blue ball of energy formed in front of it. It then unleashed an array of zigzagging beams forward through the dissipating smog, heading for Magmar.

"Lava Plume!" Erika commanded. The Spitfire Pokémon's body began burning a bright red before he unleashed a scarlet inferno of flames from them like an explosion, countering the zigzagging beams in a burst of steam. "Now Fire Punch again!" his trainer yelled on, thrusting her left fist forward. Magmar cloaked both of his arms in flames, hurrying forward along the ice as it wasn't as slippery anymore, having been mostly melted away.

"Weavile, Surf!" Janice cried out, causing the Ketchum girl to gasp in surprise. The Sharp Claw Pokémon had water swirl underneath himself before surging up, riding a tidal wave that blew apart the remainder of the steam in the area. Her opponent screeched to a halt as the shadow of the wave came over him, causing him to grimace in fright.

"Watch out!" his trainer screamed. Unfortunately, he was too late to do anything as the wave crashed down onto him fiercely, causing him to crash down against the icy ground upon his back, grimacing all the while. In the meantime, his opponent landed down safely and smirked.

"Now use Ice Beam on the field!" Janice instructed. Forming another light blue ball of energy in front of his open mouth, Weavile unleashed zigzagging beams of light onto the ground, coating it in a new layer of ice. Just as Magmar stood back up, he slipped on the icy floor, having to grab hold of one of the nearby stalagmites to maintain his balance.

"Oh, shoot…" Erika muttered with a grimace, while her opponent smirked.

"Swords Dance!" she called out. Weavile had several blue energy swords appear around him, circling his body before pointing towards him. A reddish aura flowed up his body mightily. "Now Throat Chop!" his trainer commanded, enticing him to skate forward as a purple light shrouded his claws.

"Quick, Fire Punch!" Erika ordered. Magmar tried to stand up and ignite his left arm in flames. But as he took a step back, he slipped yet again. That allowed for the Sharp Claw Pokémon to jab his right claws into his opponent's stomach, causing his eyes to bulge out. What followed was him taking a strike to his face from the left claws, blowing him back as he crashed into a block of ice hard.

"Oh man…" Leslie uttered worriedly from the stands, "With the ice on the field, Magmar's gonna have a tougher time getting his attacks off properly…" she pointed out.

"And not to mention that Weavile looks far more at home on the ice…" Mirajane mentioned.

"Throat Chop again!" Janice ordered from back on the field. A purple light shrouded the Sharp Claw Pokémon's right claws as he lunged out toward his foe again.

"Use Lava Plume!" Erika commanded quickly. Magmar's body burned a bright red. However, Weavile struck him in the stomach again, making him wince. But he pushed through the pain, unleashing an explosive inferno of scarlet flames, making steam erupt all around the icy field while also blowing his opponent back.

"Wee…" he hissed out in frustration, sliding to a stop in front of his trainer.

"Take the steam out with Surf!" she instructed to him. Water swirled underneath the Sharp Claw Pokémon before lifting him up on another tidal wave, ready to crash down onto the veiled field. Erika grimaced upon seeing it, but then blinked in realization.

"Magmar, Sunny Day!" she called out. Perking up from within the cloud of steam, the Spitfire Pokémon took on a ready stance.

"MAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!" he bellowed into the sky. All of a sudden, the sunlight brightened above, causing everyone to reflexively shield their eyes from it.

"Too bright…!" Janice gasped out, while her Weavile shut his eyes. The wave of water he was riding upon started to shrink a little as steam wafted off of it.

"Now Lava Plume!" Erika ordered on. Magmar's body burned red again before he unleashed another explosive inferno of scarlet flames, crashing into the wave in a huge burst of steam, practically veiling the entire arena. Weavile landed upon the icy ground, though he found that most of it had gotten melted away from the intense heat as he felt how slushy it was at his feet. His trainer couldn't tell though, seeing as how the whole field was still veiled by steam.

"Weavile, use Surf again!" she commanded.

"Fire Punch!" Erika yelled. Just as water started to swirl up beneath the Sharp Claw Pokémon, he suddenly found himself ambushed by the enflamed right fist of Magmar, sending him flying back. He crashed through a melting block of ice before coming to a stop upon his back, grimacing all the while as the steam finally cleared.

"Weavile!" Janice exclaimed.

"Now use Lava Plume!" Erika ordered, pumping her right fist forward. Now with a firm footing thanks to the ice being melted, the Spitfire Pokémon had his body burn bright red one last time. He then unleashed an explosive inferno of scarlet flames, which crashed onto Weavile before he could get back onto his feet. He fell back onto the melted field, having swirls in his eyes as he groaned.

"Weavile is unable to battle! Magmar wins!" Molayne announced, raising his left arm, "Therefore, the victor is Erika!" he declared, gesturing toward the Ketchum girl, "She advances to the next round!" he confirmed.

"Alright!" Erika exclaimed with a pump of her right fist.

"Magg…" Magmar exhaled in relief.

"Phoo…" Leslie breathed out, "That seemed closer than it should've been…" she admitted.

"You're right…" Mirajane agreed, "At this point, you'd think that Magmar would be fully evolved for a tournament like this…" she noted aloud.

"Yeah, good point…" Leslie agreed, letting off a small grin of realization as she watched her little sister politely shake hands with Janice after their match. Already, the Lanakila Conference was proving to be quite the challenge…

X

Walking through the tunnel out onto the field, Calvin took a deep breath to calm himself. This was probably the same way his father felt during his first ever league tournament. Konikoni Arena had a rocky battlefield, with stones scattered about of varying sizes. The Ketchum boy took his position on the field, noticing that Olivia was the referee.

His opponent was a boy with round-framed glasses and short brown hair. He wore an outfit similar to that of a schoolboy, with a white uniform tucked into violet shorts. He also took a deep breath upon arriving at his position of the battlefield.

"Match Six of Konikoni Arena between Curtis and Calvin will now begin!" Olivia declared, raising her right arm up into the air, "Trainers, please select your Pokémon at the same time!" she instructed of the two competitors.

"Right!" they both responded, each readying a single Poké Ball in their hands.

"And… begin!" the Akala kahuna called out, swinging her arm down.

"Slowbro, let's go!" Curtis yelled, tossing his spherical container forward.

"I choose you, Togedemaru!" Calvin exclaimed, firing his Poké Ball up into the air. Both burst open, with their lights spilling onto the rocky ground. They shaped into form, dissipating to reveal both the Hermit Crab Pokémon and the Roly-Poly Pokémon respectively. The latter looked up at his opponent, seeing how big he was compared to him.

"T-Togehhh…" he stuttered out, shaking a little.

"Pika, peekah…" Pikachu uttered worriedly from the stands, sitting in Ash's lap.

"Togedemaru doezzz have a type advantage, zzt…" Rotom noted, floating beside them, "But Slowbro can be really tough…" it mentioned grimly.

"I think Calvin'll be fine," the Pokémon Master affirmed confidently to the Pokédex's surprise, "After all, we helped him with training Togedemaru specifically!" he recalled, "Isn't that right, buddy?" he asked of his partner, getting his attention.

"Cha!" he squeaked with a nod in reply.

"Slowbro, Psyshock!" Curtis commanded. Purple lights streamed between the Hermit Crab Pokémon's hands before he fired off several beams toward Togedemaru.

"Dodge it with Zing Zap!" Calvin instructed. The Roly-Poly Pokémon took on a determined expression. His spikes stuck up, sparking with yellow electricity before he started spinning around the rocky field, avoiding the beams as they struck the ground in plumes of dust.

"No way…!" Curtis gasped. Togedemaru then veered back around and leapt up, striking Slowbro squarely in the face to make him stumble back. His opponent landed back down on his feet, sliding to a stop.

"Togeh!" he squeaked proudly.

"Nice one, Togedemaru!" his trainer complimented. Meanwhile, Slowbro regained his composure as he shook his head, taking on a determined expression.

"Slowbro, use Calm Mind!" Curtis called out. The Hermit Crab Pokémon closed his eyes, making a pinkish light waft off of his body.

"That move…" Ash uttered from the stands as he blinked in surprise as a reddish aura flowed up Slowbro's form.

"Calm Mind raisezzz a Pokémon'zzz special attack and special defenzzze," Rotom noted, "Calvin'zzz gonna need to be careful…" it pointed out.

"Togedemaru, Discharge!" the Ketchum boy commanded. Having his spikes stick up again, the Roly-Poly Pokémon had yellow electricity crackle around his entire body before being shot out wildly around the field. Some bolts struck Slowbro, but he hardly seemed fazed. Curtis cracked a smirk.

"Now Flamethrower!" he ordered, much to the shock of Calvin, who gasped. Rearing his head back, the Hermit Crab Pokémon unleashed a spray of fire from his mouth that struck his foe as he widened his eyes beforehand

"Togedemaru!" his trainer cried out, seeing him roll to a stop, getting back onto his feet as he winced.

'Oh man, I wasn't expecting Flamethrower…!' the Ketchum boy inwardly admitted with a grimace, 'Calm Mind probably powered Slowbro up, too…' he noted to himself, 'We can't risk taking another of those head on…' he realized, 'So in that case…' he continued through his thoughts.

"Togedemaru, Zing Zap again!" he ordered.

"Mahroo!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon responded, having his whole body crackle with electricity before he spun forward again.

"Flamethrower, Slowbro!" Curtis commanded. Another stream of fire was unleashed from the Hermit Crab Pokémon, but his foe was swiftly evading it with his momentum. "Quick, use Water Pulse!" the spectacled boy yelled.

Slowbro ceased firing off the flames as he formed an orb of water in between his hands just as Togedemaru leapt out at him. He collided with the orb, resulting in a shockwave that blew them both back instantaneously. They both crashed against the rocks, grimacing from the pain. And then…

"Tohhh…" the Roly-Poly Pokémon dizzily uttered as he stumbled forward.

'Oh no…!' Calvin gasped inwardly in realization.

"That Water Pulse must've confused Togedemaru, zzt!" Rotom buzzed in a panic. Ash looked on seriously, confident that his son would succeed.

"Slowbro, use Flamethrower again!" Curtis commanded as the Hermit Crab Pokémon regained his composure. He reared his head back and unleashed another stream of flames toward his confused opponent.

"Quick, dodge it!" Calvin cried out. Unfortunately, Togedemaru was still too dizzied to adhere to it, getting struck back. "Togedemaru!" his trainer screamed.

"Now Psyshock!" the spectacled boy ordered on. Slowbro formed a purple, crackling stream of light between his hands again, firing it out in the form of multiple beams, all of which streaked toward and landed on their target in a powerful explosion. It sent him flying up into the air, dirtied from all the attacks he took. However, his eyes jolted open as he appeared to regain his focus.

"Togedemaru!" Calvin exclaimed with relief, seeing the Roly-Poly Pokémon nod reassuringly to him.

"Finish him off with Psyshock!" Curtis commanded, enticing Slowbro to release to release more purple beams of light from his hands, streaking toward his foe.

"Togedemaru, Spiky Shield!" the Ketchum boy instructed quickly. Making his spikes stick up again, the Roly-Poly Pokémon had them glow a bright green before they projected a green energy shield around his body, defending him from the incoming rays as they bounced off of it.

"What?!" the spectacled boy yelped in shock.

"Oh my…" Olivia uttered, sounding impressed.

"Togedemaru knowzzz Spiky Shield?!" Rotom buzzed out in question.

"Yep," Ash responded, getting its attention, "He learned it during our training together over the past month," he recalled, "And that's not the only thing he learned…" he mentioned with a grin.

"Slowbro, use Flamethrower!" Curtis ordered. Flames started to billow up in the Hermit Crab Pokémon's mouth as he reared it back and aimed upward at his approaching foe.

"Togedemaru, Iron Tail!" Calvin commanded.

"Toh!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon responded, having his tail-like needle shine a bright silvery white. Just as Slowbro unleashed yet another stream of flames up at him, he flipped to avoid them, coming down and slamming his needle atop his target's head.

"Brrraaahhh…!" he exclaimed, stumbling back as a large red mark formed upon his hurting cranium.

"Slowbro!" his trainer cried out.

"Now Zing Zap!" Calvin ordered. Landing upon the ground and having his spikes stick up, Togedemaru spun forward while encased in crackling yellow electricity. His opponent was caught completely off guard, struck in the chest by his foe as he ended up being zapped. He fell over onto his back in a heap, having swirls in his eyes.

"Slowbro is unable to battle!" Olivia confirmed as she raised her left arm, "Togedemaru wins, and therefore…" she continued, gesturing toward Calvin, "the victory goes to Calvin, who advances to the next round!" she declared. The crowd cheered.

"Pika, peekah!" Pikachu exclaimed excitedly.

"That wazzz a great battle, zzt!" Rotom complimented, while Ash just nodded in agreement. He watched as his son happily celebrated his first win with Togedemaru, followed by politely shaking hands with Curtis for the battle. A little while passed before Calvin exited the stadium to meet his father.

"Great job out there!" he said, putting a hand onto his son's capped head as he blinked in surprise. But he then chuckled.

"Thanks, Dad," he said in gratitude, "Sorry I took a minute to get here…" he apologized, "I wanted to see how the rest of the matches went in case I battle here again soon," he pointed out, "Hey, where are Mom and Les?" he asked, noticing that they weren't with Ash.

"Over here!" Erika's voice called out, getting their attentions as they saw her coming over alongside Mirajane and Leslie.

"Erika!" her brother exclaimed with a smile, seeing her approach, "You must've won your match, huh?" he assumed, earning a nod in reply from his twin sister.

"And you won yours!" she concluded, giggling a little.

"Oh, I wish we could've seen it…" Mirajane admitted, somewhat upset.

"It's okay, Mom," Leslie assured, "We'll probably have a better shot at seeing their matches together once they get to the rounds in Manalo Stadium," she told her.

"That izzz, if they get far enough, zzt…" Rotom bluntly buzzed.

"Hey…" Erika muttered, giving the Pokédex a glare as it flinched. Calvin chuckled, but then curiously noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He looked at a nearby big screen to see that Kiawe's battle against Ryuki already underway. It was the former's Alolan Marowak pitted against the latter's Kommo-o.

"Whoa…" the Ketchum boy uttered out.

"What is it?" his twin sister asked as she walked over to stand beside him, looking toward the big screen, "Whoa, who's that Pokémon?!" she questioned with widened eyes.

"That'zzz a Kommo-o!" Rotom responded, floating over to get her attention. It brought up an image of the Scaly Pokémon upon its screen. "Kommo-o, the Scaly Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Jangmo-o," it began, much to its user's surprise, "He battles valiantly with his fists, which are armored in steel scales. Kommo-o specializes in uppercuts. His rigid scales function as offense and defense. In the past, Kommo-o's scales were processed and used to make weapons and other commodities," it explained thoroughly.

"That's Jangmo-o's final form?" Erika questioned as her eyes shimmered, looking back at the Scaly Pokémon, "So cool…!" she exclaimed, excited to potentially have such a Pokémon one day. In Konikoni Arena, Kiawe grimaced in frustration as sweat trickled down both sides of his head. Meanwhile, Ryuki seemed really composed.

The battle hadn't gone in the Fire-type trial captain's favor. Aside from Kommo-o having a type advantage over Marowak, he was also enduring many of the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon's attacks with ease. Needless to say, this was quite the challenge for Kiawe. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to let his partner lose this way.

"Marowak, let's build a great and powerful flame that'll burn like the heart of Akala!" he insisted of his partner.

"Mah!" the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon responded, rubbing both ends of his bone against his forehead to ignite them with pale green flames.

"Ooh, I'm liking the sound of that!" Ryuki proclaimed with a big grin, "But we're gonna go ahead and hit you with something even stronger!" he declared fiercely.

"Mohhhhh!" Kommo-o echoed in agreement.

"Marowak, Flare Blitz!" Kiawe commanded, enticing the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon to spin his bone in front of himself, causing the pale green flames upon it to swirl around his entire body before he lunged forward, charging toward his target.

"Rock out, Kommo-o!" Ryuki yelled passionately, "Clanging Scales!" he ordered. Folding his arms as his scales jangled like wind chimes, the Scaly Pokémon unfolded them as he let out a big roar, causing blue shockwaves to burst out. They struck his incoming foe, knocking him out of the flames he had encased himself in while also making him drop his bone.

"Marowak!" Kiawe cried out.

"Woo!" Ryuki exclaimed with a big grin, "And now it's time for the encore!" he decided, prepping a gold Z-Crystal with a scale-like symbol upon it onto a Z-Power Ring.

"He's going for a Z-Move?!" Calvin yelped in shock. He watched as the guitarist crossed his arms over his face, swinging them around before bringing them together in front of himself, slowly moving them apart from each other like a dragon opening its mouth.

"Shake those scales with all your might and soul, Kommo-o!" he insisted of his partner as the building golden aura around him shot out in streaks to the Scaly Pokémon, who had followed his trainer's movements, "And set your heart ablaze!" he insisted on.

"Kohmoh!" Kommo-o responded, having absorbed the Z-Power as the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of him. He shook his scales again, building up a powerful rhythm. Just as Marowak stood back up, his opponent jumped into the air, with his scales shaking wildly. He curled up momentarily as a purple aura started building around him. What followed was him unleashing a powerful purple shockwave down onto the Alolan Bone Keeper Pokémon, striking him in a fierce blast.

"MAROWAK, NO!" Kiawe screamed. As the smoke and dust settled from the attack, it revealed his partner lying down with swirls in his eyes, groaning out of agony. As Olivia went ahead to declare Ryuki the victor, the Ketchum twins were staring at the big screen with shocked expressions.

"That… was amazing…" Erika uttered with sparkling eyes. Her brother was just as impressed, but was also becoming nervous. The guitarist trainer was much different than the last time he had seen him. And he knew that he could be a real challenge going forward…

ENDING

Insert "Who Are You?" by PELICAN FANCLUB

Opens at Aether Paradise as Lillie is with her bedridden mother, sleeping by her side. In her dreams, she's imagining becoming a Pokémon Trainer herself, journeying through regions with her Pokémon by her side. She starts running along the pathway, excitedly smiling all the while.

Throughout her journey in her dream, she comes across many great things. She encounters amazing Pokémon, strong trainers to battle, and memorable sights. Her Pokémon of choice is a Clefairy which she happily lifts in her hands.

All of a sudden, the area around them darkens as a shadow looms over them. Lillie looks up in horror to see a giant version of Lusamine engulfed by Nihilego overhead. She cowers in fright momentarily, but then notices a bright light shining up above.

It turns out to be Solgaleo, who comes down with Calvin and Erika aboard. They both offer their hands to Lillie, who happily accepts them as she climbs onto the Sunne Pokémon. They hurry off, avoiding the giant rocks Lusamine chucks their way. One is about to strike, but it's destroyed as Gladion appears aboard Silvally, slashing it apart.

Together, they lunge up to attack the Aether Foundation president, engulfing her in a shining, golden light. Lillie opens her eyes, lifting her head. She finds her mother awake in bed, giving her a weak, yet thankful smile.

Lillie smiles back, gripping her hand tightly. As Wicke wanders in to check on them, they turn on the TV as the Alola League is starting. Lillie giggles at the sight of the Ketchum twins in battle once again, happy that they're seeing their dreams through…

END ENDING

And so, that ends the first round of the Lanakila Conference! Did you guys like it? I'm so glad to be writing my very first Pokémon League, as it's something I haven't really done since "The Mega Protocol".

And we've got another chapter to get through next week! Here's a quick summary to hold you guys over!

SUMMARY

The second round of the Lanakila Conference is fast approaching! Erika is up against Selene from Aether Paradise, while Calvin goes up against one of Galar's gym leaders, Allister! Will they win and move on to the third round?!

END SUMMARY

See you guys next week!