Track 39 - The Chain
Leinani and Charlotte said their goodbyes, and they continued their training individually. Leinani battled with random trainers on Poni Island, finding that she was winning consistently. She wasn't afraid to try different battle techniques, and she ended up experimenting with new strategies.
But, she knew that she couldn't only spend her time training and battling with random trainers. Eventually, she would have to challenge for her sixth and final badge.
Kaiko stepped off of the boat and onto the Poni Island docks. His Togedemaru bounced at his side, and their faces lit up when they saw Leinani. Kaiko and Togedemaru both dashed forward and embraced Leinani and DJ.
"I missed you!" Kaiko exclaimed.
"Me too. Are you ready to watch your sister kick some butt?"
"Am I ever! Your coach is back!"
Leinani pulled away from the hug and shrugged. "You're not really my coach, but okay. You can use my Pokédex during my battle, but don't try to move around the apps too much. I have them organized."
Leinani had called her family the day prior, telling Kaiko about her upcoming match. He took the day off from school and immediately got on a boat. If Kala won, then they'd return to Akala Island together. If not, then she'd stay on Poni Island, and Kaiko would go home.
They walked to the gym, and Leinani told Kaiko about her journey with Charlotte, making sure to not tell him any of the secrets about the trials. He only seemed to get more excited. Leinani loved doing the gym challenge, but she was also proud that her brother wanted to keep the tradition alive. If she had more time, she would have done both.
In no time, they arrived at the gym and greeted Lokelani, the assistant.
"You'll be her first challenger for the day," Lokelani said. "Good luck."
They walked through the battlefield doors, finding Kala dancing to her music. She didn't take notice of them, only coming to a stop once Lokelani slowly turned down her music.
Kala opened one eye and grinned. On this day, she wore a red dress with flower print. She stood up straight and slowly walked to her side of the field. "So, I can tell that you took my advice. I was beginning to think that you weren't going to come back. But, you already look stronger and more confident. Leinani, are you ready?"
Leinani nodded. She handed over Mix's fishbowl to Kaiko, who ran to the stands to sit down. "Let's do this!"
"The following battle will be between Gym Leader, Kala Māhoe, and the challenger, Leinani Koa! It will be a three-on-three bout, and only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions! Begin!" Lokelani yelled. She held up her two purple flags.
"We'll see how much stronger you've gotten. Go, Exeggutor!" Kala shouted while throwing her ball into the air. The Exeggutor with the long neck emerged, stomping in an effort to intimidate Leinani.
"I'm gonna introduce you to the newest member of my team!" Leinani announced while she held out her Poké Ball. "He's a gift from my friend! Let's do this, Rexillius!"
Leinani's Tyrantrum appeared and roared, shaking the gym walls. Kala appeared surprised by the Pokémon, but she couldn't help but smile at the idea of a battle with a giant.
"I didn't have control over my Turtonator, but don't get this wrong, Tyrantrum and I vibe very well!" Leinani exclaimed.
"Show me."
"We will! Use Crunch!"
Tyrantrum roared again and took only a few massive steps forward. He snapped his neck around before closing his massive jaw down onto the base of Exeggutor's body. The taller Pokémon groaned from the pain, but he knew that Kala had a plan.
"Egg Bomb!"
Exeggutor shook his head back and forth, releasing oval-shaped energy into the air. The energy rained down onto Tyrantrum, getting in a multitude of direct hits. Tyrantrum stumbled backward, mostly just irritated by the attack.
"Dragon Claw!" Leinani ordered.
Tyrantrum's arms weren't very big. However, arcane energy swirled around his body, seemingly giving him a three-foot-long claw. He swiped, lifting Exeggutor off the ground and sending him back a few feet.
"So strong," Kaiko muttered.
"That's super-effective! Let's do one more!" Leinani directed.
"Fight back with Power Whip!" Kala commanded.
Before Tyrantrum could reach Exeggutor, the taller Pokémon swung his body, ramming his long neck into Tyrantrum's midsection. Tyrantrum was thrown back, landing on his backside.
"Now, finish this with Dragon Pulse!" Kala shouted.
As Exeggutor swung his body upward, he collected arcane power. He launched a ball of fiery energy at the ground, which exploded into a violent pulse. The pulse washed over Tyrantrum, making him roar from pain.
"Rex!" Leinani shouted.
Lokelani lowered her body and waited, preparing to make a call. However, when the smoke cleared everyone was surprised to find Tyrantrum standing back up.
"No way," Kala muttered.
"That's right! Earthquake!"
Tyrantrum lifted his right leg as high as he could before stomping on the battlefield. The entirety of the gym shook, and Exeggutor was caught off balance, falling to the ground.
"And now, Dragon Claw!" Leinani ordered while pointing at the fallen Exeggutor.
Tyrantrum lowered his body and bounded forward. He slashed with the arcane energy that he built up, sending Exeggutor into the air. The tall Pokémon crashed in front of Kala, kicking up dirt and smoke. And when it all cleared, Lokelani made her decision.
"Exeggutor is unable to battle! Tyrantrum is the winner!"
Kala put her hand on her hip. "I can't believe that you actually defeated my Pokémon first. I won't be able to afford any games in this battle." She withdrew Exeggutor and then pulled out her next Poké Ball. "Drampa, it's your turn!"
A large Pokémon exploded from the Poké Ball but then gently floated to the battlefield. He smiled goofily at Tyrantrum, giving off a completely different air than Exeggutor.
"If a child it has made friends with is bullied, Drampa will find the bully's house and burn it to the ground," Leinani's Pokédex chimed.
Kaiko's eyes widened. "What?!"
"We'll start this one off. Use Energy Ball!" Kala ordered.
Drampa's expression quickly shifted, and he roared, launching a ball of energy from his mouth. The ball hit Tyrantrum directly, knocking him over. However, he quickly stood back up, now angered and fuming.
"Let's use that anger!" Leinani exclaimed. "Use Thrash!"
Tyrantrum stomped down the field and swung his body. He swiped his tail against Drampa, getting a heavy hit. Then, he lowered his head and quickly exploded upward, hitting Drampa with a powerful headbutt.
"Into the air!" Kala shouted.
Drampa used the momentum from Tyrantrum's attack and took flight. He watched overhead as Tyrantrum thrashed about, hitting nothing. Eventually, Leinani's Pokémon stopped thrashing, and he wobbled from side to side, barely able to keep his balance.
"Thrash is a powerful move, but it's a gamble," Kala stated. "Use Fly!"
Drampa dove downward, slamming the entirety of his body into Tyrantrum. The battle with Exeggutor had already put Tyrantrum in a dangerous position, but Drampa's attack was strong enough to finish him. Tyrantrum simply fell over, his heavy body hitting the ground with no fanfare.
Lokelani held up her flag. "Tyrantrum is unable to battle! Drampa is the winner!"
"You did fantastic," Leinani said as she returned Tyrantrum. She couldn't help but smile. She looked at Drampa, considering her next option. The fact that he could fly put her at a few disadvantages, but she knew that she needed to do more than just battle Drampa. She had to prepare for Kala's ace. "Vinyl, you're up!"
Leinani's black Sandygast materialized on the field and started to howl. Her body bobbed up and down as though it were made of jelly.
"An interesting choice," Kala said.
Leinani nodded. "Yeah. I think so! Use Stealth Rock!"
Kala put her hands on her hips and shrugged. "In that case, we'll use Light Screen."
Thin pillars of stones ripped up from the ground around Sandygast. The stones raced to Kala's side of the field and planted themselves in front of her trainer's box. They wouldn't do anything now, but if she were forced to use her third Pokémon, they'd be potentially dangerous.
Meanwhile, Drampa's eyes simply started to glow with a slight pink hue. A thin wall of energy formed in front of his body and prepared to take some of the damage from Leinani's attacks.
"An interesting start," Kaiko said. "She's not usually this forward-thinking with her techniques."
"Sandygast, let's use Bulldoze!" Leinani ordered.
Sandygast started to howl once again, and the battlefield shook. The terrain on Kala's side of the field started to rip apart, but before the attack could reach Drampa, Kala made her command.
"Into the air!"
Drampa slowly flew up, easily avoiding Sandygast's strike.
"Now, hit them as hard as you can! Finish this quickly!"
Drampa flew forward and turned his body, crashing down onto Sandygast. The Ghost-type was forced into the air, landing in a heap only a few feet in front of Leinani. However, since it was only the first strike, Sandygast was still able to recover.
"Giga Drain!" Leinani shouted.
Sandygast wasn't too far away from Drampa. Her eyes turned green, and orbs of light shot from her body. Once they passed through the thin wall, they attached to Drampa and started to suck away his health. He let out a soft grown while Sandygast laughed.
"Drampa, use Energy Ball!"
Drampa moved his long neck and stretched it out forward, unleashing the orb of energy straight toward Sandygast. The Ghost-type had no way to block it, instead taking the attack directly.
"Bulldoze one more time!" Leinani commanded as soon as the orb exploded into smoke.
With Drampa too close to dodge, he was forced to withstand the violent shaking. Now, almost the entirety of the field shook, and Drampa lost feeling in his feet. He stumbled, seemingly forgetting how to walk.
"This is how we win," Leinani said with a grin as he lifted her Poké Ball. "Come on back!"
Sandygast howled cheerfully as the red light absorbed her.
"Now, DJ! You're up!"
Rowlet trilled and then flew forward. She stayed in the air, making sure to avoid the rough texture of the battlefield.
"How smart of you," Kala said. "You've done everything you seemingly can to make this battle hard for me."
"Not just that, but you're little Light Screen means nothing to DJ!" Leinani exclaimed with a grin.
"Huh?"
"Steel Wing!"
Rowlet spun her body around and her small wings became encased in hard steel. She rocketed downward, driving one of her wings into Drampa's cheekbone. The larger Pokémon groaned, but he remained unmoved.
"Hyper Voice!" Kala ordered.
Drampa quickly snapped forward and opened his large mouth. He started to wail, sending powerful sound waves into the air. Rowlet was caught in the waves and forced backward. She hit the ground hard, but once she was used to the onslaught of sound, she managed to stand back up.
"Now, Fly!" Kala shouted.
"Intercept him! Use Pluck!"
Drampa kicked his legs off the ground, taking into the air. However, before he could get up high, Rowlet raced toward him. She stuck her claws into Drampa's wing and then scratched, ripping energy from the Dragon-type. Drampa lost a few feet of air, crashing back down to the ground.
"I've never seen Pluck used like that," Kala commented.
"Finish this with Leaf Blade!" Leinani shouted.
Rowlet's wings started to glow green, and she began to spin. She came back to the ground like a saw, connecting directly with the larger Pokémon. Once again, her attack was strong, but Drampa was heavy and unmoved. However, this time, the dragon simply fell.
Lokelani held up her purple flag. "Drampa is unable to battle! Rowlet is the winner!"
"You really put in the work," Kala mumbled as she withdrew Drampa. "It's a relief to see."
Rowlet flew back to her side of the field. She breathed heavily, but relief came over her face once the thin veiled wall faded away.
"Nothing is gonna protect you now!" Leinani exclaimed.
"We don't need any protection," Kala retorted as she drew out her final Poké Ball. "Go, Kommo-o!"
Kala's next Pokémon emerged and roared. As he moved, his scales clattered against his body, shaking the windows of the gym. Then, the small stone pillars from before removed themselves from the ground. They directed themselves at Kommo-o and jabbed, inflicting a little bit of damage before Kala could give a single command.
"DJ, come back," Leinani said as she drew out Vinyl's Poké Ball once again. Rowlet returned to Leinani and sat by her side while Leinani threw the Poké Ball into the air. Sandygast emerged again and started to howl.
"Kommo-o, use Clanging Scales!" Kala ordered.
"I don't know what that does! Use Bulldoze!" Leinani instructed with unease.
Kommo-o started to clap his hands together, and his scales rattled loudly against his body. He shouted and roared, charging arcane chi around his body.
Meanwhile, Sandgast connected herself to the ground and started to shake it once again. The battlefield was torn to shreds, and even Kommo-o was knocked off balance momentarily. However, he only appeared irritated.
"So, he's all charged up," Leinani said. "Use Shadow Ball!"
Sandygast howled, and a ball oc black energy materialized in front of her mouth. She bobbed her head forward, and the ball shot down the field, crashing into Kommo-o. The ball exploded upon impact, and then everything went silent.
"That's not going to be enough," Leinani stated. "Giga Drain!"
Sandygast rocked her sandy body back and forth while the green orbs floated in the air. When she had collected enough, she sent them forward.
"Clangorous Soul!" Kala commanded.
Suddenly, the smoke from Shadow Ball wafted away, and Kommo-o unleashed arcane chi from the entirety of his body. He held out his arms and then clapped as hard as he could. All of his scales closed down on his body at once, unleashing his attack. The energy destroyed Sandygast's Giga Drain before engulfing the Ghost-type. In a matter of seconds, the attack was over, and Sandygast was left flat on the field.
Lokelani slowly held up her flag. "Sandygast is unable to battle. Kommo-o is the winner! We are now in the final match!"
Leinani was left in disbelief. She knew that whatever was Kala's last Pokémon was going to be strong. However, she wasn't expecting a single hit to take down Vinyl. She slowly withdrew her Pokémon and then looked down. Rowlet didn't have much time to rest, but she was all that Leinani had.
"Do your best," Leinani said.
DJ nodded and then flew into the air. She started to trill angrily, but Kommo-o wasn't intimidated.
"Use Leaf Blade!"
Rowlet stuck out her wings and started to spin like a saw once more. She rocketed down the field, connecting with Kommo-o's midsection. The attack forced Kommo-o to bend over, but his arm was strong enough to defend him from too much damage.
Kala grinned. "Boomburst!"
Kommo-o tucked in his arms and then quickly stretched out all of his limbs, unleashing a loud blast from under his scales. Rowlet was thrown into the air, but she quickly managed to collect her balance, avoiding running into the ceiling.
"Do your Steel Wing!"
"Counter with Brick Break!"
Rowlet descended, her wings becoming encased with the iron-hard energy. When she was within distance, she swung, but Kommo-o was prepared. He hammered down, knocking Rowlet away. This time, Rowlet could not recover, and her body crashed into the ground. Dust was shot into the air, but when it cleared, Rowlet slowly stood back up.
"You okay?" Leinani asked. DJ didn't answer.
"Finish this with Clangorous Soul!" Kala shouted.
"Out of the way!"
Kommo-o built up the arcane chi around his body once more and unleashed all of it forward. However, he was slowed down by the field. Rowlet took into the air, narrowly avoiding the deadly attack.
"Leaf Blade!"
Rowlet flew in from the side and opted to not spin, instead focusing all of the energy into one wing and driving it directly into Kommo-o's side. She then quickly escaped before Kommo-o could respond.
"Keep up the heat! Use Shadow Claw!" Leinani instructed.
Rowlet was absorbed in ghostly energy. She stuck out her talon and then darted downward. Kommo-o's arm was engulfed in chi, and he swung, but instead of hitting Rowlet before, he instead phased through her. Rowlet then continued, ramming her talon into Kommo-o's cheek. The Dragon-type stumbled over, using his tail to find any source of balance.
Kala grinned. "Well, it looks like you've pushed us to our limit. We're gonna end this now if that's okay."
"Huh?"
Kala held up her arm, revealing a yellow Z-Crystal. It started to shine while Kala slowly struck her poses.
"DJ, get ready!"
Energy built around Kala while she hit each pose, and when the time came, the energy blasted from her, fueling Kommo-o. The Dragon-type roared as the energy took over his body.
"Clangorous Soulblaze!"
Kommo-o unleashed his attack from his energy body, sending massive waves of sound energy down the field. Rowlet flew to the battlefield and tried to hide inside one of the many fissures created by Sandygast's attacks. But, it was fruitless. Rocks and debris were tossed into the air, and in an instant, everything went quiet.
Lokelani looked around the battlefield, but she couldn't find Rowlet anywhere. She looked at Kala for guidance, but the gym trainer kept her eyes on Leinani.
Suddenly, a rock in the middle of the field started to bob up and down. It was moved to the side as Rowlet emerged, coughing up dust. She limped out of her small hole, barely able to stay standing.
"That's right, baby! We got this!" Kala shouted. "It's our turn!"
Kala held up her arm, and green energy began to swirl around her body. She quickly struck her poses, sending the Z-Energy to Rowlet. Rowlet trilled loudly and then held out her wings. She took off into the air, propelled by the energy. She flew circles around Kommo-o, who was also exhausted and unable to do anything after his attack. Grass and plants emerged from the broken field, and then suddenly, they implode, shaking the gym.
Slowly, the smoke faded as Rowlet came back to her side of the field. On Kala's side of the field, Kommo-o finally collapsed, his scales clattering against each other as he hit the ground.
Lokelani smiled and then held up her flag. "Kommo-o is unable to battle! Rowlet is the winner! The victory goes to Leinani!"
"We-we did it?" Leinani wondered. She had been confident in her Pokémon, but she had also been living with a sense of insecurity since her last loss. She slowly walked onto the field before she started to run. She dove into her exhausted starter Pokémon and embraced her. "We did it!"
"Congratulations," Kala said. She withdrew Kommo-o and then walked to the middle of the field slowly, giving Leinani time to collect herself. She knew that Leinani put on a tough exterior but was on the verge of excited tears. She slowly reached out her hand, revealing a red and gold badge in the shape of one of Kommo-o's scales. "This is the Haka Badge. It's yours."
Leinani happily took the badge and then showed it to DJ. "We did it!"
Kala looked down at the field and sighed. "That was quite the intense battle. Lokelani, you're gonna have to clean all of this up."
"Yes, ma'am," Lokelani responded as she started to sweep the field.
Kala pointed at Kaiko. "You, help her. I'm taking your sister somewhere that only those who qualify for the Manalo Conference can go. In the meantime, you should stay here. Make yourself useful and get my field looking good. Got it?"
Kaiko nodded. "I guess."
"Let's go."
Kala and Leinani left the gym, and Kala immediately turned toward the canyon. She was silent as she walked through the dimly lit area. Leinani followed close behind. She still had adrenaline running through her, but Kala's silence was unsettling.
After roughly thirty minutes of walking, the two came to a massive set of concrete stairs. Leinani looked up, seeing that they had to climb roughly two hundred steps before they would be bathed in the light again.
They started their climb. It looked easy for Kala, but Leinani found each step harder than the next. DJ had it easy, as she could simply rest on Leinani's shoulder. Leinani thought that this contributed to her lack of stamina although DJ was lightweight.
"This is the Altar of the Sunne and Moone," Kala said as they reached the final step. "Only a few are allowed to see it. Usually, only those that complete the Island Challenge are allowed up here. However, I like you, and I think it's okay to make an exception. How much do you know about the history of Alola?"
"Well, I know some things. Like, I know that our guardian deities fought with Solgaleo and Lunala many years ago," Leinani said.
Kala looked at the sun as it rose to the middle of the sky. "That was about five hundred years ago. For most people, it's only a myth, but I believe it to be true. I don't know why Solgaleo or Lunala would have attacked Alola, or why the guardians felt like they needed to defend us from them. But, it's something that I'm interested in, and I think that the story isn't 100% accurate."
"What do you think happened?" Leinani asked.
"What do you know about what happened four years ago?"
Leinani folded her arms. "I don't know much. I was young. I do know that the boy from Kanto got sucked away to a different world, and then you and Lilo requested that he be recognized as the first Alolan Champion for his sacrifice."
"Some people found that controversial, but I think that if he were in the tournament, he would have stood a chance at winning," Kala said with a laugh.
"I appreciate what he did, but I don't think that our first champion should be from somewhere other than Alola," Leinani exclaimed.
"He's got Alolan blood," Kala said. "Do you know what happened roughly two years ago?"
"I know that he came back. During that time, some odd creatures attacked Alola. I remember being at the gym in Malie City and being afraid," Leinani said.
"A Pokémon named Necrozma came to Alola. It took over Lunala, and I was forced to fight it right here. I think that the guardians fought these versions of Solgaleo and Lunala hundreds of years ago. Luckily, we were able to defeat it this time. I think Necrozma is gone for good, but the fear of it coming back lingers," Kala said. She then smiled. "But, with trainers as strong as you in Alola, I'm sure that it stands no chance if it came back."
Leinani looked down at DJ. "If anything were to happen again, we'd be sure to lend you our strength!"
Kala nodded. "To be honest, I'm looking to leave Alola. I'd like to travel the world after this season is over. There are so many regions and Pokémon to discover. I love Alola, and I think that my place is here when all is said and done, but I've spent my entire Pokémon training career here."
"Aren't you set to take over for your grandfather as Island Kahuna?" Leinani asked, recalling her conversation with Hala.
Kala was silent momentarily. She looked at the ground. "I don't know how to tell him, but I can't take over right now. Maybe I'm destined to do it someday, but not now. I didn't get to go on my adventure like everyone else. My two best friends are out traveling right now."
"You should definitely go see the world. I think that you could win a conference with ease," Leinani said, trying to not let herself fangirl.
Kala put her hands on her hips. "It's something to think about. When I leave the gym, I need someone strong to take over."
"Someone strong, surely."
"How about you?"
Leinani's eyes widened. "Me? I'd be honored!"
"Then, it's decided?"
Leinani took a few steps back and shook her head. "No, no. I can't decide that quickly. I'm not even sure if I'm strong enough!"
"I'm joking, kind of," Kala said with a cheeky grin. "Maybe after the conference, we can talk again. What are your goals as a trainer?"
Leinani put her hand to her chin and then looked down at DJ. "I love Pokémon battling, and since I was a baby, I wanted to be a champion. I never thought that Alola would have a real champion or Pokémon League. However, I want to study more about music. There's so much music to listen to in the world, and if I'm the champion, then maybe I won't have that kind of time."
"You're a fan of hip-hop?"
"Yeah. It's my favorite kind of music. That, and heavy metal. And, I love our island music too. It's hard to pick a favorite because I have so many different moods."
Kala thought for a moment. "You know, they say that hip hop was born in Unova. If you're serious about studying music, then that'd be the place to go."
Leinani looked up at the sun. "It's something to consider."
Author's Notes: So, Leinani has finally done it! She's now qualified for the Manalo Conference. I'm gonna use two chapters to show some of her training and develop one other rival. I had considered writing a Magearna side story, but I simply have no ideas what to do for it. If I do write anything, please keep an eye out of my KokoroEcho Chronicles. The Manalo Conference will be roughly 10 chapters. I'm excited to finally get to write it.