Changed my mind about posting this later. Might as well keep it up-to-date with the other mirrors. Then I'll give everyone chapter five when it's done.

Please read and review!

Just a little over a half-hour to go before the start of the festival. To my surprise, the streets were quiet when I chose to wander the straight-lined streets of Hau'oli City. Most of the folks living in the high-risers and beach-front homes here must have been preparing for tonight. Hau went elsewhere hours ago after deciding what he wanted to tell me could wait until tonight. Colress told me there were "private matters" for him to attend to before likewise disappearing. This meant I would be alone. I didn't mind one bit. These people had to let me have "me time". Or should I call it "me and Adagio" time since the only other soul around was my pokémon? I needed her in case the local wildlife picked a fight.

This city consisted of straight roads leading to three different exits. After a quick check of my bag, I found I had the funds to throw at stuff. Or, you know, I'm pretty sure I did. Currency in Pokémon, or pokédollars, differed from the American dollar by also being based on the Japanese yen. I could go almost anywhere or do almost anything I wanted to within Hau'oli with the medium-sized wad of bills I found in a fabric wallet with a coconut design. That's how I ended up at the marina watching the waves lap its concrete shore. Sightseeing didn't cost money. Better to save what I had for an emergency if I couldn't spend what little I found on stuff I wanted.

All I could have ever wanted came from my old life. I'd been having to mourn the internet culture I'd always known. I lost much more than social media, group chats, and virtual therapy sessions. This world wouldn't have my favorite video games. All the amazing music I listened to would haunt me for the rest of my days. No one I knew came here with me from my previous life. I failed to realize I had been truly alone until now.

I hearkened to the waves. Their crashing and splashing against the port left little room for silence. Towering clouds drifted like ships through the sky. Fading sunlight grazed the ocean. Distant cries of bird pokémon could be heard in the distance circling areas of interest.

"Pli lio?" called Adagio.

I hoisted my partner from the ground. I brought her to the railing protecting us from taking a plunge into the sea. Above us, marmalade skies darkened to denim shades of blue high above the sinking Sun. Ocean waves splashed the sides of the marina, their pull influenced by a rocky body yet to have risen to replace the Sun.

I savored the salty winds. "Feels weird saying this… I kinda miss home."

She made a questioning noise and dropped her flippers over the metal bars.

I sighed. "I miss its familiarity. The counterparts of the things I knew back home feel like shoddy knock-offs. Like, an open-world game with skill trees where you play one of a few nationalities with historically aristocratic blood and a great destiny? Is it Pokéquest Ages V: Unova? Or is it The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? Common folks who pick fights with uppity nobles for imposing strict taxes with the addition of pokémon don't enthrall me. Being a bloodthirsty warrior delving into dangerous ruins and getting into shouting matches with power-hungry lizards? Hell yeah! All Pokéquest is, is a reenactment of stuff I learned about in history class. I'm done with school.

"You know, everything's about pokémon here. Most problems can be solved with the help of a partner. Doesn't it seem weird we depend on you guys so much?" I looked to Adagio for an answer.

Her eyes rolled.

"Us humans are way more independent back home. Animals aren't one hundred percent necessary to function in normal society. We don't pit them against each other in battles. That'd be abuse! Animals aren't intelligent like you. They're frailer, which means they bleed easier-"

"Arf, arf!" my partner cried.

Yep. You're crossing the line. Stop rambling so much. It's about time for you to shut up and learn how to soak in the environment.

…Ugh. Damn it, Emelie. Why were you being hard on yourself?

We dwelled at the marina. Nature's melodies continued all around us. The seas crashed against the obstructing pier. Gusts of wind wailed through my hair. The occasional splash came from the water. I swore I heard the 'Aye, aye, aye,' whines of a Psyduck mixed with the cacophony of red and black birds searching for dinner. Shadowed fish shapes lunged to and fro to evade the hungry birds. Several Pikipek would succeed in catching slim cyan fish and speed over to the island with their catch. The other birds and their Trumbeak elders were content to fly about with stuffed beaks until they found suitable prey. Then they aimed and fired a load of something into the water.

The Sun departed, finally. Dusk dimmed the oranges and blues of the sky while adding tinges of purple. The ceremonial battle would be underway judging by this. Sneaking into town while the battle distracted the islanders would be a good idea. I could settle in and learn what they offered other than fights and dancing.

"We should head for Iki Town," I said. I withdrew Adagio's poké ball. "You're ready to go?"

"Oh-ho-ho! This is where you've been hiding?"

I jumped.

Lampposts lined the ledge above this abrupt gathering. The old guy who joined us stood beside the middle post's glow. Arms hidden by an oversized robe laid folded. I swore his gaze trained on me and me alone.

"Kahuna Hala?" I gasped, pushing at my crooked glasses. "Shouldn't you be in Iki Town?"

"I would be if it weren't for you pulling a disappearing act," he said. "We're about to run behind schedule."

"Which has to do with me, how?" I said, blinking. "I'd rather go on my own time."

Hala rubbed the back of his neck. "About that. I've wanted to ask you about partaking in the ceremonial battle."

I blinked. There's no way I could have heard him wrong. My hearing was leagues better than the rest of my senses.

"Your grandfather's projects have benefitted trainers and common folks alike across the United Regions," he said. "I reckoned I'd ask you to lend me your family's star power. You could bring more attention to the Island Challenge by battling Hau."

Hold up. Me? Get in front of a crowd to fight a kid? I opened my mouth. I zipped it shut right before I could speak. I swallowed the irate words I wanted to hurl at Hala for disrupting the plans I'd already made for this evening. Getting upset over a simple request wouldn't do me favors.

I returned to watching the birds gliding above the sea.

"Poppi!" my pokémon exclaimed. She leaped from my arms to approach Hala.

He laughed at this, followed by a grunt when he bent at the waist to pluck the small sea lion from the ground. "You're in good spirits, Popplio."

"Her name's Adagio," I said.

"Hmm, I see. I quite like it!"

I half-shrugged. "Me too. Though it wasn't my idea. I got her name from…" No, Emelie. You're swimming in unfamiliar waters. Don't mention him. "A passerby. Sort of just happened.

"You're serious about this? You know, wanting me to take part in the ceremony and all? Is Tapu Koko okay with me having no ties to the Island Challenge? How many people are gonna be watching? I don't think I could-"

"The entire island's focused on Iki tonight," Hala said. "All of Alola will see the battle by tomorrow."

I gulped. Didn't anyone tell this man I wasn't a people person? Deep down, I wanted to say, 'Kahuna, I don't know if you know this, but I've got no social skills. You expect me to put my awkward self in front of an entire island and figure out how pokémon battles work at the same time?'

My mouth didn't get ahead of my brain, for better or worse. I've never been famous even by association. I opposed putting in the work unless it were for an on-the-spot and poorly thought-out idea. Popularity would be an additional stressor on top of the daily craziness I stumbled into. Wouldn't it lead to more scrutiny and, were I to make the tiniest of errors, bullying?

Come on, Emelie. You needed to say something before he dragged you anywhere. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure about this idea of yours. Cameras and I aren't a good combo. I'd rather run and hide than be subjected to scrutiny."

Hala watched me. His expression blanked.

I couldn't bear to stare back. If he was mad, it would be best to keep my head down and let him vent those frustrations. Wouldn't be the first time I'd been used as a punching bag.

He exhaled. "Hanini."

"Hm?" Adagio squeaked at the kahuna.

Hanini? What the hell did "Hanini" mean? I swear if he cursed at me in Hawaiian or something…

"Emelie?" Hala said. "Would you allow this old man to ramble? The folks in Iki can wait. We've kicked off the festival at stranger times than right after nightfall."

I clung to the railing. This was not what I had in mind when I thought of punching bags. "Um, sure? What's up?"

For Hala, speaking his thoughts took time. Enough time for us to leave the marina and return to the streets of Hau'oli City. We kept to the flat gray path at the side of the main road. Or, you know, the sidewalk. Sure didn't remind me of a sidewalk other than it keeping us from being bowled over by a stray traveler and their Tauros.

I brought my palm to my pocket. Though I had always been a Pokémon fan and loved carrying tiny figurines in plastic poké balls as a kid, having a sentient creature who could fit within a ball felt weird. I could whip it out and she'd leap from its innards in a flash of light. Maybe my family would have taken our cat to the vet more often if my world had Pokémon 's technology. He fell way behind on check-ups because we couldn't store a carrier in our cramped household.

Putting my musings aside, Hala stopped beside a brick wall and waited for me to catch up to him. This guy proved quick on his feet for his age. I couldn't say this surprised me. He did represent fighting-types in the Island Challenge.

"Eleven years ago, the Ka'uhane household welcomed a new family member," Hala said. "Aolani's pregnancy went extraordinarily well. I should have taken this as a sign of the things to come. But I got distracted by a recent falling out with a student of mine and failed to dive below the surface. Life became tense in the months after Hau's birth. His parents got restless. Hau's father spurned his family when he could… More so than his youth, where I'd constantly find him hiding from crowds and failing to make public appearances with the rest of his family during special occasions and the like."

"I understand," I said. "I'm always doing the same."

"As my hunt for you proved," Hala replied. "My son has always struggled with interacting with others. I know I cast a broad shadow as the island's Kahuna. My family is scrutinized for the actions they take in their day-to-day lives. Hanini suffered great anxiety from being under a constant spotlight and feeling as if he had to maintain the image of flawlessness."

Funny. This guy seemed a bit like me. I often got anxious if I got ultra-invested in being the "perfect writer". There's no such thing as a "perfect writer" yet I kept obsessing over the tiniest flaws and details. Hence why I hadn't made a dent in the lined papers on my desk I figured to have followed me from my old life.

"Along came the night he fled for another region entirely," Hala said. "Hanini didn't tell us where he was or what he was doing until he settled into a new life. Our conversations were terse, if not heated. His boy would grow up without a father unless I stepped in to help raise him.

"Never paying attention to Hanini's chronic anxiety haunts me to this day. I often fear I've lost my touch as a parent and a Kahuna when Hau makes mistakes and I have to correct him. If I'm harsh, the boy may burst into tears instead of listening to me. All I can see when it happens is Hanini and his struggle to make a name for himself."

Man, did he make parenthood sound awful. Good thing I never planned to have kids. I'm way happy taking care of pokémon. They usually seemed to start with child-level intelligence.

"Are you here for a science project, Emelie?" Hala asked. "Or is this an attempt to escape relatives you wish to disassociate from?"

Gah! How could I answer him? It's true I've had problems with my folks. Those particular folks came from another life. I knew nothing about my new family other than what the paper packet and Colress told me. "Hon-honestly, Kahuna Hala. The fact I've got famous connections doesn't factor into my relationship with them as much as my emotions do. My grandm- Grandpa is… A bit much. I've been waiting my whole life to get away from him because…"

"Us old folks don't know when to step aside and let the younger generations live their lives?" Hala finished. "I never encouraged Hanini to be himself and put him before a region that holds a lot of respect for their leaders."

"Ex-exactly," I gasped. "I'm in a constant struggle to understand who I am while others ask me to play parts in a play I can't memorize. I need the space to be me after years of being demeaned as a person."

Hala thought. "I…" After he was given a moment, he bowed his head. "I understand. Though you fled for different reasons, you and my son have suffered much. I apologize for not asking your feelings on the matter. You won't have to use your "star power" if you don't want to."

I dismissed the breath stuck in my throat. Thank. The. Tapu.

"Now I wonder who'll be Hau's opponent in your place. Who might stir as much excitement from the denizens of Alola as a noted foreigner?"

I smiled. You see, I got a brilliant idea the second a figure in white emerged into the city lights from the distant darkness of Route One. "Why don't you ask the Professor? I'm sure he knows a cool guy or two who could fill my shoes."

Crowds swarmed the dirt roads of Iki. Most stuck to the center of town. Food and craft stalls representing local businesses distributed free samples and or entertained children while their parents busied themselves at makeshift bars. Other folks played loud, obnoxious carnival games like Pyukumuku Toss or Wack-A… White Diglett?

Hau called them Wiglett. No, they weren't Diglett despite their similar appearances. Nor were they native to Alola, which already had regional variants of Diglett and Dugtrio. I watched a gang of teenagers grow frustrated with the elongated, automated creatures and figured Wiglett must have come from Paldea. Funny how I got stolen away before I got to properly know the newest region. What could I be surprised by next? Would a Paldean starter's final evolution walk on four legs instead of two?

This wasn't the time to ponder such things. I should be enjoying this moment. Seeing the sights, trying new things, and maybe getting to know the residents. Where could I start? What was the point of doing anything now when the battle would begin once tonight's special guest arrived?

The Kahuna's home could be found in the westernmost corner of the loftiest part in town. At the center of a nearby patch of sand sat a wooden platform with stairs on either side. The crowd, sizing around a small army, jostled for front-row seats. I'd fail to describe the surge of happiness I felt knowing I wouldn't be shoved in front of these people. The battle would instead be between two well-known Alolans.

This year's featured trainers would be a child with famous connections and a mysterious man who worked his way to stardom with the help of his pokémon at Akala Island's Battle Royal Dome. This mysterious man was available when I asked Professor Kukui. Lucky for me, he knew a guy. A friend of his would love to promote the Dome at the festival. What better way to get attention than satisfying Tapu Koko's hunger for battle?

Hau waited for me beside the arena. Rowlet perched on his shoulder while he hugged a flaxen-colored mouse. I'd known about his new buddy since this morning. He wanted to surprise his grandfather by bringing her into his first trainer battle.

"Are you excited?" he asked me. "I'm excited."

"Yeah," I said.

He wobbled on his toes. "You don't seem excited."

"Would I have to whoop and holler while bouncing like a Spoink to tell you I am?" I asked.

"What a tremendous waste of energy." Right as this was spoken, gray flashed in the corner of my eye. Turned out a certain guy with a funky cowlick had been hanging by the entrance to the path leading to the Tapu's shrine.

I shrank. 'Cause geez, "Where'd you come from?"

He greeted me with a dissonant smile. "I've been standing here this entire time." He followed those words with a sip from one of those fast-food cups lacking a top or a straw.

"Mr. Colress!" Hau shouted.

Colress lowered his drink. "You don't have to refer to me as 'mister' "

"Professor Colress?" Hau said.

"No," he answered. "I lack the credentials to become a professor."

"Doctor Colress?"

"Correct! I'd prefer it if you simply called me Colress."

There was a jab to my shoulder. Startling with a straightened spine, I almost reprimanded the kid who scared me. I held my tongue on the verge of unleashing a curse. You know, not the fun kind where you get turned into a pokémon after messing with a Ninetails.

"He's a doctor?" Hau mumbled.

"Doctor means two different things," I mumbled right back at him. "In his case, it means he's highly educated."

"Correct again!" Colress declared, flinging his pointer finger at the sky. "I spent years in college learning all I could about science. I graduated at the top of my class with the highest marks." He moved his finger to his cheek. "Except for debate. Funny how when I hear about her now, she's unable to sway voters to give her the spot on the Board of Unovan League Event Coordinators she's always wanted. Goes to show we can't always predict what the future holds."

Hau glanced toward the entrance of town halfway through Colress' rambling speech. Rowlet's head dipped whereas Pichu's ears and limbs drooped.

"Hey, kid?" I said.

"Yeah?" Hau answered.

"I'm gonna hang for a bit. I'll swing by to watch you fight later."

Six sets of eyeballs descended upon me.

"We're not battling?" Hau asked.

"Did Hala tell you I would?" I wondered aloud. "I-I can't, I'm sorry. I'm not confident I'd keep my cool. Popplio hasn't seen her first fight yet, so she was to start by going against two pokémon with type advantages over her…" Seriously. What a terrible way to begin your trainer career.

"It's okay!" Hau said. "Who's gonna battle me instead?"

"Somebody super cool," I said. "He wants to promote his battle facility here."

"Speaking of which," Colress interjected. "Is this mysterious person masked? My sensors indicate such an individual has just entered town."

Hau gasped. "'Ma-masked'?!"

Some woman screamed.

"There's your answer," Colress said. He took a sip of his coffee.

The town filled with chatter in seconds.

"It's him?"

"No way!"

"What's he doing here instead of Akala?"

"Oh my gosh! This was so worth the wait!"

"I saw him fight Battlefield Beast at the Dome last week!"

Hau raced forward. Before I knew it, he and his pokémon had abandoned us to ogle the stranger.

"Uh, good luck!" I called after him.

"Thanks!" he yelled before disappearing behind a tall and ugly-looking bear.

"This should be interesting," Colress said. "They say no one knows who he is under the mask."

I brushed my messy curls until they congregated over my shoulder. "Oh, I know. Want me to tell you?"

"Why spoil the surprise? Or should I say the lack thereof? The sensors I've built into my glasses are seldom incorrect."

"Okay, Doctor. Tell me what your sensors say about this man."

Colress pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose. He held them there.

I waited.

"Hmm, let's see," he muttered. "To begin with, he's got an above-average height. His cellular structures indicate he is in his early thirties. Interestingly, he has a similar build to someone I've recently met. I can't get a good reading of him aside from his mouth and facial hair. I've seen a similar patch-"

"OH YEAH! Party time!"

My joints locked.

Colress didn't budge a muscle.

Holy hell, it took five seconds. Five seconds of us being distracted for the guest of honor to jog across town.

"Hello," Colress said. "Your devotion to remaining fit is commendable."

I took this opportunity to slip from the other man's sight. Being in the proximity of Colress' coat always felt strange. Cool air stuck to it like metal attracted by a magnet. Any of it which managed to escape blasted me when I got behind him.

"Whatcha doing staring at me like you'll be penning an essay paper?" a deep, serious voice inquired of the researcher. "There's a time and place for everything. Not now!"

"I apologize, Masked Royal," Colress said. "When you're devoted to science like I am, the crusade for answers to the questions stuck in your head is neverending."

"Why's she hiding?" said the Masked Royal.

"My niece? I propose the hypothesis that she has a crush on you."

"Colress!" I groaned.

He sported a serene smile. "I'd best grab a front-row seat before his legion of fangirls swarm the arena. I'll be sure to save you a spot, Emelie." Leaving those words to saturate the drying atmosphere, he and his refrigerator for a coat stepped into the growing crowd. The guy straight-up abandoned me!

"The professor informed me you're the young woman who should've gone on stage tonight," the Masked Royal said.

I fixed upon the yellow lightning bolt at the center of his mask. "You and Kukui must be good buds, huh? Good enough, I haven't seen him since I got here."

"The professor is occupied," Royal said. "He won't make it tonight."

"Is he busy?" I said. "I get the feeling he, or rather you, are lying. Who wouldn't miss the festival?"

His boisterous laughter attracted the attention of bystanders- Oh God, no! Bystanders? They gathered in a ring around us. My cheeks warmed faster than a Rapidash reaching its top speed within seconds.

"I sure hope the real reason why you asked for me to fill your shoes isn't to accuse me of being your awesome professor." Royal chortled. "Who'd believe you?"

Voices filled my head with nonsense. Their words lost meaning despite most of them being spoken in English. My heart pounded. Let's say my inner emotions were personified. Fear slammed the panic button and begged for their life. Their panic prevented the rest of the emotions from rubbing their brain cells together. Their absence left me numb with dread.

"Since you're confident you know who I am, why not screw your courage to the sticking place?" Royal said, slapping a hand to his chest. "Fight me."

Are you kidding me? What's the big idea? I asked Hala and Kukui not to let my first trainer battle take place here! Did they forget? Or did the Masked Royal not get the message?

"Sorry, I'm gonna have to refuse," I said. "I'm not about to do something I'm going to hate to get an answer I already know."

"You won't battle the Royal?!" Hau darted from the crowd, bewilderment written all over his face. His Pichu barely managed to cling to his shoulder. Rowlet flared his wings while clenching his trainer's dark green hair in his talons.

"Royal's your opponent, kid," I told him.

He shook his head. "You've gotta fight him! I'd be cool with you taking my place."

"I've got no horse in this race," I said.

"Come on!" Hau whined, clasping his hands. "Please?"

I sighed. "No."

"Please?" he pleaded again.

"No."

His pupils seemed to sparkle. "Please, please, please, please, please?" He stooped towards me.

I scowled. Didn't anyone teach him to not invade personal space. "No."

"Please, please, please?"

I shut my eyes. He would have to leave me alone if I ignored him for long enough.

"Come on!"

"You can't refuse a trainer battle!"

"Do it! Just do it!"

"You better win and unmask him!"

Right. How did I forget about the crowd? These absolute strangers stuck their noses where they didn't belong.

"Please?" Hau said.

With him adding his plea on top of the crowd's squealing, I trembled like a shivering wet dog. Why this? Why me? This could have been avoided had I bailed when Colress made his escape.

"Emelie's your name, yeah?"

"Ye-yes, sir," I answered the Royal. I'd be crazy to flee now. "I guess I could try…"

The Masked Royal gazed into the faces of those who surrounded us. He thrust an arm upwards. "Everyone!" he shouted in his low voice. "I appreciate your excitement for the upcoming match. I must ask for you to leave Emelie be. You won't get the awesome battle you've been waiting for if you're breathing down her neck."

The crowd's reaction was immediate. Their attention went from me to themselves. They split into little groups or played with their electronics. I could hear faint beeps and boops coming from across the battle stage.

"Hey," Hau called to his gramps, who returned from a brief stop at his home. "Where's Kukui?"

How could anyone be this oblivious? I could be the only one here who knew the truth within five seconds of meeting the Royal. "Thanks for getting them to back off," I said to him. "I could've…" I didn't want to think of what would have happened next. Who would treat me differently if they knew I couldn't cope with the abrupt onset of stress?

"Not a problem!" Royal rumbled. "Could I ask you a favor in return?"

"Ye-yes, sir?" Why did I get the feeling…? Right. I wouldn't have needed another four years of failing college to have guessed how he would've responded.

"You've gotta fight me!" he cried, a fist pounding his chest.

See? No doctorate needed. Why this? Why anything? I could have been hiding in the safety of my home learning more about the new internet culture I would have to adapt to. Surely not all of it had to do with pokémon. We as a species couldn't have grown co-dependant on them.

"Why me?" I said. "Why?"

"You're an Avenue. People already know who you are."

Kukui, you're an asshole. I thought I'd be in the clear after my talk with Hala. Did he run this by the Kahuna? I should've known I would hate being part of a famous family. People may only want me for my "star power". Exactly what "star power"? Could I be famous for being a walking embarrassment? I couldn't think of how else I'd be notable outside my forsaken relations. "I'm pretty sure they don't know me."

"You don't know them it seems," Royal countered.

Why would knowing strangers be important? Strangers were impossible to work with. I already spent day-in and day-out trying to appear "normal" to them.

"Your parents must have sheltered you more than we all realized. You're unaware the world knows and accepts you're different. You won't be mocked for taking the stage and showing us more of who you are."

He couldn't be right. Nobody cared about people like me. We were weirdos they could mock because we didn't vibe along the same wavelength. They found it easy to overwhelm our senses and mocked us whenever the chance arose. We deserved nothing except to rot out of sight and mind being an anonymous, well-adjusted human being on the internet while they enjoyed a wonderous world tailored to them from birth.

"What if you're wrong?" I said. "What if who I am here is too different from who I am back home?"

Royal flexed a muscle. "You shouldn't be masking who you are. Besides, masking's my job. I'm not letting you take it from me!"

"Ma-masking?" I'd heard the term before. Meant you're hiding your true self for whatever reason. But…

"Somebody has a problem with you being yourself and you're hurting no one? Not your problem. They're the problem."

"Problems sure don't know when to take their issues elsewhere," I said.

"Not your problem!" Royal shouted. "You've gotta be you or you're never gonna be happy, yeah."

I slipped my fingers into my pocket and let the red-and-white object inside roll about my palm. I'd been pretty sure I already knew who I was. I liked being alone and did my own thing most of the time. Except something changed recently. I let myself be vulnerable yesterday. I finally did the thing my therapists always asked me to. I sat outdoors and interacted with passersby and settled into returning greetings after a short while. Nobody made fun of me if I messed up. Not one of them laughed. They treated me with respect without expecting me to return it. Did they know who I was? Did my status protect me? They let me be me nonetheless, I guess.

"What'd you say, Emelie?" Royal said. "You're gonna spurn those negative thoughts trying to protect you from nothing and fight me?"

I squeezed my partner's pokéball. Feeling it swell felt strangely comforting. I rotated the enlarged sphere until I located the button at its front. Once I accomplished this, I yanked it free of my pocket, held it to my face, and found my reflection in its shiny exterior.

Adagio must have heard our conversation. Most pokéballs were meant to carry her kind, not contain them. She could have left its safety at any point to give us her opinion on the matter. Since she didn't, she must have known what I'd say or do next. She agreed with my decision.

I could do this. I could go onstage. I'm not alone as long as I have pokémon by my side. We could do this together. Was this why this world was obsessed over them? 'Cause I thought I could understand their obsession. I, too, loved pokémon. What I didn't see until now was how they were the perfect friends to take with you wherever you went. Find yourself at a disadvantage anyway? Befriend more of them!

"Fine," I said. "I'll get on stage with you, Masked Royal."

"Yeah!" he bellowed, fist pumping. "That's what I like to hear!"

I somehow kept from flinching at his increased volume. "How exactly are we doing this? All I have with me is a Popplio."

He nodded. "We'll make it a fair fight, yeah? I'll rely on my trusty Rockruff."

"Okay…?"

Royal shouted over the hubbub of the festival-goers. "Hey, Kahuna! We better get this party started! She's up for doing it after all!"

"Is she now?" Hala boomed from somewhere in the background. "Best I get onstage and kick us off!"

Geez, Emelie. This sure would be a big leap for you. Did you know what you were getting into?

"Really?!" yelled Hau, who seemed to materialize beside me carrying a box. Logos featuring puffy pink Slurpuff who replaced the cherry-like sphere at the top of its head with a half-eaten treat emblazoned its sides.

"Ye-yeah," I replied. "I'll be fighting the Masked Royal."

"Awesome! I wonder if he'll remove his mask if he loses to you. His Rockruff's a rock-type and your Popplio's a water-type. This should be easy if you-"

"He probably won't take his mask off," I said, slinking from Hau and his crazy burst of enthusiasm. "This isn't gonna be a Battle Royal Dome match."

Hau deflated like a balloon losing its helium. "Oh, okay." He presented the box to me. "Hey, before you go. You wanna malasada?" He flipped the top to show me a line of flat pastries sprinkled in sugar. "They're fresh!"

"Don't mind if I do,' another voice spoke. Fingers in a gray glove snatched the furthest pastry wrapped in a paper sheet to the right.

Hau stared at the empty spot with me. "Uh…"

Colress was right behind us with the taken malasada. "This is a sweet-flavored malasada?" he said. "Doesn't seem much different from the sour and dry-flavored kinds they sell on Akala Island. However, when I take a bite of this, I should be assaulted by a-"

"Thief!"

The scientist smiled despite me yelling and pointing at him. "What?" he chuckled scornfully. "He offered."

"Alola, good people of Melemele! Tonight, here at the Full Power Festival, we celebrate the founding of our island under the watchful eye of Tapu Koko. We usually have two trainers about to embark on their Island Challenge here to show us what they're made of. While it would delight me to watch my grandson Hau battle anyone willing to fill the void of the missing trial-goer, he has stepped aside to allow another to take his place.

"This year, the battle will be between more experienced trainers! I'm glad I'm able to introduce them to you all. They weren't hard for us to get a hold of considering our circumstances…" Hala kept talking and talking, delving into the topic of "today's amazing trainers". He mainly spoke about the Masked Royal, who I knew waited on the opposite side of Hau and him.

Whatever Hala might've told us after mentioning the long win streak at the Battle Royal Dome which made the Royal a household name didn't stick with me for long. I stayed by my set of stairs and folded my arms tight. When was this speech gonna be over? Why would he delay the inevitable?

"If you'd like my opinion on the matter," Colress said, walking over to stand by me. "You'll do fine."

"Think I'm having a hard time trusting those words of yours," I said.

"I haven't been wrong thus far, have I?"

"Guess not."

"If you cannot trust me, although I don't see why you wouldn't, trust yourself and your pokémon. You'll be fine."

"I ask you to now welcome the Masked Royal to the stage!" Hala hollered.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

The Masked Royal waved at them. He scaled the steps to the stage with the agility of a Regieleki.

When the cheers died moments later, Hala continued. "Our other trainer hails from another land."

I drew breath.

"Her family, the Avenues, have funded dozens of projects across the United Regions. The most famous of these ventures lies within their home region of Unova. I understand there are those of you who may distrust them after what one of their number did in the service of Team Plasma."

Colress swallowed a piece of his malasada. "Never will live it down, will I?" he sighed.

"I've had the pleasure of meeting with Coltere Avenue's granddaughter twice before this moment," Hala said. "She has been nothing but considerate to those around her."

Not true. What about Lillie? I wouldn't be surprised if she lacked confidence in me. I could be a source of information on Nebby. No, things in life couldn't ever be simple. I went and told her off when she tried whatever she could to help it.

"Because of her manners and her years of studying pokémon, I'm of the belief our other participant has the makings of a great trainer. This is why I have given her a partner and she has been put against the Masked Royal."

Yeah, "studying pokémon". I did so much "studying" to get to where I was now. It's not like I got almost twenty years to "prepare", got inserted into this world, and was now expected to live like I always belonged here.

"Now, please join me in welcoming Ms. Emelie Avenue to the stage!"

It was time. I climbed the stairs before me, not even sparing a glance for my uncle. I took note of each step. I couldn't rush and risk getting a concussion by tripping over them. Worst I could do otherwise was act like a child with three brain cells dedicated to stray thoughts having nothing to do with this moment. Why yes, Emelie. Why not roleplay a Skyrim bandit about to croak from being struck by the flat end of a warhammer? You could lose a simple battle against a shirtless man and his dog while alienating Alolans for not making an iota of sense.

"Hey, isn't she the girl who…"

"She's his granddaughter?"

"I could've sworn the Avenues carried themselves with more…"

No, Emelie. What were you doing? Don't listen to them. Nothing mattered more than the fight you were about to get into. You could do this. You could survive having your first battle against a trainer here. You've gone through worse than public scrutiny, haven't you? Didn't the scrutiny of one person or a small group of friends or family matter more than an entire island?

Once I saw the pokéball held by my opponent, I lifted my own. I caught my likeness on its surface again. Her eyebrows sloped in such a way even I could tell she felt apprehensive. Her pupils, right behind a pair of glasses with black and blue frames, darted about seeking whatever her sensitive ears latched onto. Whispers of her name accompanied the yearnings of the wind and the crackles of torches scattered about the area.

I slapped my partner's tiny home into my other palm. Though its weight wasn't much, I felt comforted having it with me. We could do this. Me and my partner. We were going to kick the Masked Royal's ass. Just one thing stood in our way: a pokémon which advertised its typing in its name. Piece of cake.

"Without further ado…" Hala called.

The Masked Royal took a wide stance.

"Let the battle…"

I copied him and drew back a pokéball the size of my fist.

Hala tossed an arm up. "Begi-"

BAH-KOOOOM!

Adagio's capsule slipped from my grasp. "Wh-what the…?!" I stammered.

"Up there!" a woman yelled. "In the sky!"

The… Sky? Sure enough, trailing the eyes and outstretched necks of the masses, I found the strange hole suspended right underneath an incoming patch of altostratus clouds. Cracks brimming with light poured from it together with a net-like pattern.

"An ultra wormhole?!" I said. Ignoring the minor changes until this point, this universe was similar to what I knew. What in the world would cause a…

My side of the stage bounced. Adagio and I were met with a swift-moving older man. "Emelie!"

"Colress?!" I gasped.

"You?!" shouted somebody in the crowd. "You've got something to do with this, you no-good scientist?"

Colress didn't react to the deprecating comment. "You're not going to like what I'm about to tell you," he told me. "Neither am I since it means the loss of valuable research materials. It's got to be done!"

"The wormhole," I said. "It's an ultra beast, right?"

He clamped a hand on my shoulder.

"...Right?" I said.

"I wish it were," he said.

"Groooooooaaaaaauuuuuugghhhh!"

Members of the audience were backing from the unfamiliar entity hovering in the heavens. More joined the growing second crowd as the hole dimmed from the jet black humanoid being floating in its center. Its coloration seemed as dark as the blackest of pits. The part where a face should have been, if there was one, showed markings of nine different pigments.

I got the strongest urge to go with the crowd. Run, my instincts said. Do not tussle with the freaky alien!

"Darn it," Colress said, clutching his fists. "What've I done? I should've destroyed it when I had the chance."

"'Destroyed' what?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head. "Give me your bag. Now!"

"Crooooooooozzzz!"

I still couldn't believe my eyes and ears. The various mediums Pokémon used to tell its stories never agreed on if this creature was an ultra beast. I couldn't remember off the top of my head which did and which didn't. Why would it matter at a time like this? The only thing that did matter was its name.

"Necrozma!" I said, flinging my arm free of a bag strap. …Wait. Something didn't make sense. When people went through ultra wormholes, they radiated its particles. Except Colress asked for my stuff. How could they be shedding the particles instead of me?

"Emelie, he may know what he's doing!" the Masked Royal bellowed. "Give him the bag." He sent a pokéball flying at the stage. "I'll distract this creature to the best of my ability!"

Out came a tall red-and-black-furred bipedal feline. It flexed its muscles and hissed at the unfamiliar pokémon.

"Hoku and I will help!" Hala said, throwing another ball into the ring. "Hau, get out of the way!"

"Go-got it!" his grandson yelped, leaping from the stage.

Hala's partner shouted an ardent, "Yama!" as the light faded from its girthy body.

I'd pressed my bag into Colress' arms when he said, "Kahuna, your Hariyama won't do much to Necrozma. It's a-"

"Larry, go at it with a flare blitz!"

Royal's Incineroar leaped at the intruder. Stunning orange flames surrounded its body until it reached the arc of its jump.

Necrozma swooped out of its way and lifted its left claw, which glowed a malicious purple. The claw swiped at Larry and managed to strike it on its side, sending it tumbling for the stage.

Colress yanked me towards him right when Larry landed on its feet and claws in front of us. His other glove returned from my bag with a small, dark slab glowing gold from the picture of a Pikachu on its home screen. I recognized the various apps in folders labeled after their primary functions. I'd thought I'd never be so relieved to see the miniscule static image of an orb with a fox wrapped along its bottom half.

"My phone?" I cried.

"We have to destroy the one device which binds you to your old life," he said, eyes hardening.

"Bu-but!" My phone?! I'd spent ages curating a music playlist. All of my hard work down the drain because of a…

"I'm sorry." Without much else in the way of fanfare, he dropped the phone. It made a dull thump against the stage. Transfixed, I could do nothing except watch him lift his iron-toed boot and smash it against the phone's fragile screen. One strike with the foot and some of the chalk white cracks I'd hoped to never see on its screen appeared. At two strikes, the cracks advanced from the center in a spider web-like pattern. Three strikes?

I couldn't bear to watch.

"Flare blitz!" Royal called. "Again!"

"Incin!" Larry replied, leaping back into the battle beside Hala's Hariyama.

Their trainers rushed behind them, effectively putting themselves between us and Necrozma.

Royal's Incineroar surrounded itself with flames and jumped after the cosmic parasite.

Necrozma darted from Larry's reach. The world around it distorted like a morning fog settling into a valley.

Colress' foot came down on my phone once more. He mushed the broken pieces and made them scatter. "It's summoning another portal!" he announced.

No sooner after he had spoken, a second ultra wormhole opened near where Larry landed. This spat boulders of varying sizes into the arena, aimed at the fire-type trying to get on its feet. The speed at which the boulders were launched struck it head-on. To its trainer's surprise, this tossed it into the forest beyond Iki Town.

"Larry!" Royal yelled after his companion.

"Emelie! Mr. Colress! Watch out!"

Hau's warning didn't come soon enough. By the time we'd spotted the danger, the crystalline shape of Necrozma floated inches above our heads.

Colress plucked a poké ball from his lab coat.

I dared to peek at the ball I'd dropped. Like it or not, my starter wouldn't make a difference in this fight. I relied on two men and 'mon with years of experience and they failed to stop this creature from reaching us.

"I've demolished the very thing you were hunting," Colress said, cold as ice. "There's nothing for you here. Leave."

Necrozma growled. Its voice, when it didn't shriek, matched a low baritone.

"Please, Necrozma," I said. "I… I know you're in pain. But you can't go around attacking others!"

"Liiiiiiiiiiight!"

When it screamed, it succeeded in doing more than searing my eardrums. The entire front side of my body spasmed. I-I… The world devolved into shapes and colors as if I'd been put on a whirling amusement park ride. I think my glasses fell off. I couldn't be sure what else was happening other than the pain spreading along my spine and a bunch of shouting in the background.

Something firm and flat grabbed at my forehead and pressed into me. Was this… Pain…? Oh God, yes it was. Absolute pain, searing into my torso, in my back, in my skull. My skin simmered. Hairs stood at attention. Their pained cries would be more than enough to make me scream if I could. My mouth wouldn't move. My nose wouldn't flare. I couldn't breathe. I tried to move. My arms locked in place. My legs wouldn't obey me.

'Light! Li-light!'

Light… Who wanted… Light? Why were they screaming at me like I could provide them a… No. I knew what they needed and why they needed it. They survived by devouring light. Light was their only source of food. But who was I? I wasn't… Somebody, was I? I knew I wasn't Necrozma. Necrozma and I were two separate beings. Necrozma atta- No, I was Necrozma! What was I arguing with myself? She had no authority over me! For as long as I could remember, I was… Was… I'm… Nec… Eme…?

"Koooo-kuuuuuu!"

Slowly, surely, I became aware of the overgrown grass field where I laid stomach-first. Leaves in towering trees rustled in the aftermath of a strong gust of wind which splayed my hair all over the place. I trembled, my mind shooting straight to remembering the roughness of a level surface being pressed to my forehead. What happened there? Where was I? Why couldn't I move? None of my limbs would budge. Only my darting eyes, heaving lungs, and disbelieving mind would obey me. Whatever happened after that shriek from another creature, it ended with me immobilized.

"A…ou…ght…lie?"

Somebody spoke to me? Somebody was here?

"Em…are…u…ay?"

My lips outlined a word. 'No,' they should have answered. I succeeded instead in giving them a short-lived whimper.

"...hat...ar…do…? Ge...way…!"

"Liiiiiiight!"

I growled in my throat. Some sort of persistent electrical din buzzed all about me. I lost my glasses when I hit the ground, giving the world further than right in front of me a slight blur, like the bulky guy in a long yellow robe standing between me and a floating creature with giant claws.

"...'re…a…stra…one ar...u? You…on't…lay..lon..on…gra…!"

Necrozma screeched, overpowering the constant buzzing in my ears.

Hala stumbled backwards. His arm rose, shielding his face. "It'll…ake…more...to kill me!" he yelled. He tossed back his head. "Hau, move!"

"Tutu!" Hau yelped, jumping into view. I couldn't muster the strength to lift my head and get a proper reading of his face. What little of his features I found, like the collar of his shirt with a small loop over his chest, got smudged with a variety of darkening colors.

"Get…here! …ie…be…ay!"

"Wha…u?"

"...be…ine! Go!"

 "Rozzzz!"

"Coo-Kooooooo!"

 An orange and yellow shape slammed into Necrozma's blurry form.

Necrozma roared.

I couldn't help but shiver. My vision closed in on itself, losing sight of the fighters, who clashed with a crash.

"Larr…get…there!"

"Xav…you…!"

Two blurs, one red and the other blue, rushed by. The red's footsteps shook the ground. The blue's body whirred like a car on the highway, sending my hair into a frenzied wave for a couple seconds.

Necrozma shrieked. This horrible, horrible note echoed in my head, lingering longer than the rest of its god awful noises.

"T… Look out!"

"Grah!"

Ever been tackled by a friend? Maybe an excited dog? An out-of-control truck? Or maybe a wrestler with a girth you hoped would never be used against you? I've slammed with at least one of those over the course of my life. Let me tell you now, and to have it serve as a reminder to myself: never get on the old, big-boned dude's bad side. Except for when he gets thrown at you involuntarily. Neither of you could have predicted the hungry monster who came from an ultra wormhole to commit a couple of murders.

With me being unable to move, the unfortunate Kahuna slammed into me. I'd never know what part of him struck me in the face. What it resulted in was me being pushed into the ground against the root of a tree. My chest and stomach burst into infernos of pain. There was the scratchy touch of fabric against one of my arms and rough bark scraping the other. I clenched my muscles unsure of which of the two competing feelings felt worse to experience. This was on top of Hala crushing my right elbow and the discomfort I felt in my midsection.

"Rozmaaa…!"

 Hala sprang from the ground. The poor old guy wheezed. I watched as he threw an arm in front of where I laid, his palm balling into a fist. He yelled at the monster, "If…thi…I'm…na…you…inue…rt…the…ple I…you're…ely…aken!"

Necrozma raised its arms. Dark energy surrounded its claws. The outer layers of the attack being prepared radiated crimson.

"...eor mash, now!"

Xavier the Metagross, formerly a blue dot in the sky angling himself for his next trade of blows with Necroma, hurtled towards it. He never got the chance to get close.

Tapu Koko and Larry the Incineroar rushed in right when Necrozma's attack finished charging. Tapu Koko's body crackled with electricity. This made no difference when Necrozma's attack struck the ground and exploded into a column of bright light, engulfing everyone nearby.

God. The pain. The fucking pain. Electricity sizzled in my eardrums. My entire body went limp. A million cells screamed and were silenced by the encroaching darkness. I laid there trapped in the darkness behind my eyelids. This would be how I died, wouldn't it? I got to live a dream. I just didn't deserve to have it stick.

Hala yowled. The ground thumped.

"Tu… Eme…!"

The sky rumbled.

"Where are…?!" the Masked Royal shouted. "Get back here!"

Larry bellowed an exacting sentiment.

"Co-kooo!"

Somebody else snarled. They hurried towards Hala and I. "Ka..!" they- he said. "Are you…? Can…me? …Emelie?!"

The wind picked up.

Colress grunted. His hefty glove swept across my forehead. "Royal!" he said. "The worm…clos… I-it's leaving! Call for…! Emelie seems… But Hala…"

"Tutu!" Hau wailed. "Wake up! …me!"

"Co-coooooa!" Following this, the air whirred.

"It's gone," Colress said. "They're both…"

"Tutu!" Hau cried. "Please!"

I could feel the pain in his voice overpower everything I felt in that moment.. My heart swelled for the poor kid. If Hala wasn't doing hot, what did it mean for me? I couldn't exactly think about this while my consciousness teetered on the edge of darkness. I squeezed my eyes with determination to stay alert.

"You there!" Colress shouted. "Call for…! I'll do my best to sta…Hala's…ition!"

Determination couldn't save me no matter how hard I pushed. Darkness came and swallowed me whole and blanketed my awareness. The sounds of the world faded… And so did I.