As part of what was either a class event or just several people deciding to do the same thing at the same time, the whole of Kukui's class gathered at the kitchen run by Mallow's father for a bite to eat.

"This should be interesting," Lokoko said, curling her tails around to give herself a seat. "I might have to ask for a little advice on how things are done, if the cooks are willing to give it."

"I didn't know you were a cook, Mrs. Lokoko," Lana replied. "Are you? It sounds like you are."

"I've sometimes helped Ash's mother at the cafe she's set up," Lokoko told her. "It's a nice way to spend a little time, especially with my wife, because she works as a time and motion consultant. And providing translation helps the guests connect better with their Pokémon, as well."

"That sounds helpful," Lillie said.

She looked at the seat to her right, where Snowy was snoozing while wearing a little hat, and reached out to brush her fingers along the hat – not quite touching Snowy's fur, but so close there wasn't much difference.

"I don't know if I'd have got on with Snowy as well without being able to ask her what she liked or didn't like," she added. "I – oh!"

Snowy had made a sort of mrfle noise, and nosed her muzzle gently into Lillie's hand. Lillie tensed, then – slowly – relaxed without pulling her hand away.

"I think you're putting in a lot of effort," Lokoko decided. "And that's important. It might even be more important than anything else."

She tilted her head. "Well. I'm not going to say that you wouldn't have it easier if you didn't have your fear of Pokémon. You probably would. But if you didn't have your fear, and also didn't have that determination to do what's right, then… well."

Mallow leaned out of the kitchen. "Ash, can I borrow Pikachu? I need something to replace an ingredient that's supposed to add spark."

"Hmm," Lokoko said.

"How much spark?" Ash asked. "Pikachu mostly does really powerful attacks. If you want a bit of electricity, you might be better off with someone else."

"I'm more concerned about replacing an ingredient with an attack," Lokoko admitted. "Fire and spice are closely related, but you wouldn't want to overcook something spicy and you certainly wouldn't want to overcook it instead of adding spice."

"Maybe it depends on if it's the right kind of spice?" Ash asked. "Like how you can use Natural Gift to do a typed attack, it could be reversing that… but Pikachu hasn't worked on that so we couldn't use it now, even if it worked that way."

"Probably," Mallow sighed. "It's a pity… it's a recipe my brother sent me, from an old manuscript, and the ingredient's supposed to leave a real shocking aftertaste! But I wouldn't want to ruin good food just to try and get something right for the first time."

"Well… we should go looking!" Ash suggested. "If it's an Alolan recipe, there should be some of it somewhere, right?"

"It's out of season," Mallow said. "Yellow Nectar is used, but not right now. I might have to wait months."

"Yellow nectar," Ash repeated. "Right, I get it, that's the one that changes Oricorio to their Electric-type style. Like how there's all those other nectars that mostly aren't around that change Oricorio to their Fairy-type style, and things like that."

"Fairy-type?" Sophocles repeated. "Oricorio doesn't have a Fairy-type form."

"That's right, because they can't get the nectar," Ash agreed. "The only one I've seen was when a Fairy-type Gym Leader took a magic potion that turned her into a Pokémon, that's what it turned her into, then Mew explained about how there were other Oricorio forms which don't have the right flower support."

Mallow had started nodding politely.

"Hmm," Ash added, frowning. "Hey, Mallow, it'd be a disaster if you couldn't make this recipe for months, right?"

"It would," Mallow said, with a sigh.

"Then let's go!" Ash decided. "We'll find that nectar, follow me!"

The others watched him leave.

"So… is this a lesson?" Kiawe asked. "I don't know if it's a lesson or not."

"I should… probably go," Mallow said, scooping up Bounsweet. "Aren't you coming, Lokoko?"

"I'm staying here so I can translate for everyone else," Lokoko answered. "You'll be with Ash, so he can translate for you."

She raised her voice slightly. "Excuse me? Would it be too much bother if we got a snack to tide us over until my trainer's finished hunting for a possibly impossible ingredient? I understand if it would be."

"You seem to know just where you're going," Mallow said, hurrying to catch up with Ash, Pikachu and Zygarde. "Did you hear about something secret? Did a Legendary Pokémon tell you?"

"No, it'd just be a disaster if you didn't manage to make the meal you're trying to make," Ash replied. "That's what makes it easy!"

"Right," Mallow decided. "I think I follow that… I think."

Ash turned one way, changed his mind, and went another. "Hmm… I guess I should send Rowlet out as well, it's a nice day and he can get some charge!"

The Grass-type came out of his Pokéball with a flash and began orbiting overhead, wings shimmering faintly as he took in sunlight, then he flew higher.

Came back down.

"There's a funny looking Pokémon up ahead!" he reported. "They look familiar."

"Familiar how?" Bounsweet checked.

"What did Bounsweet say?" Mallow asked.

"She was asking Rowlet for details about the Pokémon he'd seen up ahead," Ash clarified. "Which, well, he was looking left a bit, so they must just be down this way!"

Ash was right.

It was Tapu Koko.

"Hey, you!" Tapu Koko said, striking a pose. "Let's fight! I challenge you to a battle, to see you do a Z-move!"

"I guess it's time for us to try out that Electricium Z, Pikachu!" Ash declared. "Get ready!"

"Okay, so, watch carefully!" Tapu Koko said, once Ash had fitted the Electric-type Z-crystal to his Z-ring. "Pose like this!"

He struck three poses, one after another.

"What's Tapu Koko doing?" Mallow asked. "That is Tapu Koko, right? I think that's how they look but I can't remember for sure!"

"Yeah, I think that's Tapu Koko," Ash agreed. "And he told me to pose like that… so that's the Z-move poses, I think. Pikachu, ready?"

"Ready!" Pikachu agreed.

"Then it's a battle!" Tapu Koko said, and an Electric Terrain formed around them. Pikachu's fur promptly lit up as he drew in the currents of energy, and Zygarde raised their paw.

"I have a question," they informed the Tapu. "Do you actually know what you are getting into here?"

"No!" Tapu Koko replied, clearly. "Do you know another way I could find out first hand?"

Zygarde considered this.

"Activating multiplexing," they said. "Ash, please inform Mallow that she should take cover."

"Sure," Ash confirmed. "Mallow, can you hide behind Zygarde?"

"Behind Zygarde?" Mallow repeated. "How-"

Then Zygarde was the focus of hundreds of Cells pouring in on them from all over the area, and transitioned to 100 Percent Form.

"...oh," Mallow decided, then decided to do just as Ash had passed on.

"Let's do this, Pikachu!" Ash called, striking a pose. Pikachu did the same, and a flare of brilliant energy lit up around him.

Tapu Koko nodded, approvingly, then slammed his armour closed.

"Endure," he said, in a muffled sort of voice.

Then Pikachu used something which started out as Thunderbolt, went through Thunder That Breaks The Earth, and apparently kept going a bit further on the other side.

"This was a good decision," Tapu Koko said, opening up his armour again. "I definitely do not regret making sure I used Endure."

He couldn't see Pikachu any more, but that was mostly because he was now at the bottom of… quite a large crater.

"Very good!" he added. "Don't be discouraged if your Z crystal exploded, it does that sometimes."

"It hasn't exploded, but it did turn into a different one for a bit," Ash replied, padding to the edge of the crater, as behind him Zygarde degenerated back into 10 Percent Form. "I'll have to let Professor Oak know about that… did you know that two Pokémon could do Z moves together?"

"Of course I did," Tapu Koko said. "It has to be a very strong bond one way or another, at least. I did not know you were a Pokémon, though."

"Not usually, but it hasn't worn off yet after I helped Rockruff," Ashbsol explained.

Tapu Koko nodded, glad to have the explanation.

"Well, you've definitely got my approval," he said, rummaging around inside his armour. "I'll give you a Z… ah. Hm. I would give you a Z-crystal but the Normalium Z I was carrying appears to have been exploded."

He shrugged. "Well, I'll get back to you. So long!"

"That was neat!" Ash decided. "How was your first Z-move, Pikachu?"

"Tiring," Pikachu said, lying on his back. "I think it was a bad idea to use Thunder That Breaks The Earth as the base move for that… that's tiring enough even without it being a Z move."

Ash reapplied his Illusion, then picked up Pikachu and put him on his shoulder.

"Let's go look for that nectar!" he said.

"What just happened?" Mallow asked. "A Tapu just appeared out of nowhere and showed you how to do a Z move! The Z move blew a giant hole in the ground! Your Z-crystal transformed into one with a Pikachu tail on it! It turned you into a Pokémon!"

"Oh, no, that's just magic," Ash replied. "I don't know if you saw the Sinnoh Grand Festival… was it last year or the year before… my friend Dawn did the same thing, she turned into a Plusle. For me I just turn into an Absol, and the shockwave broke my Illusion."

"That makes less sense!" Mallow said. "Are you some kind of… magic superhero teacher?"

"I think all of those words apply to Ash individually, so yes," Pikachu said.

"Isn't Iris the superhero?"

"You are definitely the Rainbow Hero," Marshadow reminded Ash. "Which might count."

"I guess," Ash frowned. "Anyway, that's not the first Z-crystal I've had which does that. I wonder if they can all do that."

Mallow gaped.

"I don't-" she began, then stopped. "Why… I'm so confused."

"I can help," Zygarde said. "Among the data gathered during my gestalt was the location of a stand of yellow flowers which regularly have Oricorio visitors."

"Then that must be the source of the Yellow Nectar!" Ash said. "Let's go, Mallow!"

"Sincere note," Porygon said. "Pikachu continues to insist that they are really Mimikyu. Sarcastic addition: It is as if they think that this will somehow change the minds of the leadership team."

"You can shut up," Mimikyu grumbled.

"Self-evident statement: I clearly cannot," Porygon replied.

Mimikyu made a noise like a deflating balloon.

"Interested observation: It appears one of Twerp One's Pokémon has been 'pretending' to be Pikachu quite successfully," Porygon added. "Clarification: including the characteristic extremely large electric attacks."

"Then how can you not get it through your thick bulk-head that that's the real Pikachu?" Mimikyu demanded, kicking the Hikokyu internalwall in an ineffective sort of way.

"Amusement," Porygon said. "You assume I am also confused."

"Then why haven't you told them?" Mimikyu asked.

Their voice was sort of strangled, and Porygon let it fade before giving a simple reply.

"Amusement: Amusement."

"Alola!" Kiawe called, as they returned to the kitchen. "How did it go?"

"And didn't you have a Bounsweet?" Sophocles added. "That's a Steenee. Did she evolve or is that a new one?"

"Same old me, mostly," Steenee said. "I may have dreamed some of what happened though, I'm not entirely clear?"

"I don't even know at this point," Mallow groaned. "We got the Yellow Nectar, at least, so… I'll just go and finish your food."

AN:

You've got to go about these things analytically.