Alola readers! I'm finally back! Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day.
My mother has been out of the recovery process for a while and has eased herself back into work. I did show her all of your comments and wishes for her to get better and she has been amazed at all the support that has been poured in from family, friends and total strangers such as yourselves. A big thank you from me as well for all your kind words. I deeply appreciate it.
It was a pretty eventful trip in my temporary work assignment in Las Vegas. Had a lot of fun and met some awesome co-workers. Remember everyone; what happens in Vegas...yeah, you probably know.
Again, sorry for having this out late.
Before we start, I want to give a very special thanks to Chocolexii for my commission on the new cover art for A Hui Hou Kakou! It was in the planning the last couple of months and I'm completely floored by the end result; easily twenty times what I was expecting. Thank you for helping in bringing this story a little bit closer to life with your awesome artistic talent! I highly recommend you check out her gallery at Deviantart!
There really isn't much for me to say here. Elio said he was on his way to the grass trial, but he stopped writing for some reason! Oh no! What if he got injured? Or killed?
I have to be more careful when I think about Elio around Nebby. Whenever I'm worried about him and holding it at the same time, I instinctively squeeze anything I'm holding and if it's Nebby…it gets uncomfortable. I'm so sorry, I just can't help it.
Professor Burnet has been feeling a little strange lately. I hope she's not sick!
Dear Elio,
I wonder if you'll be back here in time to see the Kumu Reef Triple Crown surfing tournament! It would be great to see you again and go see these people ride waves with so much confidence. Plus seeing you again! I really do miss you a lot if you can't tell already. Nebby too.
I hope you're having some fun while on your way to the next trial! The grass one right? I met the captain when I first came onto Akala Island…well actually that's a story for another time as you like to say! Just be careful, she likes to flirt with boys and Hau looked like he was about to lose his mind that time we first stopped there! I wonder how he is going to react if Leilani is with him? Just be yourself okay? Don't flirt with other girls unless you have to!
Please be careful, I miss you. Nebby misses you. I want to see you again.
Sincerely,
Lillie
Elio felt a growing pit in his stomach as the voices just outside began to grow closer. He slowly got back up on his feet and peered through the peephole.
Breath hitched in his mouth and it suddenly ran dry when he saw the three rather large skull grunts just loitering around right on the balcony outside the main entrance. The only other exit was through a pair of windows on either side of the door and going through them would still giveaway his location.
Guess I'm here for the time being.
Glancing at his new surroundings, the room seemed pretty average. A bed with a slightly worn covers had an oceanic pattern. There was a nice-looking lamp atop the nightstand to his left which was followed by a dark wooden wardrobe that looked recently used.
All in all, the room was clean and Elio would consider it an acceptable stay if he were spending the night himself.
The door to the room's far end was shut and his heart skipped yet another beat as he heard the toilet flush.
Oh crap. Someone's home. Fantastic.
With the voices outside and someone using the head on both sides. He was trapped.
A low rumble caught his attention and he heard shuffling movement from the bed's other side. A gray axelike crest emerged from the side as a very familiar quadrupedal pokemon awoke from its slumber.
Type: Null's head snapped towards the source of the foreign sound. Elio felt himself freeze.
The creature's dark crimson eyes narrowed as they locked onto him and it moved in his direction on its mismatched forelegs that lacked some much-needed finesse in its step. A low guttural growl emitted from its hollow sounding mask.
Elio tried his best not to panic, as doing so under the eye of a threatened pokemon usually provoked them into attacking.
Try not to focus on this experiment's…claws.
That was a little bit impossible, as the sharp talons tapped on the floor with a resounding clack that could be distinctly heard over that familiar clanking the strange pokemon made. As soon as the thought of it as an experiment had crossed his mind; Null lowered its head and narrowed its eyes, huffing threateningly.
The hell am I supposed to say? Nice Null?
"Take it easy." Elio slowly brought his hands up in compliance as well to show that he wasn't a threat. "Easy buddy."
His thoughts soon soured afterwards after figuring out the trainer he had remembered fairly well at owning the pokemon.
So if this experiment's around…then that means.
"What is it now Null?" That voice had asked from inside the bathroom. Elio had no time to react before the handle twisted and Gladion stepped out. "You can't go out to say hi to everyone who passes the room. No need for those Team Skull assholes to come back for a stupid reason."
The eyes of both boys widened in shock as soon as they locked, just as surprised to see the other.
Sun felt his mouth go dry as he saw Gladion's brow scrunch and it took on that familiar scowl. As usual, he didn't look happy to see him. The older blond teen was wearing a plain gray T-shirt that was unseen through his dark torn jacket.
He had caught a glimpse of some nasty looking scars that were on the insides of his forearms. At first, they could've just passed for nasty scrapes or lacerations, but they were in a perfectly ramrod straight line as if they were intentionally inflicted.
"You!" The declaration came out as a fierce snarl. "What are you doing here?"
Here comes the snark.
"Sightseeing." Elio replied as nonchalantly as he could. "It's too hot in the parking lot, so I ducked inside."
"I'm sure it is." Gladion replied icily before pointing towards the door. "Get out."
"What?"
"I said…Get. Out."
"You gotte be kidding. Right now?"
"Yes. Get out before I kick you out."
Like you're gonna do that. One of your stick arms might snap off before you move me an inch.
The voices of the grunts had not diminished outside, which meant that they were still lingering around. For what, Elio had no idea. He hadn't been spotted, so maybe it was a little place where police seldom came or whatnot.
"There's a few Team Skull grunts outside. I'd rather not get their attention."
"Why not?" Gladion sneered. "You're actually tired of being them around too?"
"They may not be competent battlers, but my pokemon aren't all in the best of shape right now."
He saw that the boy's expression lit up at some realization.
Oh no. He's going to realize I'm an easy picking.
Glancing at the status of his pokemon party, all were upright and conscious, but really only Torracat and Nani were in any decent shape to fight. He remembered that Gladion had three pokemon in their previous battle just a little ways west from the motel. In spite of their best efforts, he didn't like the fact he was outnumbered in healthy battlers.
I have full confidence that Nani can take two. We've been working hard on her sword style iron tail. Torracat's flame charge should be able to match Null's.
The edgy blond had a similar thinking. With many of Elio's pokemon less than capable of fighting, he would probably lose and he could get his revenge for being beaten so handily. Right after he had proven his point to that Hau brat, this Elio person wiped the floor with him and then decided to rub salt into his wounds.
The worst thing is that Elio probably made Hau feel less bad about losing. I'll just have to find him alone and show him that strength is the only way to win or prove points.
It was a golden opportunity except for one thing.
Beating Elio here wouldn't do me much good. He's a strong opponent, but not at full strength. We'd be wasting energy and probably money in trying to repair this craphole of a motel room.
Gladion waved a dismissive hand. "No. It does me no good for that." He glared back at Elio. "Why are you still here? I thought I told you to get out!"
Elio still didn't move, but he opened his mouth.
"Listen, there's th-"
"Null! Shove this asshole out of my sight!" His loyal experiment beast glanced back questioningly and had a little bit of surprise in its expression. As long as it had known him; Gladion had never ordered it to attack another human at all, regardless of how they irked him.
"There's three Team Skull people right outside on the balcony!" Elio had to nearly shout to get his point across. "I don't want to get into a meaningless battle and have my stuff get stolen!"
Just when I thought those stupid assholes wouldn't leave me alone. They're back again.
"And why should I care? What's to stop me from telling them the guy who's been beating on them is vulnerable to attack? They'll drag you out and beat your ass senseless. What will I do? First, I'll get paid and then watch a good dose of karma get served."
Yeah, I should have figured that. He still works for Team Skull.
Gladion leaned closer and Elio could see his poisonous gaze trying to drill its way into him.
All the more reason to hate this prick.
"Of course, I'd rather it be Hau because that kid is blind to everything that happens around him."
"The hell is your problem with Hau?" Elio growled. "He's done nothing wrong."
"He's done everything wrong!" Gladion growled. "He pays no attention to what is really happening and takes battling as if it's a joke!"
The smaller boy felt his temper smoldering, especially when it came to his friend being ridiculed like that. "So it's illegal to battle casually?"
"No it's not. But you can't prove anything or protect anything when you're weak."
"Prove what? Protect what?"
"This is getting me nowhere." Gladion muttered under his breath. "Don't try to defend him. You know he's weak. I'm sure you use him and his pokemon for your own practice."
"What? What are you saying?"
"You obviously know he's weaker than you. So you're just using him as a stepping stone for your own gain."
What?
"Look." Elio held up his hands in compliance, prompting Gladion to briefly stop. "I know we have our differences in the way we see the world. Maybe another time I'd love to bait you into some meaningless argument where I make you eat your own words, but right now I'm just trying to get to my next trial and go about on my business. There are some of those stupid Team Skull jerks outside and I don't want to get dragged into that meaningless battle that won't net me much experience or money."
And that's the worst part of it too. Some of those guys take the cheap exit and bolt before paying. That needs to be illegal. You dragged me into the damn battle, so you better make it worth my time.
"And besides." Sun had an idea pop into his head, especially after thinking about what Gladion was absentmindedly saying before bumping into him. "From the looks of it, you don't like Skull hanging around any more than they have to. Throwing me out there just means you'll get dragged into whatever trouble they're trying to stir up. Even if I'm getting beat, they'll take you away from anything you're trying to do here."
Gladion opened his mouth to protest, but as he thought about it, Elio nailed the point right on the head. Sure, he could get back his peace and quiet by letting or kicking him out, but he was right. Every time he was outside of the room when someone from Team Skull was around, they'd find something to annoy or take his time away from training.
Go get them food, get medicine, and hold onto the spray paint when they go on a graffiti raid in Heahea City. For the tapu's sake! Can't Guzma just call me to do stuff instead of sending all these people?
"Fine." He rolled his eyes and pointed to a chair beside the bed. "But you don't move from that spot until they're gone. And you're out of here as soon as they are."
"That's fine by me." Elio finally stood up and sat down on the cushioned part. The old wood frame had a slight squeak of protest as soon as his weight pressed down on it.
The faster they're gone, the faster I can get away from this prick.
"Do something stupid and I'll have Null shove you in the corner. He hasn't forgotten what you've called him."
As if to emphasize his point, Null clanked his quadrupedal frame over and growled at Elio before lying down on the floor like a dog and putting his helmeted head just in between his forelegs so that he could watch the newcomer.
The longest twenty minutes in Sun's life had passed by with the voices of the three grunts still talking, laughing and shouting to make a disturbance through all of it. It took five of those twenty before the motel's manager on duty had come out to tell them to either leave or quiet down. He ended up having to leave after taking a blow to his pride. The three gang members apparently gave a spot on satirical impression of his motel's less-than-impressive standards that sounded pretty humiliating.
Even though he had no desire to spend a night in this particular establishment, he did feel a bit of pity on how they mercilessly mocked the manager's career and in essence, annoyed him to the point where he blatantly left, allowing them to continue loitering about without so much as a pause.
Looking across, he could see that Gladion's patience had begun to wear thin. Their earlier discussion had all but confirmed that he didn't want Sun around and for him to be gone as soon as possible. He had gotten another message from Wicke at the Paradise saying that she did find someone who was able to help them in dealing with the state-of-the-art security and would stop by shortly.
Gladion wanted to digest the information as quickly as possible, but had to restrain himself from opening it from within his own private room. He had a "guest" in his home.
His stomach growled, another reminder of the inadequate food that could only be bought off the minimal wage that Skull paid him. All with pointless trivial jobs that made him feel like he slaved away to bring food, medicine and battling items while the rest of Guzma's ragtag gang were in the middle of recovering from hangovers, embarrassing battles or whatever trouble they were causing in either Po Town or the rest of Alola.
Ugh…hate going to that damn dump. But I guess it's better than them coming here to annoy me every time.
He stood up, walking over to the small kitchenette halfway between the living area and the bathroom. The layout wasn't designed to have one for a long-term resident and it was a simply two burner stove with a small counter, microwave and single storage fridge and freezer. Each compartment looked large enough to hold only three or so meals.
Elio watched as Gladion opened a thin door on the opposite side to take out a blue and white cup that he recognized as one of those cheaper instant noodle brands. Just before he closed the pantry door, he could also see many more of the same styrofoam cups.
Is that all he eats? No wonder the guy's a stick.
Seeing the cheap room, food and how hostile Gladion seemed to everyone else made him very eager to leave once the grunts were gone. The other boy shot Sun glares frequently and he found his welcome wearing out with every passing moment.
Just don't give into it. You're better than this jerk.
However Elio had to wonder where he had come from. He was a firm believer in that not everyone was as openly hostile as Gladion was being towards him. Something made him this way.
Or someone.
"To be honest," The edgy blond surprisingly broke the silence in a manner that was thinly civil while he ripped off the top of the cup to fill it partially with water from the sink. "You actually made the right call. Granted it just had to be my damn room, but those three Skulls out there are a piece of work."
"How so?"
He waved his hand out towards that section. "Lars…the big one did some time in prison for sexual assault and battery. The other two; Ken and Hiro are a bit better, but turn back into assholes when Lars comes around. When I say that most of Skull is just a bunch of misfits with nowhere to go," Gladion paused, wondering if he was included in that group. "That guy is an exception. He's the worst of the worst. I think I even heard the boss say something about him being "quality control" for some old trafficking gang in Sinnoh. Didn't sit well with him, but he needed some muscle to keep everyone in line."
"Then I think you guys need to get rid of him somehow."
"What?"
"You know, I'm sure not all of Team Skull is like him. Sure, some of us had crappy beginnings, but we're all forged and made into the choices we make. Him included; he chose to be a bad person and one day it's going to come down on him…hard. We've all had it rough here and there."
Gladion's expression and tone turned to ice. "You have no idea what hardship is like. If you even listen to half of what grief and burdens I have to carry, you won't even begin to understand."
"Try me." Elio's reply had caught him off guard.
"What is there for you to say? You get everything spoon-fed to you. A pokemon of your own, the Z-Ring, respect, even a syllabus on how to be a trainer. You get all your friends a dime per dozen." The last one came out with a barely suppressed malignant hiss. "I've had none of that. Everything I've had to do to get where I am at is on my own. And it is something we will continue to do on our own until I get the strength I need."
"Had I never moved to Alola, none of this would've happened." Elio snapped back. "And respect and friends aren't something that get spoon-fed to you…all said in your own words. You earn both of those. Best way to start is to stop being an asshat to everyone you meet. You think I made all the friends I did by treating them like garbage?"
"Friends. That's something I can't afford to have distract me."
"Then I guess that's your answer on why you stand alone in whatever cause you're doing. It's clearly not Team Skull's motivation, because they don't have much…if at all."
"I have to do this on my own. Having friends or others will only distract me."
"That's the thing too." Elio said. "You don't have to do whatever crusade you're doing by yourself. People help one another in need all the time. Doesn't hurt to ask, but I'd stop with the edginess if that's what you are wanting. Give help to others if you want help in return."
Gladion made to reply, but stopped for a moment as both boys listened to the sudden silence that came from outside. A moment later, they heard the familiar rolling sound of thunder.
"Rain. Fantastic."
The sky darkened as clouds rolled over, moving across the sky swiftly and ominously.
Elio had learned in Alola that it could be bright, sunny weather without a cloud in sight and then have a torrential downpour in the next twenty minutes.
I love rain.
Gladion opened the blinds, seeing an approaching wall of grayish mist suddenly explode into fat raindrops. They first started as a couple of successive taps before quickening in pace until a low roar of a downpour seemed to come from all sides. Sheets of rain pelted the asphalt outside in silvers of tiny little splashes.
The Skull enforcer did say that Elio had to leave once Lars and his lackeys had left, but with the oncoming storm…
I should just throw him out to the rain and watch him wallow in his misery. But would you do that?
Maybe to Hau for my amusement, but Elio hasn't really done much except jab me. I don't deserve this. Can I stand him being a jerk for just a little longer? These rainstorms only last maybe ten or fifteen minutes.
"You can stay." He said, actually surprising Sun with the statement. "But you're out once the rain stops."
There, that's all you're going to get. Any more and I might turn into a nice person.
The motel had its roof remade recently, which worked well in both boys' favor as the sealant kept the water from leaking inside. Elio was already expecting it and glanced up to see if there was a stained area that looked like it was about to begin dripping. He didn't find any, putting one relief at ease.
Most of these motels have leaky ceilings. Looks like this one is fairly new.
He turned back to Gladion, "Not a fan of cooking?"
The other boy shot him a dirty look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't like to cook? That's all there is to it. No subliminal messages, nothing snappy and nothing to argue on. Unless you want to argue on the fact."
"What?"
"Just answer the question before it becomes a waste of my breath. I'm trying to make this a bit less of an awkward silence."
"Wouldn't you like to know?" The blond rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I can cook the basics, but I don't care for it much."
"Funny. Neither do I. Can't cook to save my life."
"You're on the way to the grass trial. Maybe have Mallow teach you something."
Kiawe and Lana did say something about her having a peculiar taste though. Least he's actually talking in a non-jerk way.
"Maybe. But my mother is a pretty good cook. So was my father. I'll learn from anyone willing to teach."
"Hmph."
"There a reason you're living here on cup noodles?" Elio asked.
Gladion scoffed in annoyance. "There's a fine difference between whether you're capable of cooking or whether you can afford to cook."
You know what? That's actually fair and understandable.
To his surprise, he continued to drone on. "I used to have really good tasting food when I was younger. My parents had a chef from Kalos hire to cook for everyone. All of it was delicious, but most didn't keep me full for very long. My mother always said that we didn't need a lot of food because she was scared we'd go overweight."
Elio had to stifle a laugh. "It worked. You're practically a stick."
"That's what happens when you're being paid minimum wage. Only thing you can buy is tray noodles."
"But what happened between you and your family? If they hired a private chef to cook for all of you, then you must've come from a rich family."
"That's one way to put it." Gladion had been clenching his jaw and had a darkened expression on his face as if he had disliked being called rich or wealthy. "I ran away."
"You ran away? What happened? Did you parents put you into a forced marriage or something?"
The blond didn't laugh at Elio's joke. "No stupid. There's no way in hell I'm telling you anything."
"Fine, stay and be a jerk. I get it."
Gladion's eyes narrowed. "Will you stop calling me a jerk?!"
"Oh my bad." Elio placed a hand over his heart in mock hurting before a smirk found its way onto his lips. "A sensitive jerk."
"I AM NOT SENSITIVE!" Beside him, Null made a sound as if it were scoffing at the denial. "You want to see someone sensitive? Look at your aloof friend Hau."
"Yes you're sensitive. Quite a bit actually. You do all this grumbling, griping around and being a jerk to other people who don't deserve it, but all of a sudden, you get defensive when someone else does it to you. I'm going to guess you don't like the taste of your own medicine. And bringing Hau into this?" Elio challenged. "You can't be serious. This is the stupidest thing I've heard all day. I already warned you what would happen if anyone threatens him. Physically or verbally."
"Just stop trying to defend him. You know he's being all battles being fun to cover up that he's weak."
"So what?"
"You're wasting your efforts doing that."
"They're my efforts to waste." Elio grumbled. "Why are you so fixated on how Hau battles?"
"You may not see it, but that carefreeness of his is going to come back and bite him. What goes around comes around."
"Then that's his problem. Not yours. You have no right to dictate how he runs as a trainer." Elio looked at him dead in the eye after finishing that. "And what comes around...goes around."
"I can't afford to have fun in battles. Not when there's this much at stake. So pardon me for raining on his parade because he can go around doing whatever the hell he wants because he's Hala's grandson!"
Elio felt raw fury bubble up inside him. Hau wasn't even here, but hearing Gladion's entire tirade made his blood begin to boil. In his own mind, while rivalries did involve a bit of trash talking, this was on an entire new level. Gladion wasn't just jabbing Hau at his fun battling style, it seemed a lot more personal from his upbringing.
"I don't understand you." He shook a fist at the dark-haired boy. "Hau can't protect anything when he's weak. Just like me. I can't protect anything either."
"I'm not defending him because he is weak. First off, he isn't weak at all. Second, I'm defending him because you are telling me that you despise him on a personal level."
"That's because I do. He stands for everything I couldn't become. And as long as he doesn't change, I'll still do whatever it takes make him see the error of his ways."
Elio almost had to laugh at his logic. "See the error of his ways? You sound like a fanatic from Team Plasma. I'll give you another newsflash; you can jab him all you want with this thing…maybe beat him constantly in a battle, but I'll tell you something. You're not going to change who he is as a person. You have no more control over his character than me. He won't let you." He stepped forward, threateningly. "I won't let you. You ever want to pick on him again; you're going to have to deal with me."
Tension in the room remained thick enough to slice with a knife, but finally Elio stepped back, noticing the orange light of the setting sun finally peeking its way through the blinds. With the raindrops being reduced to the occasional tap on the roof and the annoying grunts gone, he was free to go and Gladion was likely ready to physically shove him outside at this point.
"You're an asshole." Gladion finally said.
Real mature. Sun shrugged off the insult. "I've been called worse." He reached into his backpack. "But an asshole certainly wouldn't do this."
Both he and Null were surprised to see him slide a pair of food boxes onto the dining table. There was a little note taped to one of them at the top lid.
"What's that?"
"What does it look like dipshit? Ice soup. Thanks for letting me stay."
Before Gladion could say anything more, Elio opened the door and briskly exited the room.
That prick. Calling me sensitive AND a dipshit! I am not! I just can't make friends! I have to keep going. Keep on fighting stronger opponents. I can protect her. I can!
Okay, maybe I was a little too harsh on Hau. But he's still not going anywhere if he doesn't get serious! And Elio! I'll make him eat his words. Just you wait.
Gladion shook his head in annoyance and let out a frustrated sigh, finally able to lie down on the bed with the peace and quiet that had come following Elio and the grunts' absence.
I can now relax a little bit.
A slight nudge on his side caused him to glance up at Null's taller form. The strange pokemon set its clawed legs on the bed's sheets and pressed its head further into Gladion's ribs.
"Heh." The edgy teen let out a chuckle. "I'm sorry all that had to make you nervous. I know you're still not over him calling you an experiment."
Null huffed and cocked its head inquisitively.
"What?! No, I'm NOT sensitive!"
The same hollow laughing sound from before was heard within its mask. Null's normally stoic eyes seemed to lighten up with a hint of mirth as it showed a good amount of amusement at his denial.
"Whatever. Things are just so hard right now Null. What do I do? I just can't get Elio or Sun…whatever the hell he's called out of my head! It's driving me crazy!"
Another huff.
"Whatever. And then he gives me food as if that's supposed to say anything."
Another huff. And then Null crept closer, bending its heavy head down and takin a whiff of the food in the open container. Gladion watched as he placed a paw on the top of the container and slid it over.
He could almost hear it reprimanding him for the thought of being given the food over the food itself.
Well it is free food. But did Elio poison it? No, I think that's below him. There's some grunts I know that would put laxatives inside.
Prying off the lid, Gladion slid it into the open microwave and punched in a time limit, waiting the thirty seconds it took to heat up the food.
He took one glance at the note in neat handwriting that was written to Elio before crumpling it up and tossing it into the wastebasket.
Looks like it's from his mother or something. Must be nice having an actual one.
Gladion thought about everything that had happened in the past two years since breaking into the Paradise and stealing Null. He wandered aimlessly after stowing away on a ferry that led to Ula'ula Island with little direction. It was lucky enough for him that the law enforcement was much more lax than the others. Much of that was thanks to Ula'ula's kahuna.
The older man was jaded, unsmiling and his piercing red eyes had immediately turned Gladion's insides into jelly when they first crossed paths. The kahuna was more concerned with the grieving shouts he had screamed into the night as a noise complaint more than anything else. With ragged clothes and an unapproachable air around him, he was directionless and forsaken for the first time in his life and on his own.
That was when he had gotten the job with Team Skull as an enforcer. He would never admit that he once stooped low enough to raid a hotel room for its complimentary snacks as a means for nourishment. But right after nearly getting caught by one of the managers while doing so in Malie City, a woman named Plumeria had taken him to Po Town where he met the majority of the eighty plus members of Team Skull.
In his eyes, many of their brains had deteriorated until whatever remained was barely salvageable. Drunks, drug addicts, felons, convicts, sex offenders…in Lars' case. He did find a lot of similarities that they were all in a way; the rejects and outcasts of Alolan society, all the people that nobody wanted to associate with.
It was the perfect place to lay low until he could make his move. He'd go back, show his mother how wrong her ways were and rescue her from her clutches.
She didn't deserve that. I only hope that Mother's focus on me will spare her from any harm.
Just thinking about that made the scars on his back burn briefly.
At first, Gladion seemed to fit right in with Skull. But it was clear among the general population that he was never going to be a member officially.
The boss had pulled him aside as soon as he had gotten there and refused to talk to anyone else. No remark was made about Null, no comment put on his appearance. He was straightforward and to the point.
You got two choices kid. You can stay put where we found you, whining about Mommy and how she's the root of all your damn problems. Or you can come with us, do some work for money and show the rest of the world that you don't give two shits about them.
Gladion shook his head. All this errand work was beneath him. The rest of Skull treated him like trash. Even the rejects of Alola treated him like a reject among themselves.
I deserve more.
He opened the microwave's door, mindful of the burning heat that came from the container's bottom as he made his way over to the dining table. The steam carried an aroma that he hadn't experienced since their own private chef had presented them with their less-than-hearty meals.
Agedashi dofu? It's too bad Lillie isn't here. This used to be one of her favorite Kantoan specialties.
Tofu was either a hit or miss with most people. Served in two varieties; firm or soft, some loved it to death, taking advantage of its moderately bland flavor to mix with other spices and marinades. Others such as vegetarians used it as a protein substitute. Others stated a blatant dislike of it since it had a unique taste and texture that didn't sit well with some.
Gladion did eat tofu on occasion, but nothing this way. And it smelled deliciously enough to make his mouth water.
He speared one of the lightly fried cubes and brought it to his mouth. Sprinkled atop were negi thinly sliced and katsuobushi seasoning. It was tested just inside his mouth, careful not to burn himself. Sensing that it was at a temperature just a little hotter than he had wanted, he proceeded to chew thoughtfully.
Huh…it's not bad.
And then a barrage of intense and delicious flavors from the katsuobushi hit Gladion in the mouth and he stopped, unable to prevent a joyous tear from escaping his eye.
What? Why? Why does Elio get to eat food like this? It's not fair. It's NOT FAIR!
He had to force himself not to eat all of it at once. It may have been that he had rarely eaten anything outside of instant meals for the past two years, but finally having a taste of home cooked food was something else. Even if it wasn't his own.
THIS IS SO GOOD!
Beside him, Null let out another amused huff before clanking to his favorite spot in the room to lie down.
Gladion helped himself to two more pieces before putting the rest in the fridge along with the second container tucked behind the tray meals out of sight. There was no way that he wanted to take a chance of any Skull grunts raiding his fridge and finding something that tasted that good.
A knock on his door immediately caught his and Null's attention.
Better not be Elio again. I told him to get the hell out.
"Stay there." He ordered while crossing and peering through the door's peephole.
It wasn't Elio, but a taller blond haired man in a warm-looking gray lab coat and wire rimmed glasses. He had his arms behind his back as if patiently waiting.
Is he with Mother? Gladion still ran through the possibilities of his newest visitor while opening the door.
"Ah, hello. You must be Gladion. My name is Colress. I'm an old friend of your parents." He held out a worn poke ball in one of his hands while the other dug into his pocket and revealed a tiny magenta colored disc case. "I believe Miss Wicke has entrusted me to give these to you in order to use in the future."
I don't even know what to think right now. Elio thought to himself as he walked through the sliding doors of the Pokemon center. The remainder of his journey to the small settlement was short and uneventful. The bottom of his shoes were caked in reddish brown mud, so as soon as he had stepped onto the concrete foundation of the building, he went to the side to use a garden hose and spray it off the soles.
With the conversation of Gladion still fresh in his mind, Sun felt like it was a hopeless cause to have his opinion on Hau changed.
I can't believe it. Just what is that guy's problem? He keeps on saying that strength is the only thing that matters. Does it? He's in pursuit of raw power with that experiment. I've never seen anyone get stronger by calling other people weak.
Through it all, he was lucky enough to get a room at the pokemon center for a night, but decided to take a walk back down the route to explore. His party was quickly healed, allowing him to take them back out for some more training.
There's always stuff to explore and find. Adventure's out there!
This must be part of the Lush Jungle. He had come across a fossil restoration lab down an offroad path beside the main road. The sleek modern-looking mobile facility looked closed for the day, but he did see large tablets in what looked like information displays for some prehistoric pokemon scattered in front of large fenced areas. Possibly habitats of some kind.
It looks like someone's trying to make an exhibition for the pokemon that went extinct millions of years before us. But there's no construction, no workers, no nothing. Who's running this? And where are the dinosaur pokemon?
"Thizzz place izz ztrange." Rotom quietly remarked as they trudged further inside. The cries of bird pokemon echoed through the jungle growth and he saw that the trees climbed up even higher at this point. At the top branches, he could see bulbous fruit hanging from the branches. There were a pair of pikipek that together pecked at the stems of one of them, causing it to fall down.
"Woah!" Elio deftly dodged to the side to avoid the oncoming projectile as it made a rapid descent to the floor. The fruit landed close by with a sharp crack as the tough ground had split it open into three pieces, tumbling aside.
Sun watched as the pikipek were joined by several more of their species as they all began pulling out parts of the fruit's fleshy interior as a source of nourishment.
The green outer skin of the fruit was tough-looking with small spikes mottling its surface that seemed almost like rubber to the touch. It served to protect the interior, which had a white appearance with a starch-like consistency.
"Bzzt! Dodged the 'ulu like a pro right there! Bzt!"
"'Ulu?"
"That'zzz right! 'Ulu, az it iz known in Alola iz a ztaple food in the entire region! Very tazty! You zhould try zome zometime!"
"Suppose so." Elio took one last look as the pikipek finished their meal and flapped their wings to fly off somewhere else. "What is this place?"
"I don't know. Bzzt. But I've gathered data on the tabletz around the area, depicting prehistoric pokemon! Lookz like zomeone wanted to build a theme park around the dinosaurz and quit halfway. Bzzt! I'll give you the highlightz because putting all the entriez together would go for a long boring time and no author wantzzz to bore a reader. Bzzt!"
"Pretty sure, there's a series of books on why that's a terrible idea."
"Here'z the data. It iz limited becauze I don't have live zpecimenzz or you don't have them az partnerz, but it be the bezt I could do! Bzzt! I omitted the "Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon" becauzzze it iz repetitive and the writing ztaff didn't want to put it in after every entry. Needless word filler and all. Bzzt."
"Makes sense." Elio said, peering through the multiple 'Dex entries.
Omanyte. Spiral pokemon. Omanyte were restored from fossils excavated from oceans long ago. Omanyte is a water and rock type.
Omastar. Spiral pokemon. It is the evolved form of omanyte. It uses its strong tentacles to immobilize its prey and then finishes them with sharp fangs. Omastar is a water and rock type.
Kabuto. Shellfish pokemon. This pokemon thrived nearly 300 million years ago. It is said that a few living specimens can still be seen in a certain region today. Kabuto is a water and rock type.
Kabutops. Shellfish pokemon. It is the evolved form of kabuto. It swam through the seas at a speed of 29 knots, using its razor sharp scythes to attack its foes. Kabutops is a water and rock type.
Lileep. Sea lily pokemon. It has powerful suction cups at its base that it uses to keep itself anchored to the seabed. They remain in place no matter how rough the seas will get. Lileep is a rock and grass type.
Cradily. Barnacle pokemon. It is the evolved form of lileep. It normally lives in shallow sea shoals and actually came onshore to look for food when the tide went out. Cradily is a rock and grass type.
Anorith. Old shrimp pokemon. With its eight wings, it could apparently swim a lot faster than you'd expect. Anorith is a rock and bug type.
Armaldo. Plate pokemon. It is the evolved form of anorith. Armaldo lived on land and went into the sea to hunt for prey. Its sharp claws were its greatest weapons. Armaldo is a rock and bug type.
Cranidos. Head butt pokemon. Although its skull was its most distinguishing feature, it lacked any intelligence within. Cranidos is a rock type.
Rampardos. Head butt pokemon. It is the evolved form of cranidos. In ancient times, people apparently dug up fossils of this pokemon and used its skull to make helmets. The structure of their skulls remained sturdy even after millions of years after dying. Rampardos is a rock type.
Shieldon. Shield pokemon. A mild mannered herbivorous pokemon, every shieldon fossil discovered have shown no signs of visible facial damage. Shieldon is a rock and steel type.
Bastiodon. Shield pokemon. It is the evolved form of shieldon. While impervious to attacks from the front, it is significantly slow to turn and vulnerable at its flank. Bastiodon is a rock and steel type.
Tirtouga. Prototurtle pokemon. Based on studies of its skeletal structure, it can apparently dive to ocean depths of over half a mile. Tirtouga is a water and rock type.
Carracosta. Prototurtle pokemon. It is the evolved form of tirtouga. Carracosta eats every last bit of its prey, even the shells of omanyte and omastar, to further improve the strength and integrity of its armored shell. Carracosta is a water and rock type.
Archen. First bird pokemon. Despite being flightless, archen moved from hopping from tree to tree and glided down from above to snag fast moving prey. Archen is a rock and flying type.
Archeops. First bird pokemon. It is the evolved form of Archen. While it is believe to be the ancestor of all bird pokemon, archeops' wing muscles were undeveloped and needed a good amount of speed and running space in order to take off. Archeops is a rock and flying type.
"So all these were pokemon supposed to be featured in the exhibits?"
"I guezzz zo. But there'z nothing here. On the bright zide, you managed to fill in zixteen entriezzz in your pokedex! That'zz like one twenty fifth of all data for pokemon in the Alola region! Congratulationzzz izz in order! Twenty four more zectionzzz to fill! Bzzt! You better get ztarted az zoon az pozzible! Bzzt!"
"Way to make it sound easy. And we should probably leave this place before we get into some serious trouble or do anything stupid."
"Agreed. Bzzt!"
It was going to take more than a trip to a seemingly abandoned dinosaur theme park to lift Elio's spirits. The conversation part-argument with Gladion was still fresh in his mind and making everything he thought about just a little angrier.
Still have no idea what in the world that guy's problem is. He pisses and moans about how he can only do this alone, but it also sounds like what he's trying to accomplish is impossible unless he picks fights with every trainer he sees. People would be more inclined to help if you ask. But knowing how you act around me and Hau is an absolute hell no. You're gonna have to come kiss my ass if you want my help now.
But he's trying to protect something. Or someone. Just who?
Elio knew that all the negativity had to be gone. All of this thinking about the edgy blond was not merely getting on his nerves, but also providing a fine distraction from the grass type trial.
Can't think about him right now. There will be a time where I'll put him in his place. Having that bitter conversation with Gladion makes me want to take a shower and rinse it all off. Enjoy the food…friggin walking rectum. Next time he insults Hau; he can do it through a bloody lip and some missing teeth. Sun actually smiled a little, feeling a bit of satisfaction as he imagined his bony knuckles swinging to clock Gladion square in the jaw.
Elio did just that, spending longer than usual under the spray in his normal stance of both hands against the wall with his head bowed and letting the streams of water run down the side of his body. He had the temperature cooler than normal since the humid Alolan heat made his clothes stick to his skin. The coolness pushing the heat out was as if feeling like his stress finally beginning to ease its way out of his body.
How about some positivity for a change? Another trial is right around the corner. Game plan needs to be made. Sooner I finish it, sooner I can go see Lillie again. I just want to go be with her and Nebby again. I miss them both. Haven't seen them for what…almost a month now?
Lillie makes me happy…really happy. I wonder if she had something planned for when we get back like what I promised before leaving. Oh yeah…great going Elio. Totally…think about a pretty blonde girl while you're showering….
The next trial was just a short distance away in the Lush Jungle. Hau had posted on his own Festival Plaza account when he dried himself off with a picture as proof that he had triumphed over it. He proudly displayed an emerald green crystal that shined in the sunlight in one hand.
Next to it was a link to a congratulatory picture of himself, Dartrix, Pikachu and Eevee in something called the Alola Photo Club. Elio hadn't done much through social media, except follow the Hurricanes basketball team and a few other popular trainers. And of course Hau and Leilani were two of those that were mutually following him.
I still have to think of a good catchy line for my island challenge campaign. Sun Journey? No. Uh...TrainerNorthstar? That sounds too mainstream. Why do I have to have a strange last name?
Eliohana. Ha! I like that! Elio as the start of my name and ohana as family! Perfect!
Hau's other arm was around an equally smiling Leilani, who had stuck her pinkie and thumb out in the traditional "hang loose" sign to denote the Alolan people's carefreeness.
Elio felt the corners of his lips curl upwards just seeing them so happy. They were so happy together.
"Watch out. It's a tricky one. But we beat the trial!" That had been the only text Hau had sent along with the image.
Wow. Those two are soooo cute together!
"We got a busy day tomorrow." He said while letting out all his pokemon to sleep. "The next trial isn't going to be a slouch and Hau says we might get tricked, but I have a feeling we're gonna conquer it just the same. I'll have to conjure a plan, but in the meantime, we should all get some rest."
He was met with a unison cry from all his pokemon before they all lay down. Nani was easily the largest of his team, but coiled herself in the corner around Rockruff and Torracat. Grimer used part of a box to keep his noxious self from spilling onto the floor. Elio really liked how considerate his poison type was. He was inherently aware of his less-than-sanitary properties and did what he could to prevent others from getting ill or injured because of him.
Charjabug had crawled up on his nightstand, keeping an eye on Rufflet. The tiny bird opted instead to perch on the dresser opposite the bed and tuck his head into his wings.
Still scared of birds huh? Elio put a comforting hand on her side. I better figure this out, otherwise this is going to be an interesting team…and that's not always a good thing.
"Goodnight everyone."
Elio flopped down on the mattress and pulled the covers over his body. Letting out a relaxed sigh, he closed his eyes, intending to get as much rest as possible to face his next trial tomorrow.
The phone ringtone went off without warning, its catchy melody startling him and abruptly breaking the comfortable silence. It had gotten a similar reaction from most of his pokemon, save Rufflet, who were all alert and looking towards him.
"Ugh." He groaned, reaching over to the nightstand and took it off its charging cradle. Glancing bleary-eyed at the screen, he didn't recognize the number, but did notice that the area code was northern Kanto.
Elio knew better than to answer a call from strangers. His mother worried constantly when she finally relented and gave him a phone of his own whether or not he would be talking with the wrong people. Luckily for her, he had stuck to his word and seldom texted anyone outside his friends or family since obtaining it. The most recent number he had added to his contacts was Lillie, who used a temporary phone given to her by Kukui whenever they were separated.
But for some reason, there was a gnawing feeling that he was in for a shock if he picked up the line. It was impossible to tell if it was in a good way or bad.
Might as well. After all, who could it possibly be?
Sitting up on the bedside, Elio stared at the screen as if it were going to change and provide a real identity of the caller. He sighed and thumbed the answer button.
"Hello?"
"E-Elio? Is that you?"
Immediately Sun's blood ran cold and he nearly dropped the phone.
N-no! It can't be!
A series of cries within the room caught his attention and he saw that his entire team of pokemon were inching closer to him, all with expressions of concern etched on their faces.
They sensed his unease.
Sun didn't know what to say. His lungs suddenly began to struggle with breathing, as if a hand had lunged out, grabbing his throat and slowly squeezing the rest of the air out of him.
He finally opened his mouth a tiny bit and his voice trembled as he tried to speak.
"Dad?"
Up next we've got the grass trial! Elio's pumped and all to take it down! But he had to tolerate Gladion's bitterness and now someone he never wished to hear from again is calling to talk to him! How is he going to handle the trial with all of these complications piling up on him? That's all coming next chapter!
Translations (all are in Japanese this time around, except for the last one):
Agedashi dofu - Literally means "lightly deep-fried tofu" (ironic huh?) in Japanese. It is a popular way to serve hot tofu. Usually the firm version is used and it is cut into bite-sized cubes and coated in potato starch to be deep fried. Often served with hot fish-based dashi broth.
Negi - Scallions/green onions. It is a popular garnish thinly sliced over some Japanese hot dishes.
Katsuobushi - Katsuobushi is dried and fermented skipjack tuna shaved into extremely thin flakes and occasionally replaced by bonito fish as a cheaper alternative. It has a distinct savory taste and can be used in a variety of Japanese cuisine dishes from being an added spice to the basis of dashi broth. When placed on hot food, heat waves can cause the light flakes to move about in an interesting aesthetic manner.
'Ulu - Breadfruit. It is a member of the jackfruit and mulberry family native to the tropics of the South Pacific and Polynesia, but has expanded to parts of South America and the Caribbean. Very abundant in Hawaii. The tree has many uses: the fruit is a staple food in Hawaiian cuisine. The wood is light and sturdy as well as resistant to termites; perfect for constructing homes and ships. There is a legend about the breadfruit in Hawaiian mythology, but more on that once we get to the next island!
Mahalo as always everyone for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. See you next time.
Brav
