Track 9 - "Midnight Crusade"


After a couple of weeks traveling through Ula'ula Island, the Koa siblings had finally returned to Malie City. Leinani was happy to get a night's rest in her own bed while Kaiko enjoyed the malasadas from the bakery down the street from their house.

The night that they arrived in Malie City, Leinani went straight for the gym, but she couldn't find the willpower to go inside and face Uhuli again. If for whatever reason, he deemed her unworthy of a battle again, she would have been heartbroken. It took a lot of thinking it over and pressure from Kaiko to go back to the gym once more.

Now she stood outside the glass doors. She looked up at the large official Pokémon League sign that had been positioned at the top of the entranceway. She waved her arms out in front of the doors, letting them open automatically. With Kaiko close behind her, she walked towards the battlefield doors. She tried to push open the doors, but they didn't budge.

"Huh?" she wondered before giving them another push, but once again, nothing.

"Uhuli is in a battle," a quiet voice said. The two turned to find a small girl, roughly the same height as Kaiko. She wore a light blue dress with flower print on it.

"Ali!" Kaiko exclaimed. "Leilei, this is Ali! She's one of my classmates, and since you and Enoka had to give up your positions as gym assistants, she's taking over!"

"It's nice to meet you," Ali said quietly.

Leinani glared at her. "Yeah? You taking care of the gym?"

"I'm doing my best."

"You better! With me and Enoka as assistants, we kept his gym clean and shiny, and we called all of the matches down the middle. Don't ruin the rep that we built for this place."

Ali was taken aback. "I-uh-okay."

"Got it?"

"I got it!" she squeaked.

"Good."

The door then clicked and slowly opened. Uhuli and his challenger, a girl who appeared a few years older than Leinani, came out. On her head was a small yellow Pokémon with black-tipped ears.

"Congratulations, Naomi," Uhuli said. "I hope to be seeing you at the league!"

His challenger nodded. She was delighted to have won her badge, but the deadpan expression on her face didn't show it. She turned away from Uhuli, smiled at Leinani, and then walked out the door.

Uhuli sighed and put his hands on his hips. "Quiet girls." He stared longingly at the door before noticing Leinani. "Oh! Hey, Leilei!"

Leinani stuck out her Poké Ball. "She's female and she likes sweet food!"

Uhuli grinned and then winked at her. "So, you've bonded with your Rowlet, eh? Did you get the badge from Guzzy?"

"Yes. It took me two tries, but I managed to win. I think I'm ready for our battle!" Leinani responded, her voice slightly shaky.

"That's wonderful!" he exclaimed. He then froze. "But, unfortunately, I can't battle now. I've already had a ton of battles today, and my Pokémon need a couple of hours of rest."

Leinani's posture slumped and clicked her tongue. "Man. I had to build up a bunch of courage to come here and ask you too. What about tomorrow?"

"I'll do you one better!" he said. "You said that you know my Pokémon and all of my strategies. Well, I've actually been creating new strategies and been changing my battle style because of it. I really want to try it out. I'm super eager. How about you come back tonight? We can invite the school and your family."

"There'll be a crowd?" Leinani wondered. "Like, people?"

"That sounds like a great idea!" Kaiko exclaimed.

"Let's make it a midnight showing," Uhuli said. "Me and you, two on two, for the world to see. Agree?"

Leinani tightened her grip on Rowlet's Poké Ball. "Agree. It gives me more time to get training in."


While Kaiko, Ali, and Uhuli tried to draw in a crowd for the battle that'd take place, Leinani trained with her Pokémon.

"Boombox, nothing against you, but we haven't trained together enough to justify a battle today," Leinani said. She had lined her Pokémon up right outside of Malie Gardens where it was safe to train. She lifted her Poké Ball and then withdrew the Grubbin. "This leaves me with DJ and Shure. I'm sure we'll be fine, but we should probably train a bit. Unfortunately, we don't have any attacks that are going to be super-effective against Ice-types."

"I can help," a voice called from behind. Leinani turned to find her mother. Her dark hair was curled and stylized, clearly with a lot of care behind it, but she still dressed in simply mom jeans and a white t-shirt. She pulled a towel from her back pocket and patted at her forehead. It was hot, and her dark skin was slightly reddened from the heat of the sun. "Alola!"

"You can help?" Leinani asked. "You gonna stylize my Pokémon's hair? Not sure if you've seen a Sandshrew before, but they don't have a single strand on their heads."

"Shrew?"

Mrs. Koa laughed. "No, dear. When I was a young trainer, I made it a goal to collect as many HM's, TM's, and TR's that I could find. I figured I could pass them on to you." She reached into her bag, which had been sewn together from old and worn down jeans, and pulled out a circular case.

"Hidden machine, technical machine, and technical record. I didn't know that you collected them," Leinani said as she took the case. "Thanks, mom."

"Put them to good use. If you're dealing with Ice-types, what kind of moves should you be teaching them?" Mrs. Koa asked. She knew the answer, but she wanted to quickly test her daughter.

"It's weak to Fighting, Fire, Rock, or Steel-type attacks."

Mrs. Koa knelt, her knees popping when she got low, and she petted Sandhrew and Rowlet on their heads. "I can think of a move or two that you can teach them, and since little Shure is part Steel-type, you'd definitely benefit from making sure that he's capable of a Steel-type move, right?"

"Right."

"Good. Let's get to work!"

Leinani and her mother trained with Rowlet and Sandshrew for the rest of the day, only taking a break whenever dinner time came around. Eventually, the sun set and the sky became dark blue. Leinani let her two Pokémon rest until the time for their battle came up, and in the meantime, she helped prepare the gym.

She was surprised to find that her younger classmates and neighbors all came to watch, filling up the stands within a half hour. Her dad managed to make it back from work in time, and although he was exhausted, he sat in the crowd with a wide smile on his face. It was rare for Leinani to see both of her parents awake at the same time.

Uhuli opened up the gym's ceiling, as the night sky wasn't hot enough to melt his field, and everyone got quiet as the clock struck midnight. Leinani and Uhuli both took their places.

Uhuli had removed his thick jacket with the fur hood. He wore a white and thin sleeveless compression shirt that was tucked into his black jeans. He crossed his arms and looked out at Leinani, his usual gentle light brown eyes now having a certain fire to them.

Kaiko took his position at the referee's stand, and he held up two flags.

"Kaiko?!" Leinani wondered. "You better call it down the middle!"

"No problem! If you're terrible, you'll know!" he called back. "The following battle between Gym Leader, Uhuli and gym challenger, Leinani will be a two on two single battle! It will conclude when one side's team is incapable of continuing! Only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions! Begin!"

"Go, Shure!" Leinani yelled while throwing her Poké Ball forward. Sandshrew appeared and he tried to wave his hands above his head in an intimidating manner. It didn't work.

"You were able to get yourself a Sandshrew, eh?" Uhuli wondered. "Alright. Alright. Alright. It's interesting to think that you'd step up to the Igloo Captain with an Ice-type! I'll have to show you how it's really done! Try this one on for size! Sandslash, go!"

A larger Pokémon materialized on Uhuli's side of the field. It was the same coloration as Sandshrew, but with dark blue spikes protruding from its back. It traced the ground with claws, creating a shrill scraping sound.

"Sandslash, the Mouse Pokémon. This Pokémon's steel spikes are sheathed in ice. Stabs from these spikes cause deep wounds and severe frostbite as well," Leinani's Pokédex buzzed in its robotic voice.

"Such a strong Pokémon from the get-go. We're gonna have to battle with everything we got," Leinani said.

"The challenger is given the first move!" Kaiko declared.

"Shure, start Rapid Spin!" Leinani commanded, not wasting another second.

Sandshrew rolled into a ball and then shot forward. His body moved easily on the ice, but he had clear control. Within a matter of moments, he collided with Sandslash's midsection, making Uhuli's Pokémon slide back a few inches. Sandshrew was then quick to roll away, getting a lot of distance between the two.

Uhuli smiled. "You said that you knew all of my strategies, so I figured I'd try something different. Sandslash, use Rollout!"

"Slash!" the Pokémon cried out. He tucked his body and then began to roll, ripping up the field of ice below him.

"We're gonna get defensive! Defense Curl!" Leinani yelled.

Sandshrew was quick to roll into a ball, hiding his underbelly from attacks. Sandslash collided with him, but he didn't budge, keeping true to his defensive strength. But then, Sandslash rounded across the field and started to charge once again, now with increased energy.

"It's getting stronger!" Leinani exclaimed. "Shure, fight back with Rapid Spin!"

Sandshrew started to spin in place before bounding forward. The two Pokémon clashed and scraped their iron-hard shells against one another. It didn't take very long, but Sandshrew was overpowered and knocked back. He landed on his belly and then slowly stood back up.

Rollout is a Rock-type move, so it's not doing very much damage to us, but with every time that he uses it, it gets stronger. We cut him down before it's too late, Leinani thought.

Then Sandslash came around once again. The entire field rumbled and cracked as he moved, and the crowd watched on in awe.

"Use Brick Break on the ground!" Leinani yelled.

"Shrew!" he responded. He lifted his small hand and then karate chopped the ice below him, causing some of the field to explode. The explosion blasted Sandshlash into the air, putting a stop to his attack. Uhuli's Pokémon flailed about wildly before crashing down into the ground. When he stood back up, he rocked from side to side.

Intense power, but not a lot of stamina, Leinani noted. "Let's go for a direct attack! Use Brick Break!"

Sandshrew was not fast on his feet, but he ran forward as quickly as he could. The ice made it slightly easier for him to move, as he was able to skate, but it still wasn't at an impressive speed.

"Icicle Spear!" Uhuli yelled.

Sandslash raised his two lengthy claws and pointed them at Sandshrew. The claws started to glow with light blue energy, and once Sandshrew was within range, he released a blast of icy power. The energy was pointed and sharp, and it crashed into Sandshrew's hard body. The power was strong enough to stun Sandshrew, and he fell onto his back.

"We got this!" Uhuli declared. "Gyro Ball!"

Sandslash started to glow with a metallic hue before he rolled himself into a ball once more. He barrelled down the field, destroying any of the ice that was in his path.

"To the left! Use Rapid Spin!"

Although Sandshrew was on his back, he still found it easy to roll up in a ball. He shot across the field, narrowly avoiding Sandslash's attack. Sandshrew ascended a thick piece of ice that jutted from the field and then shot into the air. He kept his body folded and then crashed back down, landing directly on top of Sandslash, forming what appeared to be a snowman made of steel. Their iron-hard bodies crashed repeatedly as they continued to spin, creating a sickening noise of iron on iron.

"Brick Break! Keep spinning!" Leinani commanded.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"

Sandslash stuck out of his tiny arms and filled it with energy. Using the momentum of Rapid Spin, he smashed his small arm into Sandslash at a force that could only be described as brutal. Sandslash's body uncurled and he was tossed clear across the field, crashing into stalagmites made of ice. When the mist of the explosion cleared, Kaiko made his judgment call.

"Sandslash is unable to battle! Shure the Sandshrew is the winner!" he declared with a big toothy grin on his face.

The crowd cheered loudly as Uhuli recovered his Pokémon. Leinani smiled and looked closer at her Sandshrew. He was breathing heavily, his orb-like body bobbing up and down repeatedly.

"You did really good," she muttered before raising her ball. "Take a short break. I'll need you later."

"Shrew," he responded before letting the red light take him back.

"It's only been a few weeks since she started, but I can already see how much she's grown," Mr. Koa commented.

"Kaiko was telling me how impatient and reckless she was with her first battle, so it's good to not see that here," Mrs. Koa responded. "She just needs to take her time and think things through."

"Vulpix, you're up!" Uhuli yelled while throwing a white Poké Ball onto the field. It exploded open, revealing a small white Pokémon with a bushy set of tails.

"I know that one," Leinani said. She still pulled her Pokédex out and scanned it.

"Vulpix, the Fox Pokémon. In hot weather, this Pokémon makes ice shards with its six tails and sprays them around to cool itself off," it rang.

What's his deal? He used Sandslash, a fully evolved Pokémon, to start the battle, but then chose Vulpix, an unevolved Pokémon, for his second choice. He's gotta be planning something, Leinani thought.

"She's thinking it through."

"But maybe she's overthinking."

"DJ, let's go!" Leinani yelled. She tossed her ball from her left hand to her right before throwing it into the air. Rowlet emerged and slowly found her way down to the field. She scratched the ice slightly, appearing bothered by the cold.

"I'll give you the first move," Uhuli said. "I'm interested in what you and DJ can do."

"Word," Leinani said. "Use Tackle!"

"Such a basic attack," Uhuli said with a laugh. "Ice Shard!"

Rowlet flew forward before twisting her body and then diving with her talons sticking out. Vulpix responded by opening his mouth and forming icicle energy. He released a powerful wind from his mouth, blasting shards into the air.

"Go right! Use Shadow Sneak!"

Rowlet spun her body around before she was enveloped with shadowy energy. She dove into the ground and disappeared from sight, leaving the crowd baffled.

"Now!"

She quickly emerged from the shadows behind Vulpix. She stuck out her talons once more and collided into Vulpix's back, making the Ice-type slide forward.

Uhuli clapped his hands together. "I love it! Your combination of Tackle and Shadow Sneak was excellent! But we won't fall for it again!"

"I didn't think you would!" Leinani responded. "Steel Wing! Let's finish this quickly!"

Rowlet swept down low and let her wings graze lightly against the field. Slowly, they started to glow with energy, and they began to violently tear up the ice that they touched.

"Icy Wind!" Uhuli commanded.

Vulpix let out a howl while he opened his mouth. He blew the wind from before, but it was much stronger now and had a wider range. Rowlet was caught in the gust, but she continued forward, ice slowly forming at her face. She extended her wings as far as she could, and when she was within range, she swiped, knocking the Ice-type back a few feet. Vulpix landed safely and then glared. Rowlet slowly retreated, but her movement was much slower than usual.

"My little Vulpix is a relatively new member of my team," Uhuli said. "In fact, she's only a couple of weeks old. She's probably not much older than DJ."

"Something felt off about her in comparison with your other Pokémon. So, you're using inexperienced Pokémon against me?" Leinani asked. "Should I be insulted?"

Uhuli grinned. "Well, I can say that I got the idea when you challenged me a couple of weeks ago." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a light blue stone. "This here is an Ice Stone. Do you know what it does?"

Leinani took a step back. "You're not going to-"

"Oh, I am! Vulpix, let's evolve!" Uhuli said as he tossed the stone forward.

His Pokémon jumped into the air and reached out, touching the stone with his paw. He then started to glow white instantaneously, blinding the crowd with a bright light. He shifted, and his body morphed and grew. He came back to the ground, now much larger and in a different form.

"Meet my new Ninetales! Where he lacks in experience, he'll more than make up for it with natural power!" Uhuli exclaimed.

"Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon. Possessing a calm demeanor, this Pokémon was revered as a deity incarnate before it was identified as a regional variant of Ninetales," Leinani's Pokédex chimed.

So, his strategy is to simply overpower my Pokémon. They may have equal or less battle experience, but their natural strength is going to be a huge factor, Leinani thought.

Mr. Koa sat back in his seat. "It's a gym leader's job to test and teach their challengers. It looks like Uhuli is taking that job very seriously when it comes to testing and teaching Leinani. He's a good mentor."

Mrs. Koa nodded. "I'm sure Leinani knows about evolution, but to see it in action is something completely different. It can change the entire playing field when it comes to battles."

"Your main Pokémon was always Sandslash, so I'm surprised that you're ending this battle with a Ninetales," Leinani said. "I thought I had you figured out, but you have kept me on my toes."

"That's my job," Uhuli said. "Let's go. Use Dazzling Gleam!"

"Nine!" his Pokémon called. His eyes started to glow with pink energy, and she opened her mouth, unleashing a bright light onto the field.

"Shadow Sneak!" Leinani commanded.

Rowlet looked around for a shadow to disappear into, but the light from Ninetales' attack made it impossible. By the time that both Leinani and DJ realized, it was too late, and the Grass-type was blasted backward. She landed against the cold ground and slid slightly against its surface.

Uhuli laughed and then crossed his arms. "We're not going to fall for that trick again."

She clenched her fists. "Then we should try something different! DJ, use Leafage!"

Rowlet trilled before flying into the air. She dashed forward and formed leaves around her body using energy. The leaves unleashed, tearing up a little bit of the ground below them.

"Ice Shard!"

Ninetales released the strong blast of wind from his mouth yet again, carrying along the thick shards of ice with it. The shards pelted into the leaves that Rowlet had created, tearing them up one by one.

"Now!" Leinani yelled.

Rowlet quickly emerged from behind, the shadowy energy coming off of her. She kicked with her talons, knocking Ninetales directly in the face. The Ice-type rolled onto his side before using her multiple tails to find balance. He then growled before glaring at the glee filled DJ.

"Steel Wing! Finish this!" Leinani instructed.

"Confuse Ray!" Uhuli ordered.

Rowlet flew forward and extended her wings, but she wasn't fast enough. Ninetales' eyes started to glow with a ghostly hue, and Rowlet suddenly flew directly into the icy field. Her body crashed hard, and she slipped, landing directly in front of Ninetales. She tried to get back up, but the effects of confusion and the slippery field prevented her from doing so.

"DJ, get out of there!" Leinani yelled desperately.

Ninetales stalked his opponent, waiting for Uhuli's command.

"Ice Shard!"

Ninetales released his heavy wind onto the field once more. The shards pelted into Rowlet, forcing his body to fly across the field. She landed with a hard thud, her body instantly going limp.

"DJ the Rowlet is unable to battle! Ninetales is the winner!" Kaiko yelled while holding up his flags.

Leinani withdrew Rowlet and then pulled out Sandshrew's ball. Without saying a word, she threw the ball into the air, releasing her Ice-type.

Uhuli shrugged and laughed. "I've pushed you into a corner! You had Brick Break to take on Sandslash, but unfortunately, Brick Break isn't going to cut it for Ninetales."

Leinani's eyebrows raised. "Huh?"

"Did you not notice?"

Leinani didn't answer. She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of her former classmates and family.

"I guess not!" Uhuli exclaimed. "Ninetales, use Ice Shard!"

"Withdraw, Shure!" Leinani yelled.

Ninetales released the heavy wind that carried the heavy shards of ice across the field. But Sandshrew was fast, ducking his head and tucking his body into a ball, which shielded him from the attack.

"Now, Rapid Spin!"

Sandshrew spun his body as quickly as he could, and although the ice was slippery, he still managed to keep perfect control. He zipped across the field and connected with Ninetales directly, sending him sliding backward.

"Spite!" Uhuli commanded.

Ninetales glared at Sandshrew, and his eyes started to glow with an evil red tint. The same shade of red surrounded Sandshrew, giving him a light aura.

"What?" Leinani asked.

Sandshrew uncurled his body and then looked around curiously. The red aura faded away, and seemingly nothing had happened to him. He looked at Ninetales and then to Leinani with a confused expression on his face.

"You've done Rapid Spin so often in this battle, and something you may not know is that Pokémon are limited to using so many of the same moves in succession. Spite takes away some of that energy. Until Shure gets some rest, it looks like he won't be able to use Rapid Spin again," Uhuli explained.

"No way!" Leinani yelled. Rapid Spin was the only attack that allowed Sandshrew to move quickly.

"Ninetales, use Dazzling Gleam!" Uhuli commanded.

"Use another Withdraw!"

Ninetales raised his nine long tails into the air and howled. A blast of pink light exploded from her body, tearing up some of the icy terrain. But once again, Sandshrew was quick. He tucked his head and rolled into a ball, easily absorbing the attack without taking any damage.

"I think that's enough of Withdraw," Uhuli exclaimed. "Spite!"

Once again, Ninetales' eyes started to glow with the red hue. The aura from before returned around Sandshrew's body, and he unfolded. He stood back up straight and then shook his head, slightly confused by the situation.

Unable to do Rapid Spin. Unable to do Withdraw. What do I do? Leinani questioned herself. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Shrew?" Shure wondered.

"Try Brick Break!" Leinani ordered once she gathered her thoughts.

"Ice Shard!" Uhuli yelled.

Sandshrew's claws started to glow, and he trudged forward, skating on the ice to gain some speed. Ninetales howled, unleashing the wind from his mouth once again. The shards of ice that it carried pelted into Sandshrew, eventually putting his attack to a stop.

"Keep going! Ice Shard! Ice Shard!" Uhuli directed.

"Brick Break the ice! Don't let it hit your stomach!" Leinani ordered.

Sandshrew focused and began to wave his arms around wildly, destroying each shard with ease. He slowly walked forward while waving his arms haphazardly.

Leinani closed her eyes and listened to the battle. She felt the rhythm from each shard of ice being shattered, and she began to tap her feet and snap her fingers. "Find the flow, Shure! Brick Break and walk!"

"Shrew!" Sandshrew yelled back. He now moved his arms in a more rhythmic pattern, slicing through each shard at a quick tempo. Once he found his rhythm, he smiled and then began to walk faster, closing in on Ninetales.

"Grab!" Leinani yelled.

Once Sandshrew reached the crescendo of his Brick Break beat, he stopped and reached out, grabbing ahold of Ninetales by the tail. Uhuli's Pokémon screeched with anger, and he began to thrash about.

"Don't let go!" Leinani yelled.

Ninetales tried to retreat, but Sandshrew was simply too heavy. He held on tightly, keeping Ninetales in place.

"Dazzling Gleam!"

"Metal Claw! Give it all you got!"

"Metal Claw?!"

Ninetales howled, but he was quickly silenced. Sandshrew pulled on Ninetales' tail, dragging him across the field. He then slashed with one of his claws, forcing Ninetales' mouth shut. The force of the attack was much stronger than anyone could have anticipated, and Ninetales flew across the field. He landed in front of Uhuli's feet, his body limp.

Kaiko grinned from ear to ear before raising his flags in the air. "Ninetales is unable to battle! Sandshrew is the winner, which means that the victor is Leinani Koa!"

The small crowd of Leinani's classmates and her family erupted into cheers. Leinani ran out onto the field to the best of her abilities while her Sandshrew fell to the ground. She slid on her knees to her Pokémon before he fainted in her hands. With a smile, she returned him to his ball. She tried to stand back up, but she struggled until Uhuli lowered his hand. Leinani blushed, took his hand, and then stood back up. The crowd cheered once more.

"My gym is considered one of the more difficult gyms in the Alola region, especially when it comes to beginning trainers. I think that using a strategy like the one I used was a good way to keep myself challenging but fair and balanced. I also hope that you learned something from our battle," Uhuli said.

Leinani nodded. "Having power means nothing if you don't know how to use it."

Uhuli laughed. "That's a strong way to word it, I guess."

"I have a strong way with words."

"This is the Arctic Badge," he said while handing over a light blue badge that was in the shape of a snowflake. "Enoka won it a couple of days ago, so he's a bit ahead."

"Enoka?" Leinani wondered. "That means he's ahead."

"You have a long time. Don't get caught up in overworking yourself and your Pokémon," Uhuli said. "I have a few more things for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet bag. He emptied the contents into his hands, revealing an Ice Stone like the one he used before and a light blue Z-Crystal.

Leinani took both of them. She examined the crystal closely. "It's so pretty."

"Because you and Enoka were my pupils, I've given both of you Ice Stones. You'll be able to have Shure evolve at any point now. I do recommend getting used to him a bit more as a Sandshrew. Both of you should develop and grow together, and then when you're ready, it'll be good to evolve him," he explained. "And the Z-Crystal is Icium Z. You and Shure should be able to make good use of it."

"Does this mean-"

"Yes," Uhuli said. He clicked his bracelet and removed his Z-Ring before handing it over. "I'm giving this to you. Take my Z-Ring and go do great things."

Leinani held the Z-Ring and smiled. She slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and then held it up. "I can't believe it."

"I'm so proud of you, Leinani," Uhuli said. "In only a couple of weeks with DJ, you've been able to develop into quite the trainer. I'm so excited to see where you will go by the end of this year. If you keep going, I'm sure you'll be able to win the Manalo Conference."

He held up her hand, and the crowd cheered again.


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This took me so long to write. So long.

CHAPTER 10 PREVIEW:

Leinani has beaten the gyms on Ula'ula Island. She says goodbye to her family and the island that she loves.

REVIEWS:

pokestets23 - "I have yet to play anything past Sinnoh...I know. I'm old. But I do like some of the Alola Pokemon just never had the opportunity to use them. I hope Kaiko has a way to continue with her. And was that Cyan's Golem?" - Yeah. Cyan's Golem came back! Also, play Ultra Sun, ya dork!

CrescentApple - "This chick loves music so much she's gonna name all her poke's after 'em haha. I thought for a moment she was gonna get a minior, but Grubbin is a good choice too. Leinani gives off a "Im cool" vibe, while her bro gives off a chipper happy vibe. They feel so different, and again thats what I appreciate from them. They have still got that sibling love, but Leinani expresses it a bit differently. She really sees herself as champion, thats some good confidence if she can go through the harsh training and battles... I think she can do it." - I'm usually against nicknames (especially in fanfiction, because it becomes too much to track), but I've found a theme that I think works for Leinani.

UKEagleClaw - "I liked the opening sequence. Leinani will need a travelling companion to ensure she stays awake throughout her journey. Good hype towards her vs. Uhuli. Nice teasing of Leinani there. I still do enjoy a good relationship with my siblings, but I do agree w/the last paragraph of the scene. Nice mention by Kaiko that her Pokémon all represent a bit of her island. I like that she's homesick about leaving. Liked that Grubbin was excited to battle and be captured. Reminds me of Kaiko's point in the last chapter about some Pokémon who were never going to be captured by trainers. Nice end and a pleasant way to end Leinani's time travelling with Kaiko. Looking forward to seeing who she partners up on the next island and how they compare to herself and Kaiko." - So, I have two siblings (that I know of), and my relationship with both of them is strained. That's where her father's comment comes into play. The older I've gotten, the more my siblings and I have grown distant. Oh no. Now I'm sad.

wisdom-jewel - "Having more Pokemon of different types would be very helpful. I can't wait how she uses her new Pokemon." - She didn't use Grubbin in this battle, but I plan on having Grubbin come into play more often later on.