A/N: ... Hi there. It's been a while, I know. My muse for fanfic writing has since taken a little nosedive as a result of everyday responsibilities and such, so I haven't felt the desire or motivation to update my other fanfics as of yet. Recently though, I rediscovered my love for Pokemon Sun and Moon through the anime (since I've already completed Moon and Ultra Moon ages ago) and felt compelled to write something for it. Hopefully working on this fanfic might spur me into updating my other fanfics at some point. But we'll have to see how it goes.

I'd like to preface this new fanfic by saying that although it is a retelling of my experience in the gaming franchise, I've done my best to craft something original out of it. By this I mean that both game and anime canon will be mashed together to help this story stand out against the other retelling fanfics, as well as giving my character a strong enough backstory that'll help to bring elements from other games into the plot too. The same is going to apply to canon characters too, so if you find some of them sound a little out of character it's because they're a mash-up of their canon and anime selves. Also, I'd like to point out that while my OC does possess a name I frequently use as an alias, she is not a self-insert character. I just like the name. I'll add as well that this is the first time I've properly explored Pokemon battles in a fanfic, so any that occur will be following the style of the anime and not the game's turn-based system. I find the anime ones are more exciting and imaginative and that it's suited best to this type of media instead of the game's style.

But enough of my rambles. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of my new fanfic. As usual, don't expect any scheduled updates.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Pokemon' or its canon characters; however, I do own the OC used in this fanfic.


Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

Before her arrival to the Alola region, Viola had only ever heard stories of its tropical beauty and tourist friendly atmosphere. But never did she think she'd experience any of it first-hand. Yet here she was: staring out at the scenery of Melemele Island from the deck she was on as it slowly moved closer to its destination. The longer Viola stared, the more she understood just how accurate Professor Sycamore had been with his descriptions. They were surrounded by cloudless blue skies and clear blue sea glistening under the rays of the mid-afternoon sun. It looked like a heavenly paradise.

The young blonde was resting her bare arms against the railings, remaining still at the light breeze blowing at her long hair and low ponytail, white t-shirt and blue skirt. Her brown eyes were almost vacant, staring ahead without appreciating the true majesty of what she was witnessing.

'What am I even doing here?' she thought as she quietly groaned, slouching her body forward against the railing. 'Others in my position would be in awe. But here I am moping. Why did I let everyone else talk me into this?'

Viola's eyes looked to the approaching beachfront of the island in the distance, scanning the small gathering of sunbathers and their Pokemon stretched across the sand.

'I understand why he suggested Alola. Compared to other regions, it's rumoured to have a unique culture that allow Pokemon and humans to coexist peacefully. That's not something you'd normally experience anywhere else.' She huffed. 'Even so, I don't see how that's going to be helpful to someone like me.' Viola glanced at her reflection on the surface of the water, stroking her fingers against her pale cheek. 'I know they're worried about me. My behaviour over the last few months hasn't been the best. They must have thought sending me to another region would help me cope with my grief. Although I personally don't see that happening…'

Viola perked up at a quiet growl behind her and a light tap on her shoulder, prompting her to look back at the blue and black furred bipedal canine Pokemon standing at least a foot shorter than her. At seeing the Pokemon's brows furrowed with concern, her eyes drooped.

'Of course it knows what I'm thinking about. I forgot it was like a mind reader.'

Viola quickly looked away and righted her posture, continuing to lean against the railing when addressing the Pokemon. "I'm fine, Lucario. You can wipe that concerned look off your face."

Lucario responded with a grumble that Viola took as a sign that it didn't believe her in the slightest. But that didn't stop it from moving to her side and copying her actions, placing its arms against the railing and staring ahead as the gap between the ship and Melemele Island continued to shrink gradually.

"How are ya holding up?" Viola asked after a brief silence, giving Lucario a sideways glance to gauge its reaction. The last time the blonde had clocked the Pokemon's previous location on this ship, it had been standing on the other side of the deck and focusing on the fish Pokemon manoeuvring through the sea's currents. Viola had opted to leave Lucario alone for the time being then, but she couldn't help wondering if it was beginning to get homesick. "You're not still nervous, are you?"

Lucario said nothing and rested its chin on its arms, its ears drooping. Viola turned to properly face Lucario with a raised brow at its silence, finally standing up from the railing.

"No one said you were obligated to come with me. You could have stayed behind in Vaniville Town. But this is what you chose to do, so you've got no one else to blame but yourself."

Lucario snorted and raised its head to look Viola in the eyes, its own eyes narrowing. Viola's shoulders slumped.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

Lucario stared silently at Viola for a few seconds before turning to the ocean once more. Viola took that as her cue to follow its gaze, waiting a moment to talk again.

"You shouldn't be worrying about me. If anything, I'm very worried about you. You've been glued to my side since that day and haven't left it. And now you're willingly following me all the way out here. What I'm feeling probably can't be compared to whatever's going through your head right now…"

When Lucario still didn't respond Viola glanced its way again. It was continuing to stare at the island, paying her words no mind in the meantime.

'Its behaviour has been just as bad as mine. At first, I just assumed Lucario was sticking around me specifically because it sensed my pain. But now I'm starting to think there's more to it than that… Lucario might be a Pokemon, but Pokemon are just as emotional as humans. It's probably hurting too.'

After a while, Viola reached out to give Lucario a light pat on the head, prompting the Pokemon's ears to perk up at the physical contact.

"But that doesn't matter," she continued. "It was your decision to stay with me back then and it's still your decision to follow me to a new region. I wouldn't have stopped you either way. But…" She paused, her cheeks taking on a faint pink at what she quietly muttered next. "I'm glad you're here. It's comforting to know I have at least one familiar face."

Lucario sideways glanced Viola with wide eyes at first, unable to believe what it was hearing. But then it soon responded with a low hum and quickly looked away, hoping it would go unheard. Viola still heard it though, prompting her to smile in amusement as she pulled her hand away.

"Good to know you agree." Viola looked towards Melemele Island to gauge how far away they were from the mainland. At seeing they'd gotten closer to the docks, the blonde took that as her cue to turn around and stretch her arms above her head with a grunt. "Well then, Lucario, let's get our luggage. We'll be docking at Melemele Island soon."

Lucario nodded and followed Viola as she began to walk off, speeding up a little so the pair were walking from the deck side by side.


Shortly after the ship had docked in the marina of Hau'oli City, the small crowd of passengers mixed with tourists and returning citizens were quick to depart, either eager to explore the wonders Melemele Island had to offer or to seek out the reason for their return. Viola and Lucario were the last ones to leave, having purposely waited for the crowd to get ahead to avoid being accidentally separated. Lucario led the way down the ramp with an eager spring in its steps, while Viola slowly followed behind with her pink travel bag secured around her shoulder with one hand, pulling her black suitcase along by the handle with the other.

"Lucario, slow down! Wait for me!" Viola's call fell on deaf ears even as Lucario was the first to come to a stop when it got off the ramp, with Viola doing the same when she caught up. The blonde placed her suitcase upright and sighed heavily, staring at Lucario's back all the while. "Please don't go running off without me. We don't know anything about this place yet."

Lucario showed no further reaction nor turned around to face Viola to show her it had heard what she'd said, prompting her to shake her head. Although Lucario's ears soon twitched at cawing above them, prompting the Aura Pokemon to raise its head to the skies as a group of unfamiliar bird Pokemon passed overhead. Viola looked up when Lucario did, squinting and shielding her eyes with her arm from the sun's rays beaming down.

"I regret not bringing a hat with me. I knew it was going to be sunny here, but it's much brighter than back home." Lucario grunted in agreement and focused its gaze elsewhere to escape the sunlight, tilting its head with interest at the sight of the beachfront directly opposite the marina and the city of Hau'oli just up ahead. "Oh, well. I can just purchase one here if I have to." Viola lowered her gaze to her socks and trainers, lifting a foot slightly to get a glimpse at the sole of her shoe. "The rest of my outfit should be fine. It's not that much different from—" As she put her foot down and looked up, she noticed movement from Lucario out of the corner of eye, who was already walking towards the town.

"Hey!" Viola reached out for the shorter Pokemon and grabbed its elbow, causing Lucario to stop and look her way with a blink. "Where do you think you're going?"

Lucario frowned and pointed towards the buildings at the other end of the dock. "Don't tell me you've forgotten why we came here in the first place." When Lucario didn't respond or react, Viola sighed and let the Pokemon go, placing her hands to her hips. "We're not here on vacation, remember. We're supposed to be assisting Melemele Island's professor with his research. It's our way of repaying him for letting us stay in his home. So, we have to wait here until he shows up."

Lucario's body slumped over a little, prompting Viola to give Lucario a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"I know you're the type to seek out excitement and adventure, but this isn't the time for it." She gave a small smile. "I promise we'll get to do plenty of that later though, when we're more familiar with the island." Lucario still didn't look pleased with her response, but it was quick to relent and turn away, folding its arms with a quiet huff. Viola focused her attention to the other end of the marina when it appeared the crowd from the ship had mostly dispersed, her gaze scanning for any signs of the mentioned professor. "Professor Sycamore said he was called 'Kukui'. I have no idea what he looks like, so just keep an eye out for someone in a lab coat, Lucario."

Lucario grumbled in acknowledgement but chose to keep its focus on the beachfront. It didn't take long, however, for Viola to spot a tall, muscular man with black hair tied into a bun and a goatee heading in their direction, wearing a white lab coat with rolled up sleeves, a white cap, grey baggy trousers, green shoes and no shirt. At first, Viola didn't take much notice of him, but that soon changed when his dark eyes took notice of her and Lucario, prompting the unknown man to call out with a smile and a wave.

"Alola!"

Both Viola and Lucario turned to the stranger with shocked blinks as he made the rest of his way over, only for Viola to frown at realising what he'd just said.

"Wait… what?"

The stranger mirrored her confusion for a few seconds, but he eventually smiled in understanding when the realisation kicked in.

"Ah! You don't know, do you? 'Alola' is how we greet people here. It's not just our region's name."

"Oh…" Viola mumbled in realisation, her thoughts briefly flitting to Professor Sycamore. 'This is like when I heard Professor Sycamore speaking French during our first meeting. It's déjà vu.'

The man's smile morphed into a grin as he held out a hand towards her. "You must be 'Viola', yeah? I'm Professor Kukui. It's nice to meet you."

Viola's reaction was delayed, yet after a couple of seconds her brows raised in surprise, with Lucario staring at the man with a slight tilt of the head.

"Hang on… You're Professor Kukui?"

Kukui nodded in confirmation, his grin staying intact. "That's right."

She gave Kukui a quick look up and down, attempting to compare him to the mental image of Professor Sycamore she had in her head.

'If it wasn't for the lab coat, I wouldn't have guessed. Professor Sycamore is always dressed so smart. Yet Professor Kukui isn't even wearing a shirt! Maybe it's a culture thing…?' Viola took a glimpse at Lucario, only to see the Pokemon rubbing at its eyes with both paws and then repeatedly blinking afterwards. 'And apparently, Lucario shared the same thought.'

"Is something wrong?"

Kukui's question and slight frown brought Viola back to reality with a forced blink. At remembering where she was, she forced out a chuckle and went to shake Kukui's hand.

"Sorry. I was just expecting to meet someone who was dressed a little more… formal."

Kukui laughed as he gave Viola's hand a firm grip and shake. "No worries!" As the two parted, Kukui glanced at Lucario when he noticed the Pokemon was observing them from Viola's side. "And you must be Lucario. Professor Sycamore said I should be expecting you too."

Lucario grumbled out of acknowledgement and turned its head away, causing Kukui's brow to raise and his smile to briefly vanish. Viola stared at the Pokemon with drooped eyes and slowly shook her head.

"Please excuse Lucario," she said apologetically. "It's been a long trip and it's grumpy."

Lucario growled in objection, but Viola only responded with the roll of her eyes.

"That's fair," Kukui replied as he pushed his glasses back up his face. "Well then, let me be the first to welcome you both to Alola. We've got a lot to discuss. But first,"—he glanced between Viola's suitcase and shoulder bag—"we should get you two settled in. You're probably tired after your journey."

Viola nodded without any hesitation while Lucario huffed quietly. She currently couldn't see her reflection, but the blonde girl was certain her face had a hint of exhaustion on it that easily gave her away.

"That would be great. Thanks."

"Then follow me. We've got a long walk through the city."

"Long walk?" Viola repeated as she watched the professor turn around and start walking up the pier. "You mean you don't live in the city?"

"No. I live on the outskirts," he replied without looking back, causing Viola's shoulders to slump.

'I think I'm too used to living in cities. My expectations keep being challenged at every turn. I doubt this will be the last time too.'

With Kukui leading the way, Viola followed the professor closely at his side, while Lucario hung back and followed behind at a small distance. As expected, the moment they entered the city, Viola's and Lucario's gazes started to wander between the various buildings and surroundings, their eyes alight with curiosity.

'It's not as busy as I thought it'd be. Still, it's very lively and colourful, like Lumiose City. Just not as big.'

Viola couldn't keep track of all the places they were passing by as her focus for now was just to get from 'A' to 'B' so she could rest. But it didn't stop her from looking at the unfamiliar Pokemon running around or interacting with their trainers on both the street and the beachfront. At one point she even glanced at Lucario to gauge its reaction, noticing its eyes were wide with awe at the same sight she was seeing.

'I haven't seen Lucario look like that in a while, not since it last ventured to a new place. It must be feeling nostalgic.'

"So, Viola," Kukui started, prompting Viola to face him as she was addressed. "do you know why you're here in Alola?"

Viola nodded and answered promptly. "You're looking for someone to help with your research on Mega Evolution, right?"

Kukui gave a wide smile. "Exactly! I guess that means you brought everything I asked for?"

"Yup." Viola tilted her head in the direction of her shoulder bag. "They're right here. Professor Sycamore made sure I had them before I left."

"That's great!" Kukui's smile morphed into a grin as he placed a hand to his head. "I can tell you're going to be a real help to my research."

Viola looked away to focus on Lucario as she felt her cheeks warm up, whose eyes seemed to widen slightly at something it had seen ahead of them. "Oh. I honestly don't think so. I'm sure there are others much more qualified than me."

"Don't be so modest," Kukui retorted and waved Viola's comment off. "Professor Sycamore told me about your travels throughout the Kalos region. You're more than qualified for the role."

Viola quietly gulped at the lump she felt forming in her throat, her gaze immediately turning to her shoes at recalling something.

'Did Professor Sycamore not explain my situation to Professor Kukui? It sounds like he hasn't. But I would have thought he'd have said something. After all, I wasn't like everyone else working under him…'

"Well…" Viola said after her long pause. "I don't know what Professor Sycamore has told you, but—" She was interrupted mid-sentence when a brief gust hit her, forcing her to stop and look up out of surprise. "Huh?" Her eyes widened at sighting Lucario running ahead with its arms stretched behind it, leaving a small trail of dust clouds in its wake.

"Lucario, where are you going?!" Viola called out to the dashing Pokemon.

However, when Lucario kept going and didn't stop, she started running after it with as much speed as she could muster, continuing to pull her suitcase along behind her while gripping tightly onto her shoulder bag. Kukui stared after the pair with his mouth partly open for a moment, but after allowing them to get a little bit ahead he shook his head to restore his senses and went to follow, yelling the pair's names loudly as he went.

"Lucario! Viola!"

As she continued to run after Lucario, Viola dared to look in the direction Lucario seemed focused on, blinking widely at the sight of a large and brown building approaching their left. It was difficult to see properly due to being surrounded by a tall and grey wall, so all Viola had in her line of sight for now was the top of the building.

'Is that what Lucario is looking at?'

By the time Viola caught up with Lucario it had stopped in front of the sign that was on the end of the wall. The blonde slowed down and lifted her suitcase upright, bending forward slightly with heavy breaths and placing her hands on her thighs.

"Lucario—" Viola paused to take a breath and forced herself to speak despite sounding winded. "What— What did I just tell you— about running off without…" She trailed off when she saw Lucario wasn't paying attention and was instead staring longingly at the sign in front of it, prompting her to follow its gaze and frown as she read the contents of the sign out loud after taking a deep breath to recover. "Pokemon Trainer's School?" She turned to Lucario and straightened out with a deepened frown. "Did you know that's what this place was?" Lucario shook its head without breaking eye contact, prompting Viola's shoulders to slump. "Ah. So, you were just being nosy. Of course."

Lucario nodded and switched its gaze to the building as a faraway look entered its eyes, which Viola shook her head at.

'This Pokemon sometimes…'

"Viola, is everything okay?!" Viola heard Kukui shout to her, causing her to look over her shoulder to witness the professor jogging the rest of the way over to them.

Viola waited until Kukui had come to a complete halt before replying, inwardly noting how he only placed a hand on the wall to steady himself while his chest heaved for air. "Everything's fine. Sorry." She scowled at Lucario. "It seems Lucario took an interest in your Pokemon Trainer's School."

"It did?" Kukui questioned and raised a brow, scrutinising the look in Lucario's eyes with a slight squint. "I wonder why that is…"

Viola scratched at the back of her head and shrugged. "Beats me. It didn't even know it was a school until it saw the sign."

Kukui sighed in relief and stood up from the wall, wiping a sleeve across his forehead. "Well, as long as you're both all right, that's all that matters." After straightening out the front of his lab coat and pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, Kukui put his hands in his pockets and walked around Viola and Lucario. "Let's move on. We can't keep Lillie waiting."

"Lillie?" Viola repeated the unfamiliar name as she grabbed her suitcase and followed the professor, jogging up to his side.

"My assistant for my Alola region research," Kukui clarified. "She also lives with me."

"She does?" Viola rubbed the back of her neck with a hand, with her brow furrowing a bit. "Gee. Now I really feel like I'm imposing." Kukui started to chuckle, causing Viola to tilt her head at him. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing." Kukui stopped chuckling and dismissed Viola's response with a quick wave of his hand, still smiling. "Lillie once said a similar thing. It's a funny coincidence, don't you think?"

At first Viola blinked in surprise, having not expected that. But after a few seconds of silent staring, she scratched at her cheek with a finger and broke eye contact. "I guess so…"

'Although, I assumed I was going to be living alone with Professor Kukui. Professor Sycamore never mentioned anything about another assistant.'

Viola glanced back over her shoulder when she and Kukui had started to pass the wall's opening to the school to make sure Lucario was still following them, only to stop in her tracks at noticing the Pokemon hadn't moved from its original spot at all.

"Lucario! Come on! We've gotta go!"

Viola watched Lucario blink a couple of times in shock before turning in her direction, its eyes widening as if it had only just remembered where it was. The young blonde smiled in amusement as she waited for Lucario to jog after them, eventually turning around to resume walking beside the professor. That smile soon disappeared when she returned to her thoughts though, her gaze falling to the ground as they approached Route 1.

'I hope this isn't going to cause any problems. Professor Kukui doesn't seem concerned, but depending on who this 'Lillie' is, things could go downhill in an instant…'


Viola, Lucario, and Kukui journeyed through Route 1 without any further incident (especially on Lucario's part), keeping to the dirt path that would lead them to the Hau'oli City Outskirts despite the former two finding themselves constantly attracted to the lush trees, tall grass and the occasional unknown Pokemon popping up amongst it. Viola had been expecting to see new Pokemon upon her arrival, but not as often as she had done already.

'Professor Sycamore really wasn't kidding. Everywhere you look, you see so many Pokemon out and about in nature. They're literally coexisting with humans while maintaining a suitable living environment. It's a completely different atmosphere to Kalos.'

The gentle rolling of waves up ahead brought Viola out of her thoughts with a blink, with Lucario's ears straightening at the noise. She could see now that Kukui was guiding them to the top of a small hill, where a wooden, one-storey building happened to be situated.

"Is that your lab?" Viola asked with raised brows.

"It is."

"So…" she looked to the professor with a crinkled nose. "your lab is literally your house."

Kukui closed his eyes and placed a hand to the back of his head with a wide grin, avoiding eye contact for the time being. "Let me guess: the damaged roof gave it away."

"Damaged roof?" Viola glanced at the roof's slanted left side as they got closer to the hill's peak, squinting a bit. "I don't see— Oh…" The blonde's eyes drooped at seeing a pair of wooden planks that had been nailed to the bottom of the roof under one of the windows, easily standing out against its dark green colour. "I see it now."

Kukui laughed a little and looked away to the sky, his tone remaining cheery despite everything. "Yeah. I do a lot of my research inside. And sometimes it can cause quite a mess."

Viola gasped. "That hole was caused by research? What in Xerneas are you researching for that to—?" The blonde cut herself off and halted when she reached the top of the hill while Kukui continued towards the house, her gaze immediately becoming drawn to the pale sand and calm sea ahead, partially blocked off by a white picket fence. Lucario stopped beside Viola and followed her gaze, its jaw dropping slightly in awe as it, too, took in the empty beach. Kukui stopped walking and glanced back when he heard Viola speak up. "Whoa…"

"Beautiful, right?" He said as he straightened his back and placed his hands to his hips, staring out at the sea with a long exhale and grin. "It may not seem like it, but this place is perfect to conduct my research in."

"Because you're away from distractions?" Viola responded immediately, already having an idea of what he meant.

"Yeah, you get it! Folks in Alola get along with Pokemon by living and working together. So, it makes sense to be in a place where that can happen." Kukui closed his eyes, his face beaming. "Every time I look down there, my worries and concerns wash away with the ocean. 'Cause it's always just me and my Pokemon out here giving our all. Nothing else in the world matters during that moment."

Viola gave Lucario a sideways glance when she saw it turn to Kukui at hearing his words, its eyes widening a little.

'It looks like Lucario has seen the professor in a new light.' Her eyes drooped a little, prompting the hand clutching her bag strap to loosen its grip. 'But I suppose that's only because he's starting to sound like…'

Viola quickly shook her head before she finished that thought, inhaling deeply through her nostrils. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

"You really weren't kidding about living on the outskirts, huh," She commented and glanced over at the dirt path behind them. "We're isolated quite a way from the city."

Kukui looked at Viola with a furrowed brow, his grin vanishing. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"Not at all." Kukui blinked widely as Viola answered promptly. "In fact, it's actually ideal for us."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh." Viola fiddled with her bag strap and turned her gaze to the ground, lightly running the sole of her trainer across the dirt. "Kalos is a busy region. There's always so much going on, and sometimes it's suffocating. So, when Professor Sycamore offered me the chance to come to Alola as an assistant for another professor, I expected to end up in a similar environment." Viola briefly locked eyes with Lucario, who silently returned her stare. "But even though I've just arrived, I've already been proven wrong. The atmosphere is very different—better actually. I'm sure Lucario agrees with me too, right?" Lucario nodded stiffly and hummed, leaving Kukui staring at the pair with a slight gape. "I still have mixed feelings on being here. After seeing this view though, I'm starting to think this trip isn't going to be as bad as I thought." She faced Kukui again with a small smile. "Right now, staying out in the middle of nowhere is what Lucario and I need, so it's worked out in our favour."

Kukui stared between Viola and Lucario in silence for several seconds, his eyes wide. But soon he found himself returning Viola's smile and giving her a rough pat on her closest shoulder, wiping her smile away and causing her to flinch.

"I'm glad. But don't sweat it. It's normal to feel unsure in a new place." Kukui gave Viola one more reassuring pat on the shoulder before pulling away. "Though I hope you'll come to love it in time."

Viola's smile briefly returned. "I hope so too."

Kukui nodded, taking that as his cue to move towards the house. "Well then, shall we head inside?" Viola and Lucario returned the nod and followed Kukui up the wooden steps to the front door, with Viola pausing so she could lift her suitcase over them without dragging it. Kukui entered the home first, loudly announcing his arrival as he opened the door and stepped inside. "Alola, Lillie! I'm back!"

Viola and Lucario entered side by side as Kukui strolled to the banister for the stairs leading to the basement floor, with the pair stopping in the doorway to give the room a quick look over. The blonde gaped slightly at the natural light streaming into the room, her gaze briefly turning to the roof's skylight.

'When Professor Sycamore said I'd be staying at Professor Kukui's lab, this is definitely not how I pictured it looking. It is his living space.'

When Kukui didn't get a response from Lillie, he called out again while jogging round to the basement stairs, walking halfway down them to peek over the banister and briefly disappearing from sight.

"Lillie?! Are you here?!"

Meanwhile, Viola's eyes were soon drawn to glistening blue over to her right, prompting them to widen at the aquatic tank situated near the centre of the room. Its wide, oval shape took up a good section of the room, and the water was so clear she could see through to the other side without difficulty. But what really caught her attention were the two familiar and pink Pokemon floating around inside, prompting her to release her suitcase and walk over to get a closer look.

"A Luvdisc and Corsola!" Viola exclaimed, causing Lucario to perk up and jog to her side to get a look for itself, its red eyes following the Luvdisc as it swam through the water. "I haven't seen these two together since we travelled across Route 12 from Shalour City."

Kukui eventually returned to the first floor and moved to the two doors opposite the tank, still calling out for Lillie as he opened the closest one and looked inside. "Lillie?!" Viola and Lucario finally broke away from the tank to glance at Kukui at the third shout, watching him move to the second door and repeat the same action. "She's not here either?"

"Is something the matter, Professor?" Viola finally asked, suspecting that it had something to do with Lillie's apparent absence.

"I can't find Lillie anywhere," Kukui said as he turned to the pair with a hand to his forehead, his brow furrowed. "I thought she'd be back from her errand in Iki Town by now…"

"Maybe she's just a little delayed?" Viola replied in attempt to sound reassuring, despite the slight raised pitch in her voice making her sound unsure.

"I doubt it. She left long before I did. And she's usually punctual." Kukui closed his eyes and huffed loudly, beginning to mumble to himself while scratching at the side of his head. "If she's with the kahuna, she should be fine. Still, it wouldn't hurt to go over there and make sure she's okay."

"Kahuna?" Viola repeated in a whisper as she exchanged frowns with Lucario, who grumbled quietly and shrugged its shoulders.

Focus returned to Kukui when he spoke to the pair again with a deepened frown of his own. "Viola, I'm sorry to ask this given you're tired from your trip, but would you and Lucario mind accompanying me to Iki Town to check on Lillie? I want to make sure she's all right."

"I don't mind," Viola's answer was immediate, causing Lucario to blink widely and Kukui to lean back with a raised brow. "It's the least I can do to thank you for welcoming us into your home. And it gives us the chance to see a little more of the island to boot." She turned to Lucario with a cheeky grin. "Which is what a certain Pokemon probably wants. Right, Lucario?"

Lucario's eyes drooped with a loud sigh, but then it gave a brief nod to show it agreed. After a quick blink though, Kukui recovered and gave a grateful smile.

"Thank you. Iki Town isn't that far from here, so we'll have to go through Route 1 again." He held out a hand towards the opened door beside him. "You can leave your belongings in here. They'll be safe for the time being."

"Great. More walking," Viola responded sarcastically as she went to collect her suitcase, only to pause when she heard Lucario quietly chuckling. "But I suppose it's the price to pay for being helpful…"