A/N: I'll admit I was not expecting my fanfic to have blown up like it has already. It's nice to see people are actually checking it out and liking it so far. Even despite the glitches the site was undergoing. I have no idea what happened to it in the beginning and why certain things weren't showing up, but it looks like it's been fixed now, so... yay. XD Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favourited and reviewed the first chapter though. Hopefully this second chapter continues to impress.
EDIT: I've had to go back and make some edits to the first three chapters to spread out the word count a bit.
Chapter 2: Misunderstandings
After putting her suitcase and shoulder bag away, Viola accompanied Lucario and Kukui back to Route 1, following a diverging path that sloped up and wound through another hill. It wasn't like the hill where Kukui's home was situated, being taller and a little steeper in comparison. But Viola found she had no problem tackling it now that she didn't have her belongings to hinder her. Despite being a little tougher to reach though, the trio didn't have to go far before they found themselves approaching Iki Town at the hill's top, walking up its stone steps and under its wooden arch.
"I can't believe there are other towns outside of the city," Viola commented as she glanced at the path they'd just walked up. "And one so high up too."
"Well, Iki Town is where folks come to worship the Pokemon that watches over Melemele Island," Kukui explained as Viola stuck close to his side alongside Lucario. "It makes sense that they'd want to live as closely as they can to it for their own protection."
"The Pokemon that watches over Melemele Island?" Viola repeated with the tilt of her head. "What do you mean by that?"
Kukui smiled and tapped the side of his nose with a finger. "That's something you'll learn about another time."
Viola frowned at that and turned away, deciding to get a quick look at the town as she continued to follow Kukui along. Due to the urgency of the situation, her focus was more on watching where she was going rather than on where she was, especially since it was obvious the professor had an idea of where they needed to go. Still, she managed to get a good glimpse of the small, wooden and hut-styled homes on the town's lower ground sparsely spread out amongst vibrant grass and separated by dirt paths. Compared to the streets of Hau'oli City, Iki Town appeared abandoned with the lack of people out and about. But it was clearly more immersed with the island's natural resources, as proven by its lush surroundings. Lucario was also having a quick look, but it remained silent and close to Viola's other side the whole time with folded arms.
As the trio headed up another set of stone steps to the town's higher ground, Viola was drawn to a lone house standing on the far right of the town. It shared a similar design to the others, but it was much larger in scale, making it stand out despite it not sharing its area with any other homes.
'Why do I get the feeling that is where the professor wants us to go?'
Viola's thought was soon answered when Kukui stopped at the top of the steps and she and Lucario followed suit, observing him placing his hands in his pockets and turning his head to scan the town with a scrutinising frown.
"Hm…" he hummed in thought and started to mutter. "I don't see any signs of Lillie or the kahuna anywhere. I wonder…"
Kukui trailed off when crossing gazes with the house ahead of them, with Viola's brow raising at recognising the unknown word 'kahuna'. "I should probably ask around in case anyone has seen them." Kukui turned to Viola and Lucario. "Could you two wait here? I'm going to check if the kahuna's home."
"Of course," Viola replied, with Lucario briefly closing its eyes and nodding in agreement.
"All right. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."
Viola watched Kukui walk towards the large house for a moment, yet she eventually looked away with a quiet sigh to the homes below them. She remained oblivious to Lucario opening its eyes and glancing around before it spotted something just in front of them, causing its eyes to light up.
"Well, Lucario, it looks like we're on our own for now," Viola stated. "We should probably take this time to process everything we've been hearing." The blonde brushed her hands under her hair to comb it behind her shoulders. "I'm getting déjà vu hearing and seeing these unfamiliar things. Kahunas, mysterious Pokemon watching over people… It's like I've started my Pokemon journey all over again." She went to face Lucario. "What about you—?" Viola interrupted herself at seeing Lucario was no longer beside her, prompting her eyes to widen. She whipped her head round in random directions while calling the Pokemon's name, believing it had run off again. "Lucario?!"
A loud and familiar bark answered from close by, causing Viola to swirl to the direction it had come from to see Lucario a small distance away partly turned towards her.
"What are you doing over there?" she questioned through a small huff.
Lucario waved its hand in a beckoning motion and pointed with its other one at the object in front of it, prompting Viola to approach to get a closer look. She soon found herself staring at a large and square wooden platform that was slightly raised from the floor, with a closer inspection showing it was decorated with white rectangle symbols of varying shapes and lengths around its sides, with a small set of steps on two of its sides. It looked a little out of place in this area, which Viola thought was the reason why Lucario had been drawn to it.
"What is this?" Viola asked out loud, daring to lower her body a little to try to peek underneath it. "It looks like some kind of platform." When she couldn't see anything of interest, she righted her posture and placed her hands behind her back. "Do you think people are supposed to stand on this? Assuming the steps are there for people to walk on?"
Lucario let out a quiet hum of thought and squinted at the platform, then suddenly jumped forward and landed atop the platform on both feet. Viola flinched out of shock as she observed Lucario staring down at the platform for the moment, only to gape when it proceeded to stomp on it hard with its foot.
"Don't do that!" she cried out, causing Lucario to glance back with a blink and the slight cock of its head. "You might break it!"
Lucario ignored Viola and stomped at the platform again, only to then nod with a satisfied hum.
'Wait…' Viola looked between Lucario and the platform twice, taking a moment to process its actions. 'Was it just checking to see how sturdy the platform is?' After a couple of seconds, Viola smacked her palm against her forehead with a loud groan. 'Arceus! What was I thinking? Lucario wouldn't—'
Loud rustling interrupted Viola's train of thought, with Lucario lifting its head with twitching ears at the noise. The pair immediately looked to their right, their gazes focusing on a pathway which appeared to cut through a forest area leading away from Iki Town.
"Did you hear that?" Viola asked Lucario in a whisper, which the Pokemon answered with a brief nod. "Good. Glad to know."
Lucario walked to the edge of the platform and jumped down to be level with Viola, its eyes staying glued to the palm trees and shrubbery out of caution. Viola slowly approached Lucario and stayed close to its side, wrapping her arms across her middle. The area ahead was shrouded in shade, casting a shadow over the path that contrasted the rays of the mid-afternoon sun.
"That path doesn't look very inviting," she muttered, reaching her hands to her arms to give them a rub. "I hope there's nothing dangerous over there—"
A yellow blur darted from the left before Viola had a chance to finish her sentence, causing her to shriek and stumble backwards with a gape when it passed in front of them and moved through the air, soon disappearing up the path. Lucario, however, let out a vicious growl and dashed forward without warning, charging along the path and into the forest with great speed. Lucario's actions brought Viola out of her state of temporary shock with a gasp, causing the blonde to run after the Pokemon while yelling.
"Lucario, get back here! The professor told us to wait until he comes back!"
When Lucario didn't stop or show any acknowledgement, the blonde scowled and picked up the pace in her running, her eyes remaining glued to the Aura Pokemon's back.
'Drat! I guess I'm chasing it down!'
Viola pursued Lucario into the forest, following behind it while sticking to the path as best as she could. It wasn't long before she noticed they were beginning to head through mountainous terrain, with either side of the path having cliff-like walls towering over.
'We're getting too far away from the town.'
"Lucario, slow down!" Viola shouted desperately, watching Lucario continue to ignore her and run up a long set of steps protruding from a hill.
Cool air brushed against Viola's exposed skin, slowing her down as she shuddered at the chill that rippled through her body. However, she did her best to ignore it, gritting her teeth and pushing onward up the steps. She'd lost sight of Lucario, but the path she was following was narrow and without any forks. She could still find Lucario without the need to keep it in her sights, at least for now.
The blonde carried on running as the path winded off to the left and then the right in a short bend that sloped upwards, her chest heaving with each breath she took. Proceeding further to another set of protruding steps veering the winding trail off to the left caused Viola to pick up on the faint sound of rushing water nearby, also causing her to pass by three stout statues surrounding the base of the steps. But there was still no sign of Lucario. She pushed on to the top and twisted to the right at encountering more protruding steps just in front of her. But as she prepared to go up them, she spied Lucario standing at the top of the newest set of steps with its back to her, staring directly up at the sky.
"Lucario!" Viola called out as she dug her heels into the ground, skidding to a brief halt. She hunched over with a hand to her hip, giving herself a moment to catch her breath while waiting for Lucario to react to her presence. When Lucario didn't move from its current position, she snapped at the Aura Pokemon. "Hey! Don't ignore me!" When Lucario still didn't acknowledge her, the blonde's hands balled into fists. She stomped her way up the steps, her fists shaking all the while. "I know I don't have the right to boss you around, but you can't just go running off like that! The professor told us to stay put!"
Lucario still didn't respond and kept its gaze fixated on the empty blue sky above it, its eyes showing an almost vacant look in them. Viola growled as she came up behind it and reached out to grab at Lucario's shoulder. But then a loud and distressed shriek sliced through the silence, causing the young blonde to freeze inches away from the Pokemon's back.
Lucario lowered its gaze with the twitch of its ears, the pair looking directly to the path before them with wide eyes. The area had since fallen quiet, but they were certain what they'd heard had come from that direction.
'That sounded like someone in trouble.'
Viola stepped forward in preparation to run. But she jerked back suddenly at remembering where she was. She stumbled to a standstill and turned to the steps behind her with a furrowed brow.
'But we shouldn't even be out here. If we don't head back now…'
A light tap on Viola's shoulder had her glancing at Lucario, breaking her out of her train of thought. Lucario wasn't saying anything, but the knowing look it had in its eyes was all Viola needed to understand what it meant.
"… You think we should check it out, don't you?" Lucario nodded with a loud grunt, causing Viola to sigh and run her hands through her hair. "You know, you might be a mind reader, but we think the same things a lot of the time." She closed her eyes, her next words spoken quietly. "I'm starting to wonder if he was wrong when he said it was a coincidence…" Lucario tilted its head and grumbled at the last thing Viola said. The blonde opened her eyes again at this and quickly shook her head. "Never mind. You're right. It's not like it's the first time we've stopped to help someone..."
A faint smile appeared on Lucario's face at this, but it disappeared just as fast, being replaced with a frown. The pair turned from each other and jogged to follow the path onward, acting as if they were in sync. They were on even ground now, with the sound of rushing water returning to Viola's ears as they got closer, slowly getting louder the further they progressed. The narrow path they were following eventually stretched out into an open area overlooking a ravine with a large waterfall, which the pair noticed as they approached. Loud cawing drew Viola's attention to the wooden bridge at the edge of the cliff, with her view partially blocked by the back of a stranger in a sleeveless white dress and sunhat.
As Viola and Lucario slowed to a stop, the stranger visibly tensed at hearing their approach and quickly swirled around, her long and pale blonde hair and braids bouncing on her shoulders as she faced the duo. Viola gaped when the girl's fearful green eyes locked with her brown ones, neither of them speaking a word as they each took in the other's presence and appearance. The girl didn't look that much older than Viola, appearing around the same age and height. Her body was slightly hunched as her arms covered something large against her left side, acting like she was a criminal who had been caught doing something shady. Viola's attention was immediately drawn to the object as a result, which appeared to resemble a round and white shoulder bag with a pokeball logo on its side.
An aggressive screech from behind the mysterious girl broke her and Viola out of their trances. They turned to the bridge just as a brown and familiar bird Pokemon flew straight towards them with great speed.
'A Spearow!'
Viola dashed forward when the Spearow arched its back and raised its claws to attack. The girl ducked her head with a panicked cry just as Viola skidded in front of her, crossing her arms in an 'X' shape to shield her face. Lucario stretched out its arms to summon two long bones to its paws in blue flashes of light, darting in front of the pair in a blur and swing its left bone forward when the Spearow's claws were inches away from scratching its comrade. Its top end connected with the Spearow's middle, causing Viola and the girl to gasp loudly at the Spearow's cry of pain.
'Bone Rush!'
The Spearow backed away and hunched over, continuing to flap its wings to keep hovering. Lucario tensed its body and kept its weapons close to await the Spearow's next move; however, instead, the Spearow straightened itself out, twisted its body around and flew off in the direction of the waterfall, all the while flapping its wings as fast as it could.
Both girls sighed in relief and allowed their bodies to relax once the Spearow was out of sight, with Viola nodding to Lucario and wiping an arm across her forehead.
"Thank you, Lucario. That was too close."
Lucario nodded in return, but then it shifted its gaze to the bridge when it heard more cawing. When Viola did the same, her eyes took in the sight of two Spearow circling the middle of the bridge, prompting one of them to twitch.
"You've gotta be kidding me! There's two more?!"
"Ah…" Viola looked at the girl behind her when she spoke up, seeing her trembling and staring back with wide and teary eyes.
'Oops. I forgot she was there.'
"Are you okay?" Viola asked, but instead of responding to the question, the girl shook her head dismissively.
"Never mind me. You have to help it!"
"Wait, what?"
The girl pointed to the middle of the bridge, and when Viola followed the direction of her finger, she squinted at spying something on the bridge's planks. It was difficult to tell from where she was stood as the gap between both sides of the ravine was quite wide, but she could just about make out a small blue and purple Pokemon with a gas-like body and no legs shaking and protecting its face with two body parts that Viola assumed were arms.
"I'm not a Trainer. I can't help it." The girl continued while wiping her tears away with her hand, gripping at her bag strap and looking again at a gaping Viola with pleading eyes. "Please! Please help Nebby!"
'Then what is she doing out here with a Pokemon stuck on a bridge?!'
There was too much going on right now for Viola to process. But she knew she couldn't dwell on it.
"Oooh…" Viola's brow furrowed as she turned to face the girl, sharply inhaling through her teeth. "I don't want to burst your bubble, but—" Hurried footsteps across creaking wood caused Viola to swirl around to witness Lucario charging across the bridge, still clutching the two bones in its paws. "Lucario!"
Viola moved to chase after the Aura Pokemon as it closed in on the middle of the bridge. But after taking one step, she happened to glance down, causing her body to stiffen at the clear view of the zigzagging rapids from the river below as they crashed against large rocks littering the sides of the ravine between the uneven bridge planks swaying violently.
'This bridge doesn't look sturdy. I hope it'll hold Lucario's weight…'
The Spearow screeching loudly had Viola raising her gaze just in time to watch the two Pokemon glide in opposite directions to dodge Lucario's right bone, which it had tossed like a boomerang. It spun straight past them and dispersed in another flash of light. The bridge swayed again because of the Pokemon's movement, making Lucario stumble from side to side before it grabbed onto the nearest rope keeping the bridge up with its empty paw.
"Be careful, Lucario!" Lucario glanced back at Viola's yell. "It won't hold if the Spearow keep attacking!"
Lucario briefly frowned as it kept its eyes locked with its friend, its silence indicating that it understood her concern well. Viola dropped her shoulders and stepped back while watching Lucario remain where it was until the bridge's rocking came to a standstill, at which point it quickly bent down and scooped the unknown and shaking Pokemon into the crook of its free arm. The unknown Pokemon stopped shaking and looked up at its saviour with a wide-eyed gaze, staying silent as Lucario began to make its way back to where Viola and the stranger were one steady step at a time.
"That's it, Lucario! Take it slow!" Viola called out to help encourage her partner, who kept its gaze focused on the planks with each step.
However, Lucario only got a quarter of the way there when Viola spotted a flicker of movement from the right. One of the Spearow was still there and was ruffling its feathers to recover from its momentary shock. There was no sign of the second Spearow though, making Viola assume it had finally left. When the Spearow stared straight at Lucario's back and leaned forward in preparation to dive, Viola opened her mouth to yell a warning. But she soon closed it when Lucario halted and its ears straightened, indicating that the Pokemon was already aware of the danger by the time the Spearow charged.
"Look out!" the unknown girl shouted.
Lucario narrowed its eyes and turned its head slightly to listen closely to the Spearow's approach, waiting until it was inches away from its head before it crouched. As the Spearow glided over the pair of Pokemon and quickly tilted upwards to avoid crashing into the bridge, the Aura Pokemon growled and brought its remaining bone close to its chest, standing up, swiping forward and then releasing it.
The bone smacked into the Spearow's back and disappeared in a flash upon impact, causing the bird Pokemon to screech in pain. It fell off to the side and started to plummet towards the ravine, with Lucario, Viola and the girl watching with wide eyes. However, after dropping past the bridge, the Spearow twisted its body round and cawed, managing to flap its wings fast enough to bring it up into the air. Lucario followed the Spearow as it ascended to the other side of the ravine, continuing to watch it until it had disappeared.
Viola looked at the bridge one more time, and when she was sure she couldn't see any more Spearow, she called out to Lucario with her hands close to her mouth.
"It's all right, Lucario! They're gone!"
Lucario turned away and hopped the rest of the way across the bridge, holding the unknown Pokemon close to its body. As Lucario stepped off the bridge and onto the cliff, Viola got a better glimpse of the strange looking Pokemon's yellow markings on the top and bottom of its body, along with its darker shades of blue and purple faded together. When the unknown Pokemon turned Viola's way, it blinked at her with two small yellow beady eyes and two bright blue circles on its cheeks.
'What the…? It looks like a cloud.' Viola tilted her head a little as she scrutinised its face. 'And its face is kinda smooth and young looking, like a baby.'
The Pokemon eventually floated away from Lucario and got really close to Viola's face while making a high-pitched noise she didn't recognise, prompting the blonde to lean away with a wide blink.
"Pew!"
"Uh…"
"Nebby!" The girl said in relief as she stepped around to Viola's side, prompting the Pokemon's attention to shift when she reached out and took it in both of her hands. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right!" Viola exchanged glances with Lucario when she heard that name, who responded with an opened-armed shrug. The girl brought 'Nebby' close and scowled, her cheeks puffing out a little. "This is why I told you to stay in the bag. I don't want you getting hurt like before." Nebby responded with a quiet 'Pew!', its arms drooping as a result of the scolding. The girl turned it to face Viola and Lucario. "Now, say 'thank you' to the nice Trainer and her Lucario for saving you."
Viola quickly waved her hands about in front of her and shook her head. "No! I'm not a—" Nebby cut her off with a loud 'Pew!' and wide smile, causing the blonde's eyes to droop and a quiet sigh to escape her. 'How many times am I going to be interrupted before I can explain myself?' "… You're very welcome."
Lucario groaned at Viola's actions, eventually switching its attention to the girl as she unzipped her bag. "Come along, Nebby. Back into the bag."
Viola and Lucario watched with raised brows as Nebby did as it was told and floated inside, with the girl proceeding to zip up the bag afterwards.
"You're literally putting the Pokemon in the bag?" Viola questioned. "Doesn't it have a pokeball?"
"No," the girl answered and glanced at the bag when it started to shake, holding it steady with a hand. "I did say I wasn't a Pokemon Trainer."
Viola loudly cleared her throat at this, her face flushing a faint pink at recalling the girl's earlier pleas. "Ah. Yeah. You did. Sorry." Then she frowned. "But if you're not a Pokemon Trainer, then why are you out here with that Pokemon in the first place?"
"I can't say why. It's a secret." The girl stroked at one of her braids, her eyes closing. "But since you saved Nebby, I think you're someone who can be trusted. So, there is something I wish to ask of you." The girl's gaze drifted to the area behind her as she opened her eyes again, scanning the cliff for signs of anyone else other than Viola and Lucario. After confirming it was just the three of them, she stepped closer and lowered her voice to a whisper, putting her hand close to her mouth. "Please don't tell anyone you saw Nebby."
'That sounds a little sketchy.' Viola eyed the bag around the girl's shoulders. 'I don't know what Pokemon that is, but it doesn't look common. And the fact she isn't a Pokemon Trainer and wants me to pretend I didn't see it doesn't help.' Then she gave the girl a quick look from head to toe. 'But she was generally concerned for that Pokemon's wellbeing. She doesn't look like someone who has anything bad to hide.' She rubbed at her throat with a hand. 'I've met those kinds of people.'
When the girl's frown deepened at the ongoing silence, Viola finally broke it with a huff. "Sure. I won't tell another living soul." Viola's gaze drifted to Lucario, who closed its eyes and crossed its arms. "It's not like I can judge when I'm also not a Trainer."
The girl's eyes widened at this response, appearing taken aback by Viola's confession. "You're—" She struggled to get her words out, glancing between Viola and Lucario as if she'd just seen a ghost before pointing at the latter. "But then…"
"Lucario's not mine," Viola responded immediately after the girl trailed off, placing a hand to the back of her neck. "I just let it follow me around."
"Oh… I see." The girl nodded in understanding as she lowered her arm, a faint smile appearing at noticing Lucario remaining where it was, as if it was silently agreeing. "Lucario must really like you then, with the way it protected you like that."
Viola looked away and scratched at her cheek, feeling her face heating up. 'Oh. You have no idea…' "I suppose. And the same can be said for you and Nebby too."
"I suppose you're right," the girl agreed, bowing her head slightly. "But thank you. I am grateful for the help. I'm sorry for any trouble we've caused."
"Nah. Don't worry about it." Viola rested her elbow on Lucario's shoulder once she'd recovered from her embarrassment, prompting the Pokemon to open an eye and watch its friend lean against it. "You're not the only one babysitting a reckless Pokemon."
Lucario grumbled at being called 'reckless', prompting the girl to giggle and place her hand over her mouth until she calmed down.
"We should return to Iki Town," she eventually said and warily glanced towards the bridge, shifting a little on her feet. "We don't want to risk being attacked again."
"Agreed," Viola replied, knowing Professor Kukui had probably noticed they were gone and was likely worried sick. As the girl started walking ahead, Viola jogged after her so the two were walking beside each other. "Here, I'll walk you back."
The girl stared at Viola with a slight gape as Lucario went to follow, but at a slower pace so it kept its distance. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose…"
"We're both heading the same way." Viola turned to the other blonde girl with a grin, putting her arms behind her head. "Might as well make sure you and your Pokemon friend get back safely, right?"
The girl blinked repeatedly when her eyes glistened like they were about to water, but then she quickly turned her head away and pouted, pulling at the corners of her sunhat to hide the pink flush that gave colour to her pale cheeks. "… Right. Thank you."
"No problem."
When the trio emerged from the trail, they saw Kukui standing on the wooden platform with his arms folded, looking around repeatedly while tapping his foot. He eventually spotted the three approaching, sighting Viola and Lucario first.
"There you are, Viola," Kukui said calmly with a scowl as he stepped off the platform. "I've been looking all over Iki Town for you and Lucario."
"Sorry," Viola replied with a deep sigh, glancing at Lucario with narrowed eyes as she pointed a thumb behind them. "A certain Pokemon decided it wanted to run after something it saw move down that trail back there." Lucario showed no reaction to the scolding aside from a shrug, prompting Viola to roll her eyes. "It all happened so fast, so I wasn't able to tell you."
Kukui briefly looked at the path behind the trio. "You mean Mahalo Trail?"
"Wait, it has a name?"
"It does, yeah." Kukui let out a breathless chuckle and wiped his arm across his forehead. "But that's a relief. I thought you'd both disappeared on me."
"Oh!" the girl exclaimed as she faced Viola with a wide blink. "I didn't know you were acquainted with the professor."
This had Kukui finally taking notice of the unknown girl, prompting a relieved smile to appear. "And I see you've found Lillie. Nice work."
Viola's mouth twitched, momentarily freezing up and staring at the girl beside her with three blinks in succession. And Lucario was no better off, facing the other blonde girl with a loud cry and wide eyes. "You're Lillie?"
Lillie tilted her head at Viola's reaction, yet she still nodded to answer her query. Viola allowed her body to slump, looking about ready to drop on the ground in defeat.
'Oh, dear Arceus. I never would have guessed. Although I shouldn't be too surprised. The team I was with under Professor Sycamore was made up of nobody but kids.' Viola's gaze lingered on Lillie's dress and sunhat. 'Still, she's not dressed like everybody else here. Her outfit is a little strange.'
Kukui moved closer to Lillie and placed a hand to her closest shoulder, causing Lillie to look up at him. "It's good to see you're okay, Lillie." Kukui quickly glanced behind her. "Is Kahuna Hala not with you?"
"Not anymore," Lillie replied, her brow furrowing as she fiddled with her braids. "He was going to accompany me to the Ruins of Conflict, but then he left the town because of an emergency. So, I— um…" She hesitated and looked down at her bag, fidgeting a little on the spot. "…went for a stroll up Mahalo Trail by myself."
"And that's how you met Viola and Lucario, huh," Kukui finished, which Lillie nodded to. He reached out to wrap an arm around Viola's shoulders, his smile morphing into a wide grin. "She's the Trainer from the Kalos region who's going to be staying with us for the next year. I'm sure you'll take good care of her and show her the ropes, yeah?"
"Trainer?" Lillie repeated, prompting Viola to pull away from Kukui and raise a finger as she prepared to speak.
"Actually, Professor, about that—"
"What's all this? Have I missed something?"
An unfamiliar voice interrupted Viola, causing heads to turn to the stocky, elderly man with white hair, facial hair and a moustache walking over to them. Despite her shock at seeing the newcomer, though, it didn't stop Viola's eyes drooping and her hand to fall limp at being interrupted again.
"There you are, Kahuna Hala," Kukui greeted, the form of address prompting Viola's brows to raise. "Was there some kind of trouble?"
'That's the kahuna?!' Viola gaped, giving Hala a glance from head to toe.
His attire fit in well with the theme of the island from what Viola could tell, from the flower pattern on his yellow jacket to his blue shirt, white shorts and blue flip flops. However, it was obvious that like Kukui, Hala had a strange sense of dress, having what she assumed was a white shirt tied around his belly like a belt with a fan wedged in it and his hair tied up.
"It was just some brawling Rockruff. Nothing to be alarmed about," Hala answered as he stopped before the trio and faced Lillie. "I'm sorry, Lillie, what was that you were saying about a stroll on Mahalo Trail?"
As Lillie went to respond, Lucario sideways glanced Lillie's bag when it thought it saw it move, only to watch with a forced blink as Nebby pushed the lid open and floated to the ground by Lillie's feet, its beady eyes glancing round at its surroundings.
"I went to Mahalo Trail while waiting for your return."
"Did you go to the ruins by yourself?"
Lillie shook her head. "Nebby was attacked by Spearow on Plank Bridge." Lillie glanced Viola's way as the latter tilted her head at her, a small smile making itself known. "But Viola and Lucario protected it."
"Hang on," Viola interjected and held her hands out towards Hala and Kukui, while Lucario continued watching Nebby's observing gaze switching between the speakers. "These two know about…?"
Lillie nodded when she trailed off. "They've been helping me take care of Nebby."
Hala stepped towards Viola and held out a hand at this. "I'm glad to meet you, child." Viola took it and gave it a firm shake. "I am Hala, the kahuna for Melemele Island. Young Kukui told me of your coming."
"Kahuna?" Viola repeated and glanced to Kukui for help, who smiled at her confusion.
"A kahuna is someone who is chosen by Alola's guardian Pokemon to preside over one of the four islands, its guardian Pokemon's ancient ruins and its island challenge," Kukui explained. "Hala is the chosen kahuna for Melemele Island."
"Ah," Viola said with a nod as they pulled away. "So, you're like the island's leader."
Hala chuckled and smoothed his hair back with a hand. "That's one way to put it."
"Still, what a stroke of luck for you to have encountered Lillie that way," Kukui remarked with a grin, his hands going to his hips. "I guess it was fate for Lucario to run off like that."
"Kukui, my boy, it would seem we have cause to celebrate!" Hala added, smiling proudly towards Viola. "We have a brave and kind new Pokemon Trainer in our midst!"
Viola gulped and lowered her head at the compliment while Lillie frowned again at the mention of 'Pokemon Trainer', putting a hand to the back of her head.
"Y-You're too kind," she eventually stuttered and raised her gaze. "But—"
"Pew!"
"Ah!" Viola cried out at Nebby cutting her off, swirling around along with the rest to see it at Lillie's feet with its eyes closed, bouncing from side to side with a bright smile.
"Oh, Nebby!" Lillie said sternly as the Pokemon silently stared up at her. "Don't you think you've gotten into enough trouble today?"
Nebby responded to the question with a blink, which made Viola chuckle. "I see Nebby isn't quite done with its mischief."
"In that case, you should take it home," Hala replied while tightening the knot of the shirt around his waist. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you, Lillie."
Lillie quickly shook her head as Lucario crouched to pick Nebby up between its paws. "I understand, Kahuna. I still appreciate your help."
Hala smiled widely. "I'm glad. If you need any more of it, you know where to find me. For now, you must excuse me. I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying around and wish to check on the ruins."
"Tapu Koko?" Viola repeated in a mumble, watching the kahuna head towards Mahalo Trail.
"That's the name of Melemele Island's guardian Pokemon," Kukui answered as Lillie took Nebby from Lucario with a quiet 'thank you' and bow of the head. "It's said to be protective of the island's inhabitants, but also known for causing trouble."
"Protective and troublesome, you say?" Viola looked straight at Lucario when she said this, observing the Aura Pokemon's eyes droop with a grumble when Nebby grinned at it. "That sounds familiar…"
Lillie slipped Nebby into her bag and zipped it up, giving the side a gentle pat. "There. Nebby should be secure for a little while."
"Then let's get you four home," Kukui commented and pushed his glasses back up his nose with a finger, turning to Viola with a slight smile. "I'm sure Viola would appreciate the rest after the adventure you've just been on."
Viola smiled back and chuckled. "Heh. Yes."
Just as Kukui was about to walk off and Viola and Lucario prepared to follow him, Lillie spoke up with a frown. "One moment, Professor."
Kukui stopped and turned around with raised brows. "What is it, Lillie?"
"This probably isn't the right time, but I think there's been a mistake." Lillie glanced at Viola, her frown deepening. "You and the kahuna referred to Viola as a 'Trainer', but she isn't one."
It took a few seconds for Kukui to process what Lillie had said, making Viola the first one to react with a loud sigh and slumped shoulders.
"Thank you, Lillie. I've been trying to breach the topic since I arrived."
"I thought so."
"… Hold on," Kukui began as he stared at Viola like she'd grown a second head. "You're not a Trainer?"
Viola shook her head in response, causing Kukui's gaze to drift to Lucario as it avoided eye contact and looked off elsewhere. "I had a gut feeling Professor Sycamore didn't explain."
After a moment of silence, Kukui closed his eyes and moved his hand to his forehead.
"… I don't understand what's going on."
"Neither do I, Professor," Viola said, walking forward to give Kukui a rough pat on his closest shoulder. "I don't know what Professor Sycamore told you, but we should probably get this clarified with him."
Kukui opened his eyes and slowly nodded, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "I think you're right. Which gives us another reason to head back to the lab."
"Yes, it does."
