A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been favouriting, following and reading this fanfiction. Your support is greatly appreciated. Just a couple of things I want to mention here before you get into the actual chapter:
Firstly, I said in a previous author's note at the beginning of this story that this fanfic is a mash of both game and anime canon. And while this initially applies to human characters, I've also done the same for the Pokemon as well, as you will probably notice with the Pokemon I've included in this chapter. Some like Lucario will follow the game canon where height and noises are concerned, but others I will change to follow the anime canon if I think it makes more sense that way. I recently found out the anime doesn't follow the game canon proportions of Pokemon and make up their own, and it caused a lot of confusion on my part. Also, it's difficult to describe the noises certain Pokemon make in the game in written form. So if you happen to wonder why certain Pokemon say their name and others don't, or why some Pokemon are smaller than their game stated heights... this is why. XD
And secondly, I recommend checking out my fanfiction profile regarding any comments towards my stories. It's against the rules on this site to post author's notes as chapters in fanfics. And while I am allowed to add them to the top of my chapters (like this, for example), my story updates are often random and sometimes I take a very long time to upload. So it's better for you to check there if you're wondering why I haven't updated a fanfic yet or you find a story missing. That's usually where I keep people updated on any major changes.
That's all. Please enjoy the next chapter.
Chapter 7: A Blast from the Past
When Viola arrived at the path that led to Route 2 alongside Hau, Lillie, and Lucario, she was quick to understand why Kukui had been rather relaxed in letting her and Lillie accompany Hau to Verdant Cavern. Unlike Route 1's hills and various slopes, Route 2 was a single pathway with no obstructions atop a small hill, with one slope that led to it at the start of the route. It cut straight through and arched off to the right to curve away from the edge of the island, with only two diverging paths near the end and the beginning on the same side. However, like Route 1, the tall grass that was scattered about on either side held no immediate threat, meaning Lillie wouldn't have to go dipping into her repel supply anytime soon. If they kept to the paths and didn't stray too far away from them, Viola knew they would be fine.
Hau led the charge up the slope before coming to a stop, with Lillie, Viola and Lucario following behind side-by-side respectively. The trio watched as the boy placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, taking in a deep breath and releasing a long exhale. "Ah! I love being out on Route 2 at this time of the day!" He tilted his head back a bit to glance at the group behind him. "Did you know it's a famous training spot for folks on Melemele Island?"
Viola smirked and put a hand to her hip, speaking in an overexaggerated and shocked tone with forced emphasis. "Is it? How convenient for you."
Hau's eyes drooped when he turned to face the three behind him. "Hey, now! I'm not that eager to start! I know I need to deliver the Z-Crystal to Ilima first!"
"Just making sure~."
Hau shook his head and turned away as Lillie giggled and tried to muffle it with her hand, walking on ahead and prompting the trio to follow. "Verdant Cavern is located at the end of the route, opposite the Pokemon Centre. Ilima should be around there."
"So, we've still got a bit of a walk then." Viola said as she folded her arms across her chest with a huff. They were still close to the beginning of the path, yet it wasn't difficult for Viola to see a long, rectangular building off to the left a little further down, along with a tiny house in line with this to the right. "In that case, do you mind giving us a quick tour of the route? I recall you naming places in your rambles before we left."
"That was the plan!" Hau replied and swirled around again, this time putting his arms behind his head while walking backwards with a wide grin. "There's not much to see, though. Just the motel leading to Big Wave Beach and then the berry fields behind that house."
"Berry fields?" Viola repeated out of surprise, her gaze fixing itself on the row of small trees on her right obscuring her view. "You have those here?"
"Uh-huh. Although their fields are bare."
Viola turned back to Hau with a blink at hearing that. "Why?"
"Apparently, the owners came to Alola to promote fertiliser for growing berries. But they stopped when they discovered our region has natural conditions to let berries grow. Now they just do deliveries." Hau slowed down to a stop and lowered his arms, frowning just as the trio in front of him stopped so they didn't walk into him. "You know, I think the owners said they were from a town in Kalos—Camp… Camp-something…"
"Camphrier Town?" Viola replied without thinking, prompting her eyes to briefly widen and her hand to cover her mouth seconds after she'd spoken. 'Dammit.'
Lucario silently stared at Viola with a raised brow at her reaction. But Hau and Lillie gave a wide blink in response, with the former leaning forward on his toes with a look of interest. "You know that place?"
Viola's eyes drooped, yet she answered Hau's question after a quiet sigh. "Yes. They have berry fields around there too."
"Grown with fertiliser?"
But Viola failed to hear Hau's next enquiry, her mind trailing off elsewhere as she found herself staring towards those trees again, like she was attempting to see past them. 'Berry fields Shauna and I had fun tending to during the time we were there. I wonder if she's been back to them since we returned to Vaniville Town. I can't even remember the last time we officially spoke. Was it before I left Kalos-?'
"Viola?" Hau's concerned voice brought the blonde back to reality with two forced blinks.
She gave her head a quick shake and opened her mouth to respond yet was cut off by a loud squeal from Lillie beside her. Lucario flinched at the squeal and covered its ears with its paws as the braided blonde moved behind Viola and grabbed at her shoulders tightly with trembling hands, to the point where the other blonde cringed at feeling Lillie's nails digging into her skin through her t-shirt.
"What's wrong?" Viola asked as she glanced at Lillie, seeing the girl's eyes wide with fear and her gaze focused on the area to their right.
Lillie's answer came out in a quiet and shaky voice, occasionally stuttering as a result of her uneasiness. "S-Something moved over there! I j-just saw it!"
"Where?"
Lillie raised a trembling hand and pointed a finger towards a shadowed area beyond a small section of tall grass, prompting Viola, Lucario and Hau to follow it. Viola hadn't noticed it when they'd first arrived at the route, as it had been hidden by raised cliffs at the beginning of the path. Yet now that they were a good way along Route 2, she could see another wide pathway diverged from the one they currently stood on, starting from the tall grass and then going forward between two cliff-like walls. The shadows and stillness that were cast appeared to be the result of the towering ground blocking out the majority of the sun's rays and the island's gentle breeze, giving it an eerie look that made Viola rub at her arms at feeling her hair stand on end.
'Yikes. And I thought the path to Mahalo Trail was uninviting. This is just downright creepy…' "What is that?"
"That path leads to Hau'oli Cemetery, where people and Pokemon are laid to rest," Hau explained, shuddering and closing an eye as he stepped closer to the trio. "Ghost type Pokemon like to gather there. Lillie must've seen one."
"Y-You think so?" Lillie replied with a gulp, edging her way further behind Viola like she was ready to use her as a human shield. "B-Because I don't remember reading about any yellow Ghost type Pokemon…"
Viola turned to Lillie with narrowed eyes, repeating what she'd just said in her thoughts rather than out loud. 'Yellow?' The blonde immediately exchanged glances with Lucario, whose own eyes were narrowed too. Neither of them needed to speak aloud to know what the other was thinking about. 'Wasn't the thing that Lucario chased after on Mahalo Trail also yellow?'
It had only been five days since their arrival to Alola, yet they hadn't forgotten about the strange yellow being in Iki Town who had whizzed to Mahalo Trail out of the shrubbery, luring the pair away to their eventual encounter with Lillie on Plank Bridge. Viola hadn't seen anything of the sort since that fateful day, so she couldn't help pondering the idea that what Lillie had just seen was the very same being…
Yet that train of thought was about to be disrupted by Hau, who frowned towards the shaded area. "A yellow Pokemon?" He shrugged and raised his hands a little. "Then maybe it wasn't a Ghost type. Could've been an Abra or Drowzee. I've seen 'em about whenever coming this way with Gramps."
Lillie shook her head and closed her eyes tight in protest. "No, no! It was bigger than that! And it moved much too quickly!"
"Like a blur?" Viola finally said, causing Lillie's eyes to widen with three eager nods of the head.
"Yes! It was a big, yellow blur!"
"What a coincidence. 'Cause on the day we first met, Lucario and I saw a yellow blur heading onto Mahalo Trail. It's the reason I was chasing it to begin with."
Lillie gaped slightly, finally loosening her grip on Viola and stepping away to return to her side. "You did? Do you think what I just saw was the same one?"
Viola shook her head. "I doubt it. Like Hau just said, that blur could have been anything. Not to mention Route 2 and Iki Town are far away from each other, so-"
A loud gasp from Hau interrupted Viola, causing the two blonde girls to stare at the green haired boy with forced blinks. He'd bent forward and placed his fists close to his mouth, his eyes wide with a hint of a sparkle. "What if it was Tapu Koko?"
"Tapu Koko?" Viola and Lillie said at the same time, their noses crinkling.
"Yeah! Mahalo Trail leads to the Ruins of Conflict. And Verdant Cavern is said to be sacred to the island guardian. It could've been Tapu Koko. People are seeing it a lot around the island lately."
Viola's eyes widened. "Still? I thought the kahuna sorted it."
"Nah. Gramps has been visiting the ruins every single day. He can't find anything odd or any sign of Tapu Koko whenever he goes there."
Viola's brow furrowed. 'That's a little weird. Based on how they talk about Tapu Koko it sounds like a Legendary Pokemon, like Xerneas. But even then, it lets people see it and actively protects them? That's practically unheard of in Kalos. We aren't supposed to get a glimpse of our Legendary Pokemon. Even though that also should've applied to me…'
Lillie's hand went to her chin, her next words bringing Viola back to reality. "How strange. I know very little of Tapu Koko. But since coming to Melemele Island, its activity has been rare. Until the other day, I hadn't heard anyone mention seeing it flying around."
Viola rested her elbow against Hau's shoulder, a slight smile on her lips. "Still, I doubt that's what Lillie and I saw. Not to burst your bubble, but what would Tapu Koko want with us?" She lightly poked Hau in the middle of his forehead, causing the boy to blink out of surprise and flinch. "Outside of you being the kahuna's grandson, we're nothing special."
Hau chuckled and gently pushed his hands against Viola's shoulders to move her away. "I guess you're right. It's a little unlikely the island guardian would be interested in us, especially an island challenger."
"Speaking of which," Viola said, pointing towards the path ahead of them. "shouldn't we resume our trip to Verdant Cavern?"
Hau smacked a hand to his forehead. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! But first," He jabbed a thumb towards the motel. "mind if we make a quick detour? I wanna show ya something cool at Big Wave Beach."
Viola glanced down at Lillie's bag then, seeing it was still at the girl's side. They hadn't heard a single peep from Nebby or seen the bag move since leaving Professor Kukui's lab. The blonde couldn't help but wonder if the Nebula Pokemon had fallen asleep in there at some point… "I don't mind, but…" She turned to Lillie then. "I'd say it's Lillie's call. Have to think about Nebby, after all."
"Well…" Lillie briefly looked at her bag before responding, appearing a little unsure at first yet quickly making up her mind. "So long as we're quick."
Hau jumped and pumped a fist in the air. "Alright!" The second he landed, the green haired boy swirled on his heels and began speeding off further into Route 2, gripping tightly at his bag straps. "I'll race ya!"
Viola and Lillie side glanced each other when Hau started running, neither of them sure of what to do. But after a few seconds Lillie broke out into a fit of giggles, which was all Viola needed to know they were thinking the same thing. 'It looks like we're buying into Hau's little game then…'
Smiling widely at the same time, Viola and Lillie took off running after Hau while gripping at their own bags with one hand and their hats with the other. Lucario quickly joined them with its arms held out behind it as Viola yelled after the boy already a good distance ahead, slowing itself down to a reasonable speed to stick beside its friend. "Hey, Hau! No fair! You got a head start!"
As they left the area the trio remained unaware of the island guardian lurking in the shadows leading to Hau'oli Cemetery, levitating in silence as it watched their retreating backs attempt to catch up to Hau.
Big Wave Beach turned out to be a lot closer than Viola and Lillie thought it was, so it didn't take them long to catch up to Hau across the motel's tarmac. The motel's location made it difficult to spot at first, as the two girls quickly discovered that unlike the stretch of beaches in Hau'oli City and its outskirts Big Wave Beach was a hidden gem concealed by raised ground and a wooden fence with a small gap in it. Had it not been for Hau bringing them here, Viola was sure they never would have found it for themselves.
The trio joined where Hau was standing beyond the gap in the fence, in front of a narrow dirt path that sloped down the cliff's side and gave them access to the brightly pale coloured sand below. The green haired boy was leaning forward on his toes with his hands hovering above his eyes, doing his best to block out the rays of the sun while staring ahead towards the sea. From their current vantage point Viola could see the beach was pretty much abandoned, aside from those seated under makeshift canopies and a young woman in a bikini standing next to a rectangular sign close to the shoreline and a wooden rack of surfboards.
'Geez. This beach has more business going on than the others, yet there aren't a lot of people around. Maybe because of how secluded the location is with this motel here…'
She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Hau address them. "Do you two know about "Ride Pokemon"?"
Lillie raised her hand with a slight smile. "I do! I've seen them used before."
"What about you, Viola?"
Viola turned to Hau when he addressed her, his gaze remaining fixed on the view ahead of them. Her thoughts immediately drifted to her mother's Rhyhorn as she went to reply. "I don't know. But if you're referring to Pokemon used for transport across certain terrain, then yes."
Hau quickly glanced at Viola with a blink. "You can ride Pokemon in Kalos?"
"Yes." Viola jabbed a thumb into her chest with a slight smile, her head raised. "You're looking at a girl who has ridden a Rhyhorn, a Skiddo, a Mamoswine, and a Lapras to get around her home region."
"So, you're already familiar with them then."
"I should be. My mom's a retired Rhyhorn racer."
Hau grinned and placed his hands to hips. "Great! The people of Alola tend to use Ride Pokemon for transport and work. But they're also used for surfing."
Viola's and Lillie's brows raised in surprise. "Surfing?"
"Yup! Check it out!" Hau pointed with both hands towards the ocean around where the woman in the bikini was standing, allowing Viola and Lillie to spy a dark blue and grey manta ray-like Pokemon floating on the water's surface close to the shore with a pink saddle strapped to its back. "Each island has a checkpoint where you can surf on a Mantine. Some people like to do it for fun, but others surf on Mantine to travel between the beaches." He turned to the two girls with the tilt of his head. "How cool's that?"
Viola slowly nodded her head in agreement. "I guess it is. But that doesn't explain why you wanted to show us this. Unless you're thinking of coaxing us to surf."
Hau laughed and quickly shook his head. "Oh, no! I wouldn't do that to you and Lillie." He shrugged his shoulders. "Tourists wind up missing this place 'cause of the motel blocking it. I wanted to make sure you two knew about it, just in case."
Lillie tilted her head at that with a forced blink. "Just in case?"
Hau waved his hand in dismissal with a goofy-looking smile. "You never know when you're gonna need to travel to one of the other islands. Mantine surfing is faster than travelling by boat."
Viola gave a thumbs up. "Duly noted. Thanks for the info." She turned around towards the motel and stretched her arms above her head. "Well, unless you have another reason for sticking around, we should really-"
"Yo, yo, yo! Make way for the mischief masters of Team Skull!"
Viola's body froze at the familiar, grating voice who yelled out from the beach below and inadvertently cut her off, while the other three with her gaped at recognising it. The group took a few seconds to process the situation before Viola loudly huffed and dared to look back, muttering under her breath as she did so. "Oh, Arceus, give me strength…"
She knew she didn't need to look behind her to know who was currently in the same area as them. So, when the blonde's brown eyes spotted two blue haired, blue eyed males in Team Skull's uniform dashing onto the beach across a rocky path behind the propped surfboards, they narrowed. 'Great. What were the odds that we'd encounter them again? And the same guys from before too.'
Hau groaned and placed a hand to his forehead. "Those guys again? What do you think they want?"
Viola's eyes drooped as she watched Grunt A and Grunt B skid down the small rocky slope and land onto the sand with enough force to fling some grains of it everywhere, causing the woman in the bikini to stumble backwards at their approach. "I don't know. And honestly? I don't want to know."
Lillie gripped at her bag strap with one hand while edging her way closer to Viola's side. "They're probably looking for more Pokemon to steal. The lack of people and its secluded location make Big Wave Beach a perfect spot for their antics."
At hearing Lucario starting to snarl and seeing its shoulders tense, Viola reached out her hand for its closest shoulder and gripped it tightly, forcing the Aura Pokemon's body to relax. "Easy, Lucario. No one's going down there. We need to stay put."
"What?" Hau said as he turned to Viola with a slight gape. "But we have Pokemon now! We can take them on."
Viola looked to Hau with a scowl. "You're still new to Pokemon battles, Hau, as am I. We shouldn't go jumping recklessly into fights. Plus…" The blonde paused, giving Lucario's shoulder a light pat before pulling her hand away. "I don't want to risk Lucario getting hurt."
Hau nodded in understanding, his brow creasing. "I get it. But…" He had another quick glance at the beach below. "I feel like I should do something, even if just to stall."
Lillie stared at Hau with wide eyes. "You can't take them on by yourself! We should find Kahuna Hala or Professor Kukui. They can stop this."
"But Gramps and the professor are on the other side of the island. Those grunts will get away by the time we get back."
Viola mirrored Hau's frown and followed his gaze at hearing inaudible yelling from the two grunts down below, who Viola could see had currently been stopped from going any further by the woman from before. She couldn't make out what they were saying, yet she deduced from the heated body language and raised voices that both sides were very angry for their own reasons.
'Hau's right. Kahuna Hala and Professor Kukui are too far away. Neither us nor our Pokemon will be fast enough to reach them. Yet it's still too risky for newbies like us to charge in there. After what happened last time, those guys could recognise us. And that's spelling even more trouble-'
"Help! Somebody!" The unfamiliar female voice crying out from the beach below brought Viola out of her thoughts, allowing her to take sight of the two grunts dashing past the woman and towards the Mantine in the sea. She was waving her arms around in the air, like she was trying to get someone's attention. "They're trying to steal Mantine!"
Hau growled and started running down the rocky slope towards the beach, swinging his backpack off his back and unzipping it to reach in for his Pokemon. "Those selfish Team Skull jerks…! Popplio and I will show 'em!"
For Viola, it felt like time had slowed down at Hau's actions. Her hand flew to her chest when that slight ache of déjà vu gnawed at her again, recalling the familiar male voice of her friend speaking up in an angry tone in her head.
'You Team Flare guys have no right to threaten people! Stand back, neighbour! Frogadier and I will show 'em just how selfish they're being!'
Before Viola could even process what was happening, her body moved forward on its own, almost as if it was on instinct. She charged after Hau down the sloped path with Lillie and Lucario in close pursuit, her next words leaving her mouth without thinking first. "Hau, no! It's not worth it!"
Hau dashed through the sand just as the Team Skull grunts closed in on the poor Mantine, who whimpered and recoiled further into the ocean in attempt to protect itself. By the time the trio had reached the sand Hau was already halfway across the beach and pulling Popplio's pokeball free from his backpack, moving his arm behind him to prepare to unleash the Sea Lion Pokemon onto the oblivious antagonists. However, as Hau sucked in a sharp breath and went to shout his Pokemon's name and command, a stream of leaves sliced through the air from the right and cut between the Team Skull grunts and Mantine, causing the pair to fall backwards with a startled cry onto the sand.
As dust briefly erupted around the two grunts Hau stumbled to a stop with a loud gasp, waving his arms about just enough to help him keep his balance. Meanwhile Viola, Lillie and Lucario skidded to a standstill a small distance away from Hau, their gazes immediately turning in the direction the attack had come from.
'That was Leafage! But who used it?'
And that was when the culprit came into sight atop the small rocky hill where the grunts had formerly stood—a small, bipedal, white furred beagle-like Pokemon with brown fur around its eyes and floppy ears and a long tail whose green stained tip resembled a paintbrush. Viola didn't need Rotom Dex to identify this Pokemon for her. She already knew what it was.
'A Smeargle…'
"Yo! What in the Tapu's name was that?!" Grunt A shouted from where he was sat on his backside, looking around with a scowl until Grunt B (who was sat next to him) harshly jabbed him on the closest shoulder and pointed towards the Painter Pokemon with a trembling finger.
"Bro, check it! There's a Smeargle!"
Grunt A's eyes went wide, his body briefly tensing up. "Oh boy. Don't tell me that Smeargle is-"
Grunt A fell quiet when a tall and slender young man with dark skin and neck length light pink hair strolled across the rocks with a wide smile, his light blue eyes locking with the wide ones of the grunts staring up at his Pokemon as he came to a stop just behind Smeargle. He looked to be a little older than Viola and the others, but it was difficult to tell by how much.
Hau grinned at the sight of the newcomer, with Lillie and Lucario showing no reaction for the time being other than a blink. But as for Viola? Her jaw dropped open so wide it could have hit the floor.
'What the…?' She squinted at the newcomer's attire and some of the items he had on his person, doing her best to process her muddled thoughts and close her mouth. He was wearing a brown vest on top of a white shirt, white trousers, brown and white shoes and a brown fingerless glove on his left hand. Viola also thought she saw a small blue bag attached to his waist. 'I can't place it, but… why do I get the feeling I've seen that outfit before?'
The newcomer raised his left hand briefly in greeting as he addressed the two grunts still frozen on the sand. "Greetings! Captain Ilima here." Viola and Lillie gasped loudly at the name reveal, obviously having realised who this young man was. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to politely ask you Pokemon thieves to leave. We don't tolerate Pokemon stealing here."
The two grunts didn't need to be asked twice. The pair glanced between Ilima and a scowling and narrow-eyed Smeargle before Grunt B lightly tugged on the back of Grunt A's vest, while Viola's frowned at hearing the stranger speak. "Bro, we've gotta go. My Pokemon ain't fit to take on that Smeargle."
After a few seconds of contemplation, Grunt A clicked his tongue and brought himself and Grunt B to stand, quickly swatting the sand off their shorts and then proceeding to glare up at Ilima as he spoke with a hiss. "We'll let you have this round, pretty boy! But we're gonna be back! And when we are, you're gonna regret making a fool of Team Skull!" He pointed at him in an accusing manner. "Drill that into ya skull, you numskull!"
Ilima said nothing as he watched the two grunts turn tail and flee the beach faster than a Tauros using "Take Down", with Viola instinctively stepping back and gently pushing Lillie with her when the pair passed them by. Thankfully for the two girls and Hau, due to being in a hurry, they didn't seem to take notice of their presence.
Lucario loudly snorted as the trio watched the grunts' retreat, with Viola unable to suppress a slight smile at their reaction. 'Gee. And here I thought the Team Flare grunts were dumb and cowardly. These guys are worse.'
Viola's smile faded when the grunts were finally out of sight, leaving her to focus on Ilima. She watched him and Smeargle make their way down the rocky hill and approach the woman from before, who Ilima appeared to start conversing with. Meanwhile, Hau returned to the group as he put Popplio's pokeball away and slipped his backpack onto his back again, breathing a quiet sigh.
'So, he's Ilima? Huh. I don't recognise his name. And yet I can't shake the feeling I know him from somewhere…'
"Hau, what were you thinking?!" Viola flinched and looked at Lillie with a shocked blink when the other blonde raised her voice and puffed her cheeks slightly at Hau with a frown, thus bringing her out of her train of thought. "That was a reckless thing to do!"
'Yow. I didn't know her motherly attitude stemmed to people too.'
All Hau did in response was rub at the back of his neck with a hand and shrug, a goofy smile plastered on his face. "Sorry. I lost my cool."
'Duh.' Viola kept that sarcastic thought to herself, deciding to let Lillie do the scolding for now when she saw the other girl cross her arms and tilt her head up with closed eyes. 'But yeesh. Hau really isn't fazed by much, is he? I think that's the first time I've seen him so worked up. It's like something in him just snapped.'
"Honestly, you need to be more careful. You had us both worried. Especially Viola. Didn't you hear her yelling after you?"
Hau tilted his head as he looked to Viola, while the latter's eyes went wide at remembering her actions from earlier, her brows also raising. "You were yelling after me?"
The blonde put both hands over her mouth turned away from the pair, not saying a word as Lillie (oblivious to Viola's actions) nodded in confirmation and answered for her. "Yes, she was! She already warned you about running headfirst into a battle on your own, as did I!"
Lucario saw Viola bow her head as Lillie continued reprimanding Hau, taking that as its prompt to approach its friend's side and give her three light pats on the shoulder as a form of comfort. All the while Viola stewed away in her thoughts, feeling the heat slowly rising to her face.
'Arceus. Hau reminded me so much of Calem that I spoke and acted without thinking! I'm really losing my grip today.'
A gentle tug on the front of her t-shirt prompted Viola to blink herself out of her head and look down, only for her gaze to lock with the tiny dot-like eyes of Smeargle beaming up at her, whose height reached her middle. Its right hand gripped tightly at its slightly wagging tail, the other at Viola's shirt.
"Smeargle!" The Painter Pokemon said its name to the blonde in a cheery tone, grabbing the attention of Lillie and Hau and finally pulling them out of their previous conversation.
Viola's brows raised as she stood there speechless, with Lucario narrowing its eyes a little out of suspicion at the Pokemon's reaction. 'Huh?'
"Heya, Smeargle!" Hau greeted Smeargle with a grin and crouched beside Viola with his arms resting on his thighs, causing Smeargle to briefly turn its head his way. "It's good to see ya!"
Smeargle nodded its head in acknowledgement towards Hau and released its hold on Viola, but soon focused its gaze back on the blonde anyway and continued to wag its tail, causing the latter's eyes to droop. "Okay, seriously. What the heck?"
"Smeargle looks happy to see you."
"Yeah, but why?" Viola placed a hand to her head as she kept her eyes on the Painter Pokemon at her feet. "This is the first time we've met…"
"Hau!" Ilima's call provided yet another distraction for the group, with heads turning to see said Ilima approaching them with a warm smile on his face. Hau kept his grin as he stood and shook Ilima's left hand, allowing Viola to get a glimpse of the golden, cross-like hair piece attached to a strand of his hair. Compared to Hau and the girls, Ilima stood several inches taller than them. "Pleasure to see you again."
"Alola, Ilima!" Hau replied as the pair pulled away and Smeargle returned to its trainer's side. "Good job on scaring those jerks away! They were right not to mess with a Trial Captain."
Ilima chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, please. I can't take all the credit. I couldn't have done it without my partner." He looked down at Smeargle and placed a hand gently atop its head. "Right, Smeargle?"
Smeargle closed its eyes and smiled widely, slowly nuzzling its head against Ilima's palm. "Smeargle!"
Ilima focused back on Hau at returning his hand to his side. "I've heard from the island kahuna you've received your first Pokemon partner. Does that mean I'll be expecting you at Verdant Cavern soon?"
Hau didn't give a verbal response. Instead the boy flashed Ilima a smirk and reached into the pockets of his shorts, eventually yanking out a strangely shaped item with brown tassels to show off to Ilima. "What do you think?"
Viola struggled to see it from where she was standing, but she was able to make out yellow, red, pink and blue triangles atop its wooden base. 'What is that?'
"The island challenge amulet," Ilima said, coinciding with Viola's thoughts and causing her to blink out of surprise. "I never expected anything less from the grandson of our island's kahuna."
'That's the island challenge amulet? Is the shape supposed to resemble mountains?'
Ilima's attention turned to Smeargle when he felt the Painter Pokemon pull on his vest, seeing his partner staring up at him. "Hm? What's the matter, Smeargle?"
"Smeargle!" Smeargle pointed its paw in Viola's direction, causing Hau to gape slightly.
"Oh, yeah!" Hau quickly pocketed the amulet and moved to stand in between Viola and Lillie, putting his arms around the girls' shoulders and pulling them close to his sides. The action made Lillie squeak and bring her hands to her chest, while Viola stumbled a bit and sighed. As he introduced them by name, Hau tilted his head to indicate who was who for Ilima's sake. "Ilima, I'd like you to meet Lillie and Viola. They work with Professor Kukui." Lillie gave Ilima a small smile and slight wave in response to Hau's introduction, with Viola merely nodding as Hau pulled away and turned to face them. "Guys, this is Ilima: Melemele Island's only Trial Captain and specialiser in using Normal type Pokemon."
Ilima placed his left hand across his chest and bowed his head in greeting. "It's lovely to meet you both." But then Ilima raised his head and furrowed his brow as he made eye contact with Viola. "Pardon me. Your name is "Viola", yes?"
"Uh-huh."
"What a delightful coincidence." Ilima stroked under his chin. "I recall there's a gym leader in the Kalos region also named "Viola". I saw her a lot during my time over there. I believe she's blonde too."
Viola's eye twitched at this, with Lillie and Hau turning to her with raised brows as her face scrunched up. 'Of course. Not like it's the first time anyone's ever pointed that out…' She placed a hand to her forehead and rubbed it. 'Ugh. I can feel a headache coming on at all the times I remember Calem and Shauna wouldn't stop-' "Whoa. Wait a minute!"
Viola stepped forward towards Ilima at properly processing what he'd just said, pointing a finger close to his face with a squint. "You've been to the Kalos region?"
Ilima nodded, while the others standing around could only frown at Viola's actions, obviously having no clue what was going on in her head right now. "Oh, yes. I studied abroad there for two years after graduating from the Trainer's School here. In fact, I only returned to Alola five months ago."
'Five months ago?' Viola briefly looked at Smeargle, who was still silently staring at her and wagging its tail. 'So, he was probably there when the five of us set off on our journey last year…' "Where did you study?"
"At the Trainer's School in Santalune City."
The moment Ilima gave her the name of the city, Viola's eyes widened, as if part of the missing puzzle piece in her head had suddenly appeared and fitted together with the rest. 'Santalune City… Wait a minute.'
"Did you know a boy named "Calem"?" Viola asked. "Short black hair, blue eyes, always wore a red cap and black sunglasses?"
Lillie and Lucario gaped slightly at hearing the familiar name, but the pair's focus soon shifted to Ilima when the young man looked up at the sky, a hint of familiarity flashing across his light blue eyes. "Calem… The name rings a bell…"
Hau looked at Lillie and lowered his voice to a whisper when he spoke up. "Who's "Calem"?"
Lillie was quick to whisper back, covering her mouth partially with her hand. "One of Viola's friends, I think."
The pair ended up flinching when Ilima suddenly clicked his fingers and lowered his head. "Ah! I battled a young Pokemon Trainer called "Calem" a while ago. He came to the Trainer's School to prepare for his gym battle."
"And you two became rivals after he beat you in a Pokemon battle, despite hurrying off and not giving him your name?"
Ilima's eyes widened slightly at this, but after a few seconds he relaxed and slowly nodded. "Yes. May I ask how you knew that?"
Viola smiled slightly and placed a hand to the back of her neck. "I'm from Kalos. I travelled with Calem."
The moment those words left Viola's mouth, something appeared to click in the back of Ilima's mind. The young man took a step back and stared at Viola unblinking for what felt like forever. But when he managed to recover, Ilima returned Viola's smile and let out a hearty laugh. "Oh my! It's you!" Ilima reached forward to take Viola's lone hand in both of his own, giving it a gentle shake. "It's been so long! I hardly recognised you."
"I know. A lot of people don't recognise me without my other outfit."
"I can't believe you're here in Alola."
"I can't believe you're from Alola. You met me on my own turf, and now I'm seeing you again on yours!"
"It would seem the tables have turned."
"Yes, they have!"
And as Viola and Ilima appeared to be getting lost in their conversation, the trio standing behind Viola could only silently watch and listen, their gazes jumping back and forth between the pair whenever the speaker changed. No one was sure of how to react to any of this information, which is why Hau eventually took the initiative to step towards them and loudly clear his throat. He stopped beside Viola as she and Ilima fell quiet and parted, their focus now on him. "Viola, you've already met Ilima?"
"Apparently, yeah." Viola closed her eyes and rubbed the back of her head. "My friend Calem and I were in Santalune City around the time Ilima was studying at the Pokemon Trainer's School there. He and Calem became good friends and rivals that day, but Ilima left before we got his name. We never saw him again after we left, yet Calem was sure we would meet him again when he chose to take on the gyms."
Hau turned to Ilima then with a wide grin. "Whoa, really? How freaky's that?"
Viola shook her head and quietly sighed at Hau's reaction yet brushed it off in favour of addressing Ilima again. "So, Ilima, you said you returned to Alola five months ago. Does that mean you took on the gyms too?"
"I did." Ilima held up eight fingers using both hands, allowing Viola to catch sight of the white Z-Ring around his right wrist. "I achieved all eight badges and got into the Pokemon League. But I didn't get very far." He lowered his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "The trainers in your region are certainly competitive, aren't they?"
Viola's shoulders slumped. "Yes. Still, that's a shame. You were a studious and intelligent trainer when we met you. We both thought you would have been able to take on the League and maybe get all the way through."
"It was not all in vain. I have plans to try again in the future. However, for the time being, I've settled on becoming a trial captain to hone my skills and broaden my horizons. Through this I'm positive I will be ready to take on the Kalos Pokemon League again."
"Good for you."
"But enough about me." Ilima held out a hand towards Viola. "What about you, Viola? How long have you been in Alola?"
"I've only been here a week."
"So, you're already familiar with certain parts of Melemele Island, I take it?"
"Very."
"And have you settled in okay? I can imagine you've had quite the culture shock going from badges and gyms to Z-Crystals and island challenges."
Viola raised her hands with a slight shrug, glancing between Hau and Lillie. "I think I've adjusted somewhat. There's still a lot to process, but Hau and Lillie are helping me get by."
Ilima smiled and placed a hand to his hip. "I'm glad. You did strike me as the type whose strength derives from the support of others. The bond between you and Calem, despite your differing opinions, certainly gave me that impression when the three of us first met." Then Ilima's brows raised. "Oh. How is Calem doing, by the way? Did he ever complete his journey?"
And at that… Viola's lips pressed together, her mind freezing over as if her body had been shut down. She had been expecting the question to pop up at some point. Yet despite how ready she thought she was, she still wasn't as mentally prepared as she'd hoped. 'Dammit.'
From behind Viola Lucario's ears and eyes drooped, with Lillie's gaze immediately fixing itself onto the back of Viola's head. Hau was apparently the only one who couldn't read the mood, as he answered on Viola's behalf.
"Actually, Ilima, Viola said her friends never finished their journeys-"
"Hau," Lillie quickly spoke up with a hand close to her mouth, shaking her head when Hau glanced back at her.
"What?"
The braided blonde pointed a finger towards Viola then, causing Hau to blink in surprise at the visible change in the girl's demeanour. Lillie obviously didn't know the full extent of the situation, but that didn't stop her from suspecting that the reason was likely a bad one based on Viola's reactions in the past.
Meanwhile Ilima frowned and focused on Viola, having detected the shift himself. "Is something wrong, Viola?"
Viola hadn't spoken a word yet and already the blonde could feel her mouth beginning to dry up. As difficult as the last five months were, she'd brought herself to face the harsh reality for the most part. But it was only from a mental standpoint. Verbally addressing the reality was still an issue, and it didn't help that she now found herself in a predicament that could cause a second meltdown today, right in front of her new acquaintances and an old face no less.
'He probably didn't hear the news before he left the region. It was broadcasted everywhere the second the news teams managed to get a hold of it. But he knew Calem and they grew quite close during the time they spent together, so… he deserves to know.'
Lillie started to approach Viola when the blonde didn't say anything or move for a while. However, she came to an abrupt stop when Viola raised a hand to her chest and took a loud, thick gulp, her fingers bending so far into her t-shirt it looked like she was going to claw out her heart.
When Viola eventually spoke, her tone was uneven and cracked, her words stammering due to the slight quivering of her lower lip. How she hadn't burst into full blown tears there and then, she didn't know. "A-Actually, Ilima… there's something I need to tell you." The blonde paused to take in a quick but deep breath in the hopes it would steady her nerves, her next words to leave her mouth coming out quiet yet still loud enough for those close by her to hear. "… Calem's gone. He passed away."
