Chapter 5 – Riders

At the southern edge of the Frost Islands was a vast mountain that overlooked the cold land of ice, rock, and water. In such a barren landscape, there was no-one to wonder about the great crevasse on its leeward side that had split it open long ago, and thus no-one to venture inside and risk exposing the mountain's greatest secret. The Frost Islands were inhabited, by a tribe who had built their homes into the chasm's walls and flooded its depths with their torchlight. They called themselves simply "the Riders".

And tonight, the hidden village of Snowcap was playing host to its first visitors in living memory. Distant electrical crackles emanated from the deepest part of the mountain, just loud enough to rouse some of the more restless villagers from their beds, and accompanied by a faint, chilling howl that made them ask why wind was blowing from inside. If they were patient enough to really listen, they might have caught the occasional punctuating shout underneath the unusual disturbance, and they would have understood.

For inside the Riders' most sheltered and sacred chamber, a battle was taking place.

"Pikachu, use another Thunderbolt! Follow it!" Ash ordered.

The little Electric-type sent a mighty lightning bolt sizzling toward his opponent, throwing yellow light upon the painted cavern walls. Lady the Legiana dodged easily, its multitude of fins allowing it to dance like a kite through the stagnant subterranean air. Pikachu turned his body so that the Thunderbolt gave chase to his target, illuminating patterns and symbols wherever it swept. Neither Ash's nor Pikachu's eyes wandered, though – honed by countless battles, their sights remained on the Mantine-like shape that remained frustratingly out of reach.

Pikachu cut off the Thunderbolt at last, panting, and Lady reacted at once by changing its course, swooping towards them with ice swirling from its wings. Ash threw out his arm and called, "Quick, use Electroweb as a shield!"

A projectile flew from Pikachu's tail and burst into a net that deflected the incoming gust. "Now toss it!" Ash said, and Pikachu swung his tail again to hurl the tangle of electrified threads off him. It sailed toward Lady just as it was pulling out of its attack run, but at an indistinct sound from the shape crouched on her back, the monster drew its wings around it and rolled. The wind whipping off its form deflected the Electroweb into a wall, where it fizzled out.

When Boreus spoke to his mount next, Ash heard it: "Finishing move, Lady!" The Legiana came out of its spin and began a power dive, not only picking up speed but producing a rapidly thickening aura of frost. Even as its body was clouded, Ash already had a counterattack planned, which he told to Pikachu with a single phrase: "Iron Tail!"

Knowing exactly what he meant, Pikachu leapt up and spun his glowing tail into the ground, fracturing the stone and creating an upward storm of shrapnel. The rocks slashed outwards from the epicenter, making approach impossible. But with a mere hand signal from Boreus, Lady pulled up just short of the danger with a sudden flaring of its wings and gave them a single powerful flap. The icy aura shrieked from its body in a fearsome gale of white, flinging the rocks aside like grains of sand, and then struck the ground and swirled outward to paint a perfect circle of frost over the stone. To Ash's distress, Pikachu was at the center, his feet trapped in ice.

The Legiana swooped in and landed atop the mouse before Ash could even open his mouth, Pikachu nothing but a yellow dot cowering beneath Lady's talons. His determination was swept away by the familiar, sour taste of defeat, and he relented with a sigh. They'd lost the battle.

"Guess we couldn't beat you, Boreus," he said with a sheepish laugh. "I wanted to show you what Pokemon Trainers could do, but that kinda fell flat, huh?"

"P-Pika…" Pikachu similarly laughed, then scampered over to Ash's side when Lady lifted its foot and freed him. Boreus appeared uncomfortable with answering and, after dismounting, instead gave Lady an affectionate rub between the crests, to which it leaned in and chirped appreciatively. Ash lifted his hand to do the same with Pikachu, who cooed at the touch.

Other Riders, the audience to their concluded battle, moved to encircle the two whilst murmuring amongst themselves. Only one left the small crowd to address Ash and Boreus directly, his cane tapping above the low chatter conspicuously. Chief Mons was an unusual-looking person in Ash's opinion, waist-high and goblin-like with wrinkled grey skin and pointed ears. However inhuman he might be, though, something about his ceremonial headdress and ornate robe told Ash that this was a figure that demanded respect. So he waited, patient, for Snowcap Village's elder to finish his short trek and begin speaking.

"This is how a being from your world fights, eh?" Mons rasped, stroking his white goatee in contemplation. "We Riders, too, make it a pastime to engage in friendly combat. I am unsurprised that you failed to best Boreus, our best Rider, yet I still find myself… intrigued."

"Sir?" Boreus asked. Ash, too, felt that the Chief had more to say.

Mons nodded to himself and gestured for Ash to step forward. "I will be blunt – your creature's strength is nothing impressive. I suspected as much when Boreus described how he rescued you from the Khezu. And yet your response was to ask for a demonstration of your world's battle customs. Why was this so, Ash?"

"Um…" Ash felt awkward at being put on the spot, and he shifted a bit nervously. He wasn't the best at explaining things – even his own thoughts were hard to put into words – but he couldn't deny the Chief an answer. "I guess… I thought it was the best way of proving to you guys that I'm really from a different world. If Pikachu and I showed you how we battled together, you'd believe us. After all, the best way to get to know someone fast is to have a battle with them!"

"Pika Pikachu!" his partner agreed emphatically.

Again, Mons nodded as he contemplated that. "The more I observe of you and… Pikachu, yes? The more I observe of you two, the more obvious your bond becomes. I do not understand it, but in some uncanny way, your bond mirrors those cultivated between Riders and monsters, our culture's most sacred belief. You have what we call a kinship."

Another murmur, louder this time, arose from the spectating Riders, their elder's statement sparking a realization in them. Ash grinned at how they finally reacted to what he and Pikachu had tried to get across to them. It had taken their Chief to put it into words, but they totally got it! Trainers and Pokemon could get closer through battles, no matter what world they were from! He turned his grin to Boreus, who was looking at Ash as if he'd never met him before. The Rider double-taked at the attention, but soon relented with a smile of his own. They shared a firm handshake, their status as acquaintances reborn as friendship.

Before Ash could give the lighthearted greeting already on the tip of his tongue, Chief Mons tapped his staff on the floor for quiet. "Now that that's settled," he projected his voice to the listening Riders, "I believe Boreus and I can handle all remaining business with our guest by ourselves. If we learn anything that concerns the rest of the village, I will inform everyone at another time. For now, please leave us to our business."

With respectful bows and words of farewell, the crowd returned to the village, still buzzing lowly amongst themselves. When all but Ash and Boreus had filed out of the chamber, Mons spoke again, brow wrinkling further as his voice took on a serious weight. "Now, Ash. I want you to tell us again how, exactly, you found yourself stranded in the Frost Islands. Leave nothing out."

Ash swallowed and stood as straight as he could, trying to hide his uncertainty over the idea of giving a long explanation. "Well, uh, it all started when me and my friends got the call that an Ultra Beast had appeared in the city and needed to be taken care of. Oh, um… 'Ultra Beast' is what we call a creature from another world that ended up in ours, and the bunch of us are called the Ultra Guardians because we can usually take care of them just fine. Anyway, we set off on our Ride Pokemon – uh, like Pikachu, but bigger? Kinda like what Boreus rides, come to think of it. So, we all flew off to confront the Ultra Beast, and it was causing a lot more problems than normal. Buildings were up in flames and the beast was spitting fireballs at everything it saw. And it had huge wings, HUGE. And a big spiky tail, and claws like a bird Pokemon, that I'm pretty sure poisoned some of our Ride Pokemon! It was a lot scarier than the Ultra Beasts we'd battled before."

A look of alarm passed between the two listeners, but Ash forged on, images racing through his head and spilling out through his mouth. "So we talked out a plan to beat it as best we could, and then we challenged it to a battle. Lillie and Lana were defeated really quickly, but the Ultra Beast focused on us, so they were okay. Kiawe told us all to use ranged moves to push it into position, and when everything was just right, we'd ram it straight back through the Ultra Wormhole! Those are big, glowing holes that appear in the sky and let Ultra Beasts into our world, but they close up when something goes back inside. Um, so, with that in mind, we rushed towards it, but it managed to get in a last attack that got us all disbom… discombub… uh, out of sync. We crashed into each other, smacked into the Ultra Beast, and boom! I'm here. That's about everything that happened."

As he concluded, Mons' diminutive frame shook as he emptied his lungs in a weary sigh. "It sounds as though you've been through quite an ordeal, Ash," he murmured. "A boy your age should not have to experience such fear and destruction."

Strangely, he seemed unable to look Ash directly in the eye, a fact the Ketchum boy picked up on and was instantly inquisitive about. "Hey, is something wrong, Mr. Mons?"

Another sigh wracked the elder's body. "It's… well, how to start…?" he wondered aloud, seemingly indecisive about something. "I would very much like to offer Snowcap Village's assistance in this matter. Truthfully, however, there is little we can do. We keep contact with multiple villages, but in total, the Riders number few. We do not have the intelligence or influence of, say, the Hunter's Guild on our side."

"Wait, really?" Ash frowned. His friends' faces flashed across his mind, then the memory of the creature that had ambushed him. "But what if…!"

Mons raised a finger, instructing quiet. "The best I can do," he continued, "is relay to you a piece of information I received from the south, very recently. Just before Boreus brought you here, in fact. At the time I did not believe the news – but after hearing your story, I realize that I shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss it.

"Ash, it concerns what you called an 'Ultra Wormhole'," he stated, grimly. "A phenomenon matching your exact description was spotted by another Rider clan, deep in the Flooded Forest. Their words were as yours – a hole ripped through the very sky, pulsing with a dangerous glow."

"That's gotta be it!" Ash exclaimed, at the same time Pikachu burst out, "Pika, Pikachu pi pika!" He raised his fists, newfound determination and purpose surging white-hot through his veins. "You guys! If the Ultra Wormhole is there, then everyone else has to be close by! We have to go!"

"B-But…" Mons said with a nervous gulp. "It's a continent away… and Riders rarely stray far from their villages. We couldn't accompany you…"

"That's fine," he declared immediately. "Pikachu and I will just go there ourselves!"

The effect on Mons and Boreus was instantaneous – both shriveled elder and armored Rider stumbled backwards with mouths agape, stricken. Lady, unable to emote quite as well, stiffened and raised its head with crests pricked alertly. Even Pikachu whipped around to goggle at Ash, dismay written all over his face.

"You'll what?!" Boreus blurted, flabbergasted.

"P-Pikapi?!" Pikachu squeaked, no doubt recalling the close call they'd had in the cave.

"Th-Think about what you're saying, boy!" Mons stammered, a hand clasped over his heart. "Y-You wouldn't last a day alone! You nearly didn't, if you recall!"

"And that monster I had to save you from is far from the worst out there," Boreus added, grim-faced.

Ash gritted his teeth, frustrated. Did they not think he already knew that? But just because he couldn't rely on Pikachu's strength didn't mean he could give up! He had to go, for his friends' sake. And if being a Pokemon Trainer wasn't enough, then…

"Then teach me!" Ash demanded, spreading his arms in a "come at me" gesture. "Show me how to be a Rider!"

The pair blinked. "Come again?"

"If I can't get by in this world with only Pikachu, then I need to be a Rider too!" he barked. "You guys are totally right – Pikachu and I are no match for what's waiting for us out there. I want to save my friends and get everyone back home, but I can't even save myself as I am now. I have to learn what makes you guys so strong, and use that to get stronger!"

The elder and Rider exchanged an apprehensive look, reluctant to speak. Their doubt was clear, passing between them as plain as any spoken conversation. Neither of them thought it was possible for him.

"Mr. Mons," Ash implored, a pleading note entering his voice. "You said it yourself, right? You think Pikachu and I have a bond just like the one Boreus and Lady have. That means, somehow, that being a Rider is kinda like being a Trainer. I can do this. I've gotta at least try!"

Mons was dumbstruck as his own words were flung back at him. A moment had to pass before he pulled himself together with all the dignity he could muster. "I did say I recognized a kinship between you and your companion," he confessed, with some reluctance. "In all my time as Chief, I have never heard of an outsider being permitted to learn our ways. But your circumstances are… unique. If it will help you return home, then a Rider you shall become.

"Boreus," he turned to the man in question, "you will take Ash outside the village and give him the standard trial. If he is successful, we will arrange for the ceremony to take place tonight."

A rush of delight and excitement flushed Ash's worries away, his face relaxing into a bright grin that spread ear-to-ear. "Alriiiiiiight!" he cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "I'm gonna be a Rider! You psyched, Pikachu?"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked, his enthusiasm a mirror image of Ash's.

Laughing at his partner's proclamation, Ash swiveled to face Boreus, his smile still wide but toned down to a more respectful expression. "Thanks for agreeing to teach us, Boreus!" he said, bowing. "We're not gonna let you down!"

His new mentor reciprocated with a smile of his own, though it was a hesitant one, and precluded by a glance at the elder. "…Alright then?" the Rider replied with confidence undercut by a hint of doubt. "Let's head out on Lady. Your first lesson awaits."

Night had fallen by the time Ash and Boreus left Snowcap Village, the afternoon clouds long gone to reveal a galaxy of stars under which Lady's wings guided them. Passing over a heavily shadowed maze of hills and rivers brought them to the very edge of the islands, where to Ash's shock, the ice-encrusted prow of an ancient galleon hovered above the ocean waves. The ship was propped up on the seaside cliff, only the barest scraps of a sail still hanging from the mast. Lady landed on the deck and the pair dismounted, wood groaning beneath their feet as they strode to the edge.

Staring out at the midnight-blue sea stretching out to the horizon before him, Ash blinked in surprise when he noticed that it was literally staring back at him. From between a distant cluster of hills that rose from the sea, a dark, domed mass with haunting yellow eyes loomed. For a while, Ash and Boreus held the giant's gaze, men and beast acknowledging each other in a silent greeting.

"There are many who say a monksnail sighting at night is a bad omen," Boreus finally said. He turned his back on the ocean, giving Ash a grim look. "Are you really sure you want to go through with this?"

"Absolutely," Ash claimed without hesitation, glaring up at the armored Rider. "I don't care what it takes. If becoming a Rider is the way to find our friends, then Pikachu and I are up to the challenge!"

"Pi-KA!" Pikachu agreed, ears and tail twitching with indignation.

Boreus sighed, at last putting his reservations to rest. "If that's the case… I'll teach you. But being a Rider is much more than the actual act of riding a monster. The first thing you have to know… is this."

He raised his left hand, the back of it turned towards Ash. Wrapped around his hand with leather straps was a teardrop-shaped amulet, its surface embossed with spiraling runes. In the center was a clear blue gemstone whose moonlit glow made Ash's heart race. Something about the light reflecting off it gave him a familiar feeling, as though a hidden power was held inside. Though Boreus had yet to explain its importance, Ash could tell instinctively it wasn't just a simple piece of jewelry.

"I want you to hold onto this," Boreus instructed, removing the amulet from his hand and offering it for inspection. "Hold it firmly and stay quiet, and then tell me what you notice."

Ash did as he was told, his fingers grasping the amulet which fit snugly into his palm. He closed his eyes and tried to quiet his mind, focusing on the feel of the engraved surface, and Pikachu went still as he copied his Trainer. For several moments he waited – a cold breeze was blowing in from the sea, filling the air with the scents of salt and ice, and the old ship's mast started to creak. The amulet was warm in his hand, contrasting the chilling fingers tracing the skin of his arm. Seconds passed and still nothing happened, irking Ash's restless nature.

And then it dawned on him. Something was happening, all around him. The wind wasn't merely blowing – it whistled through cracks in the wood and swirled over water and hissed between the leaves of the trees growing on the cliffs. Under this symphony were the waves, ripples that tickled the sides of rocks and crests that slapped at the base of the cliff, and Ash could feel the difference. With every breath, crisp winter air flooded his nose, invigorating him. And out there, he knew, there were creatures of all kinds living and breathing exactly as he was. An incredible feeling bloomed in his heart, both intimidating and comforting at once – he felt small, but not alone. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced, and still, there was an uncanny resemblance to something he couldn't remember…

"Whoa," Ash whispered. "I think I get it. It's like… it's like I'm more aware of everything around me."

Though he kept his eyes closed, he could hear Boreus smile as he answered. "The Kinship Stones don't grant us Riders any special powers – not directly. What you're feeling now is something you've always felt, but just weren't aware of it. The Kinship Stone reminds us of our place in the world and the bonds we share with all life. And it's through the Rider's Kinship Stone that more powerful bonds are created between people and monsters. It simply strengthens the connection that's already there."

"So that's why you and Lady are so close. You battle as one because your feelings are connected through this Kinship Stone," Ash realized. He opened his eyes and handed back the sacred object, seeing in a brand-new light the Rider re-equipping it while his Legiana leaned into his arm. He shared a glance with Pikachu and saw the same awe in his partner's polished black eyes. "It's almost like…"

The Z-Ring. Only now did he remember why the power he'd sensed in the Kinship Stone felt so familiar. Hadn't he needed to train together with his Pokemon when practicing Z-Moves? The great, one-time surges of power his Pokemon unleashed in battle were only possible because of their strong bond, right? When Kiawe had first explained Z-Moves to him, it had even been with a speech that sounded just like Boreus.

"Using Z-Moves isn't to be taken lightly!" his Alolan friend had spoken with severity born from passion. "Only when a Pokemon and its Trainer's feelings become one will the Z-Ring turn them into power. But those feelings must be about something greater than themselves. Like helping the islands. Helping others. Only those who care about all living things are permitted to use Z-Moves."

"Our entire culture is made possible by the existence of Kinship Stones," Boreus was saying, oblivious to Ash's revelation. "It's the duty of the Riders to use our bonds with our Monsties – that's the word we use for the monsters we ride – to protect the environment we depend on. Living amongst nature, out of the way of those who don't understand, fulfilling our roles as guardians of the land in secret. This is what a Rider is."

Ash wrinkled his nose at this new twist. "In secret?" he parroted. "Why is that so important for being a Rider?"

Again, Boreus sighed, clearly not looking forward to this part of the lesson. "Like I said, there are those who don't share our beliefs. Long ago Riders were forced into hiding to preserve our culture, because most people in this world live in such fear of monsters that they can't fathom the idea of bonding with them. Monsters aren't an integral part of the world to coexist alongside – they're a detriment to their lives and do nothing but destroy. And so, because they believe it will keep them safe, these people employ monster hunters to go out into the wild and slay them."

A grave feeling fell over Ash, sobering him. "So there are hunters in this world too, huh," he said to himself, and Pikachu made a sympathetic noise. Pokemon hunters were invariably some of the evilest individuals they'd met in their years of travel, their greed and thoughtlessness never failing to disgust them. It was upsetting to learn that this world had such people too. Sure, that Khezu had been really scary… but Boreus and Lady were proof that monsters could be reasoned with and trained! That people – a lot of people, apparently – had concluded that they needed to be killed was an unthinkable notion.

"A Rider must be completely aware of his place in the world, and be wholeheartedly devoted to protecting nature's balance," Boreus concluded. "Even though Chief Mons recognizes that you and Pikachu share a kinship, I have to test you to see if you truly realize what it means to wield a Kinship Stone. Do you understand everything I just told you, and are you willing to pledge yourself to the Riders' code?"

It was a lot to take in, what Ash had just learned. The way Boreus talked about being a Rider was… intense. But it also reminded him, again, of Kiawe and his devotion to Alola. And all that stuff about bonds and learning about the world around you… Ash got it. It was just like what he was doing to become a Pokemon Master. And so he took a step forward, giving his answer with complete certainty.

"Not gonna lie, it's hard for me to get complicated stuff a lot of the time," Ash began, extending a hand to Boreus, a wordless bid for acceptance. "But a friend of mine once asked me something really similar, and I'll tell you exactly what I told him: I can tell the Kinship Stone is a huge responsibility, so if it means becoming a Rider and saving my friends, I'll use it properly. I promise."

"Chu pika!" Pikachu added, expressing his understanding too.

Boreus nodded to them, and Lady relaxed visibly with crests drooping, as though Ash's response put it at ease. The armor-clad Rider reached into a pouch at his waist and drew out a second Kinship Stone, placing it into Ash's palm. "Won't be much of a Rider if you don't have your own," he smiled. "Now, as for your test… search the Frost Islands for a monster nest and choose one of the eggs. That egg will be your Monstie."

Ash blinked. "I… I have to choose?" he murmured, looking down at the Kinship Stone as if it would answer. It only twinkled at him, keeping its secrets.

"Trust in the stone," was all Boreus hinted, his smile mysterious. "As long as you're aware of your kinship and what you share it with, the stone will guide you."

Ash didn't know how long it had been since leaving the shipwreck, but it felt like he'd been wandering around for hours. He'd been following a winding series of pathways carved into the many canyons that made up the Frost Islands, the stars above and rivers below ever silent. Of Boreus and Lady, there was no sign – the Rider had promised to keep any eye on him before flying away, but every time Ash glanced questioningly up at the sky, it remained empty. The featureless rock walls and shadowed waters below were all that existed around him, a void in which he walked alone.

Funnily enough, he didn't feel alone. The Kinship Stone seemed to sharpen his senses, filling him with that feeling he now recognized as that of belonging, of being part of this world. Reassured, he let that feeling push him further along the canyon wall. Where it led, he didn't know, but Ash was never one to let ignorance shackle him. So long as he kept moving, he'd end up somewhere. And he had Pikachu, and Boreus watching from somewhere afar. No matter where the Kinship Stone pulled him, there was no reason to worry.

The canyon path began to slope steadily downwards, a promising change in the monotony that prompted Ash to pick up his pace. By the time he was close to the ground, the river below had fallen to a mere trickle and a bend in the wall took him into a secluded sanctuary. The cove was surrounded by the Frost Islands' cliffs, its waters shallow and broken up by boulders and sand bars. Casting shadows along the sand was a titanic spine stretching overhead like a bridge between mountains, still-attached ribs plunging down to encircle the cove like a cage.

Ash jumped off his ledge and landed with his ankles submerged in chilled waters. He made for the nearest sand slope and looked around the cove – a dead end, devoid of life. Disappointment and uncertainty swept over him as he regarded his surroundings of empty water and bare rock.

"Man," he sighed. "I thought I knew what Boreus was talking about with all that kinship stuff. Let it guide me? Just 'cause I feel like I understand this place a little better with it on, doesn't mean I know where I'm goin'. Any ideas, Pikachu?"

Pikachu hopped from his shoulder and scampered a short distance along the sand. But he seemed equally stumped, turning to Ash after only a moment of observation with his paws raised in bewilderment. Ash let out a huff and took some steadying breaths, letting the wintry air flow through him and clear his head. Strapped over his left hand, the Kinship Stone settled atop his skin with surprising weight, another hint that there was more to it than met the eye.

"He said, 'trust in the stone, it will guide you'," he wondered aloud. "Well, I followed it to this place, wherever it is. So… can I find an egg here, or something? Is this a spot where a monster would build a nest? Looks good to me."

Maybe it wasn't. He was a stranger to this world, after all. He didn't know how it worked, how the local wildlife was inclined to act. He ran his fingers through his hair, digging into his scalp as his frustration grew. He wanted nothing more than to take off at a run, just sprint into the unknown with no goal in mind except forward. He did his best thinking on the move – all that fresh air flowing through his brain until an idea came floating along with the current. He'd never get anywhere staring at the Kinship Stone, which seemed to wink at him, teasing, withholding its secrets. He'd never get the answers he wanted. He'd never figure it out –

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called, his voice snapping Ash out of his muddled thoughts. The Electric-type was standing at the other end of the sand, waving his arms excitedly. Ash ran to his partner's side, and when he knelt beside him, Pikachu began pointing at the sand in front of him. Only then did he notice the slight, bumpy depression standing out just barely against its flat surroundings.

"A footprint! Good job, buddy!" Ash praised, for that was exactly what Pikachu had found. It was three-toed with pointy claws and large enough for his Lycanroc to curl up in, but faded enough that it was tricky to see. "I'll betcha a monster made this… so does that mean the Kinship Stone led us here after all?"

Pikachu nodded, agreeing that it made sense, and Ash sat down with a furrowed brow as he contemplated the marking. Okay, think, he told himself, folding his arms. 'Trust in the stone… your kinship and what you share it with… it will guide you.' Then what do I share kinship with? There's Pikachu… Mons mentioned it. And he also said Riders share kinship with monsters… or Monsties, guess there's a difference. I think that was all…

"Pokemon… Kinship Stone… monsters…" he muttered, trying to discern a connection. Obviously, the Kinship Stone was the most important part, the thing both bonds had in common. Were there other kinds of kinship, then? Something he hadn't been told? Maybe something he'd felt? He thought back to the ship, Boreus asking him to hold the Kinship Stone for the first time, that entire eye-opening experience. It had been like waking up, becoming so aware of the world around him… and come to think of it, that feeling had never really went away, had it? This entire time he and Pikachu had been alone, he'd been at ease, as though they were on just another journey.

"As though we belonged…" Ash realized, looking up. The immense spine and rib bones that splayed over the cove were blotting out the moon and starlight. Very aware of the Kinship Stone on his hand, Ash started to pick out details he hadn't noticed before. The pale, curving shapes were ice-encrusted, and tangled vine-like growths stretched between ribs like Spinarak webs. As he traced his eyes along the protective cage, he even saw that it wasn't just resting against the clifftops – the bones dug deep into the rock, like it had grown around them over the ages. Like they had become one with the land.

A hot spark of epiphany blossomed within him, flooding his limbs with such energy that he jumped to his feet. "That's it!" he exclaimed, ecstatic. "I figured it out, Pikachu! Whatever left those bones became a part of the land it lived on. We're like that! Now that we're in this world, we've become a part of it too! Boreus already showed us the answer – it's not just Riders and monsters, we share kinship with everything!"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered along.

"We share kinship with everything," Ash repeated with a grin. He clutched the Kinship Stone and looked over the cove with new eyes, his senses coming alive once again. He may have felt this before, but this time it was with newfound clarity that he sensed the wind whistling around the peaks and down into the cove. It stirred water and disturbed sand and threaded through his own hair, his breaths leaving his mouth to join it. He took a step off his island, sending ripples through the shallows, and he sensed these too, as they traveled to lap at the sand bar ahead of him. The sand that had once looked uniform to him now seemed uneven in places, forming a subtle but familiar depression that betrayed the presence of another. He recognized it as a footprint, of the same sort Pikachu had found minutes ago, and pointing in the same direction; a sign that he was on the right track.

I'm connected to all of it, just by standing among it, Ash said to himself. And now it's telling me where I need to go.

He raced to the sand bar where the footprint remained, hidden by what Ash guessed was age. Spurred by optimism, he headed for the next, praying for the Kinship Stone to show him the clues. And sure enough, when he concentrated, he picked out another footprint, and then another. He ran excitedly across the cove, until, when the trail finally stopped, he came face-to-face with the far wall of the cove. A wall that jutted out at an angle and hid within its shadow a crevice, the entrance massive enough to drive a car through.

Ash's grin grew wider. He'd let the Kinship Stone guide him. Now all that was left was to become a Rider.

The Alolan sun shone low on the horizon, turning the sky and ocean orange with its descending fire. It was always a dazzling display, but this time, Lana paid no attention to her surroundings as she stood on the pier at the foot of her house. Rather, her eyes were narrowed with concentration and took in only what was occurring directly before her, as they had been for the past hours.

"Popplio, use Bubble Beam!" she ordered. "Lapras, counter with Ice Beam!"

The two projectile moves collided midway, producing an explosion with no clear winner. Popplio and Lapras emerged from the smoke, the former crawling weakly onto the dock and the latter's head drooping as it panted from exertion. Lana's aggression faded as she took in the visible signs of their exhaustion, the muscles in her face relaxing into a shy smile.

"Sorry for pushing you two so hard," she said, scooping Popplio up into her arms. "You did really well, Popplio. Thanks for agreeing to train with us, Lapras."

The Pokemon barked and crooned pleasantly, both happy with the work they'd put in. Lana waved goodbye to Lapras as she ascended the steps leading up to her seaside home, reaching the top in time to see the door open.

"Lana!" her mother called. "I just got off the phone with your teacher. He wanted me to remind you that he's made an appointment with the Kahuna for you the day after tomorrow. And it's getting late; you should have some dinner and get to bed so you can be up early."

"'Kay," Lana replied, somewhat absently. "Popplio and I just got finished. A few more practice rounds with Bubble Beam in the morning, and I think we'll be ready."

Her mother frowned. "I know you have a trial to prepare for, Lana, but you've spent most of the afternoon training. Please be sure not to overexert yourself or Popplio."

"We're fine, Mom," Lana insisted, glancing down at the Pokemon in her arms. "Right, Popplio?"

"Parp arp!" she agreed with a clap of her flippers.

Satisfied with that, her mother smiled at them and retreated inside the house. Lana didn't follow, her eyes momentarily glazing over as her mind wandered back to the incident. It still stood out fresh in her memory, so vivid that she imagined she could still hear the Ultra Beast's roar, see its wings fill the sky. Unbidden, a scowl twisted her face at the memory of what happened next – watching from the sidelines as Mallow was snatched and the Ultra Guardians tumbled into the Wormhole, gone before Lana could so much as scream.

This was what drove her: the feeling of powerlessness, that gnawing guilt at not doing more to help. If she'd been stronger – if she could have contributed to the fight at all – the mission might have been successful. Ash and Kiawe and Sophocles and Mallow would still be here.

In just two days, Lana would be tested by the Kahuna to see if she was worthy of her Z-Ring. She was going to prove that she was strong enough to open the Wormhole.

She was going to make a difference this time.

AN:

This chapter is the first to truly feature the Riders, explaining what they are and what they stand for. I took some liberties from what's stated in Stories and Stories 2, namely about why they're here riding monsters in the first place (the specific origin of their culture is never explained), but the bits about kinship and remaining hidden from the wider world are canon.

Chief Mons, as well as Chief Silva from Chapter 1, is a Wyverian. They're basically the Monster Hunter equivalent of elves, and when they reach their twilight years they become short, wrinkled goblins. You usually see them living in isolated settlements or acting as the leaders of various villages and towns.

Ironically, considering what happened in the previous chapter, Ash draws a connection between Kinship Stones and Z-Rings and uses Kiawe's past words to him as inspiration in this chapter. This will by no means be the last time I bring this up. There are definite similarities between the two artifacts in how they work and the powers they can grant. Hell, in Stories the Kinship Stones even have their own version of Z-Moves. I intend to elaborate more on what makes them similar as the story continues.

Finally, Lana's arc has begun. It's a pity they didn't have her participate in more trials in the anime – the second member of the cast to receive a Z-Ring on-screen did disappointingly little with it.

That's all for now, so please send some reviews and give your thoughts if you feel so inclined! Any amount of feedback is always welcome.

Next time: Ritual