Battered crazy, Ilima's Yungoos struggled to stay conscious, standing shakily for a few seconds before collapsing and losing to Deagle. "Excellent, making quick work of my Yungoos. However, let's see how you handle my Smeargle!" Illima excitedly sent out a Smeargle with a flourish, ready for the second half of the battle.

"A Smeargle, huh? Pretty good Pokemon, Ilima, but we'll see how good it really is." Deagle stepped back for a moment as Wattson was sent in to contribute, being bombarded with two Water Guns before he can shoot out a Magnet Bomb, shooting a projectile to draw Smeargle in before exploding. "Looks like he's too slow... " Jacky had to consider his next move thoroughly, sending Wattson back to his ball.

"You've got good instincts to return your Pokemon to their ball, if you're considering a cross Pokemon strategy." Ilima watched him with that lingering glimmer in his eyes, that spark that really showed his love for battling.

"Well, if I didn't you'd take advantage of my thoughts to attack while I'm distracted, wouldn't you?"

"Perhaps, but you must admit that's quite a pessimistic prediction to make."

The corner of Jacky's mouth turned up into his dark little smirk. "Am I wrong, Mr. You've-Got-Good-Instincts?" As he conversed with Ilima, he considered his current set-up and their abilities, thinking of what he can use, coming to a solution. "Anyways, it doesn't matter, because I know what I need to do now!" He sent out Nirvana next, who got nailed by two Water Guns before letting out a big Yawn that Smeargle couldn't help but mirror back. Being a Water-type was pretty beneficial here as Smeargle soon fell asleep, leaving it open to a Confusion attack, finishing the fight. "How's that?"

"Wonderful! That was quite a fight, and your strategy was well-conceived!" Ilima returned his unconscious Smeargle to his pokeball and stood with his hand on his hip, nodding to himself. "Yes, I think you'll do very good soon! Jacky, I believe the time has come for your first island trial, thus I'll be waiting for you at the trial site. You're little ghostly companion should know the way."

"Well, if you think so… See you there, Prince!" Jacky waved him off and got everyone back in their balls, preparing to head to the trial site himself when he saw Lilllie and Hau come out of hiding. It seems they arrived sometime during the fights and hid away. "Hey guys, glad you could make it. How much did you see back there?"

"We came around the time you sent those numbskulls packing! That battle was great, you're already doing so good, man!" Hau slapped Jacky on the back, releasing a soft 'oof' from the victor. "And you were worried about all this? You just beat one of the trial captains in battle!"

"I did, didn't I?" He chuckled, really considering what he just did. "I guess I should hope these island trials are as simple as that! Speaking of, I should probably get around to doing my first. What are you guys going to do?"

"Well, the Malasada shop's all closed because, uhhhhhh…." He averted his gaze for a moment, making him highly suspect. "Reasons… So I'm going to go get some lunch, but I'll make sure to catch up, buddy!"

Lillie's eyes seemed to linger on him for a moment before going to Jacky. "I should probably get some lunch myself. Good luck in your trial, Jacky."

"Thanks, I'll do my best. Good luck finding something that isn't fried and sugary, Hau." Jacky walked off laughing, heading for his very first trial. On his way to the trial site, he passed by a cemetery where a number of trainers were mourning the lost. A grim reminder of what could be if he's not careful, though it was offset by the battles some trainers were having with each other in the middle of the graveyard.

Jacky immediately ducks and dodges challenges from the trainers in the site to avoid a battle amongst the resting grounds of the dead. Sprinting to leave the cemetery, he feels a tug on his arm and gets thrown into a panic, turning around expecting a trainer, but seeing nothing at first. With no one in sight, he looks down to his hand to find a Drifloon holding it, looking up at him with its ruby eyes. "Oh hey, little guy, what's wrong?"

With the Drifloon's other string-like arm, it points to the cemetery before pantomiming displeasure in all the noise and activity going on around it. "Yeah, I get where you're coming from. No cemetery should be bustling with trainers wanting to battle." Some seemed to want to battle to honor their dead partners, but that was a pretty selfish method of respect to the deceased in his eyes. "Unfortunately I don't think I can clear them all out, and even if I do, they might just come back some other time."

The Drifloon seemed upset by this, but as it spots something, its thread arms reached to his pack and pulled out a pokeball, holding it up to the trainer. "Oh that could work, though I don't suppose you want to fight." It shook its head, rejecting combat since that would pretty much be a reminder of the bustle and commotion of what drove it away from the cemetery in the first place. "That's fine, I can always box you." With that and a tap of the ball, the Drifloon was sucked into the ball and encased inside. "How's that sound, Kirby?"

He continued on towards the trial site, humming to himself as he puts Kirby's ball into his pocket when he feels a tug on his pant leg and looks down at a Delibird chirping frantically at him to get a move on. "What the…? What's wrong?" The Delibird chirps at him some more and runs off in a panic, prompting Jacky to go follow it. "Well, guess I'm doing this now…"

As he was dragged along, he heard some familiar voices he didn't expect to hear so soon. He was cutting into the middle of something it seemed, but it seemed that whatever was happening hadn't lasted for very long so far.

"-Team Skull's your adversaries!" Of course it was them, eager to get their butts handed to them so soon. "Taking berries off your hands is just the start of our plans!"

"Let's get Figy with it, bro. Let's make the old man watch while we Nanab these berries!"

Jacky called on Cinnamon and made his presence known to the two punks and the old man they were mugging for berries. Or at least, they were trying to, but it didn't seem like the old man was very intimidated, let alone impressed by them. "So you flubbed it against me and Ilima and now you're trying to find weaker opponents?"

"Wha- Hey, it's that loser kid!"

"Step off our we'll pop your lid, you dig?"

The old man stepped forward, ignoring the Grunts and smiled at Jacky. "Don't you mind these two, young man. All Team Skull really does is talk big and act small." Ignoring the protests and provoked ramblings of the two delinquents, he continued striking conversation. These Team Skull guys really were pathetic if even an old man was disregarding them. "I see you have a trial charm. Might I guess you're heading for Ilima's trial?"

"You got it in one, sir. I was just on my way there when your little friend here asked for some help." Jacky gestured to the little Delibird that led the way here before addressing Team Skull again. "So do I need to whup you again or are you going to get lost?"

"You're gonna regret-!" Before he could finish his response, Cinnamon rushed him and pounded his Drowzee down, shoving it into its trainer.

"What was that? Sorry, Cinnamon makes a lot of noise, so you're gonna have to speak a little louder," Jacky asked, hiding an amused smirk from the two thugs.

"You jerk! At least give us a chance to- AAAAHHHH!" Cinnamon set the other Grunt's shoe on fire, making him run off towards the ocean, his buddy chasing after him fearfully.

"Well, that was even quicker than last time." Jacky apologized to the old man for the noise. Thankfully he didn't seem to mind, thanking him for his time before giving him a handful of berries for his troubles. After thanking the old man, Jacky finally took off to close the rest of the distance to the trial site.

Along the way, he fought three folks, each with a single Pokemon to utilize, but it was really the first that was most noteworthy. A Cottonee that Deagle took out rather quickly, exploding in a bright flash of light afterwards as she evolved into a strong Trumbeak. "Oh, good for you, Deagle, you managed to evolve first!" Jacky applauded his newly sized bird Pokemon, happily continuing onward to test Deagle's new strength by taking out a Butterfree and then a Misdreavus before arriving at a Pokemon Center.

However, just before he could step in, he spotted a Makuhita being pecked at by a couple Spearow. It bashed a few in the beaks, but got far more jabs from them, leading Jacky to send out Deagle and Cinnamon to bash and burn them to get them to back off. "There you go, buddy. I doubt you'll be seeing them again!" He recalled Cinnamon and Deagle, eager to get them patched up for the upcoming trial, but the Makuhita followed him inside. "What's up? Need healing?"

However, the Makuhita just stared up at him with star in its...closed... eyes? The point is, the Makuhita seemed pretty impressed by this stranger and his Pokemon, leaping in and beating up a bunch of Spearow for him. He pointed at one of Jacky's Pokeballs and seemed demanding of his capture, something Jacky found kind of entertaining as he obliged.

"Well, guess you're a part of the team, Po."

Jacky handed over his Pokemon to the nurses and headed outside to wait, sitting at an outdoor table, enjoying the cool night air. So far so good in this whole island trial business, he thought to himself. No losses so far and it seemed there weren't any threats to the region unlike...so many other regions. Team Rocket was a pathetically stubborn leech and thankfully Team Plasma was pretty much gone by now. Seemed like he didn't need to worry about too much in his new home, giving him some relief from his concerns over this whole journey.

Alola seemed pretty overall peaceful compared to his other two homes, Kanto and Unova. Really, he just had to admit that part of his worries for this little adventure was that this region would have its own little sinister group of criminals. He never would've thought they'd be so pathetic, though.

"Guess I've gotta give some credit to those boneheads, they really take the tension out of everything." As his thoughts left the topic of his journey and evil teams, he began to ponder about how everyone back at Unova is doing, how Sabrina's doing in Kanto, wondering who to call first. Well, scratch that, he'd obviously call his sister first, everyone else can wait until that call's over. He could call Uncle N, say hello to Professor Juniper, maybe catch up with Auntie Bianca while he's at it.

"Mr. Ashford, you're Pokemon are all healed up now," a nurse called from inside.

"Ah, thanks a lot, ma'am!" He got up and headed back into the building to see his Pokemon all healed and ready for the next step, while Kirby was ready to go to the box. He sat down at a table to the side of the building, and called the seven of them over for some relaxation before the true first step of this island challenge. Feeding them all, giving them individual attention, the works, just as he was relaxing with his team, he had a thought. "Hey, Rotom…"

"Zttztt! What's up, kiddo?" The sentient device flew out of his backpack from sleep mode at his call. "Need a scan? See the map? Maybe you wanna hear the dirt I got on your Pokemon." Jacky decided to ignore that last part, especially considering the impish expression Rotom had on its screen.

"None of the above. I actually was wondering if maybe we could take a picture after the trial." He pet Cinnamon, who rested on his lap lazily. "If we win it, I mean. You know, commemorate our first big win."

"Confident are we?"

"Not really, but I won't make anything better being pessimistic, right?" Looking over his Pokemon, he began to make his decision over who would be the best choices for this first trial. The captain for it was Ilima and he seemed to like using the Normal-types, so Po was a prime choice and Kirby would be a good pick too, but he wasn't about to force the little balloon to fight when it doesn't want to. Cinnamon was going, obviously, and he felt that having Nirvana on the team with Yawn would be a good option, and then Wattson was a sturdy one, so he could be good.

Finally there was Fionn and Deagle. Both were likely about average in terms of choice, so they'll most definitely be in the back of the party. He had settled on the order and turned to the Pokemon before him to act on those choices.

"Alright, guys, since there's seven of you, someone's going to have to get boxxed. Since Kirby doesn't want to battle, that someone is going to be him, so everyone say your goodbyes." Jacky smiled as his team seemed to offer what he could only assume were farewells as their trainer took Kirby over to the PC and prepped his transfer. After some time booting, the transfer began and Kirby was taken out of his hands, freeing him up to take on the trial.

Turning to face his team, he offered them some confidence as he asked them, "So, are you guys ready?" After getting excited, plain, and even aggressive responses, he returned them to their balls before leaving the Pokemon Center. It was finally time.

Ilima was just outside the entrance to the cave, awaiting Jacky's arrival, and from the look in his eyes, he could tell that Ilima was eager to witness the trial. "Welcome to your first trial site, Jacky. Now, I'm sure you've guessed that these trials won't be like the gym challenges from other places in the world."

"I thought about it a little." He could feel his fingers shake a bit, veiled in the dark of night from the enthusiastic young man in front of him. This was to be his first experience with the foreign traditions of Alola and while he was certain this first challenge wouldn't be too difficult, it still gave him some concern.

"Well, allow me to explain the rules of the island trials then. Every trial involves a task that needs to be completed with your Pokemon, as well as a battle against a Totem Pokemon." Before Jacky could inquire as to what in the world that was, Ilima elaborated with a knowing twinkle in his eye and a playful smirk on his lips. "Totem Pokemon are like guardians that overlook the island trials. They are far stronger than normal Pokemon and are the final challenge awaiting each trial-goer that tackles Alola's island trials. If you can succeed in these trials and defeat the Totem, then you'll be rewarded for your effort and will be allowed to catch a Pokemon from the trial site."

Jacky took in each of the points Ilima made towards explaining the rules and stuck a pin in all of them. It wasn't likely that they'd feed the same tasks every time, so he'd need to be prepared for some variety and possible turns. Then there was a question he felt needed asking above anything else. "Am I allowed to leave the trial site or put it on hold?" It was important to get the exact details of this particular inquiry, for the sake of any future issues.

"A very good question, Jacky. You can leave the trial site anytime you wish while in the middle of the trial, but be warned that if you do, you'll have to do the trial's task from scratch. I'm sure you understand why." Understanding the reasoning wasn't an issue at all, seeing as how exploitable letting trial-goers take a break without consequence can be. If they were simply allowed to leave in the middle of the task, they'd heal up their Pokemon at the Center and continue the trial as if their Pokemon hadn't taken any damage. "I would recommend you do so if you really need to, but just know that you'll have to start anew when you return."

"Alright, I think I've got it." Jacky took a breath and approached the mouth of the cave. "I'm ready, Ilima, let's get this trial started."

Pleased with his answer and eager to see his friend's first trial, Ilima led him into the cave, now elaborating on the task the trial would have him do. "This cave is home to many Rattatas, and while most will be tucked away in their tunnels, you'll find a few scurrying around. They're fully willing to fight, but they're very mischievous Pokemon, so they'll try to give you a good long runaround before they do. Your task will be to corner and defeat three of them before you can challenge the Totem Pokemon."

That sounded simple at first, find three Rattatas and beat them to proceed, but Jacky knew how quick they could be and how tricky it was to chase them down if they didn't want to be caught. His family had a slight problem with them before their move to Alola, so he had reason to think this could get a bit tedious. Still, it wouldn't help to complain or moan, so he readied his team, sending them out of their pokeballs. "Ilima, be honest with me. Is this really the trial or do you just not want to pay the exterminator?"

His joke made Ilima laugh softly, giving a lighter mood to the room and helping ease Jacky's worries. He got to searching the cave for Rattatas, Cinnamon spotting one rather quickly and closing in slowly and quietly in a prowl before jumping it and Embering it into submission. "Woah, you're pretty eager for this, aren't you?" Cinnamon seemed to meow blissfully before his whole body started to light up and change shape, settling into a bigger, fluffier form.

"Looky at that, Zttztt! Your little partner's evolving already!" Rotom declared as it shot from Jacky's backpack. It barely had any time to say more before Jacky swiped Rotom from the air and took so many pictures of the newly formed Torracat, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he seemed to forget the trial for a moment.

While he was busy taking pictures and making Cinnamon bored and uncomfortable, the rest of his team were off chasing the second Rattata. As Deagle and Fionn managed to corner it, Po knocked it out with a quick strike of his hand, marking it down and leaving only one left. The team returned to their trainer, Fionn having to bite at his ankle to get him back to reality. "O-Oh, sorry about that, you guys. But it looks like you did a good job. Now we just need to find one more…"

Just as he did a quick scan of the tunnels, he caught a Rattata in his sight at a nearby tunnel, to which he rushed after. However, just as the Rattata saw him coming, it scurried into the tunnel and out of reach before reemerging from another tunnel. From a distance, Jacky could tell just how close it was to the tunnel it just exited and he was sure it was ready to pounce right back into it at the first sign of approach.

While Jacky was pondering what to do about this, he saw Fionn growling and gritting her fangs at the Rattata, ready to pounce at any moment. Taking a quick glance at the tunnel right next to his own feet, Jacky was given an idea and called Fionn over. "Fionn, I want you to get into the tunnel and catch the Rattata from behind. Keep it from diving back in if we attack it."

Fionn seemed receptive to this plan and charged right into the tunnel, while Jacky ordered Po and Nirvana to block off the other tunnels just in case before going to join Cinnamon, Fionn, and, now, Deagle as they approached the Rattata. It turned around quickly and tried to retreat back again, but the sight of Fionn's fangs gnashing viciously at it way too close for comfort scared it enough to back away, forcing it into a fight with Cinnamon.

It was a quick matter of Embering the daylights out of it, ending the task then and there. "Alright, you guys, good job!" Jacky got down on a knee and gave each of his Pokemon congratulations and pets for a job well done just before hearing an annoyingly familiar pair of voices.

"Yo, the berry thief boys are back!"

"Back, boys!"

He got to his feet and turned around to glare at the returned Team Skull Grunts that he'd had to put up with all night tonight. "You two again?"

"Yo, don't just give us the ice cold shoulder!"

"We're gonna crush that disrespect like a rock-hard boulder!"

The two sent out their Pokemon, Zubat and Drowzee respectively, challenging the apathetic trainer to a battle. However, the Zubat let out a very high-pitched screech, followed by its trainer letting out an almost equally pitched scream as they were blasted with water by a peeved Ilima and his Smeargle. The other Grunt instinctively turned away from Jacky, which only further doomed them to failure as Cinnamon tore the Drowzee down rather quickly.

"Get out of my trial site this instant, you sniveling delinquents," Ilima ordered them, almost sounding like a school rep. Of course, with the attention of both the trial captain and the trainer that had beaten them twice before already, and both their Pokemon down for the count before they could even pray for a win, they were quick to return their Pokemon to their pokeballs and make a break for it.

The raven-haired trial-goer couldn't help a sigh, being one-hundred percent assured that these useless knuckleheads were going to be a recurring headache throughout his journey. He'd heard stories from his mom about her run-ins with Team Plasma when she was young and stories from his dad about the Kanto Champion having to deal with Team Rocket all the time. Team Skull wasn't anywhere close to threatening at all, but the bravado and smack talk and tough acts gave him the impression that they'd be coming back for more, whether intentional or not, they'd be back for so much more.

He had to pray to Palkia's spatial powers that he won't though, that by some chance they're only on this island and none of the others. A guy can hope and dream, can't he?

"Well, now that those pests are out of the way, I believe it's time to move on to your final challenge in this trial!" Ilima seemed to chin up after Team Skull's departure, though he still had signs of his distaste left over. He gestured for Jacky to follow, leading into a new part of the cavern. This room had a hole in the roof, moonlight pouring in over the grass in the dirt and moss on the stone walls, and what looked like a small pedestal, almost like a shrine of sorts. In the light of the moon, Jacky could see a glitter of some kind of crystal, which naturally caught his attention.

"There lies the first Z-Crystal you'll receive from the island trials, Jacky. That Z-Ring there, when paired with a Z-Crystal will allow you to perform a powerful attack with your Pokemon," Ilima told him, happy to tell the foreign kid about it. He was almost like a little child wanting to show how smart he is by telling people about stuff. It was admittedly a little adorable and kinda funny. "Of course, you'll only get it if you can beat him."

Wait, 'Him'?

Jacky looked at Ilima, who had his finger pointing upward, pulling the challenger's eyes to the roof where he saw a giant figure standing over the edge. It hopped into the room, landing with a mighty thud as it revealed itself fully to its guest. It was a giant black Raticate, towering over him and screeching at him. Jacky couldn't help the panic that quickly filled his chest with a powerful and constricting sensation as he took in the size alone of this thing.

So this was a Totem Pokemon, huh? It was certainly intimidating, that was for sure. His body moved forcefully against his will as Cinnamon, Nirvana, and Fionn tackled him, throwing him out of the way of a swing of its tail. This seemed to be enough to break Jacky out of his stupor, petting Cinnamon and Fionn for the help, alternating his hand from Fionn to Nirvana after. "Thanks, guys."

He looked at the Totem, then at the room surrounding them all and got up, examining it and his team. Jacky made quick orders for Deagle and Wattson to distract it for a little while, the two Pokemon hovering towards and then around it as they began to make trilling and buzzing sounds respectively. Thankfully it worked as the giant Raticate started swiping its claws, gnashing its teeth, and swinging its tail at them with no success, but Jacky could tell it might not be enough. He sent Cinnamon and Fionn to contribute to the distraction before addressing Po. "Listen, buddy, this battle's gonna be a big moment for you. Since you're a fighting type, you'll be able to pound him harder than anyone."

"Exactly, Zttztt! Especially since Raticates are Dark/Normal type Pokemon, so your fists'll deal double the double damage!" Rotom declared excitedly. That made Jacky realize something that he hadn't really thought about. He'd noticed the Rattatas were black, rather than the purple color he knew best. He'd subconsciously written it off as merely minor changes, but he never really thought they'd have different typing.

"Well that makes things all the more convenient, doesn't it? Po, you need to strike as hard as you can while that big guy's busy with the others, okay? Give him the strongest Force Palm you've got!" Po seemed to understand and accept his role, putting on his best game face and turning towards the Totem, still trying to attack the others that seemed just too fast for it. With all their focus being on avoiding attacks, they just need to make noise all the while and didn't have to sweat complicated stuff like timing attacks or minimizing damage.

While Po readied his attack, Nirvana remained with Jacky in case the Raticate lashes out at them in anger. Jacky drew his hand gently along the Slowpoke's back, for thanks and to ease his stress as some of the attacks thrown against his Pokemon got pretty close a couple times. But it all went away as the little spunky Makuhita he'd unleashed on the Totem Pokemon charged at it the moment its back was turned. Upon the last step, Po leaped at the center of the Raticate's back, his hand glowing with a fierce aura just as it slammed it into the Totem's body.

The force of the attack let out a small boom as the Raticate was sent straight into a wall, both Deagle and Cinnamon having to scurrying quickly to the side to avoid it. A burst of dust and pebbles were thrown into the air upon impact with the wall and all of the team seemed to tense up in anticipation, but when the dust settled, they found the Totem surprisingly down for the count. "We… We did it? Just like that?"

It felt kind of surreal to him and almost unbelievable. Sure, he knew the great advantage Po had in type effectiveness and he hit the Totem hard when it wasn't looking, but he still kind of expected a Pokemon with such grandiosity to have withstood the attack at least a little. It wasn't until all of his team started celebrating their victory that he snapped to and let himself smile and bask in the feeling he got from his success. He pulled it off, took down his very first trial, and now he could finally make use of the Z-Ring Tapu Koko had gifted him with.

Approaching the pedestal housing the crystal, he reached in and pulled it free, examining it. It was completely transparent with the exception of a small emblem inside. He carried the crystal down to his wrist and clicked the crystal into the slot on his Z-Ring, fully cementing his achievement. With his team crowded around him and celebrating, he finally allowed himself a truly proud feeling, indulging in it for a moment with his team. Hugging his Pokemon and petting them and complimenting them for doing so well.

"Congratulations, Jacky, for completing your very first trial," Ilima interjected, giving him some soft applause as he approached the victor and his team. "I must admit, your strategy was brilliant for your first Totem battle."

"Thanks, Ilima. I'm glad that these guys were quick enough to handle themselves, otherwise it might not have worked as well." Though he tried to say it casually, he knew that his slight pessimism kind of dampened the mood ever-so-slightly. "Sorry, what I mean is that I wouldn't have been able to do it without everyone."

This seemed to put the gloom aside and please the trial captain. "Very true, Jacky. It's important to have faith in your Pokemon, though I'd recommend a little bit more optimism from here on out." Putting that topic aside, he smiled gleefully as he seemed to straighten his posture. "Now, before we move on, it's time to learn how to use that new Z-crystal of yours."

What came next was almost as, if not equally surreal as his win against the Totem Pokemon, and that was the method to using Z-moves. He had to do something akin to a small dance, representative of the type of move being used. It looked kinda odd and would probably be a touch embarrassing, not getting into how much he'd have to practice using Z-moves to avoid impracticality. The worst part was that he'd probably be the only one in Alola who'd really feel embarrassed about it though.

These Z-moves were a part of the traditions and culture of the Alola region, so the native folks were definitely used to the concept, method, and execution. So he'd be the only one stewing with stage fright. Still, he was able to get the movements memorized, albeit somewhat rough. But now that this was over, he could move on with the island challenge with a new weapon in his hands, or rather in his wrist.

"Well anyways, thanks for the Z-crystal and the dance lessons, Prince, but I'm gonna get outta-."

"Yeah, I knew you could do it, Jacky!" And just like every other entrance he makes, Kukui bursts in without proper greeting or small gestures like, oh say, knocking. He seemed on a roll too, as the moment those words come out of his mouth, he makes a quick observation and spews out more words within record time. "And you've got your first Z-crystal, oh yeah! Now you just need to learn the moves!"

Ilima, who at this point seemed amused and entertained, felt it necessary to break the oh-so unfortunate news. "Sorry, Professor, but I've already taught Jacky the moves required to use the Z-move. I hope that's not too disappointing."

"Ah, Ilima, you stole my Thunder!" the kooky professor laughed his usual boisterous laugh and resumed his congratulations. "Now that you finished Melemele's trial, all that's left is to challenge the Kahuna, cousin! You gotta go see Hala and tell him to his face that you're ready for a Smack Down!"

"That sounds more like I'm asking him to beat me up," Jacky deadpanned, releasing a neutral breath as that sent Kukui for another round of laughs. "Anyways, Hala, right? I'll be head over right away then…"

"Oh, but before you do that, Jacky, I gotta ask. Have you seen Lillie anywhere?" He seemed cooled off after all his shouting and guffawing. "I haven't seen her in a while, so I was hoping you'd know."

"No, haven't been with her for a little while, but I can try looking for her, if you want." It wasn't really an issue for him in all honesty. Lillie didn't have a proper Pokemon partner and Nebby didn't seem all that capable in the ways of self-defense, so it'd be best to find them quickly. Not to mention his team just got done dealing with the trial and the Totem Pokemon, so it'd help them to get some rest in their pokeballs along the way.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Jacky! You should probably check somewhere along Route 3, I'm thinking. I'm sure I would've run into her if she didn't pass through there." With a wave and an explanation that he needs to get back to the lab for a quick drop-by, he excused himself and took off.

"Welp, that's my cue, I guess." Jacky pat Ilima on the back with a bemused smirk before heading out as well. "I'll see you around, Prince!"

"Take care, Reaper!"

The road through Route 3 wasn't a very eventful time, with a few trainers here, some annoying, dive-bombing bird Pokemon there. Although Deagle was able to learn a new move and snag a great attachment to her beak that could help her attacks, so it wasn't all bad. Jacky would ask the trainers he defeated if they had seen Lillie pass through, describing her appearance, to which they directed him towards the Melemele Meadow, a wide-open space full of gorgeous yellow flowers.

And when he arrived, there she was, sticking out from the sun-colored petals dancing in the wind with her pure white attire. Once again, a look of concern was painted on her face, her eyes scanning through the field of flowers, clutching the bag hanging from her shoulder. "Nebby, where are you?"

Her voice snapped Jacky back to attention as he approached Lillie to ask what's wrong. Well, from her calling alone, it was clear what was wrong, it just slipped out naturally. "He got out again, huh? Don't worry, I'll see if I can find him…" He looked around before finding a clear spot in the meadow closer to the center that he could run to. "I'll be back with Nebby, Lillie. I promise," he assured her as he rushed off to the clear spot.

"Rotom, switch on the PokeFinder. We could use the zoom feature to get a better look around." The trainer grabbed Rotom out of the air as the program turned on, using his pseudo-sentient pokedex to survey the surroundings. "Ah, there that little scamp is." It didn't take too long to find Nebby with Rotom's help, the small space-looking guy lingering atop a hill not too far from his location.

After calling to Lillie to stay put, he heads into the meadow's sea of yellow blossoms, ready to grab Nebby and go. However, not two steps beyond that and a small ball of yellow feathers poked her adorable head out of the meadow, chirping at Jacky and Rotom before breaking into a cheerful dance before much could be said. Naturally, the raven-haired boy was immediately smitten with the bird's adorable charm and used the still-active Pokefinder to take several pictures of it while it danced.

What an amazing opportunity to take such clear, close-up shots of such a cute sight! This was an unbelievable opportunity right here, and the bird Pokemon seemed happy with the attention. "Hey kid, I think that'z enough picturez!" Rotom was a killjoy as it flew from Jacky's hands and bopped him on the head with its… arm?

"Right, gotta go grab Nebby." Jacky pat the bird Pokemon on the head and thanked it for the dance before heading to continue on his way, but he found a soft feeling around his hand and a slight tug. The yellow bird was holding tight to his hand, reluctant to let him leave just yet. "I'm sorry, but I need to get going. You can come with me if you-!"

Just as he pulled out a pokeball, it cooed happily and tapped the button with one of its pom poms, being pulled in and captured within seconds. "Woah, okay then, welcome to the team. I think I'll call you Millie!"

After that little encounter, Jacky would put Cinnamon up at the front of the team, having him take the brunt of encounters and battles, which he managed splendidly. He even endured multiple status effects and shook them off at Jacky's encouragement, making him just such a proud papa. Their run through the meadow took them across a few clear spots and small ledges before they arrived at the hill.

"Nebby, there you are!" The little pudge of space hovered in place as it turned to spot Jacky and his team approaching.

"Pew!" It seemed happy to see him here, floating straight towards him. Jacky picked the little galaxy ball up and made his way back to Lillie. Thankfully for him and Lillie there was a clear path from the hill to Lillie's spot. In other words, he had to run downhill to cut through the meadow quickly, having to stumbling seven times to keep himself from falling flat on his face.

"Nebby, Jacky! Are you two okay?" Lillie rushed over to the formerly stumbling trainer that just spent some time grabbing her little mini-galaxy. After Jacky hands her Nebby, she pouts at the happy, care-free creature. "Oh, Nebby, you need to stop slipping away or something bad might happen to you!" After guiding Nebby into the bag hanging at her side, she bowed her head in thanks. "I'm so sorry about this, Jacky. Thank you so much for the help."

"It wasn't too hard to find him, so no problem."

"No, really, I'm sure your Pokemon must be tired. Here, I have some potions with me, so let me heal them really quick!" Before any protests could be made, she pulled out several potions and applied them to the team, making them all feel much more relieved. "There, now they should be fine. Oh, that reminds me! How did your first trial go?"

"I got through it, no problem. I didn't expect it, but we actually managed to take down the Totem in one shot." He seemed pleased with himself as he spoke those words aloud, filled with a boost of confidence.

"Wow, that's amazing. Congratulations, Jacky, now you can challenge the Kahuna! Honestly, I couldn't imagine doing that myself!" Her jubilant celebratory manner filled Jacky with some pride as the two finally moved to leave the meadow. Almost missing the negative edge to her voice, miniscule as it was, Jacky was ready to try and lift her spirits when I certain someone smashed into him, making the crasher and the crashee collapse to the ground at Lillie's feet. "Jacky, Hau, are you two okay!?"

Jacky groaned at the mention of Hau's name and the sting of his back having impacted the hard ground. "Just peachy…"