The island of Akala, one of four of Alola's main islands making up its community and culture, sitting upon the ocean firm in the shining sun peaking over the horizon. The crystal waters shimmering like gems in the- "LAND AHOY!" -like gems in the bright- "Hau, please, it's so early for this…"
Jacky very much had to agree with a groggy and very grouchy Lillie regarding Hau's utter lack of a volume dial. "She's got a point, Hau, it's way too late for any of your usual noise."
Hau rounded to the front of the ship, where Jacky was, grinning from ear to ear as if he didn't just wake up one of his friends and disturb the other. "Ah come on, guys, we're coming up on Akala Island! Where's your sense of adventure?"
"I think I lost it somewhere in the middle of my sleep." Lillie collected her things from inside the ship and stepped out onto the deck to join the two boys, holding a hand out to shield her eyes from the warm light of the rising sun.
"And I put it to bed after hours of sailing, which reminds me, I need to find a hotel or some other place to stay when we get off." Jacky yawned at length, his eyelids feeling heavy with exhaustion. "Not everyone is a creature of infinite energy like you, Hau." In the time that Jacky has known Hau, he's come to attribute him to a Buneary at this point, owing to the seemingly boundless enthusiasm. It was fun and he loved the guy, but being on a boat with him was starting to get draining.
"Well, at least we'll be able to stretch our legs and start moving on our own again." Lillie checked her bag to make sure Nebbie was tucked away safely as the boat sailed towards the docks of Akala Island.
"You guys are such killjoys," Hau huffed as he grabbed his things and joined Lillie with Jacky not too far behind. "I've never been outside of Melemele Island before, can you blame me? Tutu has been all over Alola a few times, but he always told me I wasn't old enough to see the sights yet."
Jacky couldn't help but feel strange about that, the idea that Hau had never been away from Melemele until now. It's not like traveling would've been dangerous for him, if he went with Hala. Even then, what about his parents, couldn't they have taken him on trips or something? Though thinking about it, he never really met Hau's mom or dad, the only family member he's been introduced to was Hala.
Kukui announced that he was coming in to dock, taking the boy's mind off of the matter for the time being. He was simply thankful to get back to dry land again and get some more proper sleep. Though if he and Hau were to both check in for whatever reason, he'd need to make sure he gets a room a door or two away from his, just to be safe.
"It's finally happening! Misa, Robin, come on, come look!" Hau's Pokemon burst from their pokeballs, his Dartrix fluttering up and landing on the railing, whilst his Pikachu climbed up Hau's back to peek over his shoulder for a better view. Robin didn't seem nearly as excited as her trainer or fellow Pokemon, the two of them were grounded to the boat, but she was perfectly capable of taking flight whenever she pleased. While Hau was swept up in the adventure of sailing to another island aboard a rickety, inevitable disaster case, Misa probably felt a little boxed in.
Jacky's Pokemon, however, were resting in their pokeballs for most of the trip, with the one exception being Cinnamon, of course. His impish little Torracat spent quite a bit of time during the trip wandering the deck looking for a suitable place to nap. The interior of the ship was a bit unsuited for his liking given Kukui was running the boat from there, but everywhere else regularly got seaspray and the deck was constantly wet, making for an especially uncomfortable environment for not only a feline Pokemon, but a Fire-type feline Pokemon.
When Hau had started shouting and cheering for the arrival of dry land, Cinnamon came trotting out of the boat interior to join his trainer. Though he was heavier than when he was a Litten, he still would prefer hanging from a shoulder than standing on a wet floor. Thankfully Jacky's utility jacket ensured his partner's claws didn't reach his skin when he climbed up. "Sorry for the long ride, buddy, but we're finally here at least."
Thank Arceus for that, if Cinnamon had to be on this boat any longer, he might've gone crazy. This was literally the only time he's ever felt jealous of Robin for being able to fly. The moment Kukui's insurance-baffling ship arrived at the docks, Cinnamon was the first to book it off the boat, rivaling even Hau's limitless energy. Of course, the boy of note was the second to leave the boat, jumping up giving a loud, jubilant cry to who knows what or who. "It's Akala! It's really Akala, you guys!"
Lillie and Jacky just exchanged a look somewhere between tired apathy and bemusement at the sight of their friend getting so remarkably giddy over this. As they stepped off the boat, Jacky stretched his arms and let himself breath out a sigh of relief, playing up a bit more of an 'exhausted tourist' vibe. "Yeah, we're finally here, took us long enough too." He knew Cinnamon agreed for obvious reasons, as the cat still clung to his jacket until they could finally leave the docks.
"Well, I'll admit this baby's seen better days, but she still got us here in one piece! Oh yeah!" Kukui stepped off the boat, patting the railing as he passed by, that same big grin on his face as always.
"Still haven't found a shirt to go with that labcoat, Kukui?" A woman strolled up to the group after spotting them, likely having heard Hau and Kukui's loudness. "You know you're going to scare off strangers, right?" She had dark skin and black, well-kept hair, and though her clothes were perfect for the tropical climate of Alola, the absurd amount of accessories she had on her person was kind of brow-raising.
Even still, she seemed nice enough, and she definitely won points with Jacky for what she pointed out about Captain Shirtless. "I like this island already," he commented, offering a tired smile towards the woman. "I was starting to think I was the only person who wanted Kukui to throw on a shirt."
She smiled back towards the night owl, crossing her arms and giving an amused snort to the comment. "Oh believe me, I don't mind the view, honestly you could cut diamonds on those abs. That said, it doesn't exactly draw in tourists when our leading professor lets his pecs go commando."
"I'm right here, you know," Kukui interjected, his voice laced with feigned offense as he approached the woman. "Thanks for coming to see us, Olivia."
"No thanks needed, Kukui, I have to admit I was curious to see our new trial-goers, especially since they aced old Hala's Grand Trial on their first go." She turned her attention off of Jacky for a moment as she gauged the others that had left the boat, seeming perplexed at something. "Oh, was there a third one? I could've sworn you mentioned only two."
"What, Lillie? Oh no, she's just my lab assistant," Kukui clarified promptly, gesturing to the white-wearing young woman stepping further ahead. His other hand swept broadly in Hau and Jacky's direction as he then identified them as the trainers that would be tackling Akala's trials.
"I'm Hau! And I know who you are, Olivia! You're the next Kahuna we're gonna be looking forward to, right?" He had that big, bright, goofy grin plastered on his lackadaisical face as always, despite knowing who she was. Jacky had to wonder if he knew what type she specialized in or something, but it was probably best not to assume. "My old Tutu talked about you here and there back home."
Olivia seemed surprised at that, though it wasn't surprising, considering it'd be odd for Hala to give even his grandson an advantage, knowing what was coming. "Really? Old Hala told you about me?"
"Yeah, but only little things, nothing about your team or tactics. My old-old man wants to make sure I can handle whatever comes my way!" At least he's confident, despite him not actually knowing much that could help him.
"I see, well let's hope you can back up that cocksure attitude of yours. Remember, you two still have to tackle the trials before you can challenge me." Looking back towards Jacky, she took to questioning him next. "I don't believe I got your name yet, have I?"
He felt a bit jarred, having forgotten to even introduce himself, especially when he found out she was the Kahuna. "Oh, I haven't, have I? My name's Jacky," he answered, extending a hand to the woman, which she took and shook without a moment's hesitation. Despite how lovely a woman she seemed, her hands were rougher than he expected, with signs of calluses, and her grip was strong to be sure. She was definitely accustomed to working with her hands, something less glamorous than her appearance would lead one to believe.
"Jacky, got it. I assume you're the new trainer that's been making quite the upset over at Melemele then?" She elaborated about the information she'd been given by Kukui during the time they'd sailed. Having beaten the Totem Raticate in a single attack, defeating Hala without using a Z-move, and even being saved and given a Z-ring by Tapu Koko. "Quite the promising duo of trainers this time around. Here's hoping you two live up to the expectations I've got for you, I'll see you both soon."
In the wake of Olivia's leave, the four were left to their own devices and to proceed further into the town of Heahea City. Hau split for the Pokemon Center right away, whilst Lily expressed a desire to go visit the shops, and with the both of them set on where they wanted to go, the lot went their separate ways.
Jacky was left alone to decide what he wanted to do… well, he wasn't alone for long, spotting a girl about his age coming his way. She had green hair tied up in twin tails, a pink tank under grey overalls, light green eyes twinkling with an undeniably excitable curiosity, and a pink flower in her hair. He had to wonder if she was her to meet someone or something, but then she just kept walking closer and closer to him until she was practically right in his face.
"Hey, hey, you're one of those new trial-goers, right?" She didn't seem perturbed at all when Jacky had to gently push her back a foot. Quite the contrary, she thought it was kind of funny, though she did apologize for the breach of his bubble.
"Y-Yeah, I am doing the Island Challenge. Why, do you have some kind of business with me or something?" He pondered if she knew Hau for a fleeting instant, given her peppy behavior felt reminiscent of him, before dismissing that idea after recalling Hau had never traveled outside Melemele until today.
"You could say that, though our really important business won't be for a little while." Her hand shot out towards him before he could even blink. "Mallow's the name, cooking's my game! Nice to meet ya!" She seemed nice enough, to be sure, it was just the sudden approach that threw him back somewhat. Still, much to her glee, he accepted the handshake and the introductions.
"Jacky, it's nice to meet you too– WOAH!" Before he could retract his hand from the handshake, Mallow's grip tightened and she pulled him forward as she turned on her heel and walked a few paces towards the railing of the dock. "Warn a guy before you drag him across the street."
"Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to offer some advice to ya is all," she said, seeming at least a bit sincere. She pointed a finger off to the south side of the island, leaning a bit to the west, at a distant city he could just make out. "See that city there? That's Konikoni City, and sooner or later, you should be visiting it during your trials."
He wouldn't really question it, he figured that the Island Challenge was going to drag him all over each and every island in Alola, for the most part. "Okay, so is this some kind of trial advice or…"
"More like tourist advice," she corrected, "since you're clearly new to the region and all. If you ever feel like your stomach's gonna go on strike, just stop by a little restaurant just south of the city crossroads. Flash your trial charm and they'll be sure to give you a one-time discount!"
"That's awfully generous of them. Are you an employee there or something?"
"Something like that," she giggled, seeming to be holding something more back from Jacky. "I heard there was someone else taking the challenge too, Hala's grandson even. I'd better go find him too, I'll see ya around!" She waved goodbye and the two parted as she started searching Heahea for Hau.
"Well, she was certainly something." Jacky made his own way into the city, hoping to find a place to sleep. Mallow had left an… impression, he wasn't quite sure what sort just yet. Her upbeat demeanor seemed to be almost impish, just a bit.
Along the way, RotomDex flew out of his pack, grinning, nudging Jacky as they wandered the city. "Hey, look who's getting popular over here," they teased.
"Oh please, she just came by to sell her restaurant to a potential customer, that's all." He knew RoDex was just messing with him, he was at the point where he could tell that much.
"No, you're right, how silly of me. You've only got eyes for the pretty blonde girl, don't you?" They immediately started regretting that little bit when Jacky grabbed them by the antenna firmly. "Ow, ow, okay! Uncle, uncle!"
The boy let them go to try and tend to their sore spiky bit, his face unamused now and even a touch flustered when he noticed Lillie in the distance eyeing clothes through the display window of a shop. "There's a limit to the jokes, Rotom Dex, okay?"
"Yeah, I got it loud and clear, Bozz!" They retreated to his pack afterwards, leaving a twinge of guilt in the boy. Did he overstep a bit? He didn't think he squeezed very hard, and honestly he didn't even think it could hurt them, but he supposed he was wrong.
"Sorry, Rotom, I'll try to think of something to make it up to you." After giving his apology, he continued on, taking a closer look at the clothes Lillie was eyeing up behind the glass. There was more casual clothing on display this time around than the last establishment she was checking out. "Still stuck at window shopping?"
Lillie was startled at his sudden appearance, taking a deep breath to calm her frantic heart. "Yes, I just feel as though I should… expand my wardrobe, I guess." She had both hands on the strap of her bag, her hands clenching around it tensely when she eyed the tank tops, hoodies, and t-shirts inside. It was enough to remind the boy next to her of her odd question before, about whether he picked his own clothes, and how somber she seemed then.
"Well, some clothes shopping isn't a bad idea, I think you should just go for whatever catches your eye, if you're having trouble deciding," he offered, giving his honest thoughts. He put a bit more thought to what he wore, admittedly, but it was probably better to tell her what might better help her take a change of pace. It couldn't have been convenient to wear that dress all the time, after all. "Come on, why don't we go inside?"
She followed him in, dragging a bit behind until the air-conditioned interior hit her and there was the sort of clean smell of new clothes, both fabric and leather, all around her. It was what you typically expected of a clothing store, but it somewhat seemed alien to Lillie from how she looked about the place. So many styles, so many fabrics, so many colors, and it was all nearly overwhelming to her that any one of these articles of apparel could be her own.
"Well, go on, find something you like, Lillie." Jacky picked up Cinnamon and carried him off to browse clothes, not wanting the fire-type to be on foot in a place like this. He's the one who encouraged her to come in and find something, now he just needed to wait. Maybe he might even find something for himself in here.
"R-Right!" The young blonde looked about the store, feeling somewhat intimidated, but she couldn't wear this dress forever, right? She took off, looking about the clothes racks and shelves for something that would work, while Jacky simply browsed.
All the while, that boy would muse over the girl a little while longer, wondering what she'd turn up with, before moving on to other thoughts. First and foremost was the Island Challenge, of course, and of the possible hoops he'd have to jump through to reach and even beat Olivia. Would there be only a single trial before the grand trial, like how it was on Melemele Island? That last one seemed rather doubtful, though it was based more on guesswork, albeit one with some logic to it: That one trial for every island wouldn't be enough to enable a challenger's growth.
Maybe it was just his familiarity with how the gyms in other regions worked, but it was doubtless they were going to up the difficulty of a trainer's journey in some way. One thing's for sure, he really hoped he wouldn't have to deal with too many oversized Pokemon. He may have beaten that Raticate, but he had to distract it first and a Pokemon of that size couldn't just be all bark.
There was Hau to consider in all of this as well, being a rival for him would definitely be fun in places. He's a little too overeager and loud, but there was still something to admire about that, and he had to appreciate the passion. If Jacky was going to help push Hau forwards on their journey, he'd need to make sure to keep pace with him. When it comes to battles, he did consider planning out battles to make them seem more evened out in the event it might be a little too one-sided, but then… what if Hau found out?
He could very well get upset with Jacky over that, that he even thought of it, let alone do something like that. Put on kiddy gloves against the boy and it might actually turn out worse than Jacky thinks, whether because of Hau's outrage or even the possibility of any casualties during battle. Ultimately, despite his efforts to think over matters with his friend, he came to the conclusion that all he could do is train his Pokemon up and fight Hau with everything he's got.
He couldn't help but think for just a moment about Tapu Koko, the subject that really made him feel uncomfortable with the journey at all. The support he had received from his friends outside of the guardian had helped ease his grievances, but there was still that damned nagging in the back of his head. He saved my life, does that mean I owe him this journey? How far does he expect me to go? Is there anything else he wants from me?
Questions that he tried to ignore and dismiss, but would only continue to pester him the more he avoided them. Maybe he should've asked Hala… but then Hala also seemed to put a lot of stock into Tapu Koko, would he just expect the same? It felt as though, at least to Jacky, that he too expected Jacky would just immediately jump into a Pokemon journey once Tapu Koko had given him that sparkling stone, that means to gain his own Z-ring.
That's when he thought of Olivia, and mulled over his first impressions of her. At the very least, she seemed much more easy to be around than old man Hala, so maybe he could approach her about this. It seemed feasible enough, at least, and besides, these Kahunas were meant to help trainers grow, right? Bare minimum, it felt appropriate to give it a shot.
It was that thought that settled it, the next time he crossed paths with Olivia, he'd ask her about it. Maybe her advice could help him move past this particular sticking point in his adventure across Alola. As he started to wrap up his thoughts, he noticed a shirt that caught his eye: Blue with a white graphic on the front of a singular fish Pokemon he didn't recognize with an even bigger one behind it, with the words "always a bigger fish" underneath the image. "That's not bad," he said, taking a shirt his size off the rack.
He took the shirt straight towards the front desk, feeling pretty good about this upcoming purchase when he felt a tug. "Jacky, do you think you could give me your thoughts?" So it was Lillie, possibly back from browsing. Was she torn between some selections or having trouble finding something? When the boy turned to face his friend, he found he was wrong on both accounts. "What do you think of this?" she asked nervously.
Though her color choice had yet to change, her attire was notably more casual than before. Taking the place of her hat and dress was a white hoodie zipped up all the way to the top with a matching skirt in addition to that. She even changed up her footwear from her stockings and slip-on shoes to ankle socks and sneakers. In terms of general appearance and silhouette, it wasn't all too big of a change, but it was significant enough in its own right.
"Well, my first thought is that you must really like white." Jacky chuckled when he saw her cheeks puff up in her agitation. "Sorry, sorry, I think you look great in that get-up, not that you didn't look good in the dress, I mean." Okay, Jacky, shut the hell up before you make things really awkward! "What I mean is, if you think it's a good find, then that's what it is."
Lillie's irritation faded when her friend started to stumble on his words near the end there, beginning to burst with laughter. Well, that only made his face burn up, though he supposed this was a good change from the somber sight from before their excursion into the store. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh." She calmed down after some time, still seeming a bit unsure, but she didn't look like she was against what she found. "You really mean what you said?"
"Of course I do, and besides, you weren't planning on going all over Alola in the same ol' dress, were you?" It isn't like they were going to be able to cover every island in hours, after all, and if she did go all over the region in the same outfit, even if she washed it every day, at some point there'd be quite a bit of wear and tear by the end. Better to give herself more options so all her clothes can last longer. "I'll admit though, a little bit of color could go a long way."
She perked up a bit at the suggestion and looked down at her outfit, not really disagreeing with the boy. White was about as safe a color fashion-wise as black, but if it's only that one color, it could be kind of boring. "I suppose so…" She looked around the store for anything that could possibly offer that.
"Hey, they've got accessories near the desk, maybe they've got what you need." Jacky led the march towards the register, setting down his t-shirt and getting out his wallet to pay for it. Once the transaction was complete, he nudged his head towards Lillie. "Hey, my friend was looking for something colorful."
Lillie had tagged along in a heartbeat, hoping for an item that could settle this small situation, if you could really call it that. "I was hoping for an accessory, something small, I think?" She was definitely nervous, never having asked so vaguely for something like this. Was she not being specific enough? Should she have thought harder about what she wanted first? Was she wasting the poor cashier's time?
"Actually, you two have some pretty good timing. We're holding a sale on these puppies right here," the woman behind the counter proclaimed, retrieving something and setting out a tray of hairclips and ponytail holders all sporting small fake flowers of different color and type. One of them even looked familiar: The yellow wildflowers they had seen back at Melemele Meadows. There were four varieties, including the yellow flowers, among the lot of these small hair accessories. There was the aforementioned type, then there were pink flowers, purple flowers, and red flowers.
"Oh, these are all the flowers that Oricorio flock to, aren't they?" Lillie had received an affirmative nod to her observation, eliciting an even bigger smile from the blonde girl. It also got Jacky's attention a bit, that Pokemon like Millie would group up so heavily in multiple different places. He never saw any pink, purple, or red flowers back on Melemele, nor any yellow ones here in Akala so far, unless he counted the ones on these items. "Could… I maybe get one of each? I think I'd like to try a different one each day."
"No problemo, little lady! Before I ring these up, are you going to be buying those clothes you're wearing? I noticed they still have tags, soooo…" The clerk could barely hold in their laughter beyond a snicker when Lillie suddenly panicked and nodded fervently, rushing off back to the changing rooms to get back into her old clothes so she could properly buy the new stuff. "Cute kid."
No arguing with that, though what was moreso attention-grabbing was who she was before she wound up with Kukui. She was so unused to clothes shopping, was nervous around the clerk, and when she was given the chance to choose her own clothes, she ended up choosing stuff that still vaguely resembled her old outfit, moreso in color, but he still couldn't quite ignore it. Was he overthinking it…?
"Sorry, I'm back!" Lillie came rushing back to the counter after a few minutes in a hurry, carrying all the clothes she'd planned to buy all bundled up haphazardly in her arms. By the time she was back, the clerk had already plucked out four hair ties and hairclips, one for every color variety. All of the clothes she then purchased were pushed into a bag or two, sans one of the hair ties, namely the pink flower one.
She took a moment to find a mirror, preparing herself before slowly tying up her hair into a ponytail. Looking herself in the mirror now, she turned and looked at herself, pondering the small adjustment. After a moment or two to let it sink in, she beamed with a kind of childish delight. "How does it look?"
Jacky had already gotten a good look at her once she'd tied her hair up, and he had to admit it really helped, despite how small a difference it was on first glance. He shot her a confident thumbs up and answered, "Looks good, Lillie." He knew he was the one that suggested it, but he didn't really expect that such a minor adjustment would bring some more life to her look. Just before he stared too long, though, he noticed how bright it was getting outside and collected his own clothes. "Oh boy, look at that, I'd better get to a bed soon."
The girl giggled while she followed him towards the exit, asking, "Are you a night Noctowl or a vampire?"
"Who knooooows, but if I do start melting in the sunlight, tell Hau that it was all those malasadas that did me in," Jacky joked brightly, complemented by the small bell that jingled when they opened the door to leave.
"If he believed that, he might not look at them the same way again."
"Are you sure? I give him a week before he begs them to take him back!"
The two gave a hearty laugh about it before the bag jostled some and Nebby tried to squeeze his way out. "Oh, Nebby no! You can't yet, the sun is coming up, people might notice you." She sighed when the tiny nebula reluctantly shrank back into the bag. "I promise it's not much longer now."
"Someone's getting pretty restless." He paused in place, eyes staring off almost as if looking through Lillie and her bag for a moment. "Hey, Lillie, are you going to be okay traveling to the ruins on your own? Not to be rude or anything, but the last time I ran into you before my grand trial, you lost Nebby in a field of flowers."
Lillie had regarded him evenly when he started conversing again, but once that old dirt had come up, her cheeks pinked faintly. "Oh right, that did happen…" She didn't know how to respond to that, maybe bite a bit or just admit defeat on that end, before deciding, instead, to make a request. "Well, actually, now that you're bringing that… embarrassing moment up, I was actually wondering if maybe you'd be willing to come with me to the ruins? I really think Nebby likes you a lot and I could always use the company. Repels don't always do a perfect job at keeping Pokemon away from me, so…"
He didn't really need much thought to make his decision on this front, given he was the one who dug up the Melemele Meadows incident and he certainly enjoyed Lillie's company. It was honestly a good thing RotomDex couldn't hear his thoughts, because he's pretty sure they'd have made a tease about that. "Sure, I don't mind. I'm going to be all over this island, most likely, so it's not exactly out of the way and even if it was, it's not like this island challenge thing has a time limit or something, right?"
She perked up, that smile of hers growing a bit with a jubilant nod. "Right! Well then, we should probably meet up in the Tide Song Hotel tomorrow, in that case. I'm actually meeting someone here later today, so it'll be pretty convenient for the both of us, at least, assuming that that's where you'll be staying to sleep?"
"Yeah, probably. I'll be sure to get some good sleep as soon as I can, don't want to hold anything up. Yo, Rotom!" At the sound of the Pokemon's name, the possessed pokedex flew right out to answer the call. "You've got that map feature, do you think you could guide us to the Tide Song Hotel?"
"ZttZtt! You got it, bozz!" Syn tapped their own screen, pulling up their map feature and searching the city for the hotel. "It's this way!" Rotom flew on ahead to act as their guide, the two following closely, Cinnamon hot on their heels. The two conversed as they followed along, making sure to keep RotomDex in sight. However, they'd find some delays along the way, in the form of two young adults, possibly in their twenties, and having quite the touristy look about them, especially in those flashy shades.
"Hey you, you're taking the island challenge, right?" the blonde in blue shades asked up front, nodding towards the trinket hanging from Jacky's person.
"I am, but who's asking?" Jacky really wanted to just go to the hotel, check in, and get some sleep. If this was going where he thought this was going, he was not gonna be happy about it, it was way too late - or early depending on your perspective - for this crap.
"Name's Dexio, it's a pleasure to meet you. Sorry if this is a bad time, we won't take too much of your time, promise." The longer he talked, the more Jacky started to notice an odd sort of weight and emphasis in his words, and the way he spoke sounded a bit odd. He figured they weren't from Alola, but they certainly weren't from Unova either. If he had to make a guess, Dexio was attempting to work over his natural accent to come across easier to others in the region.
That assumption strengthened when the dark-haired woman next to him stepped forward, not bothering with that at all and simply allowing her accent to pass. Thankfully it wasn't too strong for him to understand what she was saying. "And my name is Sina, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman, wouldn't you agree?" She didn't immediately strike the two teens as vain, but she certainly was confident they had to give her that.
Sina seemed to be dressed more fashionably in a way, sporting a white halter top with a black tube top underneath that, a black cap with a pink bill, denim shorts with a ripped aesthetic, and a pair of black and pink ankle strap sandals. Dexio, on the other hand, looked like he was going more casual and leaning into the tourist look significantly more than his partner. His attire consisted of a yellow t-shirt sporting an unusual Exeggutor on the front, a tan flat-topped trilby on his head, a pair of ripped denim jeans, and some hexagon-patterned teal shoes.
"Name's Jacky. So are you two here on vacation then?" Jacky asked, hoping that playing along would hurry the conversation through. He could practically feel his attention span weakening and he was not intent on sleeping outside in broad daylight, thank you very much.
"It's mostly that, but we do have some business here before all of that. For one thing, we're pretty curious about the cultural differences here in Alola, namely that island challenge thing. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how unique it is to the gym challenges we have in our homes, right?" Dexio smiled welcomingly throughout the discussion, seeming sincerely fascinated by the subject, while Sina smirked and shifted her weight a bit, placing a hand on her hip.
"You heard the man, business before pleasure, and I'd very well like to get to the latter sometime in the future. On that note," she said, looking at Jacky up and down, spotting, first, the amulet that marked him as a challenger, and then the Z-ring. "Yep, you look like just the sort we've been looking for."
She pulled out a pokeball and Jacky had to resist the urge to groan quite loudly in frustration. "Of course it's come to this," he thought grouchily, "I'm willing to bet not having a battle with someone will be more shocking than the opposite the further I come on this island challenge." He pulled out a pokeball of his own, stepping back a few paces and preparing himself for a battle. "Lillie, why don't you go on to the hotel ahead of me, I'll catch up with you." He did get a bit worried when he noticed the white ring around her wrist. If she had a Z-ring, that would be a big problem for him. He couldn't always count on beating his opponent before they have a chance to pull off a Z-move like with Hala, so he needed to watch himself.
"Oh, okay." Lillie sounded a tad startled, but accepted the offer and went on ahead past Dexio, who regarded her for a little bit before looking at Jacky somewhat tensely.
"You said your name was Jacky, right?" The tourist almost seemed grim, though with those shades on, it was hard to discern a perfect expression. "We didn't interrupt a date or something, did we?" While Sina had done a double take on that and almost seemed remorseful of her challenge, Jacky had almost full-on shouted.
"WHA–?! NO!" He didn't need to glance at a mirror to know his face was probably as red as a tamato berry right now, though he did need to dial the volume waaaaay down in case Lillie heard that. "She's just a friend I'm traveling with, that's all!" By lightning and flames and chilling ice, what was with these two? He could guess they were from Kalos by Sina's accent, but damn did they have no tact!
As if his outburst and subsequent denial had been an evenly toned answer, Sina casually spoke to Dexio like they weren't just shouted at. "Looks like you did it again, Dexio. A shame, though, she's definitely a catch. Outfit could do with a touch-up though, that dress cannot be comfy under the hot sun."
Jacky growled under his breath and raised a pokeball to the two, words grinding out like gravel. "Let's just battle already!"