(We're almost done with the trials on Melemele, now to beat Hala, who I always play 'Hollaback Girl' by Gwen Stefani when battling him for the memes. Get it? Hala-back Girl? I'm not funny, I know.
The Reviews
Megan Romero: One Z-Crystal down, a heck of a lot more to go.)
As they were leaving the Verdant Cavern's deepest portion, Aubrey was suddenly confronted by a Zubat, flapping in front of her, but not in a hostile manner.
"Oh, it's the wonder bat! What's this one's deal?" Jake asked. Zubats were very popular Pokemon Trainer-preferred Pokemon after all so he was interested in the fact Aubrey had caught this one's attention.
"I think it wants something from me," Aubrey guessed. The Zubat was speaking in Poke-speak, prompting Aubrey to call out Tenor to play charades to see what the deal was. "Mmhmm...okay, so that's what this is about?" She seemed surprised by what Tenor was relaying to her.
Forrest looked curious to see what was being discussed as well. "Okay, I gotcha." Aubrey turned to Jake. "So according to Tenor, this Zubat here overheard the whole fight we had with Totem Gumshoos, and was pretty impressed by my performance against the Totem getting back up."
"And nothing to say about me...?" Despite his words, Aubrey could tell Jake wasn't truly upset about being outshined. The Zubat gave a happy shriek to show approval of Jake's performance as well. Even going as far as giving Forrest a high five with one of his wings to give props for the mid-battle evolution. Forrest gives a pleased reaction to this, beaming with pride and Jake smiled cheerfully. Reassured by Zubat's kindness.
"So you want to go along with me out of respect?" Aubrey would ask.
"Battttt!" The Zubat answered proudly. "Huh, alright then!" With one of the Great Balls that Ilima provided them, Aubrey held it out, the Zubat happily accepting the offer.
1...2...3...
Click!
Aubrey would give a smile, doing her ball toss, spin, and jumping catch topped off with, "Pokemon get!" to make it official.
"Heck yeah! That was an epic find then Aubrey. Impressing a Pokemon with your own resolve and skill to join your side like that. Guess I'm going to need a third musketeer myself." Jake smiled. Aubrey chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess we could get looking for one," She agreed, calling out her new teammate. "Now, what to call you..."
"Ichor," Jake suggested. "Like the blood of the gods."
"Mmm...I was thinking something more simple, like Erwin..." Aubrey put a finger to her chin as she thought on this. "Erwin...Erwing? Erwin, but it has 'wing' in the name because he's a Flying type."
"Oh, excellent! He sounds like someone to have tea with," The Hoenn based trainer chimed. The Zubat seemed to chuckle at Aubrey's attempts to be witty, but approved the name.
"Alright, Erwing it is!" She smiled. The two would leave the cavern, and when they stepped outside...
"Wow! A Z-Crystal!" Zossie was there with Dulse.
"So, this is what they call a Z-Crystal...fascinating," Dulse mused.
"Yeah, we got our bling. What are you two doing?" Jake asked with suspicion.
"We wanted to investigate the trial site here...but the Captain wouldn't let us in," Dulse informed. "Said only those on their Island Challenge were allowed inside."
"Buuuuut, we know who is allowed inside!" Zossie smirked, referring to Aubrey and Jake. "So what was it like in there?"
"Oh, you just wanna know what the trial sites are like," Aubrey responded with a happy shake of her head. "If that's all you wanna know, then I don't see any problem in trading notes." The ranger would look at Jake. "That's fine, right?"
"Sure..." Jake nodded.
"Alright, so there's a task that each trial sets for us to accomplish," Aubrey explained. "And then we need to defeat a strong Pokemon called a Totem Pokemon, and then we get the Z-Crystal."
"Ooh, that's so cool!" Zossie giggled.
"I suppose it's admirable you are able to utilize your own strength and skill to overcome these trials," Dulse commended. "Rather than relying on technology, like we do."
"We have to be natural fighters with our Pokemon. Using technology alongside them would be morally dubious or at least not truly depicting our strength," Jake responded.
"Kinda why I want to try and be a...it's Pokemon Trainer, right?" Zossie would ask, getting a nod from Aubrey. "So that way I can depend on both to overcome anything!"
"Exactly." Jake folded his arms.
"Just like we were able to overcome two strangely dressed guys who tried to get into the trial site like we were," Zossie added, catching Aubrey's attention.
"Wait...did they have skull-like hats?" The ranger asked.
Dulse nodded. "Are you familiar with them?"
"Not necessarily. They are just more goons that think they are cool and want to commit crimes in this fair world." Jake rolled his eyes in disgust, bringing them up.
"We ran into them at the marina and beat them up," Aubrey added.
"Ah...makes sense. They were scared about something they were calling some 'angry monster'...I think they were referring to you, Aubrey." Dulse wagered.
"...Yeah, that's about right." Aubrey simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, if you two are gonna be off, we'll get back to our investigation into these auras and Z-Crystals." Zossie and her teammate would give them a wave goodbye before heading off.
"Zossie's the nice one between the two," Aubrey said.
"Or at least the not obnoxious one for sure yeah." Jake nodded in agreement. Forrest seemed perturbed by their presence and let out a sigh of relief when they were gone. "To be honest they are becoming less suspicious the more I meet them in the sense they are a threat to look out for."
"I can get that," Aubrey responded. There was someone else waiting outside for them - Ilima.
"Acquaintances of yours, I presume?" He wagered a guess.
"At best followers worshipping our every move," Jake joked with a big grin on his face. Ilima shook his head with a smile.
"They're certainly something else, that's for sure," He responded. "They were going on about their research for auras and Z-Crystals. No doubt that whatever they're after has something to do with the island trials."
"Yeah, I figured as much," Aubrey agreed. "Maybe their Blinding One has the same deal with auras."
"Anyways, that was a very fun Trial Ilima. I trust it we exceeded your expectations?" Jake held up the Normalium for him to see.
"Why yes you did! I was waiting for you to be done conversing with those two so I could show you something," Ilima answered. "Whenever you beat certain trials, those going on their island challenge will have their world open up to them bit by bit. Observe!"
There was a barricade north of Verdant Cavern that was moved aside, allowing Aubrey and Jake to explore that part of Melemele.
"Oh that's neat!" Aubrey complimented. "It's so challenge-goers don't accidentally wander into somewhere too dangerous."
"That's right. Especially with rumors of Salamence around Kala'e Bay," Ilima replied, causing the ranger to pause.
"...Excuse me?" She blankly spoke.
"You may have noticed that the Totem Pokemon called for help from other Pokemon, yes?" Ilima explained. "Pokemon in the Alola region do this all the time. Perhaps the Pokemon of Alola have their own cultural customs not seen anywhere else in the world."
"That's for sure," Jake shrugged. "Still, such strong Dragon-types being around there would be cause for concern."
"It's why I advise that if you see a Bagon down there, either stay away or proceed with utmost caution," Ilima recommended. They'd see Kukui coming from Route 3, which was beyond the barricade, and he was happy to see the two.
"Oh hey! Aubrey! Jake! I see your first trial went well!" Kukui greeted with a smile.
"Yes Kukui. I'm glad to see you as well. A lot has happened hasn't it Aubrey?" The Hoenn trainer would ask.
"For two days, yeah. A lot really has happened," Aubrey answered jovially.
"Now that you've got a Z-Crystal, I think it's high time you two see what Z-Moves are all about, yeah," Kukui continued. "And trust me, I get your concerns about them, Jake. But from my research on them, both Mega Evolution and Z-Moves require the same level of trust between a trainer and their Pokemon."
"Well that's reassuring," The ranger mused.
"I'm fine with Z-Moves as a concept, just not when it's obviously eclipsed another concept and made said concept demonized in the process." Jake clarified. "Ah well, whatever makes the Pokemon happy I suppose."
"Still hung up on that, cousin?" Kukui frowned.
"Obviously you had nothing to do with the way Mega Evolution was vilified here in Alola," Aubrey pointed out to the good professor. "So odds are, we're looking for someone who's not from a position of authority if all these rumors were internet based."
"Yup, that's some pretty good deduction there, Aubrey," Kukui complimented. "As expected from a ranger, yeah."
"So what's the Z-Moves trend like anyway?" Jake asked, feeling bad for his explanation, and wanting to see what Kukui was excited about.
"It's real simple!" Kukui would call out his Rockruff, who happily wagged his tail at the duo. "Mind if I borrow that for a quick demonstration?"
"Sure, go right ahead." Aubrey would give him the Z-Crystal.
"Start off by giving your Pokemon a compatible Z-Crystal. So Rockruff here, who uses Tackle, can use the Normalium-Z here," The good professor began his explanation. "And once you give it a Z-Crystal, it can use Z-Moves in battle, woo!" He'd spot a Growlithe looking for a showdown, perfect for a demonstration. "Now get this. In order for a Z-Move to work, both the trainer and Pokemon gotta give it their all in order to work. Z-Moves draw on both of their power, yeah. That's what makes them so powerful."
"Mmhmm. And then you have to do some voguing right?" Jake was now interested in this.
"If by that, you mean doing this..." Kukui would go ahead and strike the Normal typed Z-Pose. "then yes!"
Yellow aura started to surround Rockruff, which seemed to come from Kukui, allowing him to use the move.
"Well let's see it, Rockruff! Don't keep us in suspense!" Aubrey cheered.
"Ruff!" Rockruff was ready to go. Rushing forward at a breakneck pace, Rockruff slammed into the Growlithe full speed ahead, defeating the fellow dog Pokemon in that singular hit.
"Impeccable!" Jake was astounded by the flashy and incredibly dynamic display of power. While Mega Evolution held more awe overall, seeing that any Pokemon could evoke such untapped potential was a really promising attribute. Aubrey let out a low whistle of approval.
"Dang, son..." She sounded impressed.
"And that, concludes my demonstration of Z-Moves. You can only use this power once a battle, but it can really turn things around when ya need it most," Kukui finished. "Whaddya think?"
"That's a fabulous fighting force of a power you got there!" Jake exclaimed excitedly. Forrest nodded in approval as well.
"Yeah, it's really dang cool!" Aubrey beamed.
"Had a feeling you'd like it. Oh yeah, one more thing I think is important," Kukui added. "The Z-Move's power is based on the move you're using it from. Whatever move you're using with the Z-Crystal, its power is doubled. Something to keep in mind going forward, cousin."
"Thanks...uncle," Jake teased.
"Anyway, now that I've got all that taken care of...mind if I ask you two a quick favor?" Kukui asked. "I can't seem to find Lillie anywhere. Last I saw her she was somewhere on Route 3."
"Yeah, we can do that for you real quick. It's on the way back to Iki Town for where the Grand Trial is gonna be, right?" Aubrey answered.
"That's correct," Ilima chimed in. "If you go straight through Route 3, you'll be back at Route 1 and Iki Town." Jake was now looking anxious. Not sure for the fact Belle was still unconscious and in need of healing but the idea of Lillie being missing made him very nervous for her.
"Though we'll need to rest our teams...could we ask you two to set up a perimeter around Route 3? One of you at one end, the other at the other end?" Aubrey asked. "That way if she leaves the area, we'll know."
"Certainly! I don't mind lending a hand," Ilima agreed.
"Sure thing!" Kukui also obliged.
Jake smiled at Aubrey in gratitude for her sensibility and ability to read his emotions. "Thanks, gentlemen. Well then let's get a siesta for our hard workers Aubrey."
"Right. Then we can get started," Aubrey agreed.
"Best of luck against the Kahuna, you two." Ilima waved them off. "I'll be watching!" With that, the two friends ventured to the nearest Pokemon Center and healed up their Pokemon and got some R&R for the journey they went.
Jake was delighted to see Belle again once she was summoned forth from her Dusk Ball and hugging Jake happily. "We were able to defeat Totem Gumshoos thanks to your value and powerful attacks! Forrest finished the job!" Forrest bowed before Belle and Belle seemed delighted to see her new and old comrade change so much and carry the battle for her even after she went down.
Aubrey would give her teammates loving headpats. "Loved the teamwork you two had in this trial. Take your rest and make nice with our new partner. Because he's gonna be a big help against Hala."
"Bwark!" Tenor smiled.
"Grub!" Nom also had a cheery voice tone as they went off to get their rest. Aubrey would then take a seat at the Poke Cafe.
"Hala? Have you been doing your research ahead of time?" Jake winked at her. "You are really thriving in this Pokemon Trainer lifestyle now, Aubrey."
"I'm living the dream kid me always wanted to live in, so it just seems natural," Aubrey giggled. "Anyway...I think we should get down to brass tacks. Where did you see all these rumors about Mega Evolution originate from, anyway?"
Jake looked at his Mega Bracelet with an insecure expression. "First it was comments and sketchy looks about what I was wearing and the Key Stone I had on...then when I had my first few battles and used Mega Evolution, the other trainers were aghast and questioning my tactics and understanding of my Pokemon. Asking me if I took good care of them. They were at least polite enough to point out Alola wasn't fond of Mega Evolution at the time and respected my skills."
"Mmm...so you heard about these through word of mouth..." Aubrey closed her eyes in thought. "Well that certainly makes things a bit trickier..."
"Then I did some prying at the library about it and I found a scathing journal talking about a variety of Pokemon Battling dos and don'ts and trivia. That was where I found out exactly what Alola thought of Mega Evolution. I was so disgusted and hurt by it." Jake looked over to the bystanders and noticed one of them had a Charmander with them, another really rare Pokemon in the region that could eventually Mega Evolve. "So then I did the next best thing and looked online and found lots of people shared the same thoughts on Mega Evolution here. Even saw some nasty fights between other Mega Evolution users from different regions and them over their toxic views."
Aubrey lit up at the mention of the journal. "Did you happen to get a name of an author from that journal?"
"A name? Well...I heard a rumor that the author behind the specific Mega Evolution section as well as other contributions to that book used an alias. The name was Gilda Lockon," Jake informed.
"Ugh, of course they'd have an alias..." Aubrey groaned. "It's never easy. But, it's something." She thought about it for a moment, then asked, "Think you could let me see some of these threads? If we find any mention of this Gilda character, we'll know it's a strong possibility they originated from them."
"Are you sure you want to dive down that Buneary hole?" Jake joked.
"If it means us getting closer to solving this mystery...it's a risk I'm willing to take," Aubrey answered sincerely.
"Ok then Aubrey." Jake did some snooping on his Rotomdex before finding the thread in question and handing it off to her. Taking the Rotomdex, Aubrey would start reading the chat thread.
"You haterz! Mega Evolution is the bezt!" One user with the name lookinglikealarvitar2 wrote.
"I would believe that Korrina herself has verified it as a true, honest and loyal connection of a Pokemon and Pokemon Trainer's love for one another. Why would she promote such hateful abuse?" Another user, jynxjinxjinxed, corroborated on the thread.
"AS IF!" One user with the interesting name IeatUBs4dinner, countered. "Gilda called all that out! It's just making these Pokemon go berserk or feral like in a disaster movie where Pokemon take over humanity. Besides, why do you think no self-respecting Alolan trainer uses Mega Evolution? Because they care!"
"Your mom is ugly raisin such limited viewz of da wurld." lookinglikealarvitar2 had a very clever comeback for that.
"At least my world isn't obsolete Kalosian!" IeatUBs4dinner snapped back on the thread.
"I'm from Hoenn thank you very much Mr or Mrs. Presumptuous. I just think it's wrong that Alola undermines what two regions think is a perfectly valid and even special form of combat and culture in Pokemon battles in such a way. Like Galar having gigantic kaiju-sized Pokemon is not as dangerous or threatening in your eyes?" jynxjinxjinxed argued. As Aubrey was reading this, she wondered if this person in specific was Jake arguing with this individual.
"At least that power has limits and the Pokemon are under your command!" IeatUBs4dinner defended. "Mega Evolved Pokemon have messed up characteristics like the Pokedex says. Gilda talked about too that plenty of Pokemon science has proven they are unnatural, unhinged, and in pain."
"Tauros dung! That'll never happen! Korrina's Lucario only went AWOL once!...Maybe twice!" lookinglikealarvitar2 denied the possibility but wasn't sure. "Otherwize you are just jumpin to conclusions! I've never seen Mega Pokemon act like what the Pokedex sayz they do!"
"Well until I'VE seen otherwise, I think that Mega Evolution is taboo for a reason and your regions should exercise more caution." IeatUBs4dinner typed in defiance.
"Try it and see how fast Kalos and Hoenn ban you from it's borders." jynxjinxjinxed retorted once more. The chat ended there.
"Well...this individual who wants to eat Ultra Beasts...no idea how they taste, nor am I interested in finding out...appears to be both someone I'd get in a physical altercation with, and seems to know something," Aubrey deduced.
"Tell me about it." Jake rolled his eyes but in a playful fashion, as though he thought Aubrey got a kick out of it like he did initially. Belle chuckled at Aubrey's joke about the Ultra Beasts.
"Gilda got mentioned by them, so that's why I say they're a person of interest..." Aubrey put a hand to her chin and got an idea. "Say...is it possible to get verified as a ranger on this website?"
"Eh? Oh...well I'm sure if there's a Ranger subfield, club, chat or what-not, sure. Since your form of Rangers is different from what most Trainers know of Rangers, it might be harder to find but you can get verified as A Ranger at least," Jake said.
"Good, because the last thing I want when asking this person questions is to be accused of faking my credentials," Aubrey mused. "If you don't mind me conducting a semi-interrogation of this strange dieted person?"
Jake was now induced into a laughing fit. "Absolutely. Go at it. You'll love this site!"
So in a few minutes, Aubrey already had an account set up, with her being verified as a ranger. "Okay, so how do I start this?" She would ask. "This is the first time I've ever interrogated someone over the internet."
"Send them a DM obviously." Jake answered. "It's the best way to approach someone if you've heard of them and want to keep the chat private from prying eyes."
"Right. Last thing I want is a captive audience," Aubrey agreed, beginning a DM conversation with the person of interest as Summerland Iron Maiden. "Hello! I noticed you follow Gilda Lockon and their writings on Mega Evolution. I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me." She wrote, deciding to be friendly and approachable.
"Huh? Been a while since anyone's asked me about her. Who is this? You're obviously new since we're not friends." IeatUBs4dinner wrote in response.
"Yeah, just made this account so I could get in touch with you. I'm currently looking into the hubbub about Mega Evolution as part of a personal inquiry." Aubrey wrote back.
After a moment of waiting, the chatroom user responded. "Ok. Well I'm ok with sharing information if you credit me in this ;3"
"Gladly." Aubrey simply replied.
"Now's your chance to ask him or her," Jake encouraged, now that they had their attention. Aubrey gave a nod, starting with the questioning.
"Is it true that these claims about Mega Evolution originated from Gilda Lockon? Or did they provide any additional sources in their journal?" She asked.
"I assume that means you've bought and read the 'Choose You and Chosen: The Long and Highly Documented Record of Pokemon Battling' then." IeatUBs4dinner wrote. "Well yes, Gilda Lockon is the writer behind the Mega Evolution section where she's chronicled Mega Evolution's position in the Alolan region especially as well as its impact on other regions and promoting the protection and safety of Pokemon. As well as evidence as to why Mega Evolution is ultimately a dangerous procedure for Pokemon to go through. She provided plenty of eyewitness reports, old records and photographs and where you can find video footage, and even images of the Mega Evolved Pokemon's fur, hair, and other characteristics."
"Okay..." Aubrey made a note of that. "Rotom!"
"Yezzz?" Rotom came to attention.
"Real quick Jake, where was this library you found this book?" Aubrey would ask.
"How many libraries are there on Alola?" Jake asked." I've only ever resided on one island and visited one or two of the others so I'm not entirely sure how many libraries there are in total."
"What'zzz the title of the book? I can search for it if you'd like," Rotom offered.
"Well this user's not wrong. It's 'Choose You and Chosen: The Long and Highly Documented Record of Pokemon Battling.' I definitely DIDN'T buy it though." Jake explained. "I gave it a poor review out of spite... and also because they also said Rotation Battles are the least enjoyable type of Pokemon Battling. There's fans for them."
"Got it! Searching..." Rotom would start searching for the book, and came back with a result. "Got it! Thizzz book is at the library in Maile City, on Ula Ula Island."
"Make a note for us to grab that book when we get there," Aubrey instructed. "I want to see this for myself."
"Yezzz ma'am!" Rotom saluted, leaving Aubrey to get back to her 'interrogation' of the internet goer.
"Just so we're on the same page, Mega Evolution originated from Kalos, correct?" Aubrey asked.
"Gilda points out that many different accounts surmise where exactly Mega Evolution originated," IeatUBs4dinner typed out. "Some claim it was in Hoenn by a Rayquaza who Mega Evolved to save the world as well as citing the Primal forms of Groudon and Kyogre. Most recent reports and eyewitness accounts of this practice do come from Kalos though she theorizes it was a rediscovery made by the Professor Sycamore and Korrina of the lost art. Or the fact that Mega Stones became more frequent in Kalos after Team Rocket's first defeat years ago. Alola has hieroglyphics and historical evidence and documentation about Mega Evolution from ancient times though. Ultimately it's concluded that Mega Evolution as a practice and the uncovering of the Mega Stones first started in Kalos and most people accept that Hoenn was where the actual phenomenon first took place in history."
"Hieroglyphs...mmm..." Aubrey thought about this for a moment. "If there are any, I'm sure we'll find them...eventually."
"Possibly... unless they've been taken down by now. I heard the Aether Foundation was clearing some historical sites to expand. Though the fact no one seemed too upset about this might indicate it was those Mega Evolution hieroglyphs that no one would miss." Jake bit his lip.
"Well either way, this does give us some leads to work with," Aubrey reassured. "I'll get to looking into these and hopefully we can put this all to rest. Thanks for the help. Also...try not to have the Ultra Beasts turn you into an entree. Have a nice day!" She wrote to conclude her side of the DM conversation.
"Anyone scared of those boogeymen are sissies ;b. I'm not scared of something that won't ever feasibly show up in front of me." IeatUBs4dinner snarked back. "Besides, we have Trainers here strong enough to take them down. You're welcome then Iron Maiden. Good to meet someone else who is interested in this subject."
Jake clenched his fists more out of childish annoyance than anger at seeing this comment. A ding sound was then heard and Jake pointed out with a begrudging tone, "I think they gave you a friend request."
"Eh, I'll get around to it eventually." Aubrey shrugged. "But if what he's saying is true about the Ultra Beasts, I think the two of us should be fine. Though it wouldn't hurt for us to be cautious."
"That's exactly what I've been doing all this time when it comes to those behemoths," Jake said with a small chuckle.
"So don't worry about it, dude. We'll manage." Aubrey gave Jake a reassuring shoulder rub.
Jake smiled at the warm gesture. "So now that we're done worrying about my first-world problems, let's get onto the second-world problem of finding Lillie." Jake joked as he stood up, ready to look for her.
Aubrey would stand up with a nod. "Right. Let's get to Route 3!" They left the Pokemon Center with that, and got to searching.
"Forrest, search for the lovely lady assistant from the skies!" Jake gave a direct command to his newly evolved starter and so Dartrix took to the skies to scope her out. In the skies, Forrest would find wild Spearow and Rufflet flying around, but they weren't too interested in dealing with him.
On the ground, Aubrey would find a couple trainers, and after battling them, was able to hear that they claimed to see a young girl fitting Lillie's description headed to the meadow on this route. "Jake, I got something!" She called.
"You do? Let's get onto the scene at once!" Jake said. Sure enough, Forrest spotted her as well and swopped down to join his trainers and inform them of the coordinates.
"Yeah, these two are saying Lillie is at the meadow here. Let's get moving!" Aubrey would head in that direction, some pep in her step. Eventually, the two valiant trainers reached what looked like a very beautiful and scenic meadow.
"Nebby! Nebby, come back!" Lillie called as they arrived.
"Lillie, you doing alright? Professor Kukui was wondering where you ran off to." Jake said.
"Ah, Jake...Aubrey too!" Lillie looked a bit relieved. "Sorry to make the professor worry..."
"Where'd Nebby go?" Aubrey would ask.
"Nebby ran off in the meadow...and it doesn't know any moves it can use to defend itself," Lillie informed.
"Yeah, I can see the little one back there," The ranger responded. "Jake, I'll go get Nebby. Stay here with Lillie in case anything crazy happens, yeah?"
"Sure, sudden random falling objects beware!" Jake struck a dramatic fighting pose to emphasize how he'd guard Lillie with his life.
"Thank you both...please hurry, Aubrey. I don't want Nebby getting attacked," Lillie cautioned.
"The only thing they'll be attacking is me, and it won't hurt that much," Aubrey assured, heading into the yellow flowered meadow to go get the little cosmic fluff ball. As Aubrey went off to go get Nebby, Lillie would turn to Jake.
"So, um...I don't think we've talked much since this adventure of yours started," She mentioned.
"No we haven't Lillie. It's been a whirlwind of activity so far. You used to the hustle and bustle of Pokemon journeys?" Jake asked. He definitely delighted in getting to know more about this girl.
Lillie shook her head no. "This is my first time doing anything like this...though to be fair, I am mostly just following the both of you and Hau."
"So you just became the Professor's assistant recently? What inspired you to take up the position?" Jake continued.
"I thought it was the least I could do after the professor took me in," Lillie answered. "Though I'm not the best at it...I still give it whatever effort I can."
"Took you in? Wait but you said you have a mother..." Jake was now a little alarmed. She had definitely mentioned her mother dressing her and picking her outfits so then why was Lillie referring to the Professor 'taking her in' like adoption?
He could tell this line of questioning was making her uncomfortable, as she looked away when he mentioned. "Well, yes I do have a mother, but..." She trailed off. "It's not like..." Shaking her head, Lillie asked, "I...I don't really want to talk about it right now."
"Ok, ok sorry. It might just be like a rebellious phase or a 'leaving the house to go to work' thing anyway. I apologize for prying Lillie," Jake said. Belle tried to cheer up Lillie by spinning around clockwise.
"A-Anyway...what about you? What's being a trainer like?" Lillie decided to change the subject.
"Oh it's glorious! I went on a journey on Hoenn before this and it was great so being able to branch off to another region and start it all over again is giving me all the life and all the excitement...even with Alola's nuttiness," Jake chuckled. "Also I just wanted to say your effort is paying off in my eyes."
With a soft smile, Lillie responded with, "Thank you..."
"You're welcome. So what's your favorite Pokemon type and Pokemon?" Jake asked curiously. "Mine is Grass, which is why I chose the lovely Forrest as my starter this region. And Bellossom is my favorite Pokemon. I have one back at home!" Forrest puffed his chest with pride at being chosen for such a noble reason.
"Um, well...I haven't put much thought into it, personally," Lillie confided. Before this could proceed further, Aubrey returned with Nebby.
"Got Nebby back!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, you!" Lillie turned her attention to Nebby, not to be rude but out of concern for her Pokemon.
"Pew?" Nebby didn't see anything wrong with what it did.
"Thank you, Aubrey...oh, I'm terribly sorry for ignoring you there, Jake." She bowed with that apology. "Back into the bag, you." She got Nebby back in her bag, then said, "Um...I think we should let the professor know I'm okay. He must've been worried sick about me."
"Nah, you didn't ignore me. I will just ask again and again until I get an answer darling!" Jake winked at Lillie playfully. "And yeah, I agree that Kukui deserves to know the truth and details of what's going on."
"Then let's go find him. You have a grand trial to get to, don't you?" Lillie agreed. "There's still some daylight left...we can probably get your trials on Melemele finished if we hurry."
"Think you know someplace he might be?" Jake suggested positively.
"Likely back at Iki Town?" Lillie gave a shrug as they headed out of the meadow.
When they left, who else would they run into but Hau?
"He-e-ey, you two!" He greeted. "And Lillie too!"
"Hau! Did you beat Ilima's trial too?" Aubrey asked.
"Yup! I sure did!" Hau answered cheerfully.
"Good job Hau! That giant gumdrop was no match for the terrific trio." Jake beamed.
"You said it! So, Aubrey! I wanna see if I learned anything since we battled yesterday. Let's have a quickie!" Hau requested.
"Alright, if you want it, I'll give it to ya." Aubrey was ready to roll.
"Well...I'll watch, but it seems silly to hurt your Pokemon before the grand trial," Lillie mentioned. That and she hated seeing their Pokemon hurt.
"Ah, no worries, Lillie. You've got plenty of medicine to fix our teams up, right?" Hau mentioned.
"Oh, um...yes I do," The assistant remembered, nodding.
"Good luck you two, but remember to play nice." Jake was now ready to watch this.
Hau showed that he had gotten a bit stronger from last time, his Pichu having evolved into a Pikachu in between battles.
"Oh wow...it's already a Pikachu? I could've sworn you only had it for a day," Aubrey complimented as she called out Nom.
"Mhm! We had a big ol' feast at the malasada shop," Hau smiled.
"Are those things made of Rare Candies?" Jake chuckled.
"That'd be nice, wouldn't it?" Hau beamed.
Nom was still on point, despite taking solid hits from Electro Ball. Her Mud-Slap was still useful here, though she got afflicted by paralysis due to Pikachu's Static ability. That said, Tenor was able to clean up against Litten quite nicely. Belle snoozed on Forrest's head, a bit tired from the adventure and Forrest analyzed the Pokemon fight with careful consideration and an impressed expression.
"Aww, man! I wanted to show off my team's best side more!" Hau scratched the back of his head.
"Well, Pikachu is doing quite nicely," Aubrey commended.
"Yeah, he'll be formidable in no time," Jake smiled.
Taking their compliments to heart, Hau would say, "Now that we've all beaten the Totem Pokemon, there's only one thing left to do. C'mon, let's get to Iki Town so we can finish our trials here! I don't wanna keep Tutu waiting."
"Tutu?" Jake tilted his head in confusion.
"I think that's what he calls his gramps," Aubrey guessed. "You are Kahuna Hala's grandson, right?"
"Yup, that's right," Hau answered.
"Oh, that's awesome! Having a famous relative be part of the Pokemon challenge!" Jake exclaimed.
"Sure is! Though I think we'll all be just fine," Aubrey agreed.
"Yes. Lemme fix up your teams first, you two. Then we can go." Lillie got to work.
"So Lillie, what do you think about how Aubrey and Hau's duel went?" Jake asked, encouraging Lillie to open up more in his own way.
"Well...Aubrey's only been a trainer for a short while, and yet she's already on top of things," Lillie commented as they walked along.
"And Hau?" Jake followed up.
"I think...he's focused on the fun part of having Pokemon. But I don't think it'd be smart to underestimate him," Lillie wagered.
"Oh, I never underestimate anyone except for Team Grunts." Jake said. "Really, everyone starts off their journey have the makings or an edge in a unique way in being a Pokemon Trainer. It's all about perspective, heart, and a good moral compass to help see that potential blossom into a truly respectful and formidable Trainer with a strong unity with their team."
"Um...why do you underestimate the grunts?" Lillie asked out of curiosity.
"They are big stuck-up jerks who treat Pokemon Training as a means to an end rather than an attainable, pure goal," Jake bluntly answered.
"O-oh..." Lillie looked down. "They're still scary for me to deal with...but, around you all, I feel much safer."
"Like you should be! Right Aubrey?" Jake smiled.
"Well, of course! I beat the snot out of one of those Team Skull goons down by the marina," Aubrey smiled, sounding quite proud of it.
"I see...that's...reassuring," Lillie was both surprised, but at the same time expected that kind of thing from the ranger. "It makes sense you would get into physical fights with people..."
"Their selling off Pokemon stuff made me mad." Aubrey folded her arms. "Anyone who does that immediately gets on my bad side."
"Which is evidence of their terrible methodology and thought processes behind Pokemon," Jake added. "And why they deserve to be underestimated because they'll always lose to those who are serious about and care about Pokemon."
"Alright. I guess that makes sense to me." The professor's assistant gave a nod, acknowledging Jake had a point here.
When they got to Iki Town, Kukui was there. "Oh hey! Thanks for finding my assistant, you two!"
"It was fun! We got to know her better and everything!" Jake beamed.
"Ol' Hala is crazy strong, cousin. It'd be a good idea to use Flying or Psychic-type moves against him, what with the Kahuna here being a pro in Fighting-type Pokemon," Kukui informed.
"Looks like I'm covered nicely then," Jake mused.
"Yeah, same here." Aubrey rolled her shoulders. "So! Who's going first, man?"
"You should go first. I did last time unintentionally mostly," Jake shrugged.
"Right." Aubrey would step up to the plate first against the Kahuna, who was waiting for them at the steps.
"Good work on clearing the trial at Verdant Cavern," Hala complimented. "Now! Are we ready for the grand trial? I am your last challenge on Melemele Island."
"Oh you know I am," Aubrey hummed.
"Yeah, I've been waiting for this!" Hau added.
"This is the first proof of power and passion on our journey," Jake clenched his fist and pumped his arm in pride. Aubrey would follow Hala to the wooden platform they used for battling.
The Kahuna would stomp down his foot like a sumo wrestler, getting in a fighting stance. "Ho! Well Aubrey, you have been entrusted with that sparkling stone by Tapu Koko. Now show me what you and your Pokemon are capable of, as both a trainer and a ranger! Old Hala here will be going all out against you all!"
"I wouldn't even mind taking you on mano-e-mano myself, Hala," Aubrey chuckled, the scrapper side of her speaking. "Let's rumble!"
Jake looked on in excitement, ready for the ranger to show the world what she was made of as a Pokemon trainer again.
With the battle underway, Hala would send out his first Pokemon, a Mankey.
"Alright Erwing, let's show 'em what we're made of!" Aubrey called out her Zubat, who let out a shriek to show he was raring to fight. Erwing's strategy for this fight was to mainly use Wing Attack, and while one attack wasn't enough to put Mankey down, a second one was after a particularly solid Pursuit hit.
Next up was Makuhita. The Guts Pokemon would open with a Fake Out, but Erwing didn't flinch from this, charging ahead with another Wing Attack!
"Fly on!" Jake cheered.
"How'd that even happen...? Is it an ability Zubat has?" Aubrey sounded curious.
"I think so. Inner Focus is the ability that prevents flinching hax," Jake answered from the sidelines.
"Oh...oh, okay. That's pretty useful!" Aubrey smiled. Things would take a change once the final Pokemon that Hala had came out, Crabrawler. After a round of Leer where Crabrawler didn't go down immediately from Erwing's attack, Hala would strike his own pose, throwing punches at the air before one last punch, sending energy to Crabrawler.
"Oh wow, here comes the Fighting type Z-Move!" Hau exclaimed.
"I think Erwing's gonna be okay...?" Aubrey thought aloud. "He should be very resistant to Fighting attacks..."
"Aubrey don't jinx it!" Jake gasped.
"I'm not sure if he'll be fine or not!" Aubrey loudly responded.
Crabrawler would be throwing out large, orange energy fists and feet at Erwing, striking mercilessly before sending out one last shot of energy, this one bigger than the last to send the bat flying.
"Oh my Arceus..." The ranger was quite impressed by this. Even moreso was Erwing still hanging on, but just barely. "Yeah...I think it's best I switch you out, buddy."
Jake suppressed a facepalm for Aubrey's karmic misfortune. Forrest however urged Aubrey not to give up and with a "Dar!", showed his unconditional support of the ranger's chances still being good. The misfortune didn't seem to deter her in the slightest. It had the opposite effect as she had Tenor's Poke Ball in hand.
"Whatever!" She exclaimed. "Tenor, help us out here!" With the Popplio on the field now, Aubrey had things under control with Tenor taking advantage of Disarming Voice, his song being able to triumph over Crabrawler's fists after some effort.
"Wahaha! Well done!" Hala laughed.
"Whoo! That's our maestro!" Jake congratulated.
"Bwark! Bwark!" Tenor cheered, and then...
He began to glow. Jake gasped dramatically and Forrest and Belle looked on with awe. One had never seen it before, one had witnessed it before, and one had been through it before. The essence of... EVOLUTION! When the light had faded, Tenor's form took on a different look. His blues were brighter, three ruffle-like growths were around his body, and had long ears that were made up of three segments that lighten and increase in size towards the tip. He was now a Brionne!
"Brion! Briiiiii!" Tenor spun around and held his flippers up in celebration. Rotom would pop up to show Aubrey what she had.
"Brionne, the Pop Star Pokemon, and the evolved form of Popplio. A skillful dancer, it creates a sequence of water balloons as it dances, and briskly bombards its enemies," He informed.
"Thanks Rotom. And looking good, Tenor!" Aubrey smiled.
"Ohhh you look so adorable Tenor!" Jake ran up and picked up Tenor and lifted him up in the air up and down several times in celebration.
Hala gave a nod of approval. "Harrumph! Well now, if we would take a moment for my team and I to refresh...Jake, you're next, I presume?" He had a feeling this one would be a bit more of an advanced battler with his tactics.
"Oh...! Well, yeah sure Hala." Jake blushed and put Tenor down as Belle and Forrest came to his side. He returned Belle to her Dusk Ball as he was keen on opening up with Forrest. "I'm hopeful you will find me just as worthy an adversary."
Hala nodded. "I'm positive you'll put up quite a fight."
Hala sent out Mankey first, Jake regarding the Pig Monkey Pokemon curiously. He didn't have to worry too much about being one-shot with these non-evolved Pokemon but it was crucial for Forrest to clean house swiftly and carefully so that Belle wouldn't be at risk of Pursuit. "Forrest, take to the skies and send out a Razor Leaf!" Jake pointed at the target as Dartrix flew high and sent waves of Razor Leaf at Mankey in a fan-like formation.
"Mankey, take to the evasion and chase after him!" Hala ordered. Makey ran furiously on all fours barely weaving their way out of the swarm of razor leaves and leapt up on the nearby terrain to get a higher vantage point before leaping towards Forrest with a Pursuit.
"Shadow Sneak now!" Forrest retreated into the shadows much to Mankey's concern, forcing the monkey to land on the ground carefully. It waited for Forrest to make it's return and this time Forrest appeared from behind and kicked down the Mankey, knocking it back and making it bounce roughly on the ground a few times.
"Get up and go for a Focus Energy!" Mankey honed it's instincts, determined to get a formidable blow.
"Pluck Forrest, Pluck!" Forrest flew forth at an impressive speed and Plucked Mankey's tail before swinging the monkey into a rock roughly, dealing a hefty amount of damage and knocking the Mankey out. Mankey was unfortunately too slow to catch-up to Forrest's heightened speed and stats from the evolution.
"Ooh...he's really letting him have it," Aubrey said, bemused.
"I see you know how to make the most of an evolution! I'm impressed." Hala said.
"Thanks, Forrest is only happy to show off." Jake smiled.
"However, you can't rely on just one Pokemon to defeat all your opponents. No matter if they are evolved. Makuhita, I choose you!" Makuhita joined the fray, looking stoic and ready as a sumo Pokemon oughta. Jake had fought Makuhita before in Hoenn and knew them to be a fairly decent and tough pre-evolution.
"Forrest, once more from the top! Zone him with Razor Leaf!"
"Sand Attack!"
Makuhita took a few hits from the Razor Leaf but by placing his foot on the sand and then swirling it up, he sent a tornado of sand flying Forrest's way and the Blade Quill Pokemon found itself rather blinded and hindered by the sand in his eyes and his beloved feathers. He fussily tried to clean himself up, leaving him open to attack.
"Forrest I love being clean as much as the next Pokemon, but you gotta keep at it! Shadow-" Unfortunately, Makuhita seemed to delight in this vulnerability as another Sand Attack soon smothered Forrest and left the Pokemon totally bewildered and disoriented. "Yeesh..." Jake frowned at the fact Forrest was losing accuracy and focus in this battle fast. "Shadow Sneak! Avoid the sand!"
Forrest was only glad to retreat into the shadows. "Makuhita, stand firm! Get ready to counter with Arm Thrust!" Hala's voice remained steady and composed. Makuhita nodded and honed his positioning, waiting with almost an instinctive sixth sense. Sure enough a shadow formed upon the ground not precisely on point with where the fighter was and Makuhita side-stepped easily as Forrest missed and a painful-looking Arm Thrust knocked Forrest into the ground where they skidded roughly a few yards.
"Dang it. At this rate I won't be able to get a good Pluck off..." Jake bit his lip. "Razor Leaf again!" He ordered Forrest carefully but unfortunately as Forrest finally got to his feet and tried to take off, Makuhita approached at quick speeds and slapped both of his cheeks with an Arm Thrust, knocking Forrest flat onto his back in stunned flinchment.
Jake grimaced. He knew that this was unnecessary damage Forrest was taking at this point and he was better than this. However Sand Attack attacked Forrest in both his newfound pride as a Dartrix and his ability to make close contact with the Pokemon for the max impact of being a flying type. There was only one other option to do, albeit a risky one. "Forrest, return!" He returned the shaken Forrest to his Pokeball and then pulled out the ever familiar Dusk Ball. "Belle, it's time for the ball!"
"Litwickkkk...!" Belle was happy to be participating in the fight though looked determined to make up for Forrest being stunned by the battle. Makuhita already lunged at Belle with an Arm Thrust, knocking Belle back a bit from joining the fray mid-battle but Belle recovered and sent a Confuse Ray at Makuhita. "Liiiiiiiiit~"
"She used that without you giving her a command!" Hala looked surprised.(edited)
"She knows what's up and what her best tactic is!" Makuhita soon found himself dizzy and struggling to stay steady as the Confuse Ray worked.
"I see that you're really cranking things up for Jake, huh Hala?" Aubrey asked with a chuckle, having noticed her battle was quite simple in comparison.
"It's no good when trainers who evolve their Pokemon before facing me get a bit reliant or cocky on said evolution. It's important they brace themselves for all strategies. Like I want Hau to know." Hala explained.
"Will-O-Wisp him now Belle!" As Makuhita found himself falling over in a clumsy trip from hurting itself in confusion it then got singed with spectral flames by Belle that burned it and it found itself taking more additional damage, now at half health.
"Although...it appears this Belle knows what's up. Makuhita, Arm Thrust!" Makuhita was able to not hurt itself and thrust his palm forward at Belle but this time Belle dodged the attack gracefully and retaliated with a powerful Fire Spin attack. Makuhita flinched and cowered and ultimately the burn, Fire Spin, dot, and one more unfortunate confusion-induced trip to itself was able to wear out Makuhita completely and it was knocked out.
"Whew! I knew she could do it! Great job Belle!" Jake cheered for Belle making the comeback for Forrest. Belle smiled and danced around happily from how the clash went as Hala returned Makuhita.
"You've got a Pokemon who trusts you to a T and that's really impressive Jake. Where Aubrey relies on a powerful offense and resourceful understanding of the Pokemon's capabilities, you implement your tactics the way a commander would send out his troops to besiege the enemy. To the point that even your own Pokemon know what to do."
"Well I think being a good friend and leader is key to having strong relationships with your Pokemon, and as a Trainer." Jake nodded.
"Yeah, Van was always the more technical fistfighter between the two of us," Aubrey admitted. "But my brute force strategy works with a bit of brain power behind it!"
"And that's where the sky's the limit with you, Aubrey. However Jake, you still have to contend with my ace in the hole! Crabrawler I choose you!" Hala summoned the Crabbrawler who looked quite battle-hungry and intense.
"...It has Pursuit...and the Z-Move...but at the same time whittling it down and leaving it open for Forrest is my best call right now. Belle, stay in this and use Will-O-Wisp!"
"Crabrawler, pursue her and use Leer!" Crabrawler, with the reflexes of a true cage fighter, zoomed in quickly on Belle and stared her down with Leer, even as it felt itself get burned. Belle looked more vulnerable from the action and without the speed of flight as Forrest, had Crabbrawler completely tracking her down like a honed in projectile.
"Fire Spin!" This time, Belle swirled around with the flames being sent out from her, managing to force Crabbrawler back as it took the hit of the fire but it lunged forward with a Power-Up Punch that knocked Belle back and empowered its own attack.
Aubrey looked surprised by that. "Woah...he hit Belle with a Fighting type move? His Crabrawler must've been really tough..."
"Or he's buffing up his attack for later against Forrest..." Jake grimaced, realizing he would save the Z-Move for Forrest.
"I mean...if he's got a Fighting type move hitting Ghost types..." That could only mean one thing to Aubrey. Hala was comboing Power-Up Punch with Pursuit. "He's comboing his attacks, watch out!"
"Huh...! You are right. It must be a coordinated move then." Jake deduced. He then thought about his options. Jake knew that while Belle had strong long-term impact, she lacked Forrest's burst damage and wouldn't be able to insta-down him without Flame Burst yet. He decided he had to take his chances because at the very least the Z-Move would not work on Belle as of right now so the most damage that could be done right now was key. "Night Shade, Belle!" Belle, looking worse for wear, sent out a specter of herself that chilled and damaged Crabrawler equivalent to her level which wasn't a lot but enough to bring the crab to half their health in conjunction with the burn/Fire Spin damage.
"Pursuit! Full force!" Crabrawler spun up his arm and lunged forward with a powerful right hook to Belle that soon took the Candle Pokemon out of the fight as she crashed to the ground.
"I hope she still forgives me for letting her get downed so many times..." Jake gulped, guilty and nervous. He was glad to see she had done decent work in softening Hala's boss Pokemon up but knew it was all up to Forrest. "Good job pulling through for me against Makuhita." He returned Belle to her Dusk Ball.
"Forrest, come through and don't let me down!" Jake summoned Forrest who looked better than they were with the sand in their eyes and coat, though having taken a little bit of damage meant they were still open for the defeat.
Hala would strike a very familiar pose once Forrest was out as he channeled his Z-Move, throwing punches at the air before one last punch, sending energy to Crabrawler.
"Forrest, brace yourself and get ready to retaliate with Pluck." Forrest felt ashamed for letting Jake down earlier and nodded, standing his ground as being in the air would hurt more from the impact of this coming attack.
Soon the onslaught of the Z-Move All-Out Pummeling flew forth and Forrest found himself pummeled heavily with the strong-armed attack. However... even though he was down to low health... he was not down for the count. With a fierce glint in his eye he suddenly swooped in and descended on Crabrawler, plucking his arm painfully before flying up and over and then suplexing the Crabrawler onto the ground in what seemed like a Seismic Toss homage.
Crabrawler was taken out by this strong blow and murmured weakly "Craaaa.." as they passed out onto the ground.
"Booyah! That's how I roll!" Jake smirked happily. Forrest, tired, fell onto it's butt though Jake was quick to run over and pick him up, hug him, and twirl him around in excitement.
"Mmm. A skillful bout indeed. Ever strong as always Crabrawler, don't be too hard on yourself." Hala commented and returned the Pokemon. "That's a good lesson to all of you. Even if a Pokemon falls in battle doesn't mean they failed or faltered or did wrong, they simply fought their hardest and gave it their best effort. Positively reinforcing them is what helps them grow even stronger in the face of loss."
"So that means me and Aubrey both passed! We're still the duo to beat!" Jake grinned.
"Wahoo!" Hau cheered, high fiving them both.
"Now. I expect the road to be harder going ahead for you, Aubrey, as the Kahunas definitely will be pulling out all the stops strategically to see what you can do when adaptation is needed," Hala informed.
"So...you were saving all that strength for Jake here?" Aubrey chuckled. Hala, after pausing for a moment, jovially laughed.
"Things are certainly more challenging than the one trial and grand trial we have here on Melemele, I can promise you that much!" He admitted. "But enough of that. The Fightinium-Z is yours!"
"Whoo another Z-Crystal to our Z-legacy!" Jake did his Ranger victory pose alongside Forrest. Aubrey would do the same, having the red-orange shaped crystal with a fist engraving in it.
(And THAT! Is the Melemele Trials clear! Couple things to note, yes, you can clearly see who's writing what when it comes to the battles. I myself am fully aware that I need to get more into detail when writing, but it's nice to have somewhere to start so I can see how far I've come in writing fights. Oh yeah, and it's also a dichotomy between our two protagonists - Aubrey is a more brute force, simplistic brawler, and Jake is a lot more technical and creative between the two. No points guessing who'd come out on top between the two.
We've got one more part in Day 2, so we're not fully done with Melemele just yet. Next time, things get spooky! Bye for now!)