(Dawn of the third day, Akala Island here we come! Don't have much to say, just wanted to do that.
The Reviews
Megan Romero: A prayer for the Trainer School's guardian angel. As for the Water/Flying type, you'll see this chapter!)
When Jake woke up that morning, he'd find that Aubrey was already out of her sleeping bag, likely getting changed.
"..." Jake didn't say anything, knowing he had to take a shower and get himself ready for the day but also understanding today they had some errands to run. Namely the memorial offering for and to the deceased girl of the school. He checked to see if his belongings were in order while waiting for Aubrey's return. He'd hear her voice coming from the motel room door when he was making sure everything was in order.
"Yo." Aubrey was decked out in a silver base wetsuit with back trim, and had on a pair of silver and red water shoes to boot.
"Oh. You are getting your swimsuit on? Why's that? Are we going to the beach?" Jake asked as he gave her a thumbs up for style.
"It's how we're getting to Akala Island, actually," Aubrey informed. "On the back of Mantine."
"Incredible! A Pokemon serving as our noble steed yet again," Jake's eyes sparkled. "Let's hop to it then!" Jake dashed into the bathroom for his shower of power.
"I went ahead and got my gift for the little girl before we leave," Aubrey added. "So once we pay our respects, we're heading off."
"Ok!" Jake called out from the bathroom. Sooner rather than later, he was done. He was dressed in a stylish marine blue swim-shirt with long sleeves, white swimming trunks with colorful turtles and flowers on it, and yellow water shoes. He was fit for a day out on the sea.
Once he was ready, Aubrey asked, "Shall we?" She was now holding a nicely wrapped bouquet of irises, her gift for the little girl.
"Yeah! I need to get something that I think she'd like. She seemed like she wasn't afraid of anything and dreamed of making horror movies. I was thinking of something cute but spooky. Like a Duskull doll or something," Jake suggested.
With a nod, the ranger would head outside with Jake back to the shopping district of Hau'oli City. "So uh...I wasn't entirely sure what to get her, but someone passing by suggested I get flowers for her. I head to the closest florist I could find, tell them what was going on, and recommended I get her irises. Something about them symbolizing hope, I said 'Well that's fitting. With her watching over the school, there's plenty of hope that those who go there become awesome trainers.'"
"It's a poetic and meaningful gift you got her, Aubrey. You can never go wrong with flowers! And you are right. Awesome trainers, leaders, revolutionaries, icons...All making Alola a better place." Jake soon found a nice plushie stand with a lot of different plushies. He indeed found a Duskull plushie that was part of the 'Hoenn Haunts Collection'. It looked like the kind of ghostly and cute companion anyone would want.
Aubrey chuckled at the thought. "Yeah, I wanted this gift of mine to have meaning. Just to let her know I really do care about her...even if we only knew her for like a few hours."
Jake purchased it and they headed towards the school in question. Considering it was the morning, it was probably there might actually be students and teachers there. "You know what they say, a few hours spent is a few hours in life you'll remember forever."
"Huh...didn't know that, admittedly," Aubrey confided in a sheepish way. Sure enough, there were students and faculty there. Those who saw them were curious what the flowers and doll were for.
"It's something Professor Birch told me," Jake responded. "He's very chill but wise." The Hoenn trainer waved hello to them. "We're just paying homage to the Wonders of this School you all attend."
"Really? That's so cool!" One of the students told him. Jake saw the tree outside where they had encountered the girl and her Drifloon. Jake gestured to Aubrey this seemed like the best place to put the offerings to honor the girl.
"Yeah, I see what you mean. Let's put them here, say our peace, and head off." Aubrey would go first, kneeling down and planting the irises in the ground.
"Wherever you are young lady who loved her school and wanted to see it better, these are for you and only you. Best of luck in your second life and rest in peace." Jake set down the Duskull plushie next to the flowers.
"I might not have known your name, little lady, but you're doing a heck of a lot of good for your classmates." Aubrey clasped her hands together. "Wherever you are, I'll always appreciate your dedication to your friends."
"Well then. Sayanora." Jake waved goodbye to where he assumed the sweetheart might've been standing and seeing them grant her the gifts. Then he headed back the way he came, ready to continue the journey.
"Alright, so...ever surfed on the back on a Mantine before?" Aubrey asked with a smile.
"Nope, but I'm looking forward to the promising opportunity!" Jake grinned.
"Awesome! I actually decided to stop by the beach first to see what it was like," The ranger explained. "I ran into Key down there who gave me a demonstration on the back of her own Mantine. I think she's still there, as well. Something about 'Not being on too tight of a schedule' or whatever it was."
"Well as long as we don't get ourselves hurt, we should be in good working order," Jake nodded. When they got to the beach, they'd find Key there in her own wetsuit - sporting bright colors with a white base and cream orange trim, she'd turn to see the duo with a smile.
"Ah, Jake! Aubrey! So good to see you again!" She greeted jovially.
"Great to see you again, my charismatic Key. We've been busy exploring this island's local sights and we're now ready to move along." Jake gave a thumbs up.
"Good, good. I heard from Miss Ranger that you've acquired both the Normalium-Z and Fightinium-Z crystals handily! I myself have gotten my hands on one too." She held up a light blue Z-Crystal with a pair of wings in the center. "Ta-dahh! The Flyinium-Z!"
"Ooh, this one's a beautiful one, Key." Jake smiled.
"It sure is. When I was looking around Ten Carat Hill, I was able to find this beauty." The merchant recounted the experience. "Though it wasn't easy. There was a large boulder in the way...but, my team and myself pushed it all to the side, so we were able to get our hands on it!"
"Wait, there was a giant boulder in your way? And you and your team just pushed it aside?" Aubrey sounded amazed.
"Sure did!" Key happily confirmed. "Pretty impressive, no?"
"You all must be in great physical shape," Jake observed, getting a nod from their merchant friend.
"Mhm. Though I did hear something from one of the locals about boulders of those size requiring the strength of a Machamp...eh, nothing's impossible with the help of Pokemon, it seems," Key mused.
"Doesn't sound too different from me doing a Target Clear, but man..." Aubrey whistled.
"Anywho, Aubrey asked that I stick around to show you a brief lesson in Mantine Surfing, Jake," Key explained.
"Yeah. Thank you very much for that." Jake was ready to learn.
"Mantine~! Ready for action?" Key called out her Mantine, who landed in the water with a graceful splash and smile. Jake waded into the water, finding it cold but sure to be comfortable soon enough. Getting her Mantine fitted with a surfboard like saddle, she'd get on after helping Jake onto another Mantine with similar setup.
"Now, have you had any experience with riding on the back of Pokemon before?" After pausing, Key giggled. "Oh who am I kidding? Of course you have, right?"
"Well yeah. On my old team in Hoenn," Jake answered.
"Perfect. I must say, it's a bit more difficult than using the Hidden Machine for Surf, but once you see it in action, you'll pick up on it quite fast." Key would get her balance on Mantine's back as he moved into the water.
"Oh...I'm not going to be too heavy for the delicate Mantine, am I?" Jake thought. The Mantine would have no problems supporting Jake's weight as he would get his balance. "Oh wowwwww...! I'm impressed at both myself and the Mantine." Aubrey would get on a Mantine for herself, standing firm as they all headed off through the ocean.
"Now! I see that we're heading to Akala Island together, so I'll give you the rundown on how to Mantine Surf as we go," Key explained. "Is this acceptable with you, Jake?"
"Definitely. Let's get going then!" Jake got into his best surfer stance, Aubrey following suit.
"Alright then. Pay attention!" Key began her lesson. "The first thing to Mantine Surfing is picking up speed. All you have to do is ride up to the lip of the wave, and then whip your body like this to surf back down!" She would demonstrate what she meant, tilting her body right to go up the wave, then shifting to the left to go down. "Repeat this process and you'll be 'thoomin', as all the cool kids say!"
"Thoomin eh? I'll sonic thoom all over the place!" Jake nodded excitedly.
"Well let's see ya try it, man!" Aubrey called, mimicking Key's movements and picking up speed. Jake gave it his best, using the lean and balance of his body and movements to get into action and surf the waves alongside the Mantine. "There ya go!" Aubrey encouraged.
"Excellent!" Key mused. "You can really feel the wind in your face when you've gotten enough momentum. Now for getting airborne...once you have enough speed, ride up to the lip and launch up in the air!" She'd do just that, shifting her body to catch some air and landing with grace. He found it to be a bit tricky at first but would eventually get into the swing of things. Soon he followed Key's instructions and took a big leap into the air and crashed down on the waters with dramatic flair.
"What a thrill!" He exclaimed. Aubrey would catch some air as well, landing with aplomb and a cheer.
"Ooh, nicely done, you two. There's other tricks to pull off when airborne, but I wouldn't worry too much about it," Key told them. "Every 'course' has their top score to beat, and I heard there's a special reward in it for those who hold all the top scores at each beach. It might be a Z-Crystal!"
"Well if that's what you think, we can trust you with that," Aubrey smiled.
"You sure can!" The merchant smiled back, shredding the waves and doing flips and spins in midair with her Mantine on the wave.
"Well then, we gotta make a migration on the ocean! Are you ready Aubrey?" Jake would ask eagerly.
"I've been ready. To Akala we go!" Aubrey hollered.
Along the ocean and waves, Jake rode the Mantine with skill and focus. He didn't lose his control as badly as he feared he might've and found that it was exhilarating. Although it did make him feel tired as they kept going forward. Aubrey's stamina as a ranger was on display, slinging herself up and down the wave with a happy look on her face the whole ride. Key was leading the three of them to Akala, which after a little while, they would soon arrive at the beach.
"And we're here! So how was it?" Key asked.
"Pant...pant...tiring...but fun." Jake was on his hands and knees, resting on the sands, pooped from the first time Mantine Surfing. "You were incredible, ladies."
"Yeah, we rangers rock," Aubrey smiled, helping Jake stand.
"And I need to be accustomed to traveling around for my job," Key hummed. "Speaking of which, I'll be heading off to the Royal Avenue here on Akala. It's where they host something called the 'Battle Royal'...no idea what that is, but it should provide a nice place to find potential customers! If you do happen by there later today, be sure to swing by and say hello."
"I wonder if...the kings and the queens on their throne pop champagne...and raise a toast there," Jake joked.
"If that's the case, I'll find out! Ta ta!" Having gotten a laugh out of Jake's comment, she would head off the beach and towards her destination.
"We can rest here for a bit before we start exploring the island," Aubrey said, helping Jake to a beach lounge chair.
"Good thinking Aubrey. Sorry for...hoof...making a scene. I probably should exercise more." Jake said, readjusting himself in his seat.
The ranger would take a seat next to him, crossing her legs and resting her hands behind her head. "So I gotta ask...what was traveling around Hoenn like for you? I imagine you'd be in decent shape if you did a lot of walking around, yeah?"
"It was a lot of fun being on a Hoenn Pokemon journey and yeah, I was in the limelight. Though it was when I was a teenager that I took the journey, so I was younger and had more energy before I, as someone might say, let myself go. Moving to Alola was supposed to be a fresh new start for me, but it got shaky to say the least. At least things are now looking up after you came into my life and this opportunity arose," Jake said.
"Huh...what do you mean 'let yourself go', anyway? Did you just sit around all day after moving here?" Aubrey raised an eyebrow. "No offense, just curious."
"I was too scared of Ultra Beasts and insecure about what this region stood for to actually do anything for awhile," Jake admitted. "I was just resting and learning the region and finding myself uninspired to take the plunge on the Pokemon journey until I concluded I should do something for myself while I'm still young." Aubrey nodded her head.
"Alright. Guess you got really good timing if my coming along on vacation had things look up for ya," She mused. Jake took a deep breath and decided to open up more to Aubrey about his whole perspective on why he felt he let himself go in Alola and how things had changed.
"Moving to Alola was supposed to be the ticket to a new journey while I had time to be a Pokemon Trainer again and feel the glory of being a Champion before inevitably someone else became it. I was just resting and basically treating this stay at Alola as something uncomfortable and unfun for me. Like I was in a place I regretted coming to and it was not until that day that I decided I needed to not let down myself or my boyfriend, and go venture forth like I set out here to do. I'm still young enough to do a Pokemon journey after all and that's what I should be doing in these young adult years right?" He'd see a nod from Aubrey in agreement as she listened.
"It definitely has. Almost like some destiny. I feel I can actually finish this journey and maybe even ask my boyfriend to come visit me over in Alola here and we could stay here for like...longer than I imagined. Not sure about getting married here yet but it's possible if their weddings are special or more fabulous compared to Hoenn's." Jake shrugged as his tone was jovial, light-hearted. He clearly loved reminiscing about his lover.
Aubrey couldn't help but laugh. "Well, be sure to bum me an invite for that wedding if you ever have it happen, okay?"
"Mmhmm! I'd be glad to invite you to the wedding of Mr and Mr. Hagguire." Jake beamed.
"Heck yeah," Aubrey smirked. "Oh right, forgot to mention this to you. Since the Union pretty much knows I'm investigating the Ultra Beasts thing, I do have plenty of time to cover the region with ya. Isn't that cool?"
"It's awesome!" Jake fist pumped the air excitedly.
"It was...this morning after I got changed that I contacted the Union and let them know how I was doing," Aubrey explained. "So I have the mission of investigating the Ultra Beasts phenomenon here. Of course, I'm not gonna goof off for hours on end and treat this as an extension of my paid leave."
"Well I would never ask you to compromise your Ranger principles or do anything that'd jeopardize your potential future, Aubrey. Let me know if my demands or behavior get too out of hand and risk your position. It'd be the last thing I want to do," Jake vowed.
"Oh, I'd let you know right away," Aubrey assured. "But I'm still gonna be treating this as a vacation! Just with a little bit of detective work mixed in."
"Sounds like the right attitude to have about something like this." Jake offered a hi-five. After returning the favor, Aubrey stood up.
"Alright, got the wind back in your sails?" She asked.
Jake smiled and without even missing a step, he got up in a flashy, high-energy movement and tossed a Poke Ball into the air as Forrest was summoned, flew around, and perched on Jake's arm.
"The ship's on course to continue the journey together, Captain," Jake said with a pirate accent.
Aubrey shook her head with a chuckle. "Alright, let's get moving."
"Zzt-zzt! Yes indeed! I updated the Pokedex to have the Akala Island Pokedex while you two were conversing," Rotom chimed in. "Heahea City is where we're at, and there's a boutique here too! Just so ya know."
"Hey hey Heahea!" Jake joked, emphasizing the sounds of the word. "Although I'm hopeful there'll be some fashionable improvements at the boutique here." Forrest nodded in agreement. When they headed into the city, they'd see an old boat coming into the harbor, and on board? Why, their friends, of course!
"Land ahoy!" Hau joked. "All right! Akala Island, here I come!"
"Isn't it a bit late to declare 'land ahoy' when you're already on land?" Lillie nervously mentioned.
"Oh come on, that was meant to be funny!" Hau defended.
"Yeah, I thought it was pretty funny," Kukui laughed with him.
"It was lame." Jake deadpanned. But then he smiled and hugged Hau and Lillie. "It's great to see you! Even if you took the unfun route. You took the boat and we withstood the ocean's wrath to get here. Mantine Surfing is awesome!"
"Glad you both enjoyed it!" Kukui smiled, seeing Hau and Lillie hugging him back.
"How was the boat ride, Kukui?" Aubrey asked.
"Oh it was pretty lively with these two with me," The professor mused.
"Pew!" Nebby bounced around happily.
"So what's your agenda Professor Kukui?" Jake asked. "Do you know any leads as to the next Trial Captain or anything juicy?"
"Well yeah. There's three trials on Akala Island for you to tackle." He paused seeing a duo approach. "And speaking of trials, here comes one of the captains and Kahuna right now!"
When Jake and Aubrey turned around, they'd see a green haired young lady in short overalls, and a black haired older lady wearing a pink top, darker pink shorts, and a lot of bracelets.
"Still haven't found a shirt that'll fit under that lab coat, Kukui?" The black haired lady asked.
"Nice to see ya, Olivia! These three here are on their island challenge," Kukui introduced. "Hau's the grandson of ol' Hala, Jake here is originally from Hoenn, and Aubrey is a Pokemon Ranger!"
"Ah yes, we all got together and had a meeting about you last night, Aubrey. Heard all about you from Ilima," Olivia mentioned. "I'm the Kahuna around these parts."
"And I'm Mallow, one of the trial captains!" Mallow chimed. "We thought you might want to know the verdict on your Styler."
"Wow. That's cool to know then," Jake said as he approved of both ladies' unique sense of fashion.
Mallow nodded. "So, after we all got together and discussed what Ilima found out about the Capture Styler, we have decided that it can be used...within moderation."
"Go on..." Aubrey was listening.
"Well for one, you can't use it to clear a trial all willy nilly," Olivia elaborated. "So you can't use it to completely solo a trial. But, for some of the lower-strength Pokemon, it can be used."
"For two, the Totem Pokemon has to be beaten with your Pokemon," Mallow continued. "Against the help it calls in however, you can definitely try to use it then. However, those Pokemon cannot be used to help defeat the Totem Pokemon."
"And those are our stipulations. The captains will be monitoring you throughout the trial to make sure it is being used responsibly. Is all that clear?" Olivia folded her arms with a smile.
Aubrey nodded. "Yeah, I got all that." Jake and Forrest both sighed in relief at the fair ruling.
"Mhm! Oh yeah, and there's one other thing we wanna mention. If you want to go to your next trial, Brooklet Hill is where you want to go next," Mallow added. "My bestie Lana is the trial captain there. You want to cut through Paniola Town to get there."
"Well we're going to pay all of them a visit then," Jake declared with determination.
"Looking forward to seeing you all cook with gas in my trial! Good luck!" Mallow waved goodbye and headed off with Olivia.
Jake blinked. "I take it she's an executive chef?"
"She's certainly a cook, that's for sure," Kukui mused. "Mallow has a unique kick in her dishes, yeah." Jake gulped. That sounded like a recipe for a notorious poison chef. Aubrey folded her arms at that.
"I see..." She turned to Jake. "Well, shall we check out the boutique before we set off?"
"Definitely!" The two set off to the boutique, seeing Lillie and Nebby outside.
"Looking for the ruins?" Aubrey would ask.
"Well, yes. For this little one," Lillie answered. "He can hardly sit still. I think he might be interested in visiting the Ruins of Life."
"Ruins of Life? That doesn't sound symbolic to Nebby or anything." Jake joked, though Aubrey could tell by the way Jake eyed Aubrey that he was sure there was something important to this.
"Apparently they house the guardian of Akala Island, Tapu Lele," Lillie continued. "I wondered if you'd like to join us when we go visit it."
"Mmm..." Aubrey closed her eyes in thought. "It could provide a clue in our investigation."
"I'd like to check out ancient ruins, yeah. Hoenn has some pretty awesome ones but I feel like Alola's will be a lot more telling," Jake agreed.
Lillie nodded. "Then, I'll be at the Tide Song Hotel, and wait for when you're done with your trials."
"Ooh that sounds like a lovely hotel! I'm so happy for you that you get to stay in such a gorgeous sounding place, Lillie," Jake beamed.
Lillie had a smile on her face. "Well, yes...I do have a reservation there."
"Stylin'! See ya later!" Jake smiled. Lillie would wave them goodbye, as Nebby hopped back in the bag. They'd go off to the big hotel north of the boutique.
"Well...time to go looking around." Aubrey went inside the boutique.
"So what are we aiming for with this boutique today, Aubrey?" Jake asked as he examined some display racks. Forrest looked and fancied his new appearance as a Dartrix in all the mirrors.
"I dunno, man. See anything good?" Aubrey asked.
So far Jake saw a lot of interesting looking tops in flattering colors and patterns. Compared to the overindulgence of the designer shop and the lackluster offerings of the first boutique, this boutique showed a bit more of a subtle and appreciated approach to designs. Suddenly Jake gasped. He noticed a top that stood out, beckoned to him, practically reached out to him spiritually in terms of looking memorable and sophisticated. A black tank-top adorned with the image of a Psychic-Type Pokemon. Not just A Psychic-type Pokemon though. But THE premier fashionable Psychic-type Pokemon... other than Gardevoir.
"Oh...my...Arceus...Aubrey look at thissssssssssssss...!" Jake waved excitedly to Aubrey as he started getting very excited.
"Found something good?" Aubrey would go over to see what got her traveling companion so excited.
"It's a Gothorita TOP! Like the Gothic Lolita Pokemon! The Unovan icon! They captured their elegant, powerful essence so beautifully~" Jake gushed.
Aubrey chuckled, looking at the top. "Yeah, it does look pretty cool." Jake's eyes widened and he looked super excited as he realized one lucky lady in his life could absolutely pull this off.
"BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT AUBREYYYYYYYYY~!" He exclaimed. "You'd look incredible in it!"
"Oooookay, calm down there man," Aubrey was giggling as she gripped Jake's shoulder. "If you can find me something that'll go well with this, I'll buy it."
"Mission accepted!" Jake saluted her and then did his Ranger Pose.
"I'm gonna get changed out of this and take a quick shower at the Pokemon Center while you do this for me. See ya in a few." Aubrey would head outside and go across the street to do just that.
"...Oh right, to get the ocean out of your skin and hair." Jake shrugged and looked embarrassed. He hoped he wasn't stinking up the boutique...much less the clothes. Anyways, he hunted down for a perfectly matching bottom to befit the Gothorita top. Something beautiful but not clashing.
His eyes were soon drawn to a pair of purple and yellow hot pants that looked very cool and belonged to a set of sporty apparel called the 'Sludge Set'. They were a bit on the bold side but it would show off Aubrey's muscles to such an extent people would no doubt turn to her and ogle at her muscle and definition as a Ranger. Plus the pants themselves looked very fierce. It would be a winning combo.
"Although maybe she doesn't want to draw a bunch of attention to herself...? Eh, I think it'll be a worthy warrior queen regardless." Jake nodded to himself in satisfaction. Jake then looked at some of the other offerings and noticed some very cute socks in fun patterns and colors. It just made him so delighted to see that this Boutique was far more fashionable than the others while remaining affordably priced.
He'd have something picked out by the time Aubrey got back in her usual Ranger uniform. "Oi, Jake. You got something together?"
"Yeah! Voila! The duet of your dream girl dreams!" Jake held up the Sludge Set shorts and the Gothorita Top.
"Hmm. Yeah, I think I can make this work." Taking both articles of clothing, she'd go to try them on in the changing room. And once she came back out, she took a look at herself in the mirror with a smile. "Well, I can definitely rock this for the road ahead."
"And bring all the boys to the yard!" Jake gave a thumbs up to her and a wink. Dartrix, who finally stopped being vain, nodded in approval of Aubrey's new look.
"Ha! That's rich," Aubrey laughed, paying for the new apparel. "Though if anyone just chases me down for the looks, they'll only be looking at the business end of my hands."
"Gotcha!" Jake smiled. The two would depart from the boutique, and start to head up to Route 4 when they spotted a pair of tourists. One was a light blonde young man who had blue shades, a bright yellow top with an Alolan Exeggutor on it and light blue jeans. The other was a black haired young lady with pink shades, a white top, and dark blue jean shorts. And both of them had an accessory that looked very familiar to Jake...Mega Rings.
"Hmm...? They must be foreigners then." Jake thought out loud.
"Yeah...what kinda bracelets are those?" Aubrey whispered.
"Mega Rings. Like the one I have." Jake answered. "You put a Mega Stone in the slot and boom. You can start the Mega Evolution channeling process."
"I see...though if it's taboo here, then why are they wearing them openly?" Aubrey closed her eyes in thought before making a decision. "Excuse us!"
"Hmm?" The young man turned to face them. "Can we help you?" He would notice the amulet on Aubrey's bag. "I see you're on your island challenge."
"Well that, and on sort of official business," Aubrey admitted. "Aubrey Bradford. Pokemon Ranger with the Union."
"Jake Hagguire. Journeyer," Jake shrugged.
"I'm Dexio," The young man greeted, his companion coming over.
"And I'm Sina! A beautiful name for a beautiful lady such as myself, no?" The young lady chimed. "We're here seeing the sights in Alola."
"Sina...Dexio...those names sound vaguely familiar. That's great that you are visiting the sights as well. I'm from Hoenn and came here for my second Pokemon journey in life," Jake smiled.
"Ah, so you're familiar with us then?" Sina wondered. "Have you heard of Professor Sycamore?"
"YES! The Mega Evolution Professor and voted most 'Handsome Pokemon Professor' by the Pokemon Fan Club once from Kalos!" Jake explained to Aubrey kindly. "He hands out Bulbasaurs, Charmanders, and Squirtles."
"We're his assistants," Dexio mused. "I must say, things were crazy where we're from some time ago."
"They are crazy here too so it's contagious and never ending really, Dexio," Jake said casually. "Anyways, what's on your mind besides the sightseeing? Raising Mega Evolution awareness? Ultra Beast investigating?"
"No, just taking some time off from our normal duties," Dexio answered. "You've heard about what happened, right?"
"Mmm...maybe there was something on the news about it..." Aubrey folded her arms in thought. "Though I think I missed it."
"Uhhhh...you mean the co-champion thing?" Jake guessed.
Sina nodded. "That's right! For the first time in history, two people are simultaneously holding the title of champion in the Kalos region."
"Awesome!" Jake cheered.
"Yes, it was quite a harrowing time, and for one of those two heroes, it was the most hectic week of his life," Dexio commented. "Can't say I blame him, though."
"Well, Pokemon journeys are hectic and Team Flare was an effed up thing. Did you know there's a Team Skull going about in Alola?" The Hoenn trainer cautioned.
"There is?" Sina raised an eyebrow. "I think we heard about that, but from what the locals here say, they're not too much of a threat."
"What else have locals said about them?" Jake asked curiously.
"All we know is that their bark is worse than their bite," Sina explained, before perking up. "Oh! Aubrey, you said you were a ranger, yes?"
"Yeah, what's it to ya?" Aubrey wondered.
"You should have a quick battle against Dexio to help you on the island challenge," She offered.
Dexio chuckled with a shake of his head. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't be asking too much of you. Plus, it would be interesting to see what a ranger is capable of as a trainer."
"Are you sure you want to do that Dexio? You could save your dignity and not get smacked around by Aubrey." Jake chuckled. Forrest also looked delighted.
"I'd only smack him around if he wanted a fight," Aubrey mused.
"Ok then. Sina, are you fine being the referee?" Jake asked the beautiful assistant.
"You can count on me to be impartial, Jake!" Sina agreed.
"Might as well test my skills," Dexio mused. Jake and Dartrix found nearby seating on which they could safely spectate the Pokemon battle.
"Let's see what you've got for me, man!" Aubrey was ready.
"Then I'll let my partners go wild!" Dexio exclaimed.
To start off the battle, Dexio would call out a Slowpoke, prompting Aubrey to call out Nom to battle.
"Grub grub!" Nom exclaimed, ready for action.
"Alright Nom, Bug Bite and make some magic happen!" Aubrey ordered. Nom would go ahead and go for the Slowpoke, but she'd reach some resistance with Water Gun. She'd have to go on the defensive to avoid getting blown back, but after some effort, Nom would use Bug Bite and metaphorically blow Slowpoke away with her strength.
"Whooooo!" Jake did his best cheering cries.
"Impressive!" Dexio complimented. "But I'm not done yet!" He would send out an Espeon as his second and last Pokemon, who looked like it wasn't intimidated by Nom's presence despite type matchups.
"Alright Nom, second verse, same as the fi-" Aubrey would be cut off by Dexio.
"Espeon, Psybeam!" He exclaimed. A bright psychic beam of light shot out from the Espeon at Nom, hitting her square and causing swirling wingdings to appear where her eyes were.
"Oh, you're kidding me...Nom, snap out of it!" Aubrey shouted. "You're not gonna let this Espeon beat you, right?"
Amidst the confusion in her mind, Nom was spinning around, trying to figure out what to do, until she decided on her shocking course of action. She started to glow, just like Tenor and Forrest before her.
"Evolution? Right now?" The ranger was just as surprised as the others.
"Wowzers! Now it's going to become something new and glorious!" Jake looked dazzled.
Once the glow subsided, Nom had transformed into a cuboid Pokemon resembling an insect, her body consisting of three square segments, the latter two segments having a ring-like marking and stubby brown leg on each side. Two short yellow spikes replaced her pincers, her eyes were covered by blue screens, and her mouth was gray, having two jaws closing sideways.
"Charj...a-bu-bu-bug!" Nom cried. Rotom would pop out to give them the juicy details.
"Charjabug, the Battery Pokemon, and the evolved form of Grubbin. Its body is capable of storing electricity. On camping trips, people are grateful to have one around," He read.
"Thanks Rotom!" Aubrey smiled.
"Sounds electrifying for sure!" Jake grinned.
Through her confusion, Nom was able to get close to Espeon and swiftly bring an end to the battle with another Bug Bite, defeating her opponent in a single shot.
"Wow...Nom's really strong if she's able to carry us this hard, Jake," Aubrey mused.
"She's certainly a strong one, that's for sure!" Dexio complimented. "Rangers sure have a way with Pokemon that's different than Kalos trainers!"
"Of course I'm still the stronger trainer between me and Aubrey but she's definitely rising to my level." Jake teased though he wrapped an arm around Aubrey and patted her on the back. "And yeah, she's a fierce one."
"Fierce enough to arm wrestle you under the table, yes," Aubrey teased back.
"That was a good battle, Aubrey," Dexio complemented. "If you two are looking for your next island challenge, cut through Route 4 through Paniola Town. Brooklet Hill is that way."
"Pretty sure we already got that info, thanks." Aubrey would start to head off that direction with Jake. Jake gulped nervously though laughed as soon as they were away from the Kalos duo.
Nom would crawl after them, chanting, "Char-ja! Char-ja!" as she crawled.
"So..." The ranger stretched her arms upwards. "What do you know about that Kalos stuff anyway?"
"I just know that Team Flare was genocidal, their boss was Sycamore's friend and got busted and arrested, a young woman named Kirumi Tojo and a young man named Timothy Debouff became co-champions, and were the ones responsible for saving Kalos," Jake explained.
"Oh yeah, I knew that first part. Timothy even went on to say in a recollection of his events on the news his Krookodile literally dragged Team Flare's boss away from his own superweapon," Aubrey responded. "Imagine that."
"Way to chomp chomp," Jake chuckled.
As they went along Route 4, battling the trainers there and looking around, they'd be greeted with an adorable sight of a Lillipup running around with a Mudbray, both enjoying each other's company.
"Looks like we got some cute little fellers right around here." Jake noted.
"Yeah, look at 'em," Aubrey smiled, looking at the Mudbray. "What's that Pokemon?"
"So you ask, and so I shall answer, zzt!" Rotom chimed, getting the info. "Mudbray, the Donkey Pokemon. The mud stuck to Mudbray's hooves enhances its grip and its powerful running gait." Rotom's information dump did get the duo's attention.
"Bray?" Mudbray looked at his companion.
"Lil...Lili!" Lillipup stood in front of the Mudbray, a brave look on her face.
"Woah, easy now..." Aubrey held up her hands. "We're not gonna hurt you."
"Lillie? Ooh, maybe we should catch it and show it to Lillie. She'll be so surprised to hear it calling out her name." Jake chuckled. Forrest casually flew over to them and explained that they were a very coercive bunch of Trainers and asked them what they were doing and who they were.
"Mu. Mud, brayy!" Mudbray would point to the Styler on Aubrey's hip.
"Pup?" Lillipup came on over to where Aubrey was standing, sniffing her. The hair on its face wasn't twitching at all, giving no indication that this person was mean...before jumping up to try and grab her Styler.
"Hey! No!" Aubrey grabbed her Styler first. "Wait a minute...do you just wanna play?"
"Lil! Pup pup!" Lillipup happily barked.
"Brayyy!" Mudbray agreed. Forrest said he'd be happy to play as long as he doesn't get his feathers dirty.
"They definitely seem like besties Aubrey. Young besties but besties all the same," Jake nodded as he appreciated Forrest's communication skills.
"Well they both look pretty cool...I'll play with them a little bit. We've got plenty of daylight." Aubrey sent out her Capture Disc, using it as a metaphorical stick for the two Pokemon to chase after, all three of them having a good time. Jake in the meantime, summoned Belle and trained her by battling some of the other wild Pokemon, knowing that she deserved to get some better moves and stronger stats for the tougher battles ahead.
After a while of playing 'Chase the Capture Disc', Lillipup and Mudbray started talking with each other about something, catching Aubrey's attention.
"Hey, Tenor. What're they trying to say?" Aubrey asked, calling out her Brionne to play translator. Tenor would start to see what they wanted, relaying the information to his trainer. "Oh wow, really? Awesome!"
Forrest also looked excited about this coming prospect. The idea of both of these friends joining Aubrey's team as a combined unit and friend circle.
"Okay so, according to Lillipup here, the only condition is if I want to have them come along, they both have to come along with me," Aubrey explained to Jake. "Since they've been together for quite some time."
Belle floated around the new friends and cheerfully said hello to them with a "Liiiiiit"
"Well now, I'm once again back to being short-handed on Pokemon compared to you," Jake teased. "But that's great you got two Pokemon that already feel strong loyalty."
"They really are besties, just like you said!" With two Great Balls on hand, Aubrey would hold them out to the two. While Lillipup high-fived the ball with her paw, Mudbray simply bopped the ball with his head.
1...2...3...
Click!
"That is a double...Pokemon...get!" She'd toss the two balls in the air, jumping up to catch them with a smile. Belle and Forrest danced excitedly at the success and Jake clapped happily.
"Briiiiii!" Tenor cheered.
"Now..." She called out her two new teammates. "What do I call you two..." Aubrey would look to Jake. "What do you think? Got any mythical, deep-thought names?"
"That's... a bit harder with buddies." Jake confessed, scratching his head. "Maybe something like Ann and Andy? Or Lillie and Hau?" Lillipup tilted her head to the sides, trying to help with the process.
"Mmm...well, I can already think of something for Mudbray," Aubrey decided. "Maybe Don? Since Rotom said Mudbray was the Donkey Pokemon, and Don is short for that."
"Don is also a nice male name in general. I approve!" Jake smiled.
"Brayy!" Mudbray smiled at the simple, yet effective name.
"Pup! Pup!" Lillipup barked in agreement.
"As for Lillipup...that's tougher," Aubrey thought to herself. "Mmm...Lillipup's final evolution is Stoutland..."
"Dina? Precious? Landa? Dawn?" Jake suggested.
"Oh! I got it!" Aubrey perked up. "Okay, so you know how Stoutland is used as a rescue dog in snowy climates?"
"Oh sure! That sounds like a very helpful technique!" Jake looked impressed.
"It is, which is why I think, we should name this cutie Hunter, after the hunting for lost people in the snow," Aubrey decided. Lillipup liked the idea of being thought of as a hero, beaming with the name choice.
"What about Huntress? I mean she is a girl." Jake wasn't sure how Pokemon felt about gender-appropriate names so it seemed more of a suggestion out of consideration for the idea.
"Hunter is a gender neutral name," Aubrey informed.
"Oh it is? Well what do you know? Progressive!" Jake chuckled. "Very well, Hunter and Don have joined the party!"
"Brayyyy!" Don cheered.
"Lilllliiiiii!" Hunter hopped on Don's back, riding along with him.
"Alright, next stop, Paniola Town!" Aubrey exclaimed.
(And that'll do for this part. Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed a name that doesn't belong in Pokemon. Well see the truth is, my co-writer and I did a co-op playthrough of Pokemon X, and yes, he did have Kirumi be his character having a weeklong hoedown with a character I made for the occasion. It was a lot of fun, since he reignited my willingness to slog through Kalos' campaign.
But that'll be a pre-sequel for another day. Bye for now, and happy Valentine's Day when I upload this!)