(Hitting up Royal Avenue this chapter before we take on the Fire Trial! Plenty of exciting stuff to do here.
The Reviews
Megan Romero: Well we gotta get through Royal Avenue first, but don't worry. Kiawe's coming.
LogBook27062000: I'm glad you liked the chapter! Been doing my best to make it enjoyable for everyone.)
Once Aubrey and Jake returned to the Pokemon Center, the first thing they did was take a nice warm shower. Aubrey was finished first, drying her hair off while she waited for Jake. When Jake was finished, he changed into a more comfortable outfit. A long-sleeved grey shirt with buttons, a pair of jeans with a grey, braided belt, and simple lace-up shoes.
"Feels good to finally get all the salt and all the rain out of my hair." Jake said as he pushed up his glasses.
"Yeah, that trial was wild," Aubrey agreed. "Good to know some trials have multiple Totems..."
"Oh yeah that was our first Trial with two giants...next thing you know they'll bring in an Ultra Beast as a Totem Pokemon and we'd have to run for cover." Jake joked. Then he smiled as he checked up on his healed Pokemon, including the newcomer Dew. "Still, I think it's only going to get more and more riveting from here what the Trials are going to be like. I just hope we're able to get all the Z-Crystals with Key's help like she wants."
"Well...counting the one Key got herself, we've currently got four," Aubrey noted as she sat down at the cafe for a sub sandwich lunch. Jake settled on a personal pepperoni pizza with a berry and vegetable smoothie to drink.
"That we do. I can actually get use out of the Water one." Jake then thought carefully back to everything that had happened since this morning. Namely the Gladion encounter and the fact that Hau had shown concern about Aubrey's temper. Their journey was starting to get more serious and with Team Skull no doubt going to be a consistent part of their journey, they would have to be very focused and be able to keep their emotions in check.
"Hey...so about that Null Pokemon we encountered. Something occurred to me about it," The Hoenn trainer mentioned.
"Yeah, what about it?" Aubrey wondered.
"Remember that Lillie doesn't know Nebby's place of origin and Rotomdex couldn't identify it? It couldn't identify Type Null either," Jake pointed out. "What if there's some connection between the two Pokemon? Or that they both come from the same place of origin at least."
"Oh yeah...both of them are pretty extraordinary," Aubrey agreed. "They just look too different to really be connected..."
"They are sized very differently obviously and probably different types. Neb might be psychic while Null is at least Steel for sure," Jake theorized. "I think this could be our first major clue that both of them had an unidentifiable Pokemon."
"So...what're you getting at?" Aubrey raised an eyebrow.
Jake frowned. He didn't expect Aubrey to press the matter further. If he was to compare the two, Gladion and Lillie...they were both blondes. They looked to be of the same age-range. Yet Lillie and Gladion's opinions on Pokemon, allegiances, and style of dress were totally different. Was there a significant reason for this being a major clue? "Well...I feel like the more we find out about Lillie could theoretically help us find more about Gladion too I reckon?" He concluded nervously and took a bite of his pizza slice.
It clicked for Aubrey what Jake was implying. "So you're thinking that Lillie and Gladion are connected in some way?"
"They do look rather alike from a physical perspective. The only thing not clicking here is their living circumstances and if they really were connected..." Jake frowned, thinking about Gladion's situation. "Well, I don't see how on earth someone as sweet as Lill would let that happen to him. It probably isn't due to her but somebody else."
"Either way I don't think it'd be wise to press the issue with them. Rather, we should let them do it first," Aubrey decided. "If we push it we might make them close up on us."
"Should I bring up his name and test the waters with Lillie or no detective?" Jake asked in a playful fashion to lighten the mood.
"Mmm..." Aubrey closed her eyes in thought about this matter. She did want to know more, but on the other hand, she didn't want Lillie to become distrustful of them. After all, she didn't expect Lillie to just blurt out the truth on command.
"I do think we need some smoking gun here and that would be it to confirm if she really knows him," Jake added more information to back up his suggestion.
"True." Aubrey nodded. "We don't have any evidence aside from like, genetic stuff."
"So then we'll do it next time we see her when the mood is right. Perfect!" Jake seemed proud of himself for coming up with such a conclusion. He really did have the makings of a detective.
Forrest though seemed to think his owner was getting a bit big-headed again as he muttered "Dar..."
The two soon finished up their lunch, Aubrey grabbing a Pinap Juice for the road as they set off. "Alright, where to now, little buddy?" She called out Rotom to guide them.
"Well, if we go south from here and turn right, we'll get to Royal Avenue," Rotom answered. "Pazzzt that is the next trial, at Wela Volcano Park!"
"Royal Avenue? Are we going to get to see a Kalos-style castle there?" Jake chuckled.
"Hey wait, didn't Key say she was gonna be there?" Aubrey remembered.
"Oh yeah! We shouldn't keep her waiting then. Let's go!" Jake ran ahead. As they ran ahead, they'd have their way blocked by two Sudowoodo pretending to be trees. A young boy was standing around as they approached.
"These Sudowoodo have been pretty bummed after Lana hit 'em with her Z-Powered attack," He mentioned. "They've just been standing here ever since."
"Ooh, that's a bummer." Aubrey reached for her Capture Styler. "Fortunately, I can remedy that right quick."
"...Johto homage aside, work your therapy Aubrey," Jake winked at her.
"You've been to Johto before?" Aubrey asked casually. "Capture...on!" She flicked out the Capture Disc to work on the Sudowoodo.
"No. I just know that infamously there used to be a Sudowoodo that blocked a key path in Johto until the future Champion came and remedied the situation." Jake explained.
"Ah, I see. Sudowoodo and Bonsly are usually like this." The ranger completed her capture, getting the Sudowoodo moving again.
"Good work! Now our path is no longer stoned." Jake nodded and smiled at the young boy.
"Woaaaah, that was so cool!" The young boy complemented.
"That was pretty much a gimme, but yeah, rangers help out people and Pokemon," Aubrey smiled. "Take care!" She would go on ahead, following the Sudowoodo down the path. As they continued down the path, they would see more of Alola's beautiful surroundings and nature. Along with battling a few trainers, there would be a sight before them - a Drifloon, two Team Skull grunts that were oddly familiar, a short lady with black pigtails and brown and purple clothes. She had a large brown horse like Pokemon with orange hooves by her side.
"Probably not the same Drifloon from the school. What's going on here though?" Jake raised an eyebrow. He was not as on edge seeing Team Skull as before.
The large horse turned to the duo. "Nii-hiiii!" It whinnied.
"You there. Some assistance, please?" The woman requested.
"Yo! Don't go turning your backside on us, lady!" One of the grunts shouted.
"And YOU! You're the numskulls from Melemele that roughed me up!" The other grunt pointed at Aubrey.
"I see you're familiar with these two, yes?" The woman casually asked.
"Shouldn't WE be the ones asking the questions here? Who are you?" Jake asked, unsure if she was like Gladion or something new altogether.
"...Oh yeah, I know you. You were the grunts that accosted Ilima into trying to give you the Pokemon he had," Aubrey realized. "Kinda hard to imagine you'd forget a beatdown like that."
"Yeah, that's right she remembers us!" The first grunt responded.
"More like you remember me," Aubrey snarked.
"I am Hapu. I assure you I am nothing like these two, brazenly running around as Pokemon thieves. Life in the city sure is different," The woman answered Jake.
"Oh. That's a relief then. So what were you doing to discipline these two naughty boys?" Jake asked. He and Forrest had big smirks on their faces. They loved the idea of these two grunts getting owned by someone of clear authority.
"Mudsdale, shall we stomp these scoundrels? Or should we let our formally dressed friend here do the work for us?" Hapu would ask her partner, noting Aubrey's uniform and smirk on her face.
"We got chased out of Melemele...exiled to Akala...but we ain't going out like that!" The grunts weren't going to back down just yet.
"Niii..." Mudsdale nudged Aubrey, causing her to giggle.
"Heh heh heh, alright big guy, you want a show, I'll give ya one," The ranger obliged.
"Just less physical violence ok?" Jake gently urged Aubrey as he was still considerate of Hau's idea.
"Only if they want to get violent with me first," Aubrey responded casually. It would seem that the grunts learned their lesson from last time, as they called out a Zubat and Drowzee for a Double Battle. "Leave these two to me, man."
"I know you got this Aubrey!" Jake smiled.
"Hunter! Nom! Have at 'em!" Aubrey would call out Lillipup and Charjabug to do battle.
As far as an actual battle went, the ranger's Pokemon were already prepared to flatten, roll up, and toss the grunts aside. Nom launched herself at the Zubat going for Hunter with Spark, shocking the bat unconscious on impact. As for Hunter, she would go for Bite on the Drowzee, enduring the Pound attacks that it was raining down on the pup. She'd soon be able to beat it with Nom's help with her own bites, Bug Bite.
"All these losses are gonna upset our bosses!" The first grunt lamented.
"These tears taste like salt...it's all your fault, yo!" The second grunt sounded defeated.
"While you've been roaming around and trying to take Pokemon from other people, I've been honing my craft," Aubrey remarked.
"This ain't over! You better not forget us, homie!" The two grunts took off after that.
"Sorry you had to deal with that nonsense, Hapu. They are a bunch of fashion-challenged creeps," Jake said. "Great performance as usual, Aubrey."
"Floooooooon?" The Drifloon floated off towards Royal Avenue.
"So you're Aubrey, eh? Nice to meet ya. And you are?" Hapu looked at Jake.
"Jake Hagguire. Her traveling partner who also would have wiped the floor with the grunts, but loves to let the Ranger stretch her muscles." Jake beamed and did a playful salute.
"Maybe in more ways than one, it seems," Hapu responded. "Well met. Mudsdale and I are always wanderin' around Alola to accomplish our goals. Perhaps we'll meet again in the near future." She would get on the saddle for Mudsdale, taking off southbound.
"Well those grunts were in the way to Royal Avenue...so let's check it out!" Aubrey seemed excited to check it out.
"Yep! Although no one addressed the Drifloon which is weird..." Jake murmured in slight concern as they continued on their way.
"It was probably some Pokemon the Team Skull lackeys were trying to pinch," Aubrey guessed.
"Maybe, yeah," Jake replied.
The street itself had a Pokemon Center, malasada shop, and some sort of grocery store, the main attraction was a large stadium that looked like it was meant for battling. And in front of the stadium was a familiar face - Gladion! They were too far away to hear him, but he had paused for a moment outside before heading in.
"Welp. I guess Team Skull is definitely lurking around here if Gladion's here," Jake pouted. "This is a real nice looking area at least."
"Let's poke around first before we go inside the stadium," Aubrey suggested. "I don't think I've seen that kind of grocer before..."
"What's so special about it?" Jake pondered aloud. Forrest perched on his trainer's shoulder.
Aubrey read the name of the place when they got close. "'Thrifty Megamart' is what it's called...well it's special because I've never heard of it."
"Thrifty?" Jake bit his lip. 'Thrifty' was a very particular term that could be used wisely or unwisely in the right hands. Most people flocked to something thrifty because it was an affordable alternative to a normally priced offering while not sacrificing too much of the quality. However, Jake had been in some 'thrifty' stores and purchased some 'thrifty' products that had been total disappointments in the past. So he was a bit on edge as Aubrey was about the grocery store. Deciding to see what this was all about, the ranger decided to head in the megamart.
Once inside, she'd be met by a greeter. "Hello there! Thank you for visiting Thrifty Megamart today!" He cheerily greeted. "Have this coupon on us."
"Uh, thanks?" Aubrey would decide to keep the coupon more as a souvenir if anything.
"Bring that to the cashier when you're checked out, or run out of savings!" The greeter explained, letting Aubrey wander around. Jake examined the place for himself, meandering carefully and noticing that some of the things put on sale were very familiar. In one of the aisles, they'd also see something very familiar, or rather, someone.
"Ah! Miss Ranger! Jake! So good to see you again!" Key waved to the two.
"Key! There you are. So can you give us the rundown on this Thrifty Megamart?" Jake asked happily.
"Well, first of all..." Key would pluck a bag of Lava Cookies off a shelf, pointing out they were shipping damaged. "I'm not sure why they feel the need to sell damaged goods like this."
Jake gasped and Forrest almost fainted on the spot from the horrific sight. "Impossible...why would they do something like that?!" The Hoenn trainer was floored from seeing this. Lava Cookies were a Hoenn specialty, so he took this personally.
"Yeah, isn't that like, a bad thing to do as a business?" Aubrey chimed.
"I wish I knew, but yes. It's generally a big no-no," Key responded, shaking her head. "I'd check to see how damaged they really are, but that'd be wrong. Two wrongs don't make something right."
"Agreed to be honest," Jake looked at some of the balls and noticed a few of them were especially pricey compared to when he got them from the other marts.
"Second off, follow me. There's something I'm curious about." The merchant would lead them to the pastas. "I'm honestly curious about their pricing choices. Crabrawler Instant Noodles, three for 100 Poke. Qwilfish Dry Foods Pasta, 230 Poke per bag. Goodra Brand Curry Noodles? 4,000 Poke per box."
"Well...quantity equals price?" Aubrey guessed.
"Mhm! I was merely testing you," Key giggled.
"Yeah, it's a box of it so obviously it'd be expensive," Jake chuckled.
"There was also something about leftover fish tips being sold for 22 Poke a pack, but...I don't have any words to describe that," Key added.
"...Ew." Aubrey shuddered at that.
"Ok now this is just shameful!" Jake was starting to get a bit aggravated at this.
"At least there is some good to be had here," Key mentioned. "Some of the products on sale are questionable, yes, but there are some legitimately good products available."
"Hmm. What would you recommend as a shopping expert Key? It could be useful knowledge for an article." Jake offered.
"An article? Are you a blogger?" Key wondered.
"Maybe I could become one in the future or write about my adventure and the like," Jake suggested. "After all, I frequent the online chat rooms of the hottest topics and they'd love to know things like this when they end up in Alola. Besides, why not talk about my journey and experiences here?"
Key couldn't help but giggle. "I don't see the harm in it! Well, obviously don't go for the two products I pointed out, that's just poor marketing if you ask me." She would walk the duo towards a section of plushies. "Also...17,000 Poke for this Toucannon Hugger thing...not sure what you'd need it for, but it's not the worst price range out there."
"That much for a big ol' plushie?" Aubrey looked at Key. "And this isn't weird to you?"
"Weird, no. Comical, partially," The merchant smiled. "I've checked this place out price wise and found that most everything here was reasonably priced. I can see why they'd offer these coupons though. Kinda like what Sevii Mercantile does." She hummed a little tune to herself. "Ah, our business model has rubbed off on others. It makes me so happy to see we're making an impact!"
"That is a nice thought Key. Plus this thing is something you could cuddle with! Who doesn't love cuddling?" Jake squeed.
"Everyone needs some cuddles in their life," Aubrey agreed. "Even me..."
"Oh yeah, speaking of business, I've been making some impressive sales at the stadium," Key mentioned. "Plenty of training equipment orders were put in, and I couldn't be any happier to help out those looking to put on their best performance in the Battle Royal."
"Battle Royal? So how much blood do they have to clean up after it's all done?" Jake joked. It reminded him of a certain genre of story-telling where lots of ordinary people or Pokemon were made to fight to the death in some arena or big landscape.
"Ah ha ha ha...very minimal to none at all," Key answered. "Apparently it's a four-person free for all, and it ends once one team is wiped out. The team that scored the most knockouts is declared the winner."
"...Well that's not what I had in mind when I think Battle Royal," Aubrey frowned.
"You wish it could be the last man standing, Miss Ranger," Key giggled. "But from what I've seen, they sometimes have people engage in hand-to-hand fighting. Maybe if you're lucky you can test your strength that way."
"That would be excessive, don't you think?" Jake's eyes widened.
"Relax Jake, I'll be fine," Aubrey reassured. "I don't go down easy, and that ain't gonna change anytime soon."
"I would offer to be your opponent...but I was going to head back to where I'm staying for the evening," Key mentioned. "I just came here to grab a couple things, and maybe offer up suggestions to management here before leaving."
"Where are you staying?" The ranger asked.
"I've got a room at the Hano Grand Resort. Thank you, employer, for providing me with only the best," The merchant mused.
"Business perks are the best!" Jake nodded cheerfully in agreement.
"Alright, take care Key," Aubrey waved her off.
"Good luck on the trials, you two!" Having checked out, Key would head off back to her lodging for the day.
"Well..." Aubrey looked to the stadium. "Only one place to go now." When Aubrey and Jake entered the stadium, they'd look around the reception area before hearing a voice call out to them.
"Glad you could make it!"
A masked man came down the right hand stairs, dressed as a shirtless wrestler, but something about him seemed familiar to Aubrey.
"New to the Battle Royal scene, I take it?" The masked man would ask. "Never fear, for I, the Masked Royal, will tell all there is to know about it!"
Jake looked absolutely stupefied. He recognized that voice from anywhere, even if he was trying to act and disguise his voice. He also thought that this was seriously good luck for someone who was clearly in their middle years. "KUKUI?!" He exclaimed in surprise. "So this is your hobby? No wonder you stay in incredible shape? That's a badass get-up and body you got showing off right there!"
"Well thanks, but I don't know this Kukui you're talking about, yeah," Masked Royal responded.
Aubrey whispered to Jake, "I think I've heard about this before...it's where wrestlers play pretend or something."
"I can support the roleplay angle." Jake nodded before chuckling to himself. "So care to explain who or what gets beat up here in the Battle Royale?"
"Four Trainers! Four trainers each pick three Pokemon, yeah, for one big Pokemon battle! When one trainer's team can't battle anymore, the Battle Royal ends!" Masked Royal explained. "Whichever trainer has taken out the most Pokemon and has the most remaining, is the winner!"
"And here I thought it was gonna be a last man standing type deal," Aubrey mentioned. "Oh yeah, we had a friend of ours in the Thrifty Megamart saying that sometimes 'fight' fights happen here."
Masked Royal nodded. "Yes indeed, those do happen here. Why do you ask?"
Aubrey folded her arms with a smile. "I wanna see if your fighting skills are just as good as your Battle Royal skills, that's why."
"Oho! I see! The Masked Royal ain't one to back down from a challenge, oh yeah!" Masked Royal smiled. "Meet me in the locker rooms, and we'll get this brawl underway once everything's set up."
"Say no more." Aubrey looked to Jake. "Sorry dude, but what's the point of traveling around if you can't enjoy the local culture?"
"Did I object to this event in any fashion, Aubrey?" Jake asked with a mischievous tone. He and Forrest looked unexpectedly hyped up for the concept in mind. A fierce battle against multiple opponents was the kind of dream that many fans of manga, video games, and anime would envy. A real life PokeCinema production come to life.
Aubrey giggled. "Well then! I guess we know what the plan is?"
"Woah, is Aubrey really gonna fight Masked Royal?" Above on the second floor was the familiar, cheery voice of Hau, who certainly looked excited to watch two people he clearly respected clash against one another. The three looked up at him.
"Hau, are you stalking us?" Jake asked half-seriously and half-jokingly. "Why not join us in the festivities and showdown that's about to go down?"
"Sure thing! I don't see why not!" Hau would boldly jump on down to the first floor, doing a stylish three-point landing.
"Alright! First we'll show ya a proper Battle Royal, and then we'll get to the main event!" Masked Royal decided. "Let's get it on!"
Inside the stadium, the crowd was packed for an exciting Battle Royal. The platform for the battle had four corners, each with a large head of a Pokemon acting as an entrance for the combatants to enter the arena.
First out to the ring was Aubrey, coming from the Tyranitar's head for the green corner. She had Don's Poke Ball ready, wondering how she should try to play this battle out.
Next up was Hau, coming out from the Haxorus's head for the yellow corner. He was geared up to have a ball this battle, as his Torracat was ready.
After Hau, Masked Royal was third to come out from the Charizard's head in the red corner. He had a serious but happy demeanor as he had his Rockruff ready.
This would leave Jake to come out from the Gyarados's head for the blue corner. Jake stood poised and prepared with Dew out and about. The newly caught Water Bubble Pokemon had a cocky look on his face, as though he was eager to participate in the battle and felt confident in his abilities.
Once everyone had their Pokemon out, a bell sounded to start the Battle Royal. And right out of the gate, Masked Royal decided to play it safe. "Rockruff, Protect!" Jake decided his best bet was to aim for Torracat since Dew had the type advantage here. Aubrey meanwhile, had a similar idea, but went for what she felt was the smartest thing she could do.
"Don, Bulldoze!" She called. Hau's Torracat leaped up to dodge both attacks, going for Fire Fang on Don.
"Bubble Beam, Dew!" Dew sent a stream of furious bubbles from it's bubble head towards the Pokemon.
"Infestation!" Jake continued up the pressure as a swarm of powerful damaging insects flew forth towards the other combatants by Dew. While the Infestation didn't really do much to Torracat, they were present doing their job as Don's Stamina increased. Royal's Rockruff would go for Bite on Dew, while Don, looking to keep up the momentum, went for a Double Kick on Hau's approaching Torracat.
Dew was not deterred by the Bite, even as the wolf-like Pokemon chomped on it's bubbly head, returning the favor with a vicious Bug Bite of it's leg. Rockruff would back off and go for another Protect, seeing Aubrey and Hau calling for another Bulldoze and Fire Fang respectively.
"Dew, get to a safe distance with Spider Web!" Jake ordered. Dew nodded and summoned a spiderweb to gain a height advantage and some distance away from the relentless attacks before shooting another Bubble Beam at Torracat.
Torracat was barely able to dodge, Don galloping out of the way of Torracat's advance.
"Shoot, he's got the high ground..." Aubrey mentioned.
"Rockruff, use Rock Throw!" Masked Royal ordered, the Rockruff launching a rock up at Dew.
"Dodge and form another Spider Web!" Dew confidently leapt up as the rocks penetrated the original web and quickly formed another web along the wall of which it stuck to carefully and continued a ranged, snipe style attack with Bubble Beam. By now the Infestation had ended and left some of the Pokemon affected by it a bit shook up.
As Masked Royal's Rockruff continued to move and use Rock Throw attacks to keep Dew moving, Aubrey realized she had a solid opportunity to try and take the win here. Taking advantage of the confusion, she called, "Don, Double Kick on the cute thing!"
"Brey?" Don sounded confused by this.
"Oh you know who I'm talking about," Aubrey deadpanned, gesturing to the Rockruff. Combined with Dew's Bubble Beam assault and Torracat clawing away with Scratch to try and get something going, Don would rush forward and slam his hind legs into Rockruff, doing quite a number!
The Rockruff's legs would betray it, falling over defeated. Turns out the Infestation did just enough to give Don the opening to grab the win in the confusion.
"Nice! Our teamwork shines bright! WE're gonna wear the crown tonight!" Jake jumped up with glee. The sound of the bell would get Jake's attention that the Battle Royal had been closed out.
"Yeah, thanks for helping me cinch the win there, man!" Aubrey grinned. It would soon dawn on Jake what just happened.
"Oh we won? Yeah! That was a blast! I can see why it's addictive!" Jake was cheerful as well.
"Um, I think Aubrey's the one that won this Battle Royale, Jake," Hau innocently chimed in.
"Dewpider! Dewdewdewdewdew..." Dew grinned and laughed strangely sinisterly at his first victory. Clearly he found it very glorious to showcase his power and tactics from surviving in the Water Trial area of Brooklet Hill to a wide audience.
Jake noticed this and gave a slightly weirded out expression. "Great first showing Dew..."
"Let him pretend he won this," Aubrey chuckled, ruffling Jake's hair.
"Quite right Aubrey." Jake returned Dew to his Net Ball before summoning Forrest back from his original Poke Ball. "Shall we proceed forth? We still haven't seen Gladion yet."
"You can. I'm gonna get ready for my main event with our macho masked man over here," Aubrey told Jake, heading off with Masked Royal.
"I can go with ya to talk to Gladion if you want, Jake," Hau offered.
"I'd love that, Hau. I think your warm spirit would help him lighten up a bit and see the joys of true companionship. Good luck Aubrey." Jake nodded in agreement and the two buds headed out. They would find Gladion in the reception area, almost as if he was waiting for them.
"Interesting display of tactics there, you two. Maybe you can help make Null stronger," He gave somewhat of a compliment as he had his arms folded.
"Aww, thanks!" Hau beamed.
Gladion paused before giving a response. "True, Null and I have to make it on our own. I don't want to forget that. However...I knew that Hau wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to fight against someone he clearly respects. I would've stepped in, but it would've meant someone would've had to sit out, and clearly, Aubrey wouldn't back down from a fight just from looking at her."
"Well next time I'll sit out then and give you the chance you've definitely earned. Sound fair?" Jake offered. "It never hurts to be forward and ask if you want to join in on the battle because you want to do it more than say I would do."
"So...you sat out because you were thinking of me?" Hau asked.
"In a sense...you could say that," Gladion shrugged. "But I'll keep that in mind if you ever participate in another battle here, Jake."
Jake then noticed that Gladion seemed rather familiar with Hau based on this selection of words. "I'm glad to hear that. Say Gladion, do you know Hau?" He would've asked about Lillie too but he decided baby steps was the way to go with someone like Gladion. Besides, bringing her out of the blue would be very suspicious as many movie scripts he'd seen showed.
"Yes. Before I met you, I battled with Hau. Repeatedly," Gladion explained. "Sure, it's fine to have fun while battling, but this guy, he's something else. His Pokemon aren't weak, but he's only using the 'enjoying battling' thing as an excuse for losses."
Hau frowned, folding his arms behind his back. "Okay, yeah. I've been getting better, at least. Not everyone's gotta be super focused on winning."
"I wish I had that option like you, Hau," Gladion sighed.
"Hey, Pokemon Battling is not a survival sport if that's what you are getting at. Your motives for being a Trainer are entirely up to you and not chosen by circumstance or fate. Otherwise I probably wouldn't be doing another Pokemon journey like this." Jake said firmly but sensitively.
"So, you've never been in a situation where it has to be that?" Gladion then asked.
"To be honest no?" Jake answered. "I mean, Hoenn's chill about Pokemon Battling and celebrates lots of aspects of Pokemon. Which is why they have Contest Spectaculars so that those who don't want to fight with their Pokemon can still show off and thrive as companions and incredible Pokemon. Besides, this is casual Pokemon Battling I'm referring to here. Sure people might have to use Pokemon to stop evildoers or those who use Pokemon in a negative way but those moments are thankfully far and few between."
"Hmph. Maybe you'll see what I'm talking about in time," Gladion responded. "But that's nice to hear about." He would head out of the stadium, leaving Hau to give Jake a suggestion.
"Do you think he's acting like this because of his living situation?" He wondered.
"...Seeing as he's teamed up with Team Skull to presumably get by...yeah." Jake said. Forrest actually looked deeply troubled, wishing they could save Gladion from impending trouble down the line.
"Let's go to the malasada shop and call Vanessa. We've got a lot to go over with her, I bet," Hau suggested.
"Oh yeah of course! Now's a perfect time to talk about that. Luckily Aubrey was much more stable in the last Team Skull encounter. Though that may be because Hapu was there." Jake chuckled nervously and scratched his head as they made their way.
As they walked inside and got seated at a booth, Hau chuckled, "Well maybe once Aubrey sees that Team Skull isn't anything world threatening, she'll mellow out towards them."
"I mean I suspect they aren't world threatening either...Gladion working with them actually supports this theory as I don't think he'd work with someone who'd destroy what home he does have. I still wonder what their true aim is though and what they are planning..." Jake expressed his concerns and suspicions as he started dialing the number.
Hau shook his head. "Yeah, I'm with you on that one." Jake heard the phone ring once the number was dialed.
"Hello?" Vanessa was heard on the other end.
"Van! Great to hear from you again!" Jake greeted. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know me and Aubrey just had an EPIC victory at the Pokemon Battle Royale and we've learned a lot of interesting news about things here in Alola."
"Oh nice," Vanessa complimented. "Meanwhile I just finished...what I can only describe as a bit of a harrowing experience."
"Harrowing? What happened?" Hau asked.
"Would you believe ghosts?" Vanessa responded.
"Mind telling us what happened?" The young lad would start to dig into a malasada during this time.
"Oh I just got to Lavender Town here in Kanto," Vanessa began. "It's a well known Pokemon burial site. Well, I see this Cubone go in the tower by itself and follow it. The trainers inside seem like they are possessed and ghosts that look like no Ghost type I am familiar with showed up. I was able to go around most of them, but I can't get past this big one towards the top."
"Ooh yeah that place. Lots of urban myths and creepy rumors about that place. It's a miracle they've confirmed no visitors actually die there. Anyways you might need some kind of ritual or special object to draw that big ghost into existence so you can get past it," Jake advised.
"Yeah, I heard the Silph Company might make something that will let me get past this ghost. But I am currently in Celadon City. Those two Team Rocket guys with the normal red 'R' and the talking Meowth took the Cubone when I got out of the tower. I'm trying to track down where they went," Vanessa added.
"Tell them I want their autographs and get them for me, ok?" Jake teased. "In all seriousness, there is something important I wanted to ask you about regarding Aubrey. She hasn't done anything wrong but she has done something that's put me and Hau both on edge."
"She dunked a Team Skull grunt into the pond at Paniola Town," Hau mentioned in between bites. "Does she...normally do that?"
"Ah yes." Vanessa sounded like this was all too familiar to her. "Well, before we went on our vacations so to speak, we were on this island and got stranded on for some time. Turns out some stupidly named team was trying to get control over Lugia in an attempt to control the seas." She paused before continuing. "Why they did not go after Kyorge for that, I have no idea. We had a bit of a bad time there...I'm going to assume she is still pent up about that."
"Can you go into more specific detail if that's ok? We want to be able to help her temper any possible physical threats and excess violence and understand where this serious tension comes from." Jake tried to sound as understanding and earnest as possible. He liked Aubrey a lot and trusted her one-hundred percent but he knew the effects lingering trauma could have on a person. She was too pure and dedicated to upholding justice to fall victim to that if he could help it.
"Honestly," Hau commented, being more straightforward with his approach. "I think she just likes fighting."
"Oh, she DEFINITELY loves a good scrap," Vanessa confirmed for Hau. "It's why I'm her partner. I tend to be able to get her to either calm down or do something different that is not 'beat up the bad guy'. I also end up having to fix any injury she gets."
"...Not quite the specifics I meant. I meant about why things went bad and how we can help her feel reassured and relaxed and back her up if something like that arises again." Jake tried not to facepalm.
"Well, that is not really important right now," Vanessa replied. "Also might be a bad guess on my part, but hey, we can tell that story when everything is said and done and I head on over there."
"Well if you say so...I just feel like who we are up against may not be as heinous as whatever Team you two faced down back then." Jake tried elaborating on his reasoning. "Furthermore, we met a guy. Gladion. He's homeless but found a place with this Team Skull that Aubrey was not so nice too. We don't think they are as evil as their 'Team' moniker suggests."
Vanessa paused at the mention of the name. "Waait are you talking about Team Skull?"
"We don't want Aubrey to become a she who fights monsters sort of thing so please can you advise us on how to help settle her anxiety?" Jake took heed of what Vanessa said. "Yes, Team Skull."
"I don't think it's anxiety, I think a better question to ask would be 'How can we keep Aubrey from doing something she'll regret?'" Hau spoke up.
"Yeah, exactly Hau. Thank you." Jake patted Hau on the shoulder.
"Ah yes. They operate out of Ula Ula led by a guy called Guzma if I recall that report right," The ranger reported. "Bug trainer, and a really good one too from what I hear. They are actually the trainers who failed the Island Challenge and are more mad at those who actually succeed at it. Anyway, when Brey gets back you mind telling her to call me? It sounds like she needs a lecture..and to read."
Jake was a bit surprised about this sudden overload of new information. "Whoa, whoa, wait...Failed the Island Challenge?...We can fail the Island Challenge?" Forrest gulped.
"Yup. Does not help they all live in a town that never stops raining," Vanessa confirmed.
"How do you know all this?" Hau sounded curious.
"Oh, we rangers can get access to police reports as long as it is not classified in case it relates to anything we work on," Vanessa elaborated. "I can access these myself from my Styler which has a built-in connection to the Union's main database. Most of our information from Alola comes from the Aether Foundation."
"Aether..." Jake frowned hearing that name but shook it off. "So then this Guzma guy is the ringleader and must've been the one who got Gladion involved in this. And yeah, we'll let Aubrey know she needs to contact you soon."
Hau blinked. "So you mean to tell me Aubrey could've just looked this stuff up for herself at any time if she wanted to."
"Yeaah...I'm the one who tends to get stuck with the paperwork. Her handwriting is awful," Vanessa responded.
"I'll take your word for it. Well right now, Aubrey's currently gonna have a match against the Masked Royal himself, so I'm gonna watch it!" Hau would finish his food.
"Oh no...I knew that feeling in the back of my mind meant something." Vanessa audibly facepalmed at this.
"Same here. Thanks for the chat Vanessa. You are a fantastic partner and source of information. Keep Kanto Great! Also tell the Team Rocket trio I think they are icons but they should stop being meanies." Jake signed off.
Once Jake hung up, he said to him, "Oh boy, Van's not gonna be happy with Aubrey once she calls, huh?"
Jake frowned and looked a lot more serious in his expression than Hau was expecting. Now was not the time for jovial jesting. They found out some incriminating and deep information about Team Skull. "The Island Challenge losers become outcasts...? And Team Skull formed around this? What the heck...?"
Hau shook his head. "Maybe that's what Gladion was talking about back at the stadium."
"Wait but this doesn't make sense? How can they not have anyplace else to go?! Pokemon Trainers can have multiple jobs and it's relatively not debt-inducing to quit a Pokemon journey voluntarily." Jake's anti-Alola paranoia was starting to reemerge. "What kind of crooked ruling is that that if you fail the Island Challenge you essentially hit rock bottom?!"
"Jake, please...please don't panic," Hau tried to reassure. "We don't want to get so worked up we hit a dead end. There's gotta be some actual reason instead of that being the rules around here. Tutu never mentioned anything like that to me when I wanted to start my island challenge."
"Well there better be a good reason or I'm going to tell Kukui he needs to look into this himself." Jake's fist clenched. Now his fire about Gladion's situation was an inferno. He must've suffered greatly because of this ruling too or perhaps he related to this original scenario that the other members of the Team had rallied behind to overturn the region. After taking a moment to compose himself, he said, "Still, everything is starting to paint a clearer picture now."
"But there's just one thing that doesn't make sense to me..." Hau mentioned as they got out of the booth and headed back to the stadium.
"We gotta go talk to both Aubrey and Kukui about this. This is too serious to ignore." Jake then took attention of Hau's comment. "Speak your mind and you'll be heard, Hau."
"The Aether Foundation considered Team Skull a direct enemy to their Pokemon conservation efforts. So I think it makes sense that they'd be willing to share that stuff with the Union, right?" Hau wasn't really sure how the Union worked, but he assumed it was similar to the Aether Foundation and other law enforcement agencies in the world. Another thing that didn't make sense to him was...well, if Team Skull really weren't all that bad, why would the Aether Foundation not try and reform them to better protect Pokemon? It wouldn't be that much of a chore in his mind to try and help Team Skull reform so they can stop harassing Pokemon in his mind.
"I do find it suspicious how they so easily know the leader of the Team and their specialty as a trainer." Jake admitted. Forrest, flying overhead, said a "Dartrix" in agreement. "But yeah you are right there."
In the locker room, Aubrey would opt to dress in a sports bra and leggings for her match with Masked Royal, leaving her egg incubator on one of the benches. "Hunter, come on out please," She kindly requested.
"Pup?" Hunter looked interested in what Aubrey wanted her to do.
"Could you be a dear and watch over my egg for me? I've got business to attend to," Aubrey requested.
"Lil li!" Hunter barked in agreement.
"Good girl." Aubrey rubbed Hunter's head before going out to the ring.
"Allllriiiiiight, ladies and gentlemen...we've got ourselves an exciting match today! First, give it up for our defending champion...the Masked Royaaaaaaaaaal!"
In walked in Kuku- I mean the Masked Royal. He was met with cheers and applause as he started flexing. "Yeeeeeah! Thank you!"
"Aaaaand his opponent, theeeee Pokemon Ranger from Summerland, give it up fooooor... the Pokemon Ranger...Aubrey!"
Aubrey would rush on in, similar cheers greeting her as she dove into the ring, striking her ranger pose. "Let's do this thing!"
"Alright, you know how this goes. Either knockout or submission will determine the victor of the fight. Now, you ready?" The referee informed.
"I'm ready!" Masked Royal grinned.
"Bring it, Royal," Aubrey pounded a fist against her open palm.
"Now, ladies and gentleman...LLLLLEEEEET'S GET READY TO RUUUUMBLEEEEEE!" The referee exclaimed.
"Ladies first," Masked Royal grinned.
"Such a gentleman," Aubrey mused, moving forward in a fighting stance. She had a feeling Masked Royal knew what was capable of doing, so she decided to be unpredictable right out of the gate, throwing a side kick and switching it up to a roundhouse at the last second!
Masked Royal would soak in the hit! "Not bad..." He smirked as he delivered a one two punch and then followed with a powerful gut punch! Aubrey would absorb the blows quite well, trading punches with him and a kick to the leg to cap it off. Masked Royal would block a few punches as he would do a spin kick to her chest, and then did a flip kick right after. Aubrey stumbled back, but regained her footing in time to intercept another strike, catching a kick with her left hand and pushing upwards. Masked Royal was pushed back a bit, but his never ending smirk was still present as he lunged at her and delivered an uppercut to her chin! Aubrey's head snapped back from the blow, but she was still steady on her feet, smiling. Finally, a worthy opponent!
'Looks like I've already impressed her!' Masked Royal smirked. Aubrey wasted no time moving back into the fight, throwing out an elbow strike and a body punch to follow up. Masked Royal would respond to a palm strike, and then a roundhouse kick shortly after. Aubrey stood her ground, grappling with Masked Royal, looking for a knee strike.
All this back and forth action was making this fight pretty good, the crowd was loving it!
Masked Royal would deliver several jabs and a right hook combo. Aubrey rammed her knee into Masked Royal's stomach, pushing him back with a side kick. Masked Royal let out a chuckle and took a step back, flashing a cocky smirk and giving her a 'come at me' gesture.
"Ooooh, it looks like the Masked Royal is taunting her!" The announcer commented.
'He's pretty tough...yeah, it makes sense,' Aubrey thought to herself. 'It makes sense a professor who researches Pokemon moves on himself would naturally be made out of some pretty tough stuff.'
'For a Pokemon Ranger, she ain't half bad in the ring!' Masked Royal thought. 'Gotta step it up…'
But then, Masked Royal had an idea. Having watched how Aubrey has been fighting, she seemed to put a priority on striking. He had a theory, and an idea on how to win this fight.
Aubrey would move forward, flicking out jabs to ease her way in and keeping Masked Royal's guard up. When she would go for a roundhouse upstairs, Masked Royal made his move by ducking under Aubrey's leg, getting behind and wrapping his arms around her stomach. The crowd was suddenly charged with excitement as Masked Royal sent Aubrey for a ride with a suplex, causing her to land crashing down on her back with a loud chorus of cheers from the crowd.
"Urgh…" Aubrey groaned, getting back up to her feet just in time to collide with Masked Royal, the two of them now grappling for control over the other. After some tricky maneuvering, the wrestler would get the upper hand and bring Aubrey back to the ground with a flashy, double legged takedown for another slam down on the canvas back first.
As Aubrey was clashing her strength with the wrestler to get back up to her feet, Masked Royal knew that a knockout win wasn't going to be easy at all. A submission was a more realistic way to claim the win. However, as Aubrey would soon see, the Masked Royal wanted to make it quick and relatively as painless as possible, which is what led to his decision to bring Aubrey's right arm into an armbar, locking it up fast.
The ranger had no choice after some initial struggle to submit, tapping out, the bell signalling the end of the fight almost on cue. Masked Royal let Aubrey go, helping her to her feet out of good sportsmanship.
'Arceus, I feel like I just embarrassed myself…' Aubrey thought to herself. 'But...if this is the professor, I got mad respect for him pulling this off.'
(Sorry for taking so long to get this one out, I was stuck on this last part. But a huge shout-out to Nan the Keyblade Master for helping me get started on this, I don't think I could've cleared this chapter without his help. Nan, if you're reading this, kudos to you my boy. Next time, Wela Volcano Park awaits! Bye for now!)