(It's the dawn of the fourth day in Alola for our adventures with the ranger and the Hoenn native trainer. We're gonna be finishing up Akala Island on Day 4 and meeting the Aether president herself! But before we can do that, we have trials to get through. Let's hit it.
The Reviews
LogBook27062000: There was a lot of cool stuff in the last chapter, and in this chapter we're aiming to keep the good times rolling!
Megan Romero: I'll eventually make a thing on my profile showing all the mons that Aubrey and Jake have by their side to make things less confusing.)
The sun rose on another day in the Alola region, Aubrey waking up early and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked to see that Jake was already out of bed, likely getting himself changed into something fashionable. Jake chose to wear a short-sleeved deep blue shirt with four elemental crystals representing fire, water, flying, and rock of Pokemon types, with comfortable black shorts with white sporty details, no-show socks, and familiar tennis shoes.
"Morning sunshine. Should I go get breakfast in bed for you?" Jake chuckled.
"If you really want to, sure," Aubrey chuckled as well. "I was gonna get dressed in that kickin' outfit you picked out for me when we first got to Akala."
"Ooh I can't wait for that dazzling debut! I'll get breakfast then and meet up with you to start for our next Trial journey. What are your tastebuds craving then?" Jake asked before he summoned Forrest to be at his side again. Forrest looked a bit sleepy and carefully preened his feathers to perfection.
"Mmm, it's been a while since I've had pancakes and eggs," Aubrey hummed. "So you tell me."
"Perfect! Let me get right on that. Come along Forrest." Jake had Forrest perch on his outstretched arm as the two of them went to go cook some pancakes and eggs.
Pulling up a recipe on Rotom Dex and borrowing the Pokemon Center's kitchen along with the handy and fresh ingredients made it a lot easier than it normally would for Jake to cook the breakfast. Forrest helped by carefully cracking the eggs to perfection as they cooked on the pan and Jake decided to add a personal touch by adding blueberries to the pancakes as he loved blueberry pancakes. All the while he knew Aubrey was probably getting into her new and deluxe outfit.
By the time Jake made some good headway on her food, Aubrey would come out of their room wearing the Gothorita top and sludge set shorts with her ranger boots.
"Mmm, smells great!" She complemented.
"Thanks. I don't usually cook on my own but I figured learning is admirable and if I follow a recipe, I should be able to achieve greatness. Pokemon are great helpers in the kitchen." Jake hummed to himself before turning around to look at Aubrey. He blushed. He gushed. He squeed. Aubrey looked weirded out.
"You look soooooooooo good!" Jake raised his arms up gleefully. "I knew my stylista sixth sense would not betray me here! And that Alolan fashion isn't beyond saving! You are gorgeous!"
"Dar... trix." Aubrey was positive that Forrest was saying 'laying it on a bit thick there'.
"Uh...thanks," Aubrey awkwardly chuckled. "But this does look good on me. It's why I'm wearing it."
"Mmhmm! Makes me wonder how Vanessa dresses. Maybe you two could be trendsetters in Ranger fashion! It'd be refreshing for Hoenn's rangers to realize uniforms aren't necessary all the time." Jake beamed.
"Maybe once she's done with her business in Kanto, she can join us here and you can see for yourself," Aubrey suggested with a smile.
"That'd be lovely!" Jake cheerfully remarked. Soon after the discussion was done, breakfast was ready and with butter and syrup provided, the two of them got to eating while Forrest ate some Poffins.
As they ate, Aubrey would start a different topic of conversation. "So like, what do you think we should do when it comes to investigating the whole deal with the Aether Foundation?"
Jake thought considerately about the subject. Even with other things to keep in mind like the Mega Evolution slander or Gladion and Lillie's possible connection and the strange new Pokemon unidentifiable by Rotom Dex, Jake was perfectly willing to keep reasoning about these important topics.
"Well, first we need to find more examples of Aether personnel. See where the gap is between those who have sensible motivations with the organization and those that don't. After all, we've yet to have a personal first impression from them. All we know has been what we've found out about them," The Hoenn trainer answered. "Then once we're more familiar with specific members of Aether, then we can branch out into finding out more about the juicy stuff. Like their origins, rise to prominence, sources of information, and upcoming/end goals." Jake took another bite of his pancakes.
Aubrey nodded in agreement as she took another bite. "That way we'll know what we're dealing with. From there, then we'll know the best course of action to take."
"Which means Faba is our best lead. Whoever he is." Forrest nodded in agreement with Jake's assessment.
"Alternatively, if we can find any of those offices that Van mentioned yesterday, that'd be a good place to start too," Aubrey commented.
"Yeah. Nothing to it," Jake grinned. Once they were done with breakfast, Aubrey was soon ready to go.
"Alright, man! Time to go seize the day!" She exclaimed.
"Carpe Diem!" Jake fist pumped the air and the two partners in journeying made their way out of the Pokemon Center and for their next destination.
The two headed out to Route 7, approaching a tunnel that was no longer barricaded off to them. Dividing Peak Tunnel as it was called. And as they proceeded through, they would find a familiar, weirdly dressed duo near the end.
"Oh hey...it's been a while since we last saw these two," Aubrey mentioned. Jake and Forrest both gave flat 'oh god' expressions.
"...Can we help you two? Again?" Jake inquired incredulously as they approached the mysterious pair.
"The aura readings were going off the charts. I take it that was from you two?" Zossie would ask as the out of this world duo turned to face them.
"Well, we have been getting more Z-Crystals," Aubrey mentioned.
"It seems your island challenge is going well if that is the case," Dulse noted. "Battling the Totem Pokemon, wrapped in aura, is having effects on the both of you as well."
"Do you mean in terms of getting stronger, wiser, and more resolved in what we came to do? Then in that case yes." Jake decided not to think too deeply on what other implications Dulse had.
"That's good to hear." For the first time they've met him, a faint smile was seen on Dulse's partially hidden face.
"Well, we were on our way to see this Colress guy who has been helping us out with our mission," Zossie mentioned. "Our world was awash in light like the auras of Totem Pokemon, ya know. Hopefully Colress can help us get closer to getting our light back."
"So I can safely assume you two aren't working with Aether Foundation?" Aubrey guessed. "Since from what we know, they're not involved in whatever you two are doing."
"Mmm...not really. We were offered a position to assist them when it comes to the Ultra Beasts, but Zossie and I turned it down," Dulse answered. "I wish I could tell you more, but we need to get going."
"Colress...?" Jake's eyes widened. That name sounded familiar yet he couldn't quite recollect where he had heard it before. The two waved goodbye before heading out of the tunnel.
"You know of this guy?" Aubrey looked at Jake, eyebrow raised.
"I could probably look it up if you really wanted me to." Jake shrugged.
"But they did tell us something interesting," Aubrey commented as they walked on ahead. "Aether seems to have an interest in the Ultra Beasts."
"I thought that was a given. Didn't we hear from the Professor or someone they worked on taking care of them or watching them or something?" Jake mentioned.
"That would be the case. But what would cause Dulse and Zossie to just turn them down like that?" Aubrey put a hand to her chin as she thought on it. "Also, Kukui told us back at the festival on Melemele Island that his wife was looking into the Ultra Beasts."
"Well if we take into consideration the Team Skull argument then maybe they also think Aether is not entirely wholesome despite being powerful here." Jake held his pointer finger up as he made this point. "Right, so maybe she's involved with Aether in some way. That or they both have interests that align."
"And she was working in Heahea City..." Aubrey then knew what they needed to do. "Alright, here's the plan. As soon as we're done with the trial in Lush Jungle, we head back to Heahea City and find out where Kukui's wife works. Then we'll ask her for what she knows on Ultra Beasts."
"Sounds like a great plan to me," Jake agreed. "Come to think of it, Lush Jungle should be where that green-haired girl is right? Mallow?"
Aubrey nodded. "By process of elimination, she's the only Captain we haven't faced yet. So yes, Lush Jungle is where we'll meet her."
"Are we there yet?" Jake asked in the most intentionally obnoxious tone possible.
Once they exited the tunnel, they would be on Route 8. And the first thing that would catch their eye was a white, polygonal one-story building with a staircase leading up to a sliding door. It looked very futuristic, with a golden trident-like emblem on the building's side.
"Hey...is that one of the Aether offices Van was talking about?" Aubrey wondered.
"Huh. I guess it is. Sticks out not even like a sore thumb but more like a blister around here," Jake smiled nervously. He was beginning to wonder if Aether was incapable of trying to be subtle.
"Well, let's go inside and see what we see." Aubrey would go up the steps first and head inside, the door sliding open for her. The purely monochrome room had a very metallic peaceful color scheme of soft blues and whites with grey flooring. Furnishings, display cases, and other unusual scientific-looking apparatuses and charts laid about the interior of the office. Inside were two employees of the foundation, their white and gold uniforms having many pockets for their supplies were surprised to see the two arrive.
"Oh! You're not Branch Chief Faba. Who are you?" One of them asked. It was worth noting both of them had bags under their eyes. Aubrey could tell their work was tireless.
"Peace, friends. I'm Aubrey Bradford. Pokemon Ranger with the Union," She introduced.
"Jake Hagguire, Pokemon Trainer aligned with the Union," Jake teased but also wanted to showcase he was loyal to Aubrey.
Forrest simply saluted them as a greeting and said "Dar!"
And Vatonage, who was following along on Aubrey's head, waved with a cute "Vee!"
"How can we help you two?" The employee asked.
"Well maybe you can tell us more about what you do as Aether and who you two are? It's our first time meeting anyone from the group but we've heard of all the influential and positive things Aether does as a corporation on Alola so we wanted to learn more." Jake smiled honestly. Although he was still suspicious of them, Jake did want to learn more and he knew this was great detective etiquette.
"Ah, I see. Well I can tell you what we do," The employee smiled back. "The Aether Foundation, as you know, is dedicated to Pokemon conservation. Any Pokemon that are mistreated, neglected, or hunted by others are taken into our care."
Aubrey listened to the explanation given to them. She felt that it would be unwise to grill these two on any connections to Team Skull, since odds are they wouldn't know much. But decided to ask about them anyway. "So...Team Skull, huh? It's amazing that they're a threat to Pokemon out here."
"You could say that...but the people of Alola view them as more of a nuisance than a threat," The employee responded. "Would that we could, we're only a conversation group. We're not the government of this region. So I'm not sure we'd have the power to help properly deal with them. All we can do is protect the Pokemon they harass and intimidate. Like this poor Vulpix here."
On the back table was an Alolan Vulpix, curled up sleeping. But it wasn't just any Vulpix. They could infer it was the Vulpix from Paniola Town.
"Oh...we know this Alolan Vulpix!" Jake exclaimed but then quieted himself by holding a hand over his mouth. Waking it was sure to be a disastrous move after all. "S-sorry..." He then whispered. "I mean...we saw Team Skull harassing it over a bottle cap. We stepped in and pacified the situation."
"Kyuun..." The Vulpix stirred in its slumber at Jake's voice, opening its eyes and looking to the duo.
"Yeah. 'Pacified' is a word to describe it," Aubrey added, remembering that moment.
"Well would you look at that...it became scared of humans after Team Skull had bullied it. But that's the first time we've seen it go up to someone on its own like that," The second employee mentioned. Vatonage would hop off Aubrey's head and go over to the Vulpix, wagging his tail at the prospect of a new friend.
"Thank you for stepping in and protecting Vulpix," The first employee sounded happy to hear that. "That being said, we don't really have the authority to really do anything about Team Skull."
"Hey Aubrey, maybe you can try to make a better impression this time now? I know if you showcase that you were really thinking of it during that moment, it'll feel more relaxed." Jake urged Aubrey calmly but sweetly. He wasn't trying to remind her of her failures, but encourage her to make good on her promise to apologize to it back then and show that she was going to be more relaxed around not just Team Skull but distressed Pokemon.
Aubrey would look over at Vatonage communicating with the Vulpix, seeing the curiosity in her partner's eyes. "I think I'm fine on that front. Vatonage has got me covered it seems," She mused.
"Either way, Vulpix seems to feel safe about Aubrey," The second employee noted. "Maybe spending time with her will help it immensely..."
"Sounds fine with me," Aubrey instantly agreed.
"Seconded! Also you're welcome for us helping the pretty icy fox. We'll never let innocents be harmed under our watch," Jake chuckled.
"All right, Vulpix, let's eat something. You haven't eaten a decent meal since you got here," The second employee said, noting the Vulpix was slightly shaking. "Ranger, could you go get us a Big Malasada to eat together? All you need to do is head down to Royal Avenue."
"Yeah, they got a malasada place down there," Aubrey responded. "You got it. Wait here, Vatonage. I'll be back."
"Vee vii!" Vatonage smiled as Aubrey stepped out.
"I'll stay here and keep Aether company." Jake called out to Aubrey. "So you really do a nice thing for the Pokemon in the region. I can admire and appreciate that." He said after facing the two Aether employees.
The first one nodded. "That we do. It warms my heart to see Pokemon happy and healthy," She said.
"So would you mind if I ask more questions? You mentioned a Faba earlier. What's he like?" Jake requested.
"Faba is our branch chief," The second employee answered. "He's referred to as our 'last line of defense' for whenever we have to fight."
"Last line of defense?" Forrest stirred uncomfortably at that sudden change of seriousness.
"Yes. Whenever the time comes to fight, he's the last person to step up whenever the need arises," The first employee frowned. "He argues that if something were to happen to him, it would be troublesome. Which gives him free reign to stand back and watch us go first."
"What exactly would you be fighting in this case though? Poachers? Team Skull? Ultra Beasts? Or something else...?" Jake took a responsible level of reaction as opposed to a suspicious level.
"Those first two things? Definitely. As for the Ultra Beasts...we're not really sure what we're supposed to do against them," The first employee admitted. "Or rather, I don't."
"I've never faced an Ultra Beast before," The second one added. "Our president does seem to be interested in them."
"Well I wouldn't know what to do other than run for the hills so I'm fine with that response. Who is your president if I may ask or is that confidential information?" Jake prodded. Now he was starting to feel a bit bad for these employees who clearly were not excited about the idea of having to engage the opponents themselves while someone else of a higher rank was able to slack off and basically abstain from combat because of their value.
"Her name is Lusamine," The second employee answered. "She loves all Pokemon, whether they be from Alola or not. I can only assume she views the Ultra Beasts as Pokemon too, and I'm inclined to agree. From what we know of Ultra Beasts, they have similar properties to Pokemon - typing, moves, so on."
Jake and Forrest both look surprised by the beguiling and unique sounding name of the president. As well as the fact it was a woman which wasn't something seen often in other regions. For a woman to rise to the top of a renowned company like this must mean she was as powerful or influential as someone like Cynthia or Diantha. "Yeah I also believe they are Pokemon. Eldritch deity Pokemon from another dimension or reality but Pokemon nonetheless. So she loves Pokemon then, and she founded this group to protect them?" Jake reasoned.
Both employees nodded in agreement, and not a moment later Aubrey would return with a big malasada.
"Hey, I'm back!" Aubrey waved.
"Hey Aubrey! I just learned some great things about Aether! They really are for the protection and safety of Pokemon!" Jake grinned brightly. Forrest though gave Aubrey a knowing look that suggested they uncovered some smoking guns as well.
"Well that's good to hear." Aubrey noted Forrest's look as she gave the malasada to the Vulpix.
"Kruu..." It cried.
"Vee vee, vee!" Vatonage added, as the two Pokemon munched on the malasada together.
Jake beamed at the adorable sight, finding it super sweet and endearing. He would've taken a picture but he knew that commercialism and tourism was not ideal and would likely disturb the Alolan Vulpix. For now he was content watching the sweet sight and seeing Vatonage spend more intimate time with other Pokemon. Forrest too gave a happy glance for them.
"Maybe after this we could go play outside together, you two," Aubrey suggested.
"Viii!" Vatonage seemed to like that idea, nudging the Vulpix with a smile. The Vulpix seemed on board with this idea.
"But what if Team Skull were to come back?" The second employee brought up.
"My mere presence should be enough of a deterrent, ma'am," Aubrey assured. "You can trust me. Once these little cuties are done, we can go outside and play together."
"Yeah, don't worry about us. We're like the Team Skull Scout Brigade! Scouting all signs of crossbones and bad fashion to defend the populace of Alola!" Jake did his dramatic Ranger pose to emphasize their confidence and also to poke a bit of fun at the circumstances.
"Very well then. I suppose we can let you play around outside," The second employee smiled, seeing the Vulpix and Vatonage were finished with their meal.
"Right-o. Come along, you two!" Aubrey called, the two Pokemon following her outside. "You too, Jake." Jake nodded and left the building with a spring in his step. Forrest flew above them and watched carefully for any signs of trouble but was content in seeing there was none.
They would catch a glance of Dulse and Zossie conversing with that Colress fellow they mentioned earlier, a blonde bespectacled man with a gray trench coat that definitely looked high-tech.
"Eh...let's not bother them right now." Aubrey walked along with the two Pokemon as she followed up with, "So what'd you find out?"
"I found out some major things actually! Firstly, the Faba guy might be kind of a...douche. He is supposedly their 'last line of defense' if they have to face Team Skull or anything and leaves the employees to be the first responders because he's too integral to the security of Aether or whatever." Jake shrugged as though it was a foregone conclusion.
Aubrey took a deep breath before groaning. "Ooooooooh, I wanna punch him already..."
"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that first impression myself." Jake rolled his eyes in agreement. "Secondly, we know the president of Aether's name and identity. Their name is Lusamine and they are a woman."
"Do we have anything else about this president?" Aubrey asked, indifferent to Lusamine's gender.
"She is the one interested in Ultra Beasts and she loves all Pokemon which is why she formed this conversation group in the first place." Jake said. Then something occurred to him regarding what they'd previously learned about Aether. "So... wait. That must mean she is the one who knows about Guzma and Team Skull as well."
"Yup, that's right," Aubrey responded with a smile. "Which means either she or Faba is the one publicizing this information about Team Skull."
"If Faba specializes in defense, then I'd imagine he would only know about Team Skull on a base level. The president seems more like a position to have such intel or information about a specific group or individual in the first place. Although it now kind of makes sense why she might not bother helping the delinquent group if she already has a security team to deal with them and has Pokemon-centric priorities." Jake said as he looked over to the trio down the road.
"Yeah. Hey, could you talk to that scientist guy and see if he knows anything about the Ultra Beasts?" Aubrey requested. "I'm gonna spend some time with these little cuties."
"W-wait me...? But I don't want to talk to Tweedle-Weird and Tweedle-Weirder alone." Jake gulped, looking nervous about seeing them three versus one. Forrest however looked emboldened and more than willing to do it.
Considering the fact that Dulse and Zossie were leaving at this moment, Forrest had every right to be emboldened.
"Well you won't have to talk alone now, so...have fun." Aubrey would leave him with that as she went off with the Vulpix and Vatonage.
Jake glared at Aubrey severely, envious at her expert stealth skills and ability to delegate him to a mission without his consent. It was worthy of a Team that's for sure. After getting over the blow to his ego and pride, he made his way towards the elaborately dressed scientist in question. Forrest flying by his side.
Fortunately for Jake, Colress would show to be much more approachable than the two 'out of towners'.
"Ah, hello there!" Colress greeted, approaching Jake warmly. He was seen tapping away at buttons on a console on his wrist.
"Hey there! I noticed you were hovering around here and you seemed to be doing something important. Need any help sir?" Jake offered kindly with a friendly handwave of his own.
"Well, I suppose any help is appreciated," Colress mused. "I'm Colress. The theme of my research is 'bringing out the potential in Pokemon.' What I believe brings out the potential in Pokemon is the bond they share with their trainers."
Jake had a hunch he was Colress but figured it'd be smarter to not indicate he already knew his identity. Colress did look really familiar but Jake wasn't sure yet where he had seen him. Probably on the news but then that'd be odd for him to be here since most people who he recalled showing up on Pokemon news were troublemakers or people like Zinnia.
"That sounds great! I think it's scientifically proven that bonds empower Pokemon if Pokemon Amie is any evidence to show for it." Jake nodded.
"Indeed. I do find the Z-Moves used in this region to be another example of that," Colress mused. "It's not too different from Mega Evolution based on my preliminary research."
"Oh absolutely! Mega Evolution is so awesome! Z-Moves is kind of neat in how you do dancing and channel your power into a new and powerful attack but I think a full on transformation is far more epic. Like magical girl animes! Plus it's embodying a full unity of trainer and Pokemon by being able to tap into something it doesn't normally possess!" Forrest just chuckled at his trainer's inability to help himself from geeking out.
The scientist was quite amused by Jake's eager attitude. "I take it you're familiar with Mega Evolution too."
"Yeah I used Mega Evolution in my first Pokemon journey and I've always loved the concept of it. Why for my 21st birthday I got a Pokemon that could Mega Evolve and was a Legendary! It was one of the greatest gifts I've ever received. Too bad Alola has shown less than ideal tolerance and fondness for Mega Evolution though..." Jake frowned.
"Yes, I've noticed as much," Colress commented. "Something about the Pokedex's entries saying some contradictory statements as opposed to the Pokedex you find about some Mega Evolutions in Kanto."
"Or Hoenn for that matter yeah! And even in print there's been individuals who describe Mega Evolution as torturous and ugly. Vilifying those that use it...it's gross if you ask me, Colress." Jake sounded bitter but hoped Colress would understand where this bitterness came from.
It was clear as day that Colress knew where he was coming from, but continued on with his point. "And even then, some Pokemon that can Mega Evolve have good and bad said about it here. For example, the Pokemon Kangaskhan. The Alolan Pokedex says this about it." He would pull up the information on Kangaskhan through his trench coat and read it off. "'Mega Kangaskhan's strength derives from the mother's happiness about her child's growth. Watching it grow up keeps her spirits high.' is one entry for it. Another entry reads 'The explosive energy the child is bathed in causes temporary growth. The mother is beside herself with worry about it.'"
"I know...it's deeply depressing to think of that. Who even writes these Pokedex entries and do they really know what Mega Kangaskhan is feeling or not?" Jake questioned calmly.
"I'm not entirely sure." Colress closed his eyes in thought. "Honestly, if that young man was around, even he would be opposed to this..." He shook his head. "But rest assured, I can safely deduce that there are some flaws with the data on Mega Evolution here. Now if you'll excuse me..." Colress would give Jake the TM for Flame Charge. "You're on your way to Lush Jungle, right? Hopefully you can find some way to make use of this to help in your next trial."
"Oh wow...thanks a bunch Colress. Hey and take care of yourself out there. Lots of wild things out here in Alola." Jake giggled to himself as he accepted the TM.
"Likewise." Colress would give a nod and head off.
Jake felt a bit of hope knowing Colress was a smart cookie but also clearly willing to see his side of the Mega Evolution dilemma that he and Aubrey were attempting to resolve. And if the two nutjobs were on friendly terms with him, maybe they made them a bit more trustworthy in turn. Either way, Jake had to return to Aubrey and recount the new information. He returned in time to see Aubrey...engaged in a rolling contest with Vatonage and the Alolan Vulpix.
"Hey man!" Aubrey called with a laugh, having a ball with the two Pokemon.
"Hey there. Just know that I forgive but do not forget." Jake gave a coy smile at her face, intent on getting her to do something she didn't want to do in the future to make her pay for her earlier deceptiveness. Forrest mouthed a 'sorry' to Aubrey for his trainer's threat. He liked Jake a lot but understood that he was relatively childish for an adult.
"Ah, you'll get over it." Aubrey would stand up, dusting herself off. "So, how'd it go?"
"Excellent! Colress is so cool! He was really into the potential of bonds between Pokemon but not in a delusional way but a relatable way. He also was in sync with me on our thoughts on Mega Evolution and how it's been wronged so badly here! Oh...I did forget to ask him about Dulse and Zossie though. My bad." Jake blushed as he realized he had let his own topic get in the way of what could've been juicier information.
"We've still got Kukui's wife to talk to," Aubrey mentioned. "So don't sweat it." She'd rub the Vulpix's head, who got its fur all dirty. "I'll go bring this little guy back in and we'll move on."
"So everything is looking up then with the little guy?" Jake winked.
"Mhm! Everything's gonna be alright once we head out." The ranger picked up the Vulpix, bringing it back inside the office, with Vatonage happily trotting behind her.
Once they came back out, Aubrey said, "Alright! Let's get moving on to Lush Jungle, man!"
"Heck yeah! There's a Trial with our name on it!" Jake declared jubilantly.
The duo went through Route 8, battling a couple trainers along the way as they stopped by a Pokemon Center.
"Alright. Grass-type trial. Erwing's gonna tear it up in there," Aubrey mused as they stepped inside.
"I have three Pokemon that all will be effective for the Trial. Forrest, Belle, and Dew all can do well with their Flying, Fire, and Bug moves. Still, let's see who is really up for fighting." Jake summoned his two other Pokemon. Belle looked happy to be out and about and Dew, newly evolved, bowed honorably before his trainer. "Ok so we got a Grass-type trial up ahead and I wanted to see who-"
"Araquanid! Ara, Ara!" Dew spoke up very prominently and his words made both Forrest look dismayed and Belle look shocked. It appeared he was declaring that Jake didn't need either Belle or Forrest for this Trial, in that he was the superior one and should be summoned for this Trial.
"Dartrix!" Forrest's offended tone made Jake aware some kind of disagreement was going on.
"H-hey...one at a time and no aggression please. We are a team here, not a bunch of goons." Jake nervously stated.
Aubrey decided to weigh in on this before heading off to do her trial prep. "Sounds like Dew wants to be the star of the show for this trial. It would do decently with Bug type attacks...but it's not a one man show, dude. We're able to get as far as we can by working together. Even I know this."
"Araaaaaquanid." Dew insisted that Belle's slow growth rate would hinder her against the most formidable of Totem Pokemon and that Forrest was too vain to focus on the fight. "Ara Ara!" He would utilize his trainer's teachings and commands to the most efficient way and show his power and strength.
"Litwick..." Belle sounded deeply saddened, frowning and looking down at the ground. Aubrey sighed, calling out Nom to deal with things as she went off to take a quick shower and get changed for the trial ahead.
"Charja?" Nom looked confused as to what was going on, but could safely assume that Dew was starting this.
"Dartrix! Dar...!" Forrest angrily stated that Dew had no right to be so cocky nor belittling. That just because he had reached his evolved form and a power spike that it didn't make him superior or the best choice.
"Araquanid! Araquanid!" Dew objected by saying that if Jake wanted to have the fullest victory and the quickest, he should be the one to lead the way. And that Forrest and Belle would make better back-ups anyway.
"Charja! Charjabug!" Nom would jump in between the Pokemon, as if to get Dew's attention. She's been around longer, and knows that despite being a totally awesome Pokemon in her own right, she can't do everything on her own. She was trying to convey as much to Dew. "Bug bug, charrrrrja char!"
Dew looked dismissive but then he noticed Jake's hard stare from above as Jake finally understood what was going on and was not amused. "You know I could always BENCH you Dew, if you aren't getting the gist of what it truly means to be part of a Pokemon Trainer's team." He would not stand for his friends being hurt under any circumstance.
Dew gulped and looked a bit hurt. While he did pride himself on his survivalism and power, he also did not want to compromise his relationship with his trainer or let his abilities get in the way of connection. After all, he had a special place he belonged in now so he had to show respect and gratitude for it.
"Araquanid..." Dew apologized rather sincerely and looked to Nom. "Ara..." 'The pride is not in a solo act but in a unified front is what you are saying?' was the question Dew had for Nom.
"Charja..." In her conversation with Dew, Nom would allude to the first Totem Pokemon that she fought, and talked about how Tenor and Aubrey both played important roles in their success over Totem Gumshoos. It wasn't just her doing everything, after all.
"Araquanid..." Dew seemed to finally grasp Nom's point of view and realized how haughty he was being in that if he were to fall, then surely by his logic Jake would be out of Pokemon to fight. That wasn't the case at all.
"Dartrix." Forrest, firmly insisted Dew apologize to Belle. While he could handle a critique or insult, he knew Belle was kinder and more sensitive. The Candle Pokemon looking like her confidence had been hurt.
Dew sighed and bowed before Belle. "Ara... Araquanid." 'I'm sorry for being so rude and insensitive to you Belle. I know one day you will reach a power that might even surpass my own and that does threaten me but it should instead motivate me to be a better Pokemon myself.' was what he said.
"...Litwick." Belle smiled a tiny bit and nodded sweetly, accepting the apology and feeling hopeful that even if she hadn't evolved yet that one day she would be more of a powerhouse for Jake.
"Looks like you got that all worked out then, huh?" Aubrey was back from her shower, dressed in her ranger uniform once again.
"Thankfully! Nom's a great mediator and Forrest really is mature for his age. I'm looking forward to introducing him to my old Pokemon." Jake beamed. Forrest looked proud of this compliment and Dew seemed to strike up more of a conversation with Nom about their experiences as Bug-Type Pokemon. "I think I'm going to use Dew for the Trial itself but then have Belle and Forrest show their stuff in the actual Totem fight." He concluded.
"Nom's pretty egotistical herself, but at least she can rein it in," Aubrey mentioned. Nom quickly turned around, embarrassed but conceding Aubrey's point. "And besides, Pokemon and I together are what gets the job done. I'm not some magical wizard that can do everything like a smartphone."
"Mmhmm! So I think I'll grab myself a quick bite to eat and then we'll get going." Jake said as he settled on making a cup of tomato soup to drink on the go.
"You do that! I'll be outside!" Aubrey would recall her Charjabug as she and Vatonage stepped outside the Pokemon Center. As soon as Jake got his soup ready and recalled Belle and Forrest for the adventure ahead, Dew crawling loyally at his side, both Trainers knew it was showtime. As they ventured into the Lush Jungle they could see it was a very verdant and pleasant area. Jake sipped his tomato soup as he kept an eye out for wild Pokemon.
Vatonage's tail was wagging in anticipation as the group entered into Lush Jungle, seeing Mallow there.
"Ah, you've finally made it!" Mallow waved.
"Heyo Mallow! It felt like only yesterday we started the Trials on this island and met you. Now we're finally face to face as true opponents." Jake smiled.
"Sure has!" Mallow smiled. "Welcome to Lush Jungle, my trial grounds! Are you both ready to get in some hot water? My trial is ready for you, if you're ready for it."
Aubrey smirked. "Heh, is that supposed to come across as a dare? Of course I'm ready for it."
"Likewise." Dew's confident posture indicated he was born ready...but would be calm about it.
"I knew when I first saw you both, you two only used the finest ingredients. Hope you're ready for cooking, so my trial is gonna be cooking up a Super Mallow Special," The captain began. "I'm gonna need you two to find three important ingredients for me. I'll need a Mago Berry, some Honey, and a Big Root."
"Oh a cooking challenge? Well if we just need to forage for ingredients that should be easy...how big is this Lush Jungle again?" Jake at first sounded totally ok with the idea but then the scope of the scenario came to his mind.
"Pretty good size if you ask me," Mallow answered, having a yellow bad for forage to be used in this trial. "Now one thing I should warn you guys about - be very careful about where you take the ingredients from. Some Pokemon here may not take too kindly to you taking their things, and may come back to try and recover them."
"Riiiiiiight. That's where the Trial in 'Grass Trial' comes in." Jake gulped.
"Ara..." Dew implied they would just knock them out for getting in their way.
"Now now, coming from me this is gonna sound rich, but maybe we shouldn't hurry our way through the trial just to get it over with quickly," Aubrey mentioned. "I don't mind a good scrap, but I'd rather not beat up an entire jungle's worth of Pokemon for one dish."
"Yep, and it'd be better if you kept your Pokemon full of energy for the Totem Pokemon. The Super Mallow Special is how we're gonna lure it out, after all," Mallow added innocently.
"Yeah, so we'll have to find the destinations and only the destinations before things get out of hand," Jake agreed with this line of logic.
"Right you are! That's your mission - find me the ingredients, bring 'em back here, and we'll get cooking," Mallow instructed. "Sounds good?"
"Sounds like a mission to me. Let's do this!" Aubrey sounded ready to go, doing her Ranger Pose with Eevee doing midair somersaults, jumping in place excitedly.
"Hai!" Jake followed suit. Dew didn't join in on the posing and seemed a bit stupefied by it at first. Perhaps he realized he would have to come up with a pose himself now.
"So Aubrey. You have the adventurous Ranger experience and probably have been in countless jungles before I have. Any ideas on good spots to find the Mago Berry and Honey here? A Big Root is probably on the ground so that shouldn't be too hard to find..." Jake trailed off.
"We'll do a sweep of the area starting one way, and go to the other," The ranger responded. "If we do that, we won't leave any stone unturned looking for our ingredients."
"Ok, that's perfect to me!" Jake grinned. Aubrey could tell Jake relied on her for most of the Trial strategizing. She didn't mind though as it felt rather nice to have someone reliable and dependable to listen to her and know what was best.
"That's normally what Van and I do when searching for someone lost in the wilderness, so it should work out here!" They'd start off going to the left side, as they'd see some Fomantis running away and hiding as they approached the first area. "Alright, so Mago Berry, honey, and a Big Root. That's what we need. Berries shouldn't be too hard to find..."
"Araquanid!" Dew suggested that if they looked in bushes or up in the trees, the Berries should be easy to find as that is how he often found his food.
"Oh there's several spots here...that's not good for our chances of avoiding Pokemon here." Jake noted as he saw several scented spots by the trees.
Aubrey thought one step ahead and had her Capture Styler in hand. "I'll keep them off of us, man."
Jake looked over to where more sour scents were prominent. "Eugh...that doesn't seem like a Pokemon friendly perfume." Dew examined and saw a Mago Berry was down by where it was the most sour.
"Mago Berries have a naturally sweet flavor," Aubrey deduced. "So I don't think they'd mind if we took this one by the sour sap."
"Correctamundo!" Jake sipped on his tomato soup as Dew carefully pried the berries with his long limbs and carried it in a satchel crafted out of a Spider Web.
The next spot they'd come across was a clearing with multiple flower bushes scattered among the tall grasses.
"Alright, so next we need honey, and...hey, Vatonage? You mind going and checking to see if there's any sweet and sticky honey around here?" Aubrey would ask her Partner Pokemon.
"Vee!" Vatonage agreed, scampering on ahead to check if there was honey here.
"So what are you aiming for Vatonage to evolve into?" Jaked whisper-asked as they had a brief moment to themselves.
"I...honestly don't know," Aubrey answered. "I haven't put a lot of thought into it."
"Huh. I suspected you would've thought about it but I guess that's alright. Maybe it'll be a Glaceon after spending so much time with the Vulpix. Or a Leafeon out in nature. Or a Sylveon prancing gracefully in the fairy realm~" Jake started daydreaming about the possibilities as they waited.
They wouldn't have to wait much longer as Vatonage came back with honey in his fur. "Vee vee!" He confirmed that there was honey in these fields.
"Alright, thanks little buddy," Aubrey smiled, rubbing his head. "Now...which bush do we take it from...?"
"Wouldn't it realistically be sour again? Unless it's different Pokemon we're dealing with than Formantis." Dew was uncertain that scent would be the criteria again as it didn't smell anything distinct.
"Ara!" He described.
"Look at the bushes, man," Aubrey pointed out. The four bushes had varying amounts of flowers on them. "I bet that if we take anything from the bushes with lots of flowers, the Pokemon won't be too happy with us."
"Ahhh I see." Jake facepalmed at his gullible theory. "Well that showed me. Thanks Dew. Let's try the one with the least flowers then." Dew nodded, glad to be of assistance.
With a container in the forage bag that Mallow supplied them, Aubrey would get the honey that they needed after a few moments. "Alright. Two down. Now to find that Big Root."
"Yep!" Jake smiled and soon they reached a grove with... lots of Sudowoodo. "Oh boy." The trainer had a hunch what this might entail. The ranger on the other hand, had a bemused chuckled.
"One of these things is not like the other," She had a bit of a sing-songy voice as she approached the one tree that wasn't a Sudowoodo, finding the Big Root they needed at the foot of it. "One of these things just doesn't belong."
"Well that was almost too easy." Jake smiled, amused, and finished the rest of his tomato soup.
"I'm not sure how anyone who has seen a Sudowoodo before can make a mistake on something like this," Aubrey mused, patting a Sudowoodo's head as they headed on back to the main portion of the jungle to get cooking with Mallow. Said Sudowoodo couldn't help but make a flattered smile as they left.
Jake noticed that Lana and Kiawe were also there by chance or maybe because of their friendship as they gathered around a cauldron.
"Oh hey! It's like a reunion in the jungle!" He remarked.
"Ah, hello again," Lana greeted.
"We meet again, you two," Kiawe softly smiled. "Looks like you've been busy." He noted the honey on Vatonage's fur that he was busy licking off.
"Lemme see those ingredients you got for me," Mallow requested that they relinquish the ingredients they've gathered up.
Dew presented his Mago Berry proudly from his satchel. Jake showcased the Big Root that they had gotten. And finally Aubrey showed the jar of Honey to Mallow.
"Alright, looks like you've got everything," Mallow hummed, taking a Thick Club from Kiawe and some Fresh Water from Lana. "Now, here's the next part. One of you is gonna help me cook this Super Mallow Special. The other one needs to make sure that no other Pokemon of the jungle come by to eat it all for themselves."
"Aubrey is the best bodyguard ever! She should do it!" Jake's close-eyed, sweet smile towards Aubrey gave the ranger all the indication she needed to know regarding this decision's motivations. "I even made breakfast earlier so my cooking credentials should do the trick."
Aubrey giggled. "And I've got the Capture Styler too man, so I can handle protecting both of you cooking."
"Then let's get to making this...dish...?" Jake looked into the cauldron and saw that the broth-like concoction looked oddly suspect already.
"Mhm! Let's do it!" Mallow, oblivious to what was going to happen, would get started on her concoction with Jake's help. Sure enough, there were a couple Pokemon that looked hungry enough to want a bite, prompting Aubrey and Vatonage to get to work.
"Capture...on!" She flicked out her Capture Disc and got to work. Some Fomantis, a Sudowoodo, and a new Pokemon that neither of them have seen, which looked like it was a sentient lei of flowers, otherwise known as a Comfey.
"Do your part Aubrey!" Jake chuckled. Little did he notice that once the swarm of Pokemon approached, one of the Comfey carefully danced around out of sight and started at the sight of the cooking curiously. They were enticed by the activity and hustle going on and thought what the humans were doing was interesting. They knew the green-haired girl cooked often but never with company like this.
The Comfey soon noticed that some honey was among the ingredients and snuck a lick of it before Mallow picked it up as the cooking unfolded. They thought the taste of the honey was really pleasant. Dew was the only one aware of the Comfey but seeing as they were not hostile at the moment, he did not initiate combat. In fact he seemed to sense promise in the Comfey for the bravery they were displaying.
"Alright, almost done!" Mallow beamed. "You're pretty good at this cooking stuff, Jake!"
Jake had an uncertain smile as he thought whatever they were making was NOT good but if Mallow was happy to experiment on her recipe then it couldn't be all that bad. "Thanks Mallow! What's left on the recipe?"
"All there is to add is the Big Root and then..." Mallow tossed in the last ingredient. "With a pinch of my super-special secret spice..." She'd rub her fingers together to put a bit of that spice in as a unique aroma began wafting around the area. Jake would feel a pair of eyes gazing at them from the underbrush, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from.
Comfey was the first to know exactly what and where it was and even boldly pointed it out, revealing themselves.
"Comfey!" Crying in a pretty, ethereal sounding voice, they flung their body in the direction of which the presumed spy was coming from. Jake and Dew were surprised and followed it's movements to see something big and pink approaching slowly.
"Aubrey help!" Jake cried as he didn't know how hostile it may be and it looked dicey.
"I'm here!" Aubrey would rush to Jake's aid, as they came face to face with the Totem Pokemon of the Lush Jungle - Lurantis.
"Snip snip~!" It extended its forearms out, ready to fight. It was hard to tell if the smell was invigorating the Totem...or annoying it. Either way, a yellow aura surrounded the Pokemon, and the time to fight was now.
Jake returned Dew and summoned Belle from her Dusk Ball. Belle looked fired up and ready to fight against this dangerous-looking pink princess. "Belle, Fire Spin!" Belle conjured a swirl of flames around the Lurantis to hinder and damage it.
The Lurantis would start off with Synthesis to recover from the Fire Spin, and call in a Kecleon for help. This Kecleon wasted no time attacking Belle with an Ancient Power. Belle whimpered but managed to dodge the Kelceon's Ancient Power with swift movements before casting a Will-O-Wisp on the Lurantis to begin it's famous burn over time strategy. The Lurantis was singed distinctly.
The Lurantis would be able to gracefully jump out from the Fire Spin, the Kecleon doing something that would seem beneficial to Belle by using Sunny Day. But it would soon be clear why it did that. To make up for the burn Belle inflicted, it used Sunny Day to make its large, solar powered sword attack, Solar Blade, on demand.
"Yikes! Aubrey how are you faring?!" Jake saw Belle take a hit from the Solar Blade and barely manage to hang in there as it floated small and proud.
"I'm fine, I was more worried about you," Aubrey answered. "What the heck was that attack? It looked like Solar Beam but in sword form."
"It was definitely a new attack...must be like a Solar Blade. I think if these things keep healing, a burst of damage might be the way to go...and we do have Sunny Day so..." Jake looked back to Kiawe. Kiawe seemed to know exactly what Jake had in mind and gave a nod and look that said 'make me proud'.
Jake then pulled out the Fire Z-Crystal and equipped it. "Belle, get ready to waltz!"
"You're actually going for it?" Aubrey sounded surprised.
"Why not? Colress found it pleasant and if he does, so do I. Besides, this embodies the power and majesty that is true potential between Pokemon and Trainer!" Jake then begins doing a set of powerful 'come at me bro' moves followed by an arm raise and a shonen-inspired arm thrust forward.
Belle, hurt and all, suddenly felt reinvigorated and powerful Z-Power energy surrounded her. Jake and her were totally linked as one. Belle was ready to unleash her full-force move. Inferno Overdrive! A mighty orb of fiery energy formed in front of Belle, channeled by the power and grew bigger and more fiery like a whirlpool of heat. The miniature sun-like fireball soon shot forth at Totem Lurantis in a mighty cannon fire that the Grass-Type Pokemon found even more pressing because of the sunlight.
Once contact was made, a mighty dome of collision and fire burst through illuminating the Lush Jungle and sending Pokemon scattering about before a few explosions occurred and it all dispersed...!
The result? The Lurantis was down on the ground, but crawled towards the broth they had cooked together, and dunked its head in, eating the Super Mallow Special. Normally it would be down and out by now, but with Mallow and Jake's cooking?
The Lurantis was standing again, fully invigorated and ready to go again!
"Alright, my turn to step in," Aubrey decided, calling out Tenor and Erwing - Tenor to deal with any small fires left by the Inferno Overdrive, and Erwing to do battle against the souped up Totem.
"Well I guess at least we know that Mallow's recipe wasn't as bad as it looked..." Jake muttered to himself. He nodded and had Belle come to his side as she was tired but proud of her full power. "You got this Aub!"
Aubrey's first order of business was to Capture Styler the Kecleon so that it wouldn't harass Erwing with Ancient Power, clashing wings with Lurantis' forearms in an epic duel with each other.
Tenor meanwhile, spat out Bubble Beam attacks to put out any fires. "Bwark! Brii!" He called out to Jake, asking for some assistance on the cleanup.
"Ok then Tenor, I'll help too! Dew I choose you!" Dew reappeared from his Net Ball and quickly got to work putting fires out himself with Bubble Beam and making sure the others were ok. Meanwhile Comfey helped out Belle by handing her some Oran Berries to eat. Belle looked very grateful and ate them quietly.
Tenor and Dew were able to clean up after the Inferno Overdrive well, Lurantis now calling in another Comfey to help it. After the Comfey refreshed Sunny Day, Lurantis went for another Solar Blade, only to clash with Erwing's Wing Attack, the two struggling for control over the other in this clash of swords, so to speak.
"Erwing!" Aubrey called in concern. Even if it was very resistant to this attack, it still looked quite powerful. Jake looked on anxiously as well.
"This is a very intense bout..." Lana noted.
"We know that Aubrey's Pokemon can stand the flames and the sun! Go for it!" Kiawe cheered on.
"Golllll..." Erwing got out, looking like he was straining himself to keep the Solar Blade back. Throughout the time he knew Aubrey, he was impressed by her style and technique, showing that she was an exceptional ranger.
Now, it was time to return the favor, as the Solar Blade was not the only thing that was glowing.
"Oh no way..." Aubrey was impressed by this turn of events.
"Whoo! Not a moment too soon!" Jake exclaimed happily.
"Well I'll be..." Lana looked on in awe.
In Erwing's place, a different Pokemon would slash through the Solar Blade with the move Cross Poison - this Pokemon had longer, pointed ears, yellow eyes with red pupils, and a small mouth that had its teeth bared. Its body had two sets of wings now, an upper pair that was the larger of the two, and a lower pair that was developed from what was once its legs. On the bottom of its body was stubby feet that looked like soft tufts of fur.
"Cro...BATTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" Erwing exclaimed as it slammed through Lurantis's Solar Blade to throw it off balance!
"Comfey!" The Comfey cheered for this newly evolved Pokemon, finding it an empowering and exciting presence and something worth rooting for.
Now it was Erwing on the offensive as the Totem Pokemon tried to mount a comeback - the other Comfey could only provide one use of Flower Shield before it was struck down by Erwing's Cross Poison, and despite its best efforts with Synthesis, the Lurantis was eventually out of gas, and went down after a brutal war of attrition.
"Woah...Erwing, you popped off, my dude!" Aubrey could only laugh in a hearty manner as Erwing tiredly flew over to her.
"Hell yeah we both popped off!" Jake grinned, as he and Belle both struck their victory poses. Dew did a surprisingly elegant twirl and celebrated his own support and helpfulness in a much more composed manner than his previous gloats.
"Wow, you guys are stronger than I thought!" Mallow giggled. "You really knew how to bring out the best in your Pokemon! After getting all the ingredients without disturbing any of the Pokemon out there, and quieting down the Totem Pokemon of Lush Jungle. All in all, that's a resounding mission clear from me!" She'd toss them a green Z-Crystal with a leaf icon on it, Aubrey would catch it and strike her ranger pose, Erwing perching on her head with a solemn, but happy look, wings crossed over his body.
"Now we have all the starter elements of Z-Crystals for our collection!" Jake beamed.
"So here's how you use the Grass type Z-Move. You go like, 'Graaaaaaass!', got it?" She would show off the Grassinium-Z pose, that looked like something a cheerleader would do.
"Adorable! Thanks Mallow," Jake thanked.
"And with that, your Akala trials are all done!" Mallow added. "All that's left is the grand trial against the Kahuna here, Olivia!"
"We'll get to her in time, Mallow. First we've got something to take care of back in Heahea," Aubrey said.
"Yeah. We're snooping around for clues and solving mysteries." Jake did his best and most cool-looking detective pose.
This sealed the deal in the Comfey's mind of the fact he and Aubrey both looked to be upstanding, and brave people. They wanted to go out and see the world and were happy about the company already. The Comfey floated over to Jake and said "Comfey..."
"Hmm?" Aubrey stopped in her tracks, hearing the Comfey's voice.
"Oh what a gorgeous looking Pokemon! It looks so elegant and delicate." Jake saw the Comfey and looked charmed by it's graceful and beautiful appearance.
Comfey blushed and looked very touched and Dew seemed to encourage it to speak it's mind. Comfey nodded and described in passionate detail that they thought the battle was epic, that the trainers seemed like they could teach it a lot more about the world, and that they always wanted to contribute to something big and exciting. Feeling like a small Comfey in a big Lush Jungle and it was ready to finally branch out and go someplace new. "So you want to become part of my team is what you are saying?" Comfey nodded.
"Well you do look very pure and your quick thinking helped me and Aubrey avoid getting blindsided by that Totem Lurantis. I think we could use a beauty like you on my team. I know just which ball to use on you too..." Jake, all too eager to invite someone with that sort of selflessness and heart, pulled out a Heal Ball.
"Comfey!" Comfey looked absolutely delighted and approved of it.
Jake then tossed it gently at Comfey and the ball seized Comfey and brought it into its confines, before landing on the ball. The ball, tickled by the moment of capture, moved once...twice...thrice...before sealing and confirming the deal! The Comfey was captured and Dew looked pleased about having a new friend and potential ally in the battle to prove their strength.
"Booyah! It looks like I got my fourth party member! A Comfey! Let's see what Rotom Dex has to say about it." Jake laughed happily to himself before he quickly checked on the Rotom Dex.
"Comfey, the Posy Picker Pokemon. It attaches flowers to its highly nutritious vine. This revitalizes the flowers, and they give off an aromatic scent." The Rotom Dex read.
It also decreed the Comfey had the ability Triage with a calm nature and scatters things often. And was female.
"Ah another girl! Belle will be stoked to have a new gal pal." Jake chuckled. Belle's delighted cheer of "Lit!" soon confirmed this.
"Hey, I think I've seen this Pokemon before..." Aubrey mentioned. "Back at the Union I think I've seen one of these in the infirmary or something...I dunno, it just looks familiar."
"You have Aubrey? It must be some supportive Pokemon then! I think such a sweet and healing pokemon deserves the name Witchhazel. After the healing plant." Jake smiled.
"That's a bit wordy...would we be fine with shortening it down to Hazel?" Aubrey suggested.
"Alrighty then. Hazel it shall be! A nice and elegant name for a truly flowering Pokemon." Jake nodded in agreement at the idea.
(In loving memory of my introduction to programming teacher, Mr. Neal. May you rest in peace, good sir.)