(Day 5 is here! Also known as 'The Day Where Everything Happens'. Ula Ula is where things really start to get crazy, and it shows. Let's get things started!
The Reviews
Megan Romero: Oh cool! I didn't know they filmed Jurassic Park in Hawaii, that's such a nice touch in a Hawaii themed Pokemon region.
LogBook27062000: Brick by brick we're getting closer to the truth! And in this chapter, even closer!
nick: This is the same Lillie from the games. Speaking of the anime though, did they really need to go overboard with the sheer amount of legendaries in the Alola arc?)
Morning came in Alola as Aubrey stirred from slumber, rubbing her eyes. "Morning, Jake..." She said with a yawn.
Jake rubbed his eyes and yawned in return. "Good morning, Aubrey. Did the Stoutland get to leave alright?"
"Yeah. It left," Aubrey answered. "So...you ready for me to tell you about the conversation we had with Vanessa last night?"
Jake looked a little unsure at first, as though worried to learn what was discussed. But then he nodded slowly as he summoned Forrest from his Poke Ball to listen in on this as well. With that nod, the ranger went ahead and recapped what she and Hau discussed with Vanessa - the potential connection between Lusamine and Lillie, Vanessa looking into Lusamine's husband Mohn, and how Vanessa's ETA to Alola was going to be in a day or two.
"Hau was pretty upset when I brought up that Lillie might've been lying to us about how she met Professor Burnet. We both saw that last night before bed," Aubrey noted. "I can only imagine what's going on in his mind right now."
"Well as far as I know, this just makes it more likely that she did run away from home and she's Lusamine's daughter. Lillie though herself is in no way a criminal or someone to think of as a threat...she's just someone who has her reasons for doing what she did," Jake said after thinking heavily about the topic. Forrest seemed very torn up about this news, wondering if they should've done more while they were at Aether and regretting not being up to help search.
"But what would cause Lillie to run away from home in the first place?" Aubrey asked.
"Umbreee..." Vatonage shook his head. He didn't have a single clue why.
"Yeah, it'd be better if we investigated this further, Jake," The ranger agreed with her Partner Pokemon. "We don't have any clues as to why Lillie would see fit to run away from home if what you're saying is true."
"I hate to interrupt thizzz...but we do need to visit Maile Library before leaving town," Rotom would comment.
"Well here's my reasoning. Lillie seems to be a perfectly fine girl. So it stands to reason... there's something not fine about Lusamine," Jake said. "Also, thank you Rotom. We'll head there right away."
Aubrey put a hand to her chin. "It would explain why the Ultra Recon Squad turned Lusamine's offer down..." She recalled. "But let's get ready for the day. We've got a lot to accomplish."
"Like a shower and new clothes. Are you going to wear the new look I got ya?" Jake smiled brightly at Aubrey.
"Heck yeah I am!" The ranger beamed.
After a traditional shower montage, Jake's new look was a green short-sleeved shirt with an anime-inspired design on it, a khaki boater hat, black shorts with a button and hook, and khaki flip-flops. Aubrey, meanwhile, was wearing the ensemble that Jake picked out for her yesterday from Konikoni's boutique. "Alright, new day, new island!"
"And a new journey!" Jake grinned. Forrest seemed in better spirits now that they were all ready to journey forth. As they were leaving the Pokemon Center, they would be greeted by Hau. Compared to last night, he seemed to have a new resolve.
"Heeeeey, Aubrey! Jake!" Hau smiled. "I gotta ask for a battle."
"Okay, can it please wait?" Aubrey requested. "We got some business to attend to."
"Sure thing." The young man nodded. "I thought about it last night, regarding what you were saying about Lillie not telling us the truth. The only thing I can think of is that it means that she's dealing with something dangerous. If that's the case, I need to get stronger so that I can help her. That's why I want to battle you."
"That's a noble offer of yours Hau, and a sweet motive. Also, don't worry about Lillie. We and Kukui got her back." Jake smiled.
"And we've got yours too, man," Aubrey assured. "So if you don't mind, we'll be heading to the library."
Hau gave a nod. "Alright! I'll be waiting outside the Maile Garden here. Don't take too long, kay?"
"Got it." Aubrey would look to Jake, giving a smile. "Let's get moving."
"Mmhmm." They made their move towards the library.
Following Rotom's directions, Vatonage would trot along between Aubrey and Jake towards the Maile City library, at the northernmost part of the city. They would also see Lillie standing in before the front entrance. She would notice her two friends, turning to face them.
"Aubrey...Jake..." She greeted. "I ended up getting lost...again...I wandered around until I ducked into the apparel shop, and then I saw this outfit that was the last in stock, so...I bought it without thinking. I don't even think I have the guts to wear something like that."
The ranger felt it wouldn't be a good time to question her about her connection with Lusamine. "Well it's not like you bought something meant for certain adults, right?"
"Y-Yeah...that's right," Lillie responded.
"And hey, I'm glad you are making independent choices for yourself girl!" Jake hugged Lillie tenderly. Noticeably tenderly because he knew that she had probably gone through something truly serious with Lussamine in the past though she wouldn't catch onto this. She was deserving of comfort.
As they conversed, the galloping of Mudsdale hooves were heard, catching Lillie by surprise. Aubrey was about to go for her Capture Styler when she saw who's Mudsdale it was.
"Oh hey...it's Hapu," She noted.
"Easy now. Been a while, friends," Hapu waved, walking up to her Mudsdale. "Who's your friend here?"
"I'm...I'm Lillie, it's nice to meet you," The professor's assistant answered. "Sorry, your Mudsdale caught me by surprise."
"Aubrey has one too, Lillie. You should give her rides on it so she can get more comfortable with them." Jake suggested cheerfully.
"I think I'll take you up on that offer..." Lillie replied.
"You don't look like a trial-goer, Lillie," Hapu observed. "What're you up to?"
"Well, I'm uh...studying the tapu's ruins for various reasons of my own," Lillie explained.
Hapu thought on it for a moment before smiling. "Well, that's some mighty fine initiative you've got there, Lillie. I'd be happy to show you the way whenever you'd like to go."
"That would be appreciated, thank you." Lillie bowed her head respectfully.
"We're here for our own reasons too. Namely, we're looking into some Gilda Lockon character's chapter in a multi-author book on Mega Evoution," Aubrey added to Hapu.
"Guess I'll leave that up to you, then," Hapu decided. "Don't know much about Mega Evolution myself, so I can't really comment."
"Right, the library would be here after all! So we can finally do that essential research. Though first and foremost, we're going to make sure everyone's okay and there's no trouble going on." Jake chuckled.
"From my read of the situation, there's no such trouble going on," Aubrey played along with his comment.
"Well, y'all take care now. Be seeing ya." With that said, Hapu and her Mudsdale would walk off.
"Shall we do our research then, you two?" Lillie asked. "If I find anything that'll help you two in your investigations, I'll be sure to share it with you."
"Of course Lillie. That'd be great to have your bookworm skills on our side," Jake said. The group would head on inside the library, Aubrey coming up with a plan.
"Alright. Jake, we'll go grab that book first. Lillie, you go research the tapus, then we'll exchange notes," The ranger decided. "That alright with you?" Lillie would give a curt nod.
"Yes, you can count on me." The professor's assistant started to look around as Rotom pulled up the book title.
"Let'zzz see...we're looking for 'Choose You and Chosen: The Long and Highly Documented Record of Pokemon Battling', guyzzz," Rotom reminded.
"Yeah. That three point five out of five stars garbage." Jake grumbled and folded his arms.
"Look, I know you hate it, but there might be a clue about this Gilda person in their section of the book," Aubrey reassured.
"Yeah, true. Something along those lines at any rate." Jake nodded. "Miss librarian, can you help me find the book?" Jake requested as Forrest seemed to occupy himself by watching the puppet show in the kids corner.
With a smile and a nod, the librarian would go off to get the book in question, returning with it in her hands. "Here you are, young man," She said. Jake examined the cover of the book. It had an image of various trainer's hands of different nationalities all clutching one Pokeball and then the title of the book underneath it. It looked respectable but at the same time Jake had to remind himself that this book had demonized Mega Evolution the same way most of Alola generally did.
Once Aubrey and Jake sat down to look through the book, Aubrey said, "Alright, we're mainly looking for Gilda's section. Credentials, background information, any dirt we can find on her, it should be in this book."
"Well yeah, that's for sure. Should we look in the section we know she wrote or look for the trainer's bios first?" Jake inquired.
"Bios," Aubrey decided. "That'd be a good place to start." She's fish a notepad out from her bag, ready to jot down anything of interest they found.
The biography said this about Gilda Lockon. 'Gilda Lockon. An Aether employee and Alolan native since they were twelve years old, they are a gifted Pokemon researcher and Pokemon Trainer who devoted their life after failing the Island Challenge to understanding the history, lore, and mythos of Pokemon Battling. The incredible insight and achievements they displayed have earned them a reputation as an esteemed Pokemon Battling Expert, especially in regards to helping Alolans understand how far Pokemon battles have come. Granted this name is an alias but the real person behind Gilda can claim all these credentials.'
"Okay...Aether employee, failed the Island Challenge...specializes in battling," Aubrey commented, jotting these details down. "That narrows it down pretty nicely."
"Yeah. It does...and they sound...nice." Jake frowned. If they sounded like someone who was insecure or rude or egotistical and biased, it'd be easier to be mad at them for what they wrote about Mega Evolution. From a biased lens. Maybe a biased lens still but it wasn't a heartless bias anymore obviously.
"Alright. Let's see what they're saying about Mega Evolution." Aubrey was ready to dive into their arguments on the topic. Maybe they'd get other clues from off-hand personal details they let slip.
"Mega Evolution was perceived by Kalos as a wonderful new demonstration of Pokemon's strength, aptitude, and power. A connection between trainer and Pokemon linked in one form. However, the studies of Mega Evolution have been limited around the time this unique trait was discovered in Kalos. Since then, Alola has risen in the ranks as a true expert of the subject and throughout the main chaotic occurrences of the region, the one that has been closest to being outlawed is Mega Evolution. Mega Evolution is shown to harness a dark side within Pokemon, a feral instinct of unnerving potential that lets Pokemon reach a form normally restrained for good reason. They become more human in a sense, losing a grip on the normal morality that most Pokemon stay true to which is that of loyalty, companionship, or spending time with other Pokemon on their own terms. They become capable of committing sins and actions that would harm those around them and be destructive or selfish. Furthermore, while Mega Evolution gives Pokemon true power and synchronization with their trainer, there is notable strain placed on the Pokemon's mind and wellness after the Mega Evolution ends. Perhaps another side effect of the frailty of humanity being introduced into the Pokemon's physiology." The first page read.
Aubrey lightly tapped her pen on her notepad, tilting her head to the side. "Hmm...this doesn't give us much to work with."
Then they turned to the next page and saw pictures of Mega Evolution, Mega Evolved Pokemon, news reports about Mega Evolution-involved accidents and pain caused during battles and other vicious scenarios. Including a very personal story that happened in Hoenn where a Mega Evolved Charizard caused serious damage during a heated battle.
"Mega Stones are believed to be a natural artifact but many wonder who or what created them. Mew? Arceus? Some other Pokemon?" The book read. "Ultimately they are what holds the forbidden power, and the legends of Primal Kyogre shows that if the circumstances are right, a Key Ring is not at all needed to trigger the transformation. With Primal Evolutions being a prime example. The wrath of a Mega Evolved Pokemon though has been discreetly documented and recorded though the Pokemon League has a disturbing tendency to hide them away from prying eyes and popular trainer documentation and sources. That's why when Alola first formed their own battling system with the Kahunas and Island Challenge, and built a Rotom Dex, the first professors decided that these needed to be stated and thus without the authoritative Pokemon League system, those in Alola were able to tell the truth about what Mega Evolved Pokemon's behavior, characteristics, and actions are about."
Before they went further, Aubrey would ask, "Hey...which Pokemon League do you think they're talking about?"
"Well Mega Evolution has mostly only caught on in Hoenn, and Kalos. It could also be in Kanto though given this particular story." Jake mentioned. "Or really, anywhere."
"Well that's interesting, because for a Pokemon battling master, they sure don't have a high opinion of the Pokemon League," The ranger commented.
"They said they were an Alolan native since age twelve...maybe they moved to Alola because of something that happened in a place that had the Pokemon League. Like this story..." Jake thought aloud.
Aubrey then thought of something. "Who gave you your Keystone?"
"In Hoenn? Steven. The Champion of Hoenn's Pokemon League," Jake said. "Also, to be honest...Pokemon battling isn't entirely competitive. Some people just battle for the sake of it or for fun and recreation."
"Was he investigating Mega Evolution as Gilda suggested?" Aubrey asked.
"Mmm...yes. He was curious about its history and relevance to Hoenn," Jake explained.
"Interesting..." Aubrey closed her eyes in thought, seeming to be onto something.
"Mega Evolution being the way it is is an archaic and cruel practice as we've found that many Mega Evolved Pokemon suffer and experience drastic and severe changes filled with negatives to the Pokemon and those around them. So Alola prides itself on being open and honest about it, not sugarcoating anything about it. Still, if Mega Evolution was to someday be able to save someone or protect someone, there is reason then to use it. However, it's crucial that this power is not practiced often for a Trainer who takes good care of their Pokemon and has their best interest in mind is more important." The book continued. Jake looked agonized as he finished reading the page.
"I don't really know what to think anymore. Is Mega Evolution really just...not what everyone has been saying it was in an entire region? I know my Mega Evolved Pokemon were ok and never did anything reckless or dangerous to anyone but was it just because they were well-trained?" Jake scratched his head in frustration.
"Well if it means anything Jake, I think I've got a bit more we can add to Gilda's profile," Aubrey optimistically mentioned.
"Like what?" Jake asked softly, sounding vulnerable and insecure. He never would want to hurt his Pokemon or anyone else under any circumstance. Plus, the idea that the negative effects of Mega Evolution were hidden from regions who favored and supported it seemed strangely plausible now given he never heard of these toxic effects until he went to Alola himself.
"Let's assume that it was a Mega Evolution related incident that caused Gilda to move to Alola," Aubrey began. "Among the regions mentioned, if there was a Mega Evolution related incident in Kanto, Vanessa would be able to tell us, so for now, let's rule that out. Which means, Gilda possibly came from either the Kalos region or the Hoenn region. However, I think we can narrow that down even further." She started jotting things down on her notepad. "Remember Sina and Dexio from two days ago about the Team Flare nonsense they mentioned? Do you know if Mega Evolution had anything to do with it? You seemed to know about what happened there."
"Well I know that the leader of Team Flare was surprisingly capable of using Mega Evolution yes..." Jake said as he closed the book. "Plus I believe Korrina's Lucario has had moments of being hard to control under Mega Evolution at first."
"And what about Hoenn? Do you remember any incidents that would cause someone to leave there?" Aubrey followed up.
"Well it's mentioned here in the book. Primal Evolution. Kyogre and Groudon and Rayquaza. We remember Primal Kyogre...flooded the entire region nearly and made another Ark situation until they were calmed down and pacified," Jake answered. With the slight smirk Aubrey had, Jake could tell that her mind was working out a potential explanation on Gilda's motivations for writing this section of the book they just read. "You think you have the final decisive piece to crack this code since we first found out the identity of Gilda from IeatUBs4dinner?" He asked dramatically.
"Yeah, I think I've got a fix on their motives for writing this," Aubrey answered. "Between the Kalos incident and Hoenn incident, I would think a Legendary Pokemon evolving would be more terrifying than an evil team leader bested by a pair of heroes. I think that's what caused Gilda to move from the Hoenn region to here in Alola. If anything, the reason why they have a negative opinion on Mega Evolution isn't because of any salt towards getting beaten by it. Rather, the reason why is the Primal Kyogre incident likely traumatized them in a way that caused her to leave Hoenn, and search for answers on the phenomenon."
Jake paused in awe and considered Aubrey's points carefully. Then he realized something himself. "Of course...the fact that maybe that when she got to Alola and experienced their unique brand of culture shock, she was convinced that Kalos and Hoenn were glorifying something that was truly a possibly terrifying thing. That only Alola could show them the way...and that's why she committed herself to the full-fledged research of all sides but writing in the perspective that she believed in most."
"Exactly, Jake. Ergo, it stands to reason that our mysterious writer is a Hoenn native in Aether's ranks," Aubrey concluded.
"And aligned with Aether...probably because they care about Pokemon deeply fundamentally. They battled their own way and did their research. Furthermore, I respect them not going down the Team Skull route when they lost the Challenge." Jake though aloud. Finally he felt like he could now stop seeing Gilda Lockon as an enemy. Instead...he could see them as a person.
Aubrey folded her arms, satisfied. "So, how about it, Jake? Does that help set your mind at ease about this personal inquiry?"
"Yeah. Although...Colress told me that there are contradictory Mega Evolution entries in the Kanto Pokedex from the Alola Pokedex. So then...where does that stem from? It can't be faulty research at this point but it must be just a situation of contrasting ecosystems." Jake thought aloud. "Although Gilda seems to have convinced herself it's some kind of massive cover-up."
"I see...that's an inquiry all on it's own, man." Aubrey would stand up. "Anyway...shall we go check in with Lillie? See if she found anything?"
"Yeah and hey...thanks Aubrey. You really comforted and came through with me here. Even though I was very chicken last night about the Nihilego," Jake blushed slightly.
The ranger chuckled at this. "Bravery is something I've got in common with Van and plenty of other rangers. Keeping everyone else safe was priority number one in that situation. Same with any Pokemon going on the attack. I'd do it all over again if I had to."
"It's obviously what has made you so esteemed in the eyes of so many. I'm sure your family in particular is very proud of you," Jake said sincerely.
"Oh trust me. They are," Aubrey mused, heading up the stairs to the second floor. Up on the second floor, Lillie was seated at one of the tables with an old book, and with her was a light purple haired girl in what looked to be a patchwork dress.
"Oh, hi there!" The girl greeted, Lillie turning to give a small wave to Aubrey and Jake. "You friends with Lillie here?"
Forrest, who was done with the puppet show, rejoined his trainer, flying and flapping onto a nearby table. "Yeah, we are good friends with her young lady. She's the Professor's assistant and a really sweet person," Jake elaborated.
"Ooh, neat!" The girl then recognized Aubrey, spotting her Capture Styler on her waistband. "Oh hey, you're the ranger taking on the Island Challenge! Almost didn't recognize you out of uniform."
Aubrey giggled. "It's all good. Are you one of the trial captains?"
"Yup, that's right. I'm Acerola," The girl introduced herself. "Lillie here was looking for this old book in particular. I think you'll find it's pretty great - all my dad's books are pretty great!"
"Yes...I was just about to read from it, but I wanted to wait till you two were here," Lillie stated, gesturing for them to take a seat.
"Ace roller? That's a hilariously awesome name! And wants the tome about exactly? Oh and I'm Jake Hagguire by the way." Jake introduced himself politely.
"Acerola. A-C-E-R-O-L-A," Acerola corrected.
"I'll read it aloud for you two," Lillie offered, seeing Aubrey eagerly taking a seat, getting a fresh page in her notepad ready.
"Oh. My bad." Jake apologized in an embarrassed tone. "Is this your dad's book then, Acerola?"
Acerola nodded. "Yup, that's right. Hope you find it exciting to read!" She'd walk off for the three to begin reading it.
Lillie began reading from the book. "'The empty sky broke asunder, a hole appearing where had been none. A single beast appeared from it: it was called the beast that devours the sun. The king of Alola bowed before it: the beast that shone so like the sun. The island guardians fought against it, but in the end the beast had won. Then did the beast that devours the sun shine its light on the line of kings. Then did the beast that had won bring nature's gift to bless all things. Beast of sun and beast of moon. Through their union, they brought new life. A fragile heir in Alola born that island guardians would keep from strife. The ancient kings sang their thanks for Solgaleo with song of flute. Two tones rang out across the altar - a perfect pair, ever after mute.'" Lillie would note that Aubrey had written all that down verbatim.
"A creation myth...huh." Jake seemed to have enjoyed that story.
"Hmm..." Aubrey read back over the passage she had written down. "A hole appearing where had been none? You mean...like an Ultra Wormhole?"
"That is...a possibility, yes," Lillie responded.
"The most likely one to be honest," Jake seconded.
"Then if that's the case, I think this 'beast that devours the sun' Solgaleo is an Ultra Beast. Remember last night? We're not entirely sure what prompted the Ultra Wormhole to show there, but most likely..." Aubrey paused. "Maybe Ultra Beasts can create Ultra Wormholes?"
"Is that right though...? I mean I'd believe the Ultra Wormhole connection but we don't know if Solgaleo is a full on Ultra Beast. Usually every region has two main Legendaries that are like the emperors of the Region in terms of importance. Like Lugia and Ho-Oh or Groudon and Kyogre. Unless that means every Legendary in Alola is Ultra Beast in nature..." Jake wasn't fully convinced.
"Yeah...and there's clearly more than one Ultra Beast out there, right?" Lillie asked.
"Well we did..." Jake looked to Aubrey as though asking for permission to say 'met one'.
Aubrey would give Jake a sign to hold off on that for a moment. "I wanted to point something out. If every region has two main Legendaries...there is a pair that Solgaleo can make. Look, it says 'Beast of sun and beast of moon.' If Solgaleo is the beast of sun, there's a beast of moon to be its partner."
"Yeah. Much like how most ancient civilization's mythos have a sun and moon deity respectively." Jake pointed out.
"Ah! That's true..." Lillie agreed.
"There's more I wanna go over...but I think this book gives me a lot of information on solving your personal inquiries, Lillie," Aubrey spoke confidently. "It's nothing conclusive, but there's a couple things I wanna confirm first before I say anything as fact."
"I see..." Lillie was surprised by her friend's wit. She didn't think Aubrey was the kind of gal who was both strong and intelligent, but looks were deceiving for sure.
"One thing I am confused about is 'nature's gift'. What could that entail exactly? And line of kings sounds a bit too similar to the toxic ideology of Lysandre for my comfort. Is that what we need more information to confirm?" Jake pointed out.
Aubrey shook her head no. "I'll tell ya later. Right now I wanna get to that battle with Hau." Jake gave her a soft look and nodded in agreement.
"You're going to have a battle with Hau?" Lillie asked, curious why she was doing this.
"Hau seemed to get the idea you're dealing with some personal problems," Aubrey bluntly explained. "He wants to get stronger so he can help you."
Lillie didn't say anything at first, taking in what Aubrey was saying before responding. "I...see. How noble of him."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was crushing on you but his earnestness and care for you stands true and you can depend on us if you do have such problems you are tackling with." Jake said.
"Y-Yes...he really is a sweet boy," Lillie agreed.
"Talk to you later, Lillie." With a pat on her back, Aubrey would head outside with Jake.
"Well she has an amazing poker face that's for sure." Jake admitted. "That myth though...how exactly does it help us with anything?"
"Remember how Lillie was asking Nebby why the ruins were so important to it?" Aubrey then asked. "Well, again, it's nothing conclusive, I just thought that Nebby's interest in the ruins coupled with that book mentioning the guardians was...interesting in a way, ya know?"
"Huh. Good point. I wonder now that you mention it about the possibility of Nebby being some kind of heir to this line of kings. Or at least maybe a child of one of the two celestial objects." Forrest seemed to think this was a solid theory as he nodded.
"The only evidence I have to support this theory is when I first met Nebby and Lillie," Aubrey continued as they were walking by a boutique. "It was when Tapu Koko rescued us from falling down the ravine. The only problem with this is I can't determine if Tapu Koko was coming to save us because of Nebby or because it was in the area, but..." She noticed her traveling partner's attention drifted over to the boutique. "Uh, hello? Jake? You still with me?"
"Yeah yeah. Tapu Koko and shiz but look at this! MORE. FASHION!" Jake's eyes were dazzled. Forrest's patience was worn thin and he stared incredulously at his trainer.
"Ah, whatever. It's probably a coincidence, but it's something I can't ignore." Aubrey decided to humor Jake. "Let's go take a look around, yeah? I'm sure Hau will understand."
"Well yeah! I mean this could be the very last boutique of Alola. The final catalyst of the ultimate fate of this region's fashion sense. We'd be fools to abandon this opportunity." Jake said as he opened the doors briskly.
"Wait for me, dude!" Aubrey would follow in after him.
Jake saw the interior of the Boutique and noticed that compared to the last boutique, there was a general more cool vibe. Like someone who was a party-goer or a fun-loving night owl or who wanted to the fun one of the crowd would wear. Daisy dukes that did not come with bikinis on top, shades that'd give the wearer a percentage higher amount of coolness, horizontal striped shirts that actually were not atrocious, camouflage socks, and more. It was just as good of offerings as before but in a totally different lens and to a whole different type of consumer.
"See anything you like? I'm taking that expression of yours as a 'yes'," Aubrey asked.
"So much of it is a like," Jake grinned.
"Well, if you wanna pick something out for me, go right ahead!" The ranger offered. "I'll try it on."
Jake selected a nice grey striped top, some cool shorts, some camo over the knee socks, and a sexy pair of shades. "Voila, your highness. True garments worthy of a queen," He said with a faux-French accent.
Aubrey couldn't help but laugh. "Alright. One moment please." She'd go get changed into this outfit to see how it fit on her.
As Jake waited, Forrest also put on some shades but got scolded by the owner for doing so. "Pokemon don't wear clothes unless they are in a Contest!"
"Tell that to the Meowth who wears boots and a hat!" Jake clapped back. Forrest was grateful for the assist but sheepishly returned the shades to the owner who seemed relieved. Perhaps they were anxious about Pokemon in the store.
"Umbre?" Vatonage looked confused by this, not really seeing the problem with Pokemon wearing clothes outside of these 'Contests' the owner mentioned.
Aubrey would soon return. "Alright, man, how's it look on me?"
Jake beamed with pride. "You look edgy, ready to take names, and can go from infiltrating a base discreetly to the dance floor in no time!"
"Breonn!" Vatonage exclaimed in approval.
"You could just call me a super spy, ya know," Aubrey mused. Once they got the clothes paid for, Aubrey would head outside with Vatonage, letting Jake pick up any clothes he wanted.
Jake passed on the shopping trip. "As much as I could buy a new wardrobe, I'd rather not keep Hau waiting."
"Yeah. Same." With that in mind, the two would head off back to Maile Garden. When they returned to Maile Garden, Hau was waiting for them outside.
"Heyo!" He waved. "So, how'd it go? Didja find anything that can help us?"
"We found a surprising bounty of information! Tell him Aubrey." Jake chuckled in a sing-song voice as Forrest took a nap in the gardens. The three headed in the gardens as Aubrey told Hau what they found out.
"Woah...so you think Nebby is that important, huh?" The lad wondered. "Hmm...that is pretty surprising indeed."
"Well to tell you the truth, based on previous logic involving Teams and world-altering plots of the regions I've read about, it was very plausible Nebby was important in some way from the start. We're just not entirely sure how yet but they could certainly be a Legendary or an Ultra Beast." Jake reasoned.
Hau put a hand to his chin. "Maybe...okay, so like, if it turns out to be an Ultra Beast or Legendary...would it explain why Tapu Koko would be so interested in it?"
"Y'know...that's actually not a bad theory," Aubrey mused. "I'm pretty positive that I'm the first ranger from the Union to step foot on Alola. No way Tapu Koko stayed that long to look at me."
"So if Tapu Koko wasn't pausing for you, it had to have been pausing for Nebby," Hau theorized. "That's the only other possibility."
"Yeah, that or it found Aubrey so stunningly gorgeous it was starstruck," Jake winked.
"You really think so?" Aubrey wondered. "I guess I'd be found gorgeous by guys who were into tough chicks like me."
"Oh absolutely! Why else do I try to pick out only the most fabulous clothes for you? To score yourself a hot stud!" Jake gave a perky thumbs up. Hau gulped.
"O-onto more important things...are you ready to take on my challenge friends?" Hau asked flustered at first but then recovered his composure.
"I sure am, man!" Aubrey was raring to go.
"Yeah, Aubrey's going to take you on this time. I did the last battle after all so you deserve to experience a Ranger's trial," Jake said.
"Right." Hau got his smile back. "Then let's do this, Aubrey!"
Both would send out their leads - for Hau, an Alolan Raichu, and for Aubrey, her Mudsdale Don. On paper, this looked like it would be an easy down for Don.
"Don, go for Bulldoze!" Aubrey exclaimed.
"Psychic! Don't let him stomp down, Raichu!" Hau countered.
It worked like a charm, as Raichu was able to halt Don's Bulldoze, effectively making him float.
"Woah, Electric/Psychic type? Nice, nice," Aubrey mused. "Don, make it lose focus with Rock Tomb!"
The Mudsdale would throw out a Rock Tomb, forcing Raichu to take evasive maneuvers. During this, Don would be released from Psychic. He'd follow up with Bulldoze then, only for Raichu to surf on its electricity to try and dodge it. For such a fast Pokemon, it was sure giving Don trouble.
"Stay tough, Don! It'll tire eventually!" Aubrey encouraged. By keeping up Aubrey's strategy, she would turn out to be right as Raichu was starting to run on fumes, allowing it to be taken down by a strong Bulldoze attack.
"Aww, that was pretty good, Aubrey," Hau complimented, recalling Raichu. "Found a way to get around a fast Pokemon and win with a slow one."
Aubrey would do the same thing for Don, seeing him worn down by Raichu's Psychic attacks. "Yeah. Alola's Raichu is pretty adorable too!"
Hau's next Pokemon was a Leafeon. Aubrey decided to send out Erwing. The less said about this matchup the better.
Their last Pokemon to use in this battle were their starters - Torracat for Hau, and Brionne for Aubrey. Tenor did a little frontflip once called out, ready to battle.
Right out of the gate, Torracat would go and try to get in Tenor's grill, forcing the Water type on the defensive this time, Torracat baring its fangs and looking to make a snack out of Tenor.
"Aqua Jet into him, Tenor!" Aubrey exclaimed, her Brionne taking Aubrey's suggestion and diving forward. Torracat was narrowly able to avoid the attack, the water grazing him.
The exchange between them was back and forth, one trying to get the upper hand over the other.
"Shoot, I gotta go for this...let's do it, Torracat!" Hau exclaimed, busting out the Firium-Z pose.
"Oh, this isn't gonna be pretty…" Aubrey sweatdropped, seeing Torracat go for Inferno Overdrive. Tenor however, closed his eyes, ready to take it.
A loud boom rocked the tranquility of the park, and when the dust settled, a Brionne wasn't there. Rather, orbs of water came out from the dust cloud, exploding and going for Torracat! The ranger was surprised to see what was there in Brionne's place.
The creature in Brionne's place looked to be a cross between a sea lion and a mermaid. Most of its body was white but had a long, blue fishlike tail. With a long snout with a round pink nose at the end, bright blue eyes with white eyelashes, and long light blue hair trailing off the back of its head, there was no mistaking what this Pokemon was.
"Priiiiiiimarii!" Tenor sang cheerily, having evolved into Primarina!
"Woah...Tenor, you look beautiful!" Aubrey looked amazed as Rotom came out of her bag to give her the details.
"Primarina, the Soloist Pokemon, and the final evolution of Popplio. It controls its water balloons with song. The melody is learned from others of its kind and is passed down from one generation to the next," Rotom said.
Jake stared at the new Tenor with awe. The majesty of his tail. The gracefulness of his pose. The serenity of his hair flowing beautifully in the breeze. The demureness of his expression. The same way male Gardevoirs tricked the eye so easily, Jake was convinced this Pokemon was a goddess of the sea when really it was a god! Regardless of the true gender, the beauty that Jake saw had him dazzled and staring lovingly at Tenor. "Oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." He squeaked out.
Torracat gave Tenor its best effort, but in the end, it couldn't do much else against the newly evolved Water/Fairy type. He took Torracat in his arms with a smile, as if to say 'good battle', and floated over to hand Torracat back to Hau.
"He defies gravity..." Jake sounded emotionally touched.
"I'll say. Maybe with water balloons I can communicate with him easier," Aubrey mused.
"Great battle as always, Aubrey. Man...for someone who started being a trainer this week, you sure are a natural," Hau remarked. "Guess all those years of being a ranger taught you well."
"Sure did, man," Aubrey hummed. "It's almost like I was born for this." Hau would look over and see a familiar face at a spot in the park with several covered benches to sit on - Professor Kukui!
"Ho! Professor!" Hau waved over, beckoning the good professor over.
"I saw the whole battle. You sure brought out some great moves, both of you!" Kukui smiled. "Jake, Aubrey. It's good to see you again. So, how'd it go?" Forrest, hearing Kukui's name, perked up immediately and was soon stunned to discover Tenor had an entirely new and bedazzling form.
"Dar!" He sounded impressed by Tenor's final form.
"Well Professor it went mostly well...some really weird things went down though." Jake admitted. "First, Lusamine knows Lillie and for some reason was not happy to know we knew of her. Secondly, a giant jellyfish that teleports attacked us. Thirdly, it's very possible that there's something about Nebby that is likely related to the Tapus of Alola."
"Hmm...so the president knows Lillie, yeah?" Kukui asked.
"And she wouldn't tell us why," Aubrey answered. "She would've called for security if that Ultra Beast didn't attack."
"I was about to say - you two fought an Ultra Beast? No wonder!" Kukui exclaimed.
"Yeah. Though we're not sure how Lillie knows Lusamine," The ranger remarked, shaking her head.
"I did say earlier that it's likely Tapu Koko might've hesitated seeing Nebby instead of Aubrey," Hau mentioned. Once Aubrey gave Kukui the information, he put a hand to his chin in thought.
"Woo...if that's the case, then maybe the reason that Tapu Koko hesitated is because it might've been this fragile heir that book mentioned," The professor theorized. "Think about it this way. If the fragile heir knows that the Tapus will protect it from harm, wouldn't it want to go see the Tapus for help if it feels it is in danger?"
"Yeah but it stays with Lillie in spite of this which is odd." Jake added and then frowned. "Almost like it wants to put Lillie in danger..." Forrest understood his trainer's suddenly negative and worried theory but shook his head. He did not agree with it. "Hmm? What do you think Forrest?"
"...Maybe...Nebby is trying to protect Lillie," Aubrey suddenly said.
Forrest, in classic Pokemon speak, suggested it was much more likely that Nebby knew other shifty people were looking for him and hiding alongside Lillie would make the Tapus safe from harm.
"Protecting Lillie only really works if she was actively being hunted down though..." Jake folded his arms. "Kukui, have you ever heard Lillie mention being watched by someone or seeing somebody shady or suspicious around?"
"But what if Lillie isn't being hunted down? Nebby can still want to protect her," Hau suggested.
"Hau's got a point," Kukui agreed. "You might've heard Lillie mention how Team Skull is a scary group to her, right? Even if you three can handle yourselves around her, she's not a trainer like the rest of you. Maybe that's why Nebby would want to go to the Tapus for help in this hypothetical theory."
"Right." The professor nodded to Jake's conclusion.
"But even then...the only ones who would really be intimidating and a threat are Plumeria, and no idea on how tough Guzma is, but I'm betting he'd give me a run for my money." Aubrey still believed there was more to this story.
"Here we go again...you think there's something else Lillie's hiding from us?" Hau asked the ranger.
"I can't really put it in words, but there's just something that's bothering me..." Aubrey closed her eyes, gripping her left bicep. 'But what is it?' She thought to herself. 'There's something about this all that's making me wary, but I can't really put it in words...'
"That reminds me, Kukui. Do you happen to know about the whole Team Skull deal? We know from Aether they can't do a thing to help them even if I call BS on Lusamine's reasoning for it since we know she knows their leader. What's your take on the whole thing as the one who gives Trial-goers their first Pokemon? We need all the clues we can get," Jake asked Professor Kukui.
What Kukui would say next would surprise the trio. "I know him."
"W-WHAT!?" Hau exclaimed.
"You what!? You know him!?" Aubrey was in disbelief.
Jake flinched and Forrest even looked shaken up. "You knew Guzma...Team Skull's leader...all this time and didn't think to tell us about him?"
"If you had asked, I would've said something sooner," The professor answered. "Guzma and I took on the island challenge together. He wished to be a Trial Captain, but was denied the position."
"Denied the position...?! By who? Who calls the shots on that anyway?" Jake asked in surprise.
"If I had to make a guess, it would probably have been the Tapu," Kukui wagered.
"So wait...if Kukui knows Guzma..." Hau recovered from his freakout on the bombshell that was dropped there. "Does that mean Lillie knows how strong Guzma is?"
"Then that opens up the realm of possibilities on why Nebby would theoretically be going to the Tapus for help," Aubrey mentioned. Her mind was still racing on this. "We're gonna have a lot to go over, and we're wasting time. Where's the next trial, Kukui?"
"It's up on Mount Hokulani. We can all go up there together and talk things over on the Exeggutor Express bus," Kukui informed.
"Hold up. If Lusamine knows Guzma and Lillie and if this thing really happened, then this should be a really big event with documentation and the like on Alola! This could explain everything... there's still much we need-" Aubrey would stop Jake's train of thought.
"Hey. If there's much more we need to figure out, we'll have a better shot figuring it out by moving forward rather than standing around here," She said.
"... Right. I'm sorry." Jake rubbed his arm sheepishly.
"Yeah. But I can tell you this," Kukui added as Aubrey recalled Tenor, whistling for Vatonage to rejoin them - he decided to play around with the Pokemon in the garden. "If Lillie is hiding something from you, it's nothing nefarious. She's got a kind heart and a good head on her shoulders. Whatever it is, I'm willing to bet she's got a good reason behind it, yeah."
"I'm with you on that, Professor," Hau smiled. "If Lillie's got a secret, it has to be with good intentions!"
Aubrey nodded quietly. Lillie didn't strike her as the kind to be plotting anything dastardly, but the fact remained that she had a lot of questions for the professor's assistant once they met her again.
"Still...something occurred to me now. I wonder if the reason Lusamine doesn't let Aether show favor and assist Team Skull openly is because she has some kind of alliance with Guzma," Jake pointed out.
"Hmm...maybe." Aubrey would walk out with the three guys, headed towards Mount Hokulani. She made a mental note to go over the information and clues they had on hand with Jake once they were on the bus.
(Oooh, now we're making some breaks in the case! What could Lillie be hiding from us...we'll find out...in due time. Next time, the Electric trial! Bye for now!)