(Electric trial time, baby! I'm gonna say this right now, this is going to be my favorite trial to write in this story. Let's get to it!
The Reviews
Megan Romero: Last chapter was an exposition heavy one. This one is gonna be action heavy!
LogBook27062000: Glad you found the chapter interesting! Every good mystery should have puzzle pieces coming into play gradually rather than all at once imo.)
As the group proceeded through Route 10 towards their destination, they'd reach the bus stop...and see two Team Skull grunts by it.
"What are they doing?" Hau wondered.
"Are they trying to lift that thing?" Aubrey shook her head. "Maybe I should show them how to properly lift."
"If you think that'd be for the best, yeah, then show 'em what you're made of," Kukui encouraged.
"Are you sure we should be engaging in property destruction though, Aubrey? Although it would be nice to probe them for more information on things, yeah." Jake cautiously shared his two cents.
The two grunts overheard them, with the first one to turn around saying, "What? You've never seen somebody take a bus stop to go before?"
"I wasn't aware bus stops are as portable as takeout meals," Hau snarked.
"The only time you'd need to take a bus stop would be if you were desperate for a weapon," Jake added onto the snark.
"Hey yo!" The second grunt turned around. "You trying to steal our bus stop? Best go find your own, ya heard?!"
Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Oh for Arceus' sake..." She move past them to approach the bus stop sign.
"She's actually gonna try and lift that thing?" Hau blinked.
"Looks like it, cousin!" Kukui mused. "Better than hurting them, yeah." Jake and Forrest watched Aubrey commit to the act with sympathy. They knew she didn't have to one-up these guys so hard or bother with it but it was just in the Ranger's psyche to be a motivational if blunt person.
"I don't know if you care, but that thing weighs about as much as a Golem, yo!" The first grunt exclaimed.
Rubbing her hands together, Aubrey would note that it wasn't bolted to the ground or anything, the base of it was where the weight mainly was. "Okay, lopsided, but let's see here..." She'd get a grip on the sign and count up to three, before getting in a squat, and hoisting the sign over her head, then set it back down after a few seconds. "I think they were exaggerating a little," The ranger commented.
"I knew they were exaggerating from the get-go," Jake nodded.
"Yo, think about the bus drivers!" The first grunt cried. "If we take this bus stop, they can all chill!"
"That's admirable, but what about the people who need to get up to the mountain in a timely manner?" Kukui countered. Neither grunt had a response, as they just calmly left the scene. They didn't like to admit it, but the professor had a point. To Aubrey, the professor added, "Nice way of handling that without having to resort to fighting, Aubrey! You've done a lot of growing since you came to Alola, woo!"
Aubrey chuckled. "I think it more has to do with me knowing the truth of Team Skull...though I wonder what their big boss would think about my sudden mercy all the sudden."
"Who knows...hopefully Plumeria would appreciate it," Hau said.
After a little while, the Exeggutor Express bus would come by to take them up the mountain. Hau and Kukui would take a seat together, and Aubrey did the same with Jake. She rubbed Vatonage's head, letting the little guy rest on her lap, catching some Z's on the way up. Jake was a bit quiet, unsure of what to talk about while they waited. Forrest simply perched by Jake's side, looking calm as ever.
"Alright, so...let's go over everything we've learned so far. Because that was a lot to take in back at the garden," Aubrey decided.
"Oh! Yeah, that'd be very appreciated Aubrey. I'm still trying to figure out the connection between Lusamine and Guzma. I've never met Guzma so I'm putting the idea of them being lovers off the table for now. Were they colleagues?" Jake said.
"Hmm...if they were colleagues, it'd be pretty weird if they were at odds with each other," Aubrey mentioned. "Cuz like, if they really were working together, why would Team Skull be causing so much trouble for Pokemon?"
"That's just it though, I don't think they are at odds right now. There's probably some secret deal going on here. She did seem unusually fascinated by Ultra Beasts...maybe they are giving her information on them," The Hoenn trainer recalled. "Like we know that at the very least, Lusamine is aware of their existence and doesn't use Aether's presence to assert any kind of reform or halt towards them. There's going to be a gain for her to leave Team Skull in action." Jake snapped his fingers.
"And what would that gain be?" Aubrey questioned.
"Well we know it's not Lillie...maybe it has something to do with Pokemon altogether. They were trying to take Pokemon after all," Jake offered.
"That seems more plausible. Speaking of Lillie though..." Aubrey folded her arms. "How in the heck does Lusamine know Lillie? Whatever it is, it's probably in a negative way, considering how cold she was when her name was brought up."
"They have the same hair color and skin tone..." Jake looked scared as he brought up that connection.
"But are physical genetics enough to confirm they're related?" Aubrey leaned her head back in thought. "Hau did mention that Lillie acted like a Deerling in headlights saying the boat we took here would be making a stop at Aether."
"Yeah, she'd only have that reaction if she either knew something about Aether or someone who worked at Aether that she had problems with," Jake agreed.
After thinking about it for a moment, there was only one possible explanation that Aubrey could muster. "Maybe...maybe Lillie had a bad run-in with Aether's president in the past, and would rather not deal with her or them again."
"I do think we need to ask her exactly what she knows about Aether. That's the only way we can get more conclusive evidence," Jake said.
"Yeah." Aubrey nodded in agreement. "Next time we see her, we're gonna have some questions for her to answer."
When they reached the top of the mountain with the observatory on top, Kukui would step out, heading off to the right of the mountaintop with the others.
"Mount Hokulani is the second tallest mountain in Alola," He began. "And the tallest..." He would turn to face a snow capped mountain out in the distance, gesturing to it. "Check it out!"
"Oh geez, I feel colder just looking at it," Jake said though he was in awe of the sight.
"That steep, jutting and majestic peak over there? That's Mount Lanakila. The highest peak in Alola!" Kukui smiled as Hau and Aubrey were amazed by the sight. "It's a sacred spot, yeah, the closest you can get to the Legendary Pokemon of Alola." What came next would be a welcome surprise. "That peak right there is where I'll establish our Pokemon League!"
"You mean the lion or the bat Legendaries right? And are you sure they wouldn't mind if you have the League there?" Jake inquired.
"Sure I'm sure, yeah. We'll get everyone who's finished up their island challenges, and up there on that peak, they'll battle against the Kahunas to become the island challenge champion!" Kukui answered adamantly.
Aubrey paused, her eyes went wide. Everything she ever wanted to be as a little girl was staring her down at that mountain peak. Vatonage nudged her leg to try and snap her out of it, but to no avail. Mainly because she wasn't in a trance to begin with.
"All the more reason to finish our island challenge!" She exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.
"Heck yeah! We got this on lock!" Jake cheered.
"You said it, guys!" Hau cheered.
"I've always valued the traditions of Alola, but it's high time we make a champion the whole world will recognize, woo!" Kukui was excited with them. "Now, if you wanna go ahead and do some prep for your next trial, go right ahead. I don't have to tell you this, but Ground types are gonna be very useful here. Rock types will too, in case you run into any Bug/Electric types along the way."
"Sounds like an opportunity to train our team and new recruits, wouldn't you say Aubrey?" Jake winked.
"Yeah. We'll get right on it." The ranger nodded in agreement.
"I'll go enjoy some malasada with my team in the Pokemon Center before I go in. Good luck!" Hau waved the duo off.
"See ya later Hau!" Jake waved bye, as did Forrest. When Hau was gone though Jake groaned. "Malasadas sound soooooo good right about nowwwwwwww..."
Aubrey ruffled Jake's hair. "We can have some before we go into the observatory. For now, we've got our new teammates to get up to par with the others."
"Definitely! Training montage go?" Jake winked at Aubrey as he felt perked up by both ideas.
"Training montage a-go go!" Aubrey grinned.
"Umb!" Vatonage chimed.
Jake summoned Byron and though Byron seemed still just as anxious and concerned about the new world around them, they were happy to spend more time outside of his Poke Ball.
"Shield...on!" They cried as they were indicating they were ready to listen to what Jake wanted them to do.
"Hey Byron. Here's what we're going to do today." Forrest, looking composed and assuming a very professor-like stance, spoke for Jake.
"Dartrix! Dartrix." The Blade Quill Pokemon spoke.
'You're going to train under our guidance so that you are not only stronger but more confident," Jake added.
Byron frowned...finding that prospect of being more confident being unlikely. Though at the same time, it wondered if his weakness is why he ended up a fossil in the first place. Maybe it was time to be powerful for his new parents and for himself.
"Shieldon..." Byron nodded slowly. Anything was worth trying once after all.
"Perfect!" Jake and Forrest shared a hi-five. "Let's get to it!"
Aubrey called out Roark, who let out a roar showing he was ready for whatever action was needed.
"Crannnnnnnnnnn!" He bellowed.
"Hey Roark. Ready to shake off the rust?" Aubrey asked with a smile. Vatonage would stand beside him, looking to get some action in too.
Roark gave a nod. Its bravado might've been what caused him to be a fossil in the first place, but he was ready to make a comeback. Whatever opponent stood in his way, he would get strong enough to never go extinct again.
"Crani, crani!" Roark answered.
"Great! Supervise him, Vatonage. Might as well toughen you up while we're out here," Aubrey requested.
"Breon!" Vatonage agreed with a smile.
The sight of strong and tough Pokemon like Beldums and Skarmory's meant Jake also had to bring out Belle for some action and support for Byron as they underwent the training session. Byron seemed particularly comforted by the cheerfulness Belle exuded and it allowed them to ease into their role as they proved surprisingly good at dealing with a lot of the rapid attacks of the wild Pokemon. After several rounds of fierce combat it soon unearthed the power to use Ancient Power to gain some powerful strikes against the fierce fliers like Fearow.
Speaking of Fearow, that is who Roark was mainly attacking with Rock Tomb. Vatonage would be acting like a good Partner Pokemon like Aubrey's Skarmory would - take the aggro for Roark in this case so he can defeat the Pokemon. Aubrey decided to get in on some of the action to get some practice with her Styler in. "Capture...on!" She flicked out her Capture Disc to tame and send off those that Roark would have trouble with. Namely, the Beldum and Elgyem that were drawn to the chaos going on.
Soon, Byron began to exude a lot more focus and even smile at the increased rate of success it was experiencing in his battles. Eventually when there was a surprising number of unconscious or released Pokemon from Aubrey and Jake's training expedition, Byron began glowing white. "Houston, we've reached the magnum opus!"
"And I think we're too!" Aubrey called. Roark, having seen how hard Byron was fighting, upped his efforts and was glowing white as well!
As the Evolution transformation occurred, Byron not only experienced a dramatic size increase but also became much more bestial and sturdy looking. When the light dissipated, Byron was no longer the timid and impressionable Shieldon but a stoic and mighty...
"Bastiodon!" Byron cried out with the most confidence he exuded yet.
"Litwick!" Belle danced around and sang cheerfully at this success for their new friend.
In Roark's place was a large, dark-gray and tall dinosaur like Pokemon, having a dome head partially obstructing its red eyes, one blue stripe apiece on its tail, knees, and wrists, along with various spikes, two on its head being the biggest of the bunch.
"Rammmmmmmmparrrrrrrrrdos!" Roark bellowed. Byron flinched at Roark's loud and triumphant sounding scream. Despite being more confident, some of its natural timid energy still came through and he was still intimidated by the sheer strength of his fellow Fossil brethren.
"Well looks like we moved up in eras now. Good work Aubrey. Both our Pokemon now can stand firmly on their own." Jake said with a soft smile.
"Mhm!" Aubrey would check the time. "Dang, that only took an hour? That bus ride must've been faster than I thought it was...ah well. Means we've got plenty of time to prepare for the trial."
"Right. I'm a little worried though..." Jake frowned. "Can we really handle these new Trials when they are likely to be somewhat surreal if they are around here?"
"Hmm." Aubrey clasped her hands together after putting her Capture Styler back on her waistband. "Well, we are halfway through the trials, so I imagine things are gonna get tough going forward. But y'know what, it just means we gotta be tough enough to match the trials, ya know?"
"True. I guess it's just that Trials have proven to be a lot more advanced and intimidating than Gym Battles. So I don't know what to expect." Jake said.
"Bastio..." Byron tried to comfort his father that they were scared of a lot of things but that it could be done.
"Thanks Byron. And you are right. Expecting the unexpected is just part of the fun," Jake smiled.
Aubrey would recall Rampardos as she had some words of encouragement for her traveling partners on the way back to the Pokemon Center. "It's times like these where adversity is staring us in the face, we gotta dig deep, grit our teeth, and rise above the challenge. It's what I've been doing all my life, from becoming a ranger to now. Weren't you the same back in Hoenn, man?"
Jake blushed slightly as Aubrey had just played the 'Hoenn' card. "Look, after dealing with an Ultra Beast first-hand, all the conspiracy theories, not having a positive view of Alola initially, and the fact that Trials test more than just your Pokemon battling and we're on near sacred ground, you can't blame me for being a bit shaken up by now!"
Forrest rolled his eyes. He felt Jake was being melodramatic again.
"Hoenn's a lot more straightforward and everything has been said and done. No more trouble, no more Teams, no worries. Here everything is unrolling all at once and I guess we're the protagonists this time," Jake said after taking a moment to recompose himself. "Makes even the Trials seem way more at stake y'know?"
"A fair point. But you're still standing tall after everything we've been through together, yeah?" Aubrey brought up, acknowledging his rebuttal.
"Yeah of course! So I'm still going to seize this Trial with everything I got. I just hope it's not something traumatic or painful or intense, that's all." Jake said. "I think a breather would be nice." With that said, the two would enter the Pokemon Center to begin their trial prep.
After returning Byron and Belle to their Balls, Jake picked up some Malasadas and some water to feast on as he also contemplated what would be the next best move to make. Aubrey would go change into the outfit Jake had picked out for her back at the boutique. She felt that there wasn't a need to get her uniform on, due to the trial being indoors. That said, she kept her Capture Styler clipped to her waistband just to be safe, and grabbed herself a bottle of water.
"So, I went ahead and used some TMs for Roark so that he's got more than Rock Tomb he can do," Aubrey mentioned.
"Which TMs? I might be able to use them for Byron too." Jake asked.
"Oh, just Brick Break and Swords Dance," Aubrey answered.
"...Eh I think I'll pass. Thanks though." Jake chuckled nervously.
"Well, either way I've got Don as a backup plan in case Roark can't manage the trial. What about you?" The ranger asked.
"Well I could always use...Comfey or Belle I guess. Dew maybe depending on the situation," Jake replied.
"Mmm...yeah, might be tough in that regard. But we'll manage," Aubrey assured, looking raring to go.
"Onward!" Jake decreed confidently.
The two would head on outside and to the observatory, with a blond, gray eyed, bespectacled man standing outside. "Oh hello, you must be part of the island challenge. I'm Molayne. My younger cousin Sophocles is waiting inside."
"Those are mouthfuls of names," Jake's eyes widened. "Good to meet you."
Molayne gave a warm smile. "Right back at ya. I was once the trial captain here. Mind if I bring you to meet the captain?"
"Go right ahead! You know the place better than us," Aubrey agreed.
"So what's this Trial about, Molayne?" Jake asked as Forrest flew behind him.
"Well, we've been working on a device to ping the Totem Pokemon to come whenever a challenger arrives," Molayne informed. "We use our Charjabug for puzzles to power the Pinger."
He would bring them to a door that had the trial gate colors on it, and inside they would find the trial captain in question - a short, portly kid with orange hair and brown eyes.
"Are these the challengers, Big Mo?" The boy asked.
"That's right, Soffy," Molayne answered.
"Nice to meet ya." Sophocles turned his attention to the duo.
"Aww what a cute lil' guy! He looks like the kind of sitcom star in the making! Hey Sophocles. I'm Jake Hagguire and this is my Ranger friend." Jake beamed.
Needless to say, Sophocles tensed up a bit at Jake's display of fawning over his looks. "Uh, and you are?"
"Aubrey Bradford. No need to be shy," She told him.
"Right." Taking a moment to compose himself, Sophocles would ask, "Do you like Festival Plaza?"
"...What?" Aubrey was visibly confused.
"Oh...you haven't heard of it? Ah, I was hoping you did..." Sophocles looked down with a frown. "Fine. Whatever. Let's get started."
"Is it a place or some kind of series or game, Sophocles?" Jake inquired, curious.
"It's a place where trainers can connect with one another to engage in battles, trades, and all kinds of other services," Sophocles answered. "But if you're here for the trial, I can save my creation for another day."
"Sounds fabulous! I'd be very interested in this." Jake liked anything interconnected and Pokemon related.
Invigorated by his praise, Sophocles would turn his frown upside down. "Thanks! Now...summon the Totem Pokemon and prove your strength to it...that's how the trials work from what Big Mo told me. So what I was thinking was, why not call the Totem Pokemon at the start?"
"Yeah, so why the machine?" Aubrey asked. Vatonage was curious about this as well.
"Here at the observatory, we monitor sounds we detect from outer space. There's sounds inaudible to people but Pokemon hear them just fine," Sophocles explained as he started up the Pinger. "This machine here uses that same idea to summon the Totem Pokemon here. As an added bonus, we developed a security system that also makes use of-" Before he could finish his sentence, a loud noise was heard as the power to the building suddenly went out. "W-Wahh!"
"Soffy!" Molayne cried out, the door behind them shutting.
"...Well so much for a breather," Aubrey sighed, cursing their luck.
Jake looked like he was about to cry as he summoned Belle to light a light with her natural flame. "Is...everyone ok?" He asked cautiously as he braced himself for the worst.
Belle, and Vatonage with his night vision, would determine that everyone was fine, as Sophocles was just shaken from the event, and Molayne was trying to comfort him.
"Y-Yeah...but what happened? Why'd the power go out?" Sophocles answered nervously.
"I...think you may have used a bit too much electricity in the Pinger, Soffy," Molayne mentioned.
"Probably...but what're we gonna do? Wait for the Totem Pokemon?" Sophocles asked.
Aubrey looked to Jake. "Well...we can't do our trial in the dark, man. We gotta help get the power working again. The staff here are probably trapped in the other rooms."
"R-right. It's not about us, it's about them." Jake nodded. This sensible, selfless logic helped to reassure him that this wouldn't be so bad. "Okay, what's on and off-limits Aubrey?" He asked as he, Belle, and the equally night-adept Forrest were ready to go.
"Well, we're gonna need Belle to light our way, first of all. She and Vatonage are gonna have to take point," Aubrey answered.
"Please help us get the power back on!" Sophocles requested. "This is your trial - restore the power and beat the Totem Pokemon, and the Electrium-Z is yours!"
"Sounds less like a trial and more like a mission to me!" With a confident execution of her ranger's pose, with Vatonage running in a circle and doing a little kip in the air, she would say, "Mission...start!"
"Mission start!" Jake, Forrest, and Belle did their signature poses as well.
"Alright, first order of business. We need to get out of this room," Aubrey determined.
"Right! All you gotta do is pass an audio quiz and we're out of here," Molayne confirmed.
"IN ORDER TO OPEN THE DOOR, PASS THE FOLLOWING AUDIO QUIZ. WHAT DO YOU HEAR WHEN YOU HEAR THIS SOUND?" The voice of the security system played the all familiar Pokemon Center jingle.
"Wait I thought the power was out. How is the security system still working? Anyways, that's the Pokemon Center theme." Jake gave a flabbergasted expression as he attempted to open the door.
A positive noise would be heard as the door opened. "CORRECT! OPENING DOOR..."
"Hey, you did it!" Sophocles smiled. However, the door would start to close...and it would have fully closed had Aubrey not acted as quick as she did.
Getting in the middle of the doorway, she held onto both doors, pushing against them to hold it open.
"Hnnnng..." She grunted, doing her best to keep the door open. "Move it!" Jake squeezed past Aubrey carefully and stumbled into the next room, falling to his hands and knees in his haste. Belle and Forrest followed after him and surveyed their new area, the main hallway. Sophocles would have Molayne help him past the ranger, with Vatonage being the last one out, giving a bark to let her know she could move forward and let the door shut safely. "Hahh...hahh...whew!"
"If I didn't know any better I'd swear we were in some National Treasure spin-off. Ok...Sophocles, where is this and what rooms are in here?" Jake asked as he picked himself up from the floor.
"If I may be the one to answer that?" Molayne spoke up.
"Go right ahead, Molayne," Jake agreed.
"If you'd follow me, I can take you down to where the generator is. Then we can see what the problem is," The ex-captain explained. "If I'm right, we'll only need to look at the fuse box."
"Right. Vatonage, Belle, you two take point for Molayne," Aubrey requested.
"Umb! Umb!" Vatonage happily agreed.
"Litwick!" Belle was only too chipper to help and floated over by the fuse box ready to follow instructions. The group followed Molayne down to where the power source to the observatory was, getting the door open through another audio quiz. This time, they stayed quiet as they went through the doorway.
"Sorry for earlier, Aubrey...if only I hadn't flapped my gums, you wouldn't have had to do that," Sophocles apologized, right as the door closed behind them.
"Eh...it's alright," Aubrey reassured.
"No big! Who hasn't short-circuited something before? It happened in Sunyshore and Mauville City!" Jake giggled. "As long as we make amends and help everyone out, we gain experience that can be used in case this happens again." Molayne would take a look at the fuse box - with Belle's help, he'd be able to determine the source of the problem.
"Ooh...a fuse blew when Soffy fired on the Pinger. Mmm...ah, I know." He would look around and see the Charjabugs they kept around inside. "We have a different method for restoring the power to the observatory. It involves our Charjabug here!"
"Makes sense to me. Electric Pokemon are universal batteries," Jake smiled.
"They're the best way to recharge my Styler in the field," Aubrey mused.
"So, all we gotta do with our Charjabug is put them up on the Roller, and three at a time, line them up into a Z-fashion. That should give us enough electricity to bring the lights back on," Molayne told them. "Sound easy enough?"
"Of course. This mini-game should be a cinch between our teamwork." Jake flexed his knuckles and started carefully analyzing the Roller and the three Charjabugs.
"Electric types might be attracted to what we're doing...but with the door shut, I think we should be fine," Sophocles sighed with relief. "Oh yeah!" He would call out a Togedemaru. "Toge here has Lightning Rod - if things get too hectic, he'll protect you."
"Toge toge!" The Togedemaru smiled.
"...Oh my Arceus, that's one of the most adorable Pokemon I've ever seen..." Aubrey fawned.
"Must come from the Pikachu line of adorable Electric-types." Jake chuckled. "I still think Spinda's cuter but this is a worthy Pokemon to have I bet." Forest huffed. Cuteness was nothing compared to elegance and handsomeness. He preened his feathers almost defiantly.
Rotom would pop out of Aubrey's bag to give them the details on Toge.
"Togedemaru, the Roly-Poly Pokemon. The spiny fur on its back is normally at rest. When this Pokémon becomes agitated, its fur stands on end and stabs into its attackers," He reported.
"Okay, good to know..." Aubrey chuckled sheepishly. "So yeah, if you could do the honors Jake, I'll stand over here. Take a moment." She'd grab her water bottle and take a few gulps.
"Uh nothing personal but maybe being around a minefield of electricity and drinking water is not such a good idea Aubrey," Jake looked nervous for Aubrey.
"What do you think the Togedemaru with Lightning Rod is for?" Aubrey responded, capping the water bottle and putting it back.
Jake then turned his attention to the puzzle at hand and carefully touched a Charjabug... and got a jolt of static electricity. "YOW!" Jake shook his hand in annoyance. "I hate when that happens."
"I think we've got some rubber gloves you can use..." Sophocles mentioned, looking to Vatonage. "If uh, you wanna find them?"
"Umbre!" Vatonage would eagerly get to searching. Hopefully they'd be the right size for his trainer's fashionista friend.
"Most rubber gloves are universally sized so that'd be nice. Thanks Vatonage!" Jake smiled. It'd take a moment of rummaging through the room, but he'd soon bring back a pair of rubber gloves for Jake to utilize, wagging his tail as he did so. Jake petted Vatonage gently on it's back for the gracious deed before putting on the rubber gloves and getting to work on the puzzle. Feeling out the controls and layout before ultimately finding out the optimal way to move the Charjabugs.
After some trial and error by getting the first six on the top and bottom rows of the Roller, the Charjabugs were providing electricity, leaving Jake to figure out what to do with the last three. He'd soon find the answer - in the shape of a Z!
"Perfect! Z-vibes go." Jake got them in the right place in no time at all.
A mechanical device that was being used to recharge the power was receiving the electricity that the Charjabug were providing - though seeing it shake a little uncontrollably and reach the red part of the gauge caused the others to look alarmed.
"Um...Jake, you might wanna move back," Molayne warned, pointing in the direction of the device as Toge got in position in case it went haywire.
"Don't need to tell me twice." Jake swiftly moved over to Aubrey's side. As they feared, the electricity went haywire, as Toge jumped up to absorb it with his Lightning Rod ability. He had a fierce look on his face, doing his best to hold off the excess power.
"Oh jeez...did we overdo it again?" Sophocles asked in worry. "I know Toge has Lightning Rod, but I don't know how much he can take."
As they watched on, Vatonage would notice something, frantically trying to get Aubrey's attention. "Umbre! Um um umbreon!"
"Huh? What's wrong, boy?" She asked, seeing where her Partner Pokemon was pointing. "Up there!"
From the rafters of the room, a much larger Togedemaru was watching on, jumping down and doing what Toge was doing, except redirecting the power back at the device, shutting it down from overloading it. Turning to the humans in the room, it did not look happy with them.
"Eek...!" Jake looked frightened of the big and much less adorable Togedemaru glaring at them. Belle and Forrest bravely looked ready to protect their Trainer if need be.
"Oi, Sophocles...is that the Totem Pokemon?" Aubrey asked.
"It's got the same presence as one, but..." The door would then open. "...Huh? Another one? Is that..."
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE!" Electricity would be crackling around the second big Pokemon to enter the room, a large floating bug with two yellow pincers.
"Two Totem Pokemon again...alright. Let's rumble." Aubrey would call out Roark. "One of us needs to handle the bug. The other handles the Togedemaru."
Rotom would, timidly, give the information on the newcomer from Aubrey's bag. "Vikavolt, the Stag Beetle Pokemon, and the final form of Grubbin. It zips around, on sharp lookout for an opening. It concentrates electrical energy within its large jaws and uses it to zap its enemies."
"I don't like the fact there's not a lot of room here...we could destroy the building and or hurt someone!" Jake whimpered as he felt that if he summoned Byron, the big Pokemon would cause a lot of chaos.
"Right. Which is why we need to lure them outside and beat them there!" Aubrey declared.
"Well, if it makes things any easier..." Sophocles gulped. "The power seems to be back on."
"Yeah, it is. Get these two outside and beat them there!" Molayne instructed.
"Copy that!" Aubrey would motion for Jake and her Pokemon to follow her as she bolted for the entrance.
"Belle, get their attention!" Jake followed after Aubrey fiercely with Forrest flying after them, as Belle sent a flurry of Will-o-Wisps to burn and get the attention of the two Totem Pokemon before leading them down the hallways and towards the original entrance.
Both Totems, after their auras flared up, would give chase to the two and their Pokemon as they ran, bringing the battle outside for the safety of those inside the observatory.
"Ok look, we know we maybe got the Pokemon using a lot of their power and that might be a humanitarian issue with you two, but it was either let people be trapped in a powered down building or free everyone. Aubrey, I'll take on the bug and you handle the lil' big guy. Go Byron!" Jake summoned Byron to the field. "B-Bastiodon!" Byron was surprised by the sight of such unusually huge Pokemon that were not the kind of Pokemon he saw back in the day but ready for a fight. With Belle and Forrest returned to their respective Balls, the battle would be on!
"Okay! Once one of us deals with our battle, we'll help the other!" Aubrey ordered. Though facing a Steel type with Roark would definitely be a challenge. "Vatonage, be our shield for Roark so he can do some damage."
"Umbre!" Vatonage agreed.
"Ramp..." Roark didn't like the idea of having a babysitter, but seeing the situation they were in, he didn't really have any room to complain.
The Vikavolt sent an electric current flying through the air towards Byron to try to paralyze it, clearly a Thunder Wave move but Jake wasn't deterred. "Byron, use Taunt!" Byron managed to get a cheeky taunt in, turning around and swinging his tail at the Vikavolt, infuriating the Totem Pokemon into not wanting to use anything other than attacks. Byron gasped and winced as it felt itself get paralyzed but Jake was on it with a Full Heal spray, curing his Pokemon. Byron was touched by the sweet gesture.
With the Togedemaru, Vatonage was getting the Totem's attention, juking out of the way of a Zing Zap to allow Roark to slip in a Brick Break. The attack connected, but it didn't seem to faze Togedemaru - it would let out a squeak and call in an ally, that being a Skarmory.
"Heh...I've gotta go against the Pokemon I have as a partner..." Aubrey mentioned to herself, remarking about the irony of her situation as the Steel/Flying type used Tailwind to make it and Togedemaru much more nimble.
"Get that Ancient Power online, Byron!" Byron nodded and cried out, glowing with a mysterious energy as rocks were summoned from the ground and hurled at Vikavolt. Two followers however, two Charjabugs that seemed to be enticed by the Totemic energy took the hits for Vikavolt as Vikavolt wholloped Bastiodon with a Mud-Slap that only managed to get it to shake off the mud, taking the hit well.
The Skarmory would dodge Roark's Rock Tomb, throwing out rocks of its own to lock Roark and Vatonage into place - Stealth Rock. Togedemaru would speed on ahead at Roark with Iron Head, only for Vatonage to take the hit.
"Ugh...this is not ideal..." Aubrey grit her teeth, then remembering something. "Shoot, I forgot to mention this, but uh, Jake? Remember when I taught Roark TM moves? Yeah, I did the same for Vatonage."
"Well let 'er rip then! Byron, leap forward and get through the wall of followers with Take Down!" Byron hurried forward at a steady pace before suddenly taking a massive leap of faith and Taking Down through the Charjabug followers to strike Vikavolt painfully into the ground, a dust cloud forming into the ground and shaking the earth. The Vikavolt growled and used a Vice Grip to catch Byron and hold him in place with a painful cut.
"Vatonage, Psychic on the Stealth Rocks! Help Byron!" Aubrey ordered. With a telekinetic force, Vatonage would gain control of the Stealth Rocks and send them at the Totem Vikavolt's direction to free Byron. Roark meanwhile was trying to smash the Skarmory out of the sky with Brick Break, swatting aside Togedemaru with his tail as it tried to get in a cheap shot.
Vikavolt cried out in annoyance as it felt itself be battered by small Stealth Rock stones and let go of Byron to lick its wounds. But Byron was not finished yet. With a powerful cry, a giant Ancient Power rock was summoned and promptly crushed on the slow Totem Pokemon's head, knocking it down to the ground and barely hanging on for dear life, still trying to fight stubbornly back against this Pokemon.
"Sorry Vikavolt but this part of the Trial is over! Again with the Take Down Byron!" Vikavolt desperately sent a Mud-Slap at Byron but Byron, like any raw, primal Pokemon of the prehistoric era did what would be the most accurate form of attack. Rather than a projectile that could miss, it charged through the mud and slammed into Vikavolt, sending it sprawling back and rolling on the ground before passing out from pain. Victory was assured.
Jake smirked. "Good showing Byron but afraid for you naughty bird, you aren't getting to him!" Jake returned Byron just in time, leaving Skarmory to fly up and growl angrily at it's target disappearing. "Go Belle! Use Fire Spin!" Belle, the graceful Candle Pokemon, appeared again from her Dusk Ball and sent a Fire Spin swirling around Skarmory.
With Belle's attention focused on Skarmory, Togedemaru would launch a Zing Zap in Belle's direction, only for Roark to get in the way, clashing with the large Roly Poly Pokemon with Brick Break.
"Capture...on!" Aubrey flicked out her Capture Disc skyward to tame the Skarmory, being mindful of the fiery vortex that Belle launched out.
"Now follow up with a Will-o-Wisp," Jake nodded, eager to let Belle handle the follower. Belle winked and a spectral flame singed and burned Skarmory, further adding to their discomfort. Belle's assistance would greatly help in dealing with the Skarmory, Aubrey managing to tame it with her Styler.
Togedemaru would call in its next helper, a Dedenne. The cute little rodent would waste no time in going for a Discharge, not only to go on the attack, but also to power up Togedemaru. Vatonage was barely able to get out of the way, with Roark definitely getting shocked.
"Yikes! Belle, make the lil' big guy's day a burning hell with Flame Burst," Jake said surprisingly coldly. It did not appreciate Byron's bestie getting hurt. Belle nodded and this time sent forth a flame burst to blast the Togedemaru and the Dedenne in one go when the impact of the projectile spread far. Aubrey decided to recall Roark, seeing the status he was in.
"Alright Don, we need your help big guy!" She called, sending out her Mudsdale to help.
"Now Will-O-Wisp Togepi!" Belle, with her same playful maneuver, burned Todegemaru instantly with a spectral flame summoned by a cheeky wink. The remaining Totem would use Bounce to avoid the attack.
"No telling where that'll go...group up, guys! Don, get ready to intercept!" Aubrey called out, Vatonage going over to the Mudsdale once he finished off the Dedenne with a well placed Quick Attack. Belle flew over carefully by Don, looking just as guarded and bracing herself for impact as the others. Don was ready for action, seeing that Togedemaru was aiming for Belle with its Bounce attack. With a mighty windup of his hind legs, Don would attack the Togedemaru with High Horsepower, sending the Togedemaru flying back up into the air, crashing down defeated from the mighty blow.
Needless to say, onlookers who watched the whole battle were highly impressed with the duo's skills with Pokemon.
"BOOYAH! Heck yeah! Give us one, give us two, give us as many Totem Pokemon you can throw at us and we will still emerge triumphant as the king and queen of Alola!" Jake seemed to flatter the onlookers with his victory pose, accompanied by Belle.
"Lit!" She cheered.
"Heck yeah! That's teamwork right there, man!" Aubrey would give Jake a fistbump. "That kind of battling is the stuff Van and I would've done if we were traveling this road together!"
"Every Pokemon worked hard and performed fantastically! In a way...it really was a breather. A breath of fresh air." Jake beamed, his mood significantly improved from earlier.
"You could say that again. Mission clear, Jake!" Aubrey beamed, doing her ranger's pose, with Don letting out a relieved huff. Vatonage went for the same skip and a hop like he did inside the observatory, celebrating alongside Aubrey.
"Ok, now let's go check on our Trial Leaders and tell them we succeeded with flying colors." Jake said as he returned Belle and brought Forrest back out. Sophocles and Molayne would run outside.
"Ah! You did it!" Sophocles smiled.
"Soffy used a bit too much electricity in firing up the Pinger," Molayne explained. "It'll be something we work on in the future."
"I'm sure next time you'll get the hang of it and keep things from escalating. Thanks for staying calm and helping us out," Jake smiled.
"So! Not only did you defeat both Totem Pokemon, but you also helped restore power to the observatory!" Sophocles said. "As such, we would like to reward you with not one, but two Z-Crystals! The Electrium-Z and Steelium-Z are yours." He would hand them a yellow Z-Crystal with a lightning bolt decal, and a gray Z-Crystal with a sort of block decal on it.
"Oh wow...you serious?" Aubrey looked surprised. The Trial Captain gave a nod.
"Of course I am," He answered.
"Aubrey, was it? If you don't mind doing me something on the way back into Maile City - the professor left this behind. Could you deliver it to him?" Molayne requested, holding a very familiar mask. "I'm sure the Masked Royal would love to have it back."
"Of course we can." Jake said with a chipper tone.
"Back to the bus then. Let's get our team healed up and head on back down," Aubrey decided, headed for the Pokemon Center after recalling Don. Vatonage would trot alongside her.
At the Pokemon Center, Jake refreshed his Pokemon and seemed at ease. This trip was coming along nicely and there was still so much more to discover. He felt silly for being so down-trodden and hard on himself in the face of everything they were grappling from a physical and logical standpoint. As long as they worked together, he and Aubrey could accomplish anything. Aubrey would look over their notes, wondering what Key was up to at this hour. But she was certain that their merchant friend was hard at work, possibly scouring for another Z-Crystal. She'd be pretty happy to see they nabbed two in one trial, so she hoped to catch up with her again.
Once they were done at the Pokemon Center, they'd hop on the Exeggutor Express and make their way back to Maile Garden. But when they got there, they were greeted with an unwelcome sight.
"Four turns!" Kukui declared to two Team Skull grunts. There was a crowd around them as Aubrey and Jake came upon the scene.
"Kukui?! Are you ok?!" Jake gasped and Forrest looked ready to swoop into the fray.
"I'm alright, Jake!" Kukui answered, glancing over to the duo. "I've been researching Pokemon moves, yeah, so I know the best way to take these two down. I'll take you on in a Battle Royal!"
The crowd was cheering Kukui on, but another character entering the scene would change the mood.
"A Battle Royal, huh? Nice idea there, Kukui. Think you can beat down three Pokemon at once?" A white haired man with yellow rimmed sunglasses, and dressed like the head honcho of Team Skull would approach the scene, causing looks of unease from the onlookers.
"It's Guzma..." One of them murmured.
"The boss has graced us with his presence!" One of the grunts exclaimed.
Guzma faced down Kukui with his hands on his hips. "The hated boss who beats you down, and beats you down, and never lets up...yeah! Big bad Guzma is here!"
Jake looked over Guzma up and down and then with a cheeky grin, finger guns and a playful wink said, "Daddeh."
Aubrey looked at her companion as though they had lost their mind. "Jake not now!"
"...Was worth a shot. He's heavily intimidating otherwise." Jake chuckled nervously.
Guzma shook his head at Jake. "Tch. I'll get to you two in a moment." He focused his attention back on Kukui after casting a glare in the ranger's direction. "Here we are, Kukui...fellow rejects who could never become Captains. We've got all these moldy, old, outdated traditions here in Alola...don't get me wrong. I get where you're coming from with this League idea. It's about time we cast aside that garbage and make something new for ourselves. But we don't need no League when we already know who the strongest guy around is."
"Speak for yourself, Guzma," Kukui responded calmly. "It's not like I wanted to become a Captain. If I wanted to, I could've. But I had other dreams, see? I wanted to figure out which moves would beat old Hala, and I finally found what I was looking for. Because...the strongest moves are the ones the trainer and their Pokemon choose together. In the heat of the moment is where it matters most." He turned around after walking a few paces away from him. "That's when I knew I had to make a Pokemon League, yeah, to give everyone a chance to be pushed to that limit and find their perfect move!"
"Pah. If you want me to show that to you, you're gonna have to get in line, Kukui," Guzma scoffed. "You." He would be pointing at Aubrey.
"You calling me out or something?" Aubrey asked. "Because if this is going where I think it's going, I can explain."
"You don't have to explain anything, missy," Guzma folded his arms.
"Frankly Guzma I don't think you're the strongest anything. You are probably just a pawn and a player in some grand game that has been going on here. Why else do you think Team Skull hasn't been stopped yet? Because you've been ENABLED," Jake asked with a challenging expression, ready to defend Aubrey. He knew Aubrey could take care of herself but didn't want to keep seeing her get beaten up by all these mean-spirited people who meant harm to others. Guzma couldn't help but laugh.
"Ha! You're right! I'll tell you why we're being enabled...it's because the people of Alola are too scared to face me down. But you're not the one I want." He'd crack a smile and make an announcement. "Greetings, cowering public! We have an exciting bout for you tonight! In the opposing corner, the Pokemon ranger Aubrey! And in this corner, the boss of Team Skull and the hardest guy around, Guzma!"
Aubrey looked to Jake. "It's clear he just wants me, man..." She'd step up to face him as Guzma would see her Z-Ring.
"Before we get this started...I gotta ask you something. Why are you even taking on the trials? What's the point of it if you're clearly taking your time to beat up my boys? I heard you even beat Plumeria, and were telling her you had some second thoughts about facing us!"
"Because...well, I originally only came here to be on vacation, but then stuff happened, and now I'm on official business looking into something for Jake here on behalf of the Union," Aubrey explained, careful not to cause a panic about the Ultra Beasts.
"Heh! She's not even doing it to get stronger!" Guzma guffawed. "You're a strange one...but you still think you're tough enough to take me on, yeah?" He rolled his shoulders. "Wanna see what destruction looks like in pure form? It's ya boi, Guzma! Stand aside, punk!" He addressed this last part to Jake. "Once I'm done crushing your ranger friend, you're next!"
"Oh you want a go at me too? I'll show you why the two of us don't need to vindicate ourselves with some phoney baloney 'strength' creed. We're strong just for living life and pursuing our goals. Show him how it's done Aubrey!" Jake now looked very pumped for Aubrey's chances.
"I think he's saying that because Plumeria dropped you in one punch," Aubrey deadpanned, getting in a fighting stance as Guzma did the same.
"Sis is a killer, but I'm the undertaker!" Guzma leapt forward with a flying knee at Aubrey, surprising her with his speed. This startled Aubrey, having only just enough time to block the incoming strike, pushing her back a bit but didn't lose her balance.
"Just because she got me by surprise doesn't make me weak!" Jake took the moment to complain. Guzma followed his attack with two hammer swings of his arms, trying to go for her head. Aubrey would weave around the attack, flicking out a quick kick at the crook of Guzma's right knee. She knew that if Plumeria could give him a fight, she'd have to be careful against Guzma. No telling how far he was willing to go after everything she did to his team.
Guzma took the hit but seemed ok with it, revealing that he was no pushover. He grabbed Aubrey's waist with both hands and to her surprise, lifted her up aggressively like a pro wrestler and looked ready to slam her down onto the ground. "How will it feel having your pretty face slammed to the dirt?! Like the bully you are!"
Aubrey's response would show that she wasn't afraid. "Do your worst!" She yelled.
Guzma indeed tossed Aubrey onto the ground with a show of force and a vicious grunt. "Your man's on fire!"
With a thud, Aubrey would get back to her feet relatively quickly. She had that all too familiar smirk on her face as Jake could tell. "I love a good fight...c'mon! I'm just getting warmed up!"
"Tear off his stupid chain necklace!" Jake hollered.
"This necklace is the symbol of my righteousness and Team Skull's creed!" Guzma snapped angrily before sprinting towards Aubrey with a right hook.
The ranger ducked his punch, throwing a counter straight of her own into his stomach.
"Behind you, Jake!" She called, noting the Team Skull grunts had opted to go for him and Kukui.
The one that went for Kukui...well, he didn't get very far against the professor before being pinned to the ground in a way a wrestler would.
"Enough with you lot!" Jake finally showed some of his own fighting gumption, swinging his bag like a hammer throw and sending grunts cringing in pain while Forrest used his Razor Leaf offensively.
"Ooogh...! I see...you do have the fist and the feet down pat Union Ranger...You gotta admit though, being on vacation here sucks when you know how out of date Alola is!" Guzma hastily grabbed Aubrey's shoulders, pulling her into position for a wicked headbutt.
"Nngh!" Aubrey reeled a bit from the headbutt, but then noticed Guzma wincing. "...Heh. Anyone ever teach you no one wins with a headbutt?" Setting aside any mental desires to stoop to his level, Aubrey would do a grab of her own on Guzma, putting him in a clinch and hitting him with a knee strike to the midsection and an elbow to the face.
"Aughh...! Real men fight with everything they got! Tch...!" Guzma managed to throw himself and all his weight on Aubrey to knock them both down to the ground and then he went for an elbow hit of his own to get the Ranger to release him. Knowing her strengths, Aubrey would release him right away and get back to her feet, shaking herself off from the slam.
"So who inspired you to fight? Back in the day, it was ol' Kukui here, before he became a sad sap following Alola's stupid history. Those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it and he thinks the League won't end up the same way the Trials have already been for so long?" Guzma rubbed off some dirt from his clothes as he psyched himself up for round two.
"Gonna be honest with ya, I wasn't always this tough. My parents wanted me to pick up a martial art to protect myself out in the field," Aubrey chuckled, wiping some spit away from her mouth. "Never knew I'd be good at it! Being tough is all part of being a ranger. Gotta be tough if I want to do my duty!"
"Duty eh? So you think your current duty is to interfere in Alola's and mess with the family I worked so hard to build up? Rangers are pretty scary..." Guzma said sarcastically.
"The only reason I started messing with your 'family' is because rangers fight against Pokemon poachers and other assorted crooks," Aubrey answered. "But after I learned about your group, I can understand why you're doing what you're doing. Doesn't mean you get a free pass to do whatever you want to Pokemon."
To Aubrey's surprise, Guzma pulled out a Dusk Ball. "Free pass? Life's a free pass to do whatever you want I, big bad Guzma, did whatever the heck I wanted because we couldn't get anywhere playing by the rules! I took control of my destiny!" He then threw the Dusk Ball at her before charging at her. Aubrey was unsure if he was going to summon a Pokemon to attack her or if it was decoy. It was then Vatonage jumped in the fray, lunging to swat the Dusk Ball out of Guzma's hand. Whatever Guzma was planning with that thing, he would not allow it.
Guzma looked startled by the sudden intervention of the Umbreon which left his charge halted and he seethed. "Damn Umbreon!"
"Umbre!" Vatonage growled.
"Thanks, buddy!" Aubrey smiled. "I had a destiny too - I was itching to be a master of Steel-type Pokemon. But we couldn't afford it...so we fought for the next best thing, me joining the Union. It was a hard road, but I gave it my all and it paid off. Now...stay back, Vatonage. This is my fight to finish!"
"Bre bre!" Vatonage happily barked, going back over to Jake, but standing at the ready if something like that happened again.
"You and Team Skull's stupid cheap shots are getting old Guzma." Jake said as he and Kukui had significantly influenced the Grunts into giving up on them.
"Can it! I don't need to put up with your insults when I got people who back me up no matter what I do. My hard road doesn't end Aubrey. That's why I'm going to finish Alola and prove my strength is what this Region so desperately needs." Guzma started approaching Aubrey with a vicious and mobile stance. Constantly shifting his feet and doing hooks as if a wrestler was creating a wall to defend himself as he made an approach.
With a more cautious approach, Aubrey would keep her guard up, waiting for Guzma to make a move. If he went for a takedown attempt, she'd be more than ready to defend. Guzma soon made a quick lunge forward with a left hook from beyond, aiming for Aubrey's shoulder. Aubrey would slip the punch, throwing out a counter jab upstairs to get him to back off. Guzma ducked backward just in time to dodge it before going with a low kick.
Aubrey would take the shot, in which Guzma then lunged forward in a powerful pounce, trying to grab onto Aubrey and take her down to the ground. Keeping her balance for the most part, Aubrey would act just in time to move her legs backwards to defend against the takedown Guzma was going for. Guzma landed on his hands and knees and grimaced before trying a somewhat bestial and desperate swing at her thigh with a closed fist.
"Nice try." Aubrey kept her position and decided to finish this fight with a headlock, bringing him down to the ground for a submission.
"Aughhhh...t-this is... nothing...!" Guzma, stubborn and defiant, tried shaking Aubrey off of him with as much power as he could.
"Guzma.. stop making this harder than it needs to be. Aubrey's bested you. Not that I expected any different once you fought dishonestly." Kukui shook his head, seeing his rival in a pitying light.
"Team Skull does NOT lose! We're done losing! We're...not... going...achkk...!" Guzma felt Aubrey tighten her grip to choke him and make him relent. She was not going to let go of her opponent until victory was assured. With a bitter expression and clearly a shaken ego, he slammed his hand on the ground in an 'uncle' gesture.
Aubrey would release him as soon as he tapped out, getting up and stretching. "Hell of a fight."
"Ugh..." Guzma rubbed his sore neck. "Guzma! What is wrong with you? Now isn't the time to get beat like this! It's the time to go all out and destroy everyone!" Needless to say, he was quite impressed. "Aubrey, was it? I'll remember you...as someone I'll be glad to beat down anytime." He would then leave with the two grunts, the crowd looking mighty impressed by the ranger's fighting skill.
"Oddly enough, I think Plumeria left more injuries...good job friend." Jake softly hugged Aubrey, clearly happy she was in control of the engagement.
"He was certainly more of a slugger than her, that's for sure," Aubrey remarked, returning the hug.
"Team Skull will certainly be hurting after that loss!" One onlooker cheered.
"Woo! You rock, ranger lady!" Another exclaimed.
"Aw shucks, it was nothing really," Aubrey mused.
"Picking the right move in the heat of the moment when it mattered...yeah, just like I was saying!" Kukui smiled.
"Oh yeah, Kukui, we got something for ya," The ranger mentioned, motioning for Jake to give it back once the crowd dispersed. She'd go and take a moment to play with Vatonage, who was once again amazed with his partner's martial prowess.
"Here you are Professor. Your one-of-a-kind mask!" Jake presented the Masked Royal mask to him.
"My one of a kind mask? You mean the Masked Royal's," Kukui laughed. "I'll be sure to give this back to him, yeah."
Jake laughed as well. "For all I know it's a souvenir. Still...I'm sorry your old friend went so south. You and Guzma both wanted Alola to be better." Kukui sensed the shift in mood within Jake's tone and could tell Jake felt bad for him.
"I can tell Aubrey wants to make things better for Team Skull," Kukui commented. "By all means, I'd say do it. The people in Team Skull aren't all bad, they've just got nowhere better to go."
"I also want to make things at least more even for them as well. They don't deserve to be treated like black sheep but they don't need to keep up this vendetta against innocent people." Jake nodded in agreement.
Once Aubrey returned with Vatonage at her side, Aubrey would ask, "Hey Kukui, you see Key anywhere?"
"Key?...Oh yeah, your merchant friend! Last I saw her, she was heading south towards Tapu Village. She left before Team Skull showed up," The professor answered. "It's on the way to your next trial as well."
"No doubt Key might've tried to fight Guzma...better me than her," The ranger remarked to herself. "Thanks. We'll be heading that way in a few."
"I hope she's alright though regardless of what happened," Jake said nervously.
As they left the garden, Aubrey would mention, "We do need to meet up with her to see if she found anything out in her talk with Lusamine..."
"Absolutely." Jake looked past at the gardens and pouted. "Shucks. I didn't get to enjoy the beauty of the garden because of Team Skull's nonsense. Maybe we could come back here and have a photoshoot if we get famous for saving Alola." Forrest simply laughed to himself at his trainer's daydream.
"Oh, I'm sure we'll be back here," Aubrey reassured as they went to the Pokemon Center for lunch.
(So the reason I wanted to have Guzma fight Aubrey himself was because if she faced him in a Pokemon battle, Guzma would've been rolled by Erwing, and that would be boring. Next time, we're gonna head to the Tapu Village, meet some familiar faces, and take on the Ghost trial! Stay tuned, bye for now!)