(Alright, time to uphold the promise to Team Skull, and put Rainbow Rocket behind bars where they belong! Well...first we have to convince the Tapus to lift the rainclouds over Po Town.
The Reviews
LogBook: I promise you'll love this one! ^^
Jacob9594: You bet it was, man.
Nan the Keyblade Master: Looking forward to the rest of the reviews you make - sorry I didn't respond to you last chapter. It just keeps getting better from where you're at in the story.)
The next morning at the Rangers' HQ, they were enjoying breakfast when Finn would come up with a package addressed to Isabella.
"Package for you," He said, placing the box down in front of Isabella.
"Oh?" Isabella looked at who the package was from and smiled. "It's from Mum and Dad! Knowing them it is going to be Pokemon battling related."
"Your folks trainers?" Aubrey asked in between bites of her food.
"On the side," Isabella answered. "They do work to make sure the League is in good shape. Said they were thinking of sending me a package of useful items for me and my teammates' Pokemon."
"Oh, that is kind of them!" Vanessa responded.
"Well open it up!" Aubrey looked eager to see what they got.
"I'm curious to see what's inside." Finn would take a seat, a soft smirk on his face. He was curious to learn more about Galar.
Isabella would open up the package to reveal a bag of golden bottle caps with a unique crown symbol on them, a few medicine pills, and some fancy looking bandages. "Ahhh, I know what these are," She mused.
"Well I don't, and it looks like your folks sent medical supplies and post-apocalyptic currency," Aubrey responded. "What are they?"
"Well, the bottle caps are used as payment for a guy called Mr. Hyper," Isabella elaborated. "He does something called Hyper Training. You know how Pokemon have stat setups that are unique to them based on their personalities?"
"As in...IVs I think they are called?" Vanessa asked.
"Correct. This Hyper Training can only be done to a Pokemon who reaches its maximum potential in terms of level and can let them be the best they can possibly be…" Isabella answered. "Oddly the man only takes payment in the forms of these bottle caps."
Immediately Aubrey's mood started to sour when stats were mentioned. "Oh, Arceus..." She softly groaned.
"Sour spot about stuff like that?" Finn wagered.
"Oh tell me about it...I'm not a fan of the stupidly competitive," Aubrey responded. "Those people are the worst. Only focused on winning and 'min-maxing' whatever that is, there's no love for the Pokemon. Only seeing them are numbers."
"I feel for ya there, but good news is that these things are stupidly hard to come by, and these are the only means of getting this training," Isabella tried to reassure her.
"Pretty sure this Mr. Hyper guy is a weirdo, since I don't see how golden bottle caps can be any real way of making money," Finn pointed out. "What about the medicine?"
"Well this is an Ability Capsule." Isabella held it up. "It can switch a Pokemon's Ability. Like say Vanessa, what does your Gastrodon have?"
"I believe Storm Drain," Vanessa replied.
"Well if ya wanted Sticky Hold instead, give it this and it would get it...not that I would get why ya would," Isabella continued. "Personally if you're going to do something like that do to some really bad ability like Klutz."
"Sticky Hold isn't really worth it - I've seen some people using Klutz really well with Trick," Finn pointed out. "Think I even watched one guy at the Pokemon World Tournament get humiliated by that combo."
Aubrey snickered at this. "Nice. Inventive strategies I can respect. Going for the strongest stuff just for the sake of winning is awful."
"So really this thing is harmless. Now this on the other hand…" Isabella held up the bandage. "This is the Ability Patch. It can give a Pokemon their Hidden Ability."
Aubrey then thought of something. "So wait, were these invented because of uh...y'know...all the abandoned eggs and whatnot?"
"I think so, yeah," Isabella responded.
"Whoever invented these either did it for that...or because Galar is obsessed with Pokemon battling," Finn suggested. "That's the impression I get from what you've told me so far, Izzy."
"I think it is a bit of both," The Galarian confided.
"True...but hey, good on whoever did that!" Vanessa smiled.
"Actually, the Capsule was made outside of Galar," Isabella clarified. "We did make the Patch though."
"Anything else in there?" Aubrey looked inside the box.
"These Mints for Pokemon!" Isabella would get them out. "You know how natures can affect stats? These can alter those to match up with another nature."
Aubrey frowned. "...But why."
"Mints...you put those in tea, right?" Finn asked.
"Yeah, these grow naturally in the Galar region actually," Isabella answered.
"Lemme guess...Timid, Modest, Jolly, and Adamant mints are gonna be in high demand." Aubrey folded her arms. "Like imagine if someone just gathered up a bunch of those and sold them out at high prices to turn a quick buck."
"Well, the spots where they grow are hard to reach or so I'm told," The Galarian clarified. "And the other way to get them is to pay 50 Battle Points at a facility."
Finn cracked a smirk. "Like that would stop people from trying?" He asked. "C'mon Izzy, be real here."
"True. But hey at least these are not outright harmful to Pokemon," Isabella commented.
"True…" Vanessa put a finger to her chin. "So on to other topics in Galar. Do you have regional forms like here in Alola?"
"Actually yes! That is what this is for." Isabella held a Poke Ball.
"Shall we take this where our Pokemon usually play with each other?" Aubrey suggested.
"Of course!" Isabella agreed.
"It's close to lunchtime actually anyway," The Sinnoh native commented. "Got a nice selection of Berries for them!"
"I just now realized we had a late breakfast. Must be the jet lag our Galarian friend had yesterday," Finn pointed out.
"Yeah. It happens sometimes. What can ya do?" Vanessa wasn't too bothered, and neither was Aubrey.
They would go to where they would have their Pokemon out and about and start to get them out of their balls, each having a nice plate of Berries to snack on.
"Okay mate! You can come on out!" Isabella would send out...a black and white Zigzagoon with pink eyes.
"...So that's a Galarian Zigzagoon...why does it look like it got dunked in black and white ink?" Aubrey wondered in fascination.
"No idea, but it really likes starting fights." Isabella would see it growling at some of the Pokemon. "Calm down, mate. These are friends." The Zigzagoon would calm down. "These here are Normal/Dark types."
"...Well I hope it likes getting punched in the face," Vanessa responded.
"Oh that's what the third stage evolution is for," Isabella commented.
"Third evolution?" Aubrey wondered.
"Did Alola ever have special evolutions for its regional variants?" Finn wondered.
"No, I don't think so," The Summerland native replied.
"Yup." Isabella would show them the image of an Obstagoon. "This here is Obstagoon."
"So...it evolves into a sparring partner?" Aubrey paused for a moment before asking, "...Can I keep it?"
"Brey, no. Bad," Vanessa scolded, causing Aubrey to frown.
"We also have this." Isabella would then show them Galarian Ponyta.
"...It's so adorable!" Vanessa smiled, her and Aubrey's hearts melting over the cuteness.
"Looks like...I wanna say Fairy-type," Finn guessed.
"Also Psychic," Isabella informed.
"Is Rapidash the same?" The Sinnoh native would be shown a picture of the majestic unicorn. "...Yes. Is it still physical?"
"Think so." Isabella shrugged.
"Well physical Gardevoir!" Vanessa laughed.
"Physical Gardevoir? Sounds like a joke build...I did once hear about some wackjob running a special Rampardos as a mindgame," Finn commented. "Sometimes it worked."
"Yeah." Isabella chuckled, knowing what Finn was talking about. "So keeping with Fairy-types…" The next Pokemon she'd show off was Galarian Weezing.
"Okay that is a fancy Weezing…" Vanessa did a double take. "FAIRY-TYPE!?"
"Still Poison too," Isabella added.
"...There are...so many things I wanna say about how that looks," Aubrey blinked in confusion.
"Is that supposed to be a smokestack or something you use to smoke?" Finn wondered.
"Smokestack. Has an odd ability that neutralizes other abilities," Isabella responded.
Vanessa paused. "...Well that sounds terrifying with Regigigas."
"Another legendary to add to the protected list, I take it," The Unovan mused. "Assuming all of them aren't on there."
"I think they are," The younger area ranger confirmed.
"Also have Galarian versions of them," Isabella added.
"...What." Vanessa blinked.
"For once I'm fully accepting of this and not acting like the confused one," Aubrey mentioned.
"Yeah, we have our own Zapdos, Moltress and Articuno." The Galarian continued on.
"Oooh the BIRDS!" Vanessa exclaimed. "...Okay, that is fine. There are records of there being numerous ones of them."
Finn shook his head. "Damn, you just really love tooting your own horn about Galar, don't you, Izzy?"
"Sorry. It's my Home," Isabella apologized. "You all could probably talk your heads off about your homes!"
"I...really don't know if I can," Aubrey mentioned. "Aside from the jungle and Marine Capture Challenge, there wasn't much to Summerland other than being a tropical tourist destination in the Fiore region."
"Ah…" Isabella paused, feeling a bit bad. "Sorry for talking your heads off if I went too far."
"Well maybe you can show us some of that Galar Karate," Finn offered. "You didn't go too far, you've just got a lot of pride in being Galarian."
"What about you for being Unovan?" Aubrey wondered.
"I would, but I'm not too good at small talk..." The mechanic admitted. "I kinda do better at doing rather than talking if I'll be honest."
"Yeah I can show ya that!" Isabella smiled. "Okay, now we just need something I can beat up."
"We've got a heavy bag down in our gym you can use," Aubrey offered.
"Works for me!" Isabella agreed. The group would follow Aubrey down, with Finn taking a moment to say something to Isabella.
"Didn't really mean anything bad by you being passionate about your home. Be proud of who you are and wear it on your sleeve," He said. "I wear my mechanical wizardry proudly even if I don't show it."
"Thanks Finn. That means a lot," Isabella responded with a smile.
"I would've gotten a tattoo sleeve of circuitry, but my folks wouldn't allow it," Finn added with an amused chuckle.
"Alright, here we are. Heavy bag, meet Izzy. Izzy, meet heavy bag," Aubrey spoke. "I'd offer to be the heavy bag here, but Van wouldn't let me hear the end of it."
"No you would not." Vanessa said that with a smile.
"Well alright then." Isabella would crack her knuckles and gets in her stance. The others would give Isabella some room as they were eager to see how Galar Karate differed from their own fighting styles.
They would find that it seems to be a balanced style, Izzy unleashing a series of punches and kicks on the bag that never seem to really give one a chance to get back on balance.
"Woah...that's pretty oppressive," Aubrey mused.
"I think fighting games call that style 'rushdown' if I remember right," Finn commented.
"Yeah, but you can also tell it is not doing a lot of damage...notice that the bag is not doing much at all…" Vanessa pointed out.
"You got that right. We use rapid strikes...like that of a flowing river to open up our opponent for one final big hit!" As Isabella said that last part, she would unleash a devastating punch on the bag that actually knocked it back on the chain a fair way.
Aubrey smiled. "Niiiiiiiice!"
"I can already tell you and Brey differ from each other, Izzy," Finn sounded impressed.
"Daaang," Vanessa whistled.
"Thank you for the compliment," Isabella smiled.
"How?" Aubrey wondered.
"You don't save up for one big hit, Brey," Finn explained. "She does."
"Yeah, you're more of the go all out from the get go type of Gal, while Izzy here either waits for an opening or makes one to take full advantage of it," Vanessa elaborated further.
"Hey, I can take advantage of openings too," Aubrey responded.
"I mean yeah, but she does it better," Vanessa snickered. Aubrey merely folded her arms, turning away in a bit of embarrassment.
"Alright, so now that we've got that wonderful demonstration out of the way...and no doubt Brey and Izzy are going to become wonderful sparring partners..." Finn got a smile out of Aubrey and Isabella at that. "What's on the agenda for today?"
"Hmm...I think we were thinking of getting started on the whole Team Skull situation today," Vanessa answered.
"Oh yeah, you did say we were to meet with the Kahunas, right?" Aubrey responded. "Well, I've been thinking about it and remembered...wasn't this the Tapus doing?"
"What'd the Tapus do?" Finn wondered.
"Something about striking down Team Skull," Aubrey answered. "And really...I don't think the Kahunas would want anyone to live in perpetual poverty like that."
"I doubt they would," Vanessa agreed.
"Okay, so we're going on a walk about the whole region and interviewing the Kahunas?" Isabella wondered.
"I don't think that would do anything if the Tapus themselves were responsible for Team Skull's situation," Finn brought up. "It's not like the Kahunas can make the gods of their islands reverse any decisions of theirs, right?"
"Yeah...which is why I've got an idea..." Aubrey mentioned. "We've gotta convince the Tapus to reverse their opinions."
"So you're saying that we go to each island, find where they are, battle them, and get them to reverse whatever they did to Team Skull?" Finn summarized. "If that's the case, then getting intel on the Tapus from the Kahunas they selected would be a good start."
"Yeah." Vanessa put a hand to her chin. "Hmm, thinking of it...they said the Tapu live in temples, right?"
"Ruins," Aubrey corrected. "And I think a good place to start would be Melemele. Since for whatever reason, I think Tapu Koko has some respect for me."
"Yeah, from what you and Jake told me, you may have been to three of them already," Vanessa added. "But we would need to find the fourth."
"Right. So let's go around asking the Kahunas and get this going. Those Team Skull blokes are jerks sure, but they don't deserve what they are stuck with," Isabella agreed.
Aubrey soon lit up when Vanessa mentioned that. "Oh wait! I know how to find the fourth!"
"Oh?" Vanessa raised an eyebrow.
"We know where the ruins are on Melemele, Akala, and Poni. The only one we haven't seen are the ruins on Ula Ula. And the only place I can think of where they could be is in the Haina Desert," Aubrey explained. "And it just so happens, our merchant friend has explored that place herself when she was looking for the Psychinium-Z."
"Ah, so she'll guide us to the ruins there," Finn mused.
"Exactly! And hey, she told me if we ever needed her help, she'd help no questions asked," The Summerland native smiled. "Either way, let's get this Mission started!"
"Yes we shall!" Vanessa agreed. "Okay team, our Mission today is to help Team Skull! We are going to the Kahunas of each Island and the Tapus' Ruins to get them to reverse the decision!"
Time for the poses!
Mission Start!
As they were getting their Pokemon together, Aubrey would give Vatonage a rub on the head. "Be a good boy for me and hold down the fort, okay? I'm gonna go with Skarmory for this one."
"Umb! Umb!" Vatonage cheerfully barked, doing a little flip and ran around the living quarters. Isabella chuckled at this.
"Excitable little guy, isn't he?" She asked.
"I've had Vatonage since he was an egg," Aubrey responded. "Pretty sure he thinks I'm his mom or something, and I've been rolling with it since."
"Ah, gotcha!" Isabella chuckled, finding the whole thing amusing. With their preparations complete, they would head out to their first stop, Melemele Island. Their first stop on the mission was Iki Town, the rangers looking around for Hala.
"He's an old fella in a bright yellow jacket. Not that hard to find," Aubrey told the recruits.
"Like the kind of bloke who would like in that big old house over there?" Isabella asked, jerking a thumb towards the house in question.
"Yeah, like that," The Summerland native responded.
"And considering that is Hau over there…" Vanessa trailed off when Hau turned to face them.
"Hey, Van! Brey!" Hau waved over to them. "Howzit hanging?"
"Hey Hau! You see your Gramps around?" Vanessa asked.
"Oh yeah, he's home. Do you need to talk to him?" Hau responded. "I can go get him for you if that's the case."
"Sure that would be good. Oh yeah, meet our new recruits!" Vanessa gestured to Isabella and Finn.
"Hello! I'm Isabella Thompson from Galar. You can call me Izzy though." Isabella introduced herself.
"Finn Bronte. I'm not much for small talk, but this Virbank City mechanic can help with any machinery that breaks down," Finn followed-up.
"Wow, nice to meetcha both!" Hau smiled. "Okay, I'll go get Tutu. Be right back!" He would head inside, the rangers hearing, "Tutu! The rangers need to talk to you!"
Hala would be shortly outside to greet them. "Why hello there! Didn't expect to see you back so soon."
"Well we need to ask you about the Tapus..." Aubrey informed, telling him of their mission.
"I see...it was wise of you to come here first," Hala responded. "If Tapu Koko gave you your Z-Ring's Sparkling Stone, then it's clear it'd be willing to hear you out, Aubrey."
"That is what we were counting on, Kahuna Hala," Vanessa said.
"I see...though I think Tapu Koko may only want to face Aubrey in that case," Hala added.
"What about the rest of us?" Finn wondered.
"Tapu Koko, believe it or not, has been waiting for you, First Champion," Hala explained. "It wants to see the power of the one who faced down the island trials without any Z-Power, if it was through her own skill and tactics, or if it was because she had someone to depend on."
"So basically, it's asking for a one on one fight," Aubrey summarized, folding her arms. "Sure, I'm game. Is the rope bridge fixed?"
"Yes indeed! So if you wish to go to the ruins, you know where to go," The Kahuna confirmed. "I'm sure Tapu Koko will let the rest of you spectate the battle if it wishes."
"Thank you, Hala!" Vanessa thanked.
Following Aubrey's lead, they would go up Mahalo Trail and see a much sturdier bridge that would take them to the Ruins of Conflict.
"Well here we are. Tapu Koko's inside," Aubrey said, taking a deep breath. She was admittedly a bit nervous at this callout, something the others would pick up on.
"Worried?" Finn wondered.
"Only a little, honestly," Aubrey admitted.
"How come?" Isabella asked curiously.
"I don't think she has had to take on a Legendary Pokemon by herself before." Vanessa guessed. Aubrey shook her head to give confirmation. "Yeah, usually I had Van as backup. But now that I'm on my own..."
"Well, you still have your Pokemon, right?" Finn reminded. "Surely one of them can give you the edge."
Aubrey thought back to the time she first met Tapu Koko. 'It crackled with electricity when I first saw it...maybe it's an Electric-type?' She thought, before nodding at Finn's words. "Yeah. I should be just fine."
"You got this, Aubrey!" Isabella encouraged.
"Yes you do, Brey!" Vanessa chimed.
"I say we go on in and chance Tapu Koko letting us spectate," Finn mused. "I want to see Brey's battling prowess myself."
"Well c'mon! The altar's just ahead!" Aubrey exclaimed, motioning for the other three to follow her inside. They would see that the ruins are pretty simple, a wooden path up to an altar of sorts.
"Huh. It feels peaceful here," Vanessa noted. After a moment, Aubrey would step towards the altar, only for something to appear before them in a very odd power kind of way - Tapu Koko.
"...Good." Tapu Koko was speaking to them through some sort of telepathy. "Tamer of Solgaleo...it is time."
"What the?" Isabella's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Oh this is nothing new. Legendaries tend to have some form of telepathy," Vanessa clarified, not too surprised by this.
"Huh...interesting," The Galarian responded.
"No, it's...it's coming through my Z-Ring!" Aubrey responded, holding her right wrist out like she was using an Xtransceiver.
"So that's how...noted." Finn nodded.
"Yes. We speak to you through the Z-Ring," Tapu Koko said. "I have been waiting for you...and am quite puzzled by your decision to step down from the position of champion you had earned. Why? What motivated you?"
"My position as Ranger is what motivated me," Aubrey answered honestly. "I listened to my heart, and this is what it wanted. I don't regret it. Even if I stepped down from that position Tapu Koko, the fact remains that I'm still Alola's first champion."
"Indeed. I wish to test you - I want to see that power that won your place in Alola's history!" Tapu Koko let out a cry afterwards, electricity crackling around them as it set up an Electric Terrain.
"Ah, Electric Terrain," Vanessa noted. "It powers up Electric moves and any grounded Pokemon is immune to the Sleep status."
"Then that means we're dealing with an Electric-type, no doubt!" Aubrey exclaimed. "Don, you're on!" She called out her Mudsdale to battle as she readied her Capture Styler. "We need you on our side, Tapu Koko. Allow me to let my might sway you!"
"And allow me to show you the might of us guardians of Alola!" Tapu Koko responded.
Tapu Koko would start the fight off by zipping around at a blinding speed, making it hard for Aubrey's Capture Disc to keep up. Not helping matters was the Tapu retreating into its 'shell' to block the Disc.
"Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way. Don, wait for an opportunity and use Rock Tomb!" Aubrey instructed. Don would get his chance as Tapu Koko went for an attack, giving the Mudsdale a chance to interrupt the attack and get loops in.
"That didn't look like any move I've ever seen, what it was about to use," Finn remarked to the other rangers. "Must be its signature..."
"Huh, interesting…" Isabella noted. "You got anything, Vanessa?"
"Hmm, not one I know," Vanessa admitted.
"Just like that, Don! Earthquake, follow it up!" Aubrey encouraged, keeping up the loop game as her Capture Disc forced the Tapu to the ground in order to get hit with the attack. Tapu Koko was going up to try and avoid, but Aubrey's Capture Disc gave chase, forcing it to go down to avoid.
"Whew, that is fast!" Isabella was surprised by Tapu Koko's agility.
"Oh yeah. Faster than anything I have seen in Alola!" Vanessa agreed.
"Maybe that's why Aubrey's playing carefully," Finn commented, viewing this battle as if he were sportscasting. "Tapu Koko's speed can tire her out if she's playing reckless or too aggressive. That's why she's waiting for an opening to get loops going."
The force of nature that Tapu Koko was trying to get off earlier would land on the Ground-type, being its signature move, Nature's Madness!
"You okay, Don?" Aubrey asked. Musdale let out a huff to show he could still fight. "Good, Rock Tomb again and slow it down!" Aubrey was starting to show a clever side with her Capture Styler, using both the Rock Tomb and Capture Disc to try and herd Tapu Koko into a position she wanted it to be in. A smile on her face showed Tapu Koko and the others everything they needed to know about what was going through her mind - she came here to win, and Melemele's guardian deity knew it.
"...Hmm…" Vanessa would look at her own Styler, having seen Nature's Madness in effect. She used a device to check on Don's health. "...Oh my…"
"What is it?" Isabella asked.
"That move it did, it perfectly halved Don's HP," The Sinnoh native reported.
"Your Styler can do that?" Finn was more interested in the device Vanessa was using.
"Mine is capable of bringing up a Pokemon's health and status when I point my hand at the Pokemon in question," Vanessa explained. "Since I'm a medic and all. Knowing what I need to treat an injured Pokemon is useful if I do not have Potions or Full Heals on me."
"That's really useful...oh, look, she's about to get it," Finn's attention went back to the battle when Aubrey had Tapu Koko on the ropes. With one last creative use of her Styler and Don's moves, the capture would be complete.
"See how much game I have now, Tapu Koko?" Aubrey asked with a prideful smile.
"Impressive...you didn't rely on brute strength alone to seize victory," Tapu Koko complimented. "I can see how you became Alola's first champion. Now...what business do the rest of you have with me?"
"Well, we are the other Rangers here to help protect the people and Pokemon of the region," Vanessa informed Tapu Koko. "Right now our main concern is the situation with Team Skull. All we really know is that their leader Guzma did something to displease you and the other three Tapu, and that Po Town seems to be stuck under an endless storm. We are trying to see if that situation can be helped at all."
"Ah yes...Guzma..." Tapu Koko remembered. "It was quite some time ago. He forced us to make him a Captain, and wouldn't take no for an answer. So we retaliated against him. When we found out he formed a gang of criminals terrorizing innocent Pokemon, Tapu Bulu informed us of where they laid their heads down. That's why the storm is there."
"When will people learn to stop trying to get creatures that are much stronger than they are to do their bidding?" Finn deadpanned.
"Never," Aubrey simply responded.
"However...if he has repented for his offense against us and disbands this 'Team Skull', I would not mind if the storm over Po Town is lifted," Tapu Koko added. "But if you want this to happen, all of the Tapus will need to be in agreement."
"Well, that was something we were considering we would have to do, but I think we can do that." Isabella sounded sure of themselves.
"Should not be too hard to do," Vanessa agreed.
"If you are going to convince the other Tapus, then going in order may be for the best," Tapu Koko added. "Tapu Lele may be the hardest one to convince, Tapu Bulu is rather easygoing, and Tapu Fini...well, all you need to do is prove yourself if you want help."
"Why would Lele be the hardest one to convince?" Vanessa wondered.
"Long ago, we used to fight alongside humans," Tapu Koko explained. "But the destruction of their conflicts drew a line for us when we were viewed as nothing more than tools. Out of all of us, Tapu Lele took it the hardest. Tapu Lele's scales have healing properties, but too many are hazardous for the body. Rumors exist of Tapu Lele doing this for its own amusement to bring others to ruin."
"Aah...That…" Vanessa had a sympathetic look in her eyes. "That would do it."
"We're used to protecting legendaries due to how many people want them to win in competitive battle settings," Finn added. While he wasn't as upset as the others were, Tapu Koko and the others certainly had his sympathies.
"And it pisses me off to no end the lengths these sickos will go to..." Aubrey scowled.
"Tapu Bulu, as you know, destroyed a building that was built on its lands. It shouldn't take too much to convince it to lift the storm over Po Town. My guess is Tapu Bulu has let go of the past quickest out of us," Tapu Koko continued.
"What about you?" Finn wondered.
"I do what I please. No matter what happens, I will step in to protect Melemele Island when push comes to shove," Tapu Koko explained.
After Vanessa got Aubrey to calm down, she then asked, "Okay...and what about Tapu Fini?"
"Tapu Fini is a recluse. If you are to pass its test, it should be willing to listen," Tapu Koko answered.
"Yeah, I did read that Tapu FIni prefers to be left alone hiding in mist when it is out and about. But yeah." Vanessa responded, nodding at the intel they got. "Thank you for your help, Tapu Koko."
"Tamer of Solgaleo...before you go, I have something for you." Tapu Koko had a strange looking Z-Crystal in its hand.
"Really? How do I use it?" Aubrey looked surprised at this new acquisition.
"You'll find out on your own," The island guardian simply responded. "It might not mean much to you, but you have earned it."
"...I'll treasure this for the rest of my life, Tapu Koko." Aubrey sported a smile. "We've got work to do!"
"I will await your success. Best of luck, rangers." With that said, Tapu Koko would take its leave. With that, they would take their leave.
"Well he seems to be a nice bloke," Isabella commented.
"Well he is an island guardian. Makes sense he would be a nice guy," Vanessa added.
"Ehhh...I'm pretty sure we were exceptions in his eyes," Aubrey mentioned. "I do remember Hala saying Tapu Koko is fickle in nature on who it wants to help."
"I can see that, Brey. I'm hoping our meetings with the other three Tapu are just as good as that one," Vanessa optimistically said.
"Not sure if the meeting with Tapu Lele is going to be as good...but the other two should be similar," Finn mentioned in a more concerned tone. "We better be prepared for a fight against it."
"Yeah. We should," Isabella nodded in agreement. "Also I have a theory."
"Well I'm all for hearing it. What is it?" Aubrey wondered.
"So it used Electric Terrain as soon as the battle started, yes? That sounds like its Ability was Electric Surge, which places that Terrain down when it enters battle," Isabella explained.
"So it seems the Tapus have a corresponding ability if that's true," Finn added.
"And their type would match to benefit," The Galarian concluded. "So if I am right, we are dealing with A Psychic, Grass, and Fairy types for the other three."
"We can confirm this with Olivia if you want," Aubrey suggested.
"That'd be for the best, yes," Finn agreed.
"Agreed," Vanessa was on board with this idea. "Good theory though, Izzy!"
"Thank you," Isabella smiled.
"Alright! To Akala Island we go!" Aubrey exclaimed, sounding pumped. "Konikoni City, here we come!"
"Let's get to it!" Vanessa cheered in agreement.
After a ferry ride back to Akala Island, the group would press on to Konikoni City to meet with Olivia in her jewelry store.
"Oh hello! You kids get settled in all well and good?" Olivia asked.
"Yes we have thank you! This is Izzy and Finn." Vanessa took the time to introduce their recruits.
"Nice to meetcha," Isabella greeted, whereas Finn simply waved.
"He's not much of a talker, is he?" Olivia wondered.
"I only speak when I need to, so yes," Finn answered. "We came here wanting to follow up on something about the Tapus."
"The Tapus? What do you need to know?" The Kahuna asked, arms folded in curiosity.
"Well, we are looking into the Team Skull situation, and Tapu Koko told us after Aubrey here battled it out with him that we would need to get the other three to agree to get rid of the rain above Po Town so that it can start to get fixed up," The Sinnoh native responded. "Izzy here came up with the idea that the Tapus are Electric, Psychic, Grass, and Fairy based on the fact Tapu Koko has the ability Electric Surge."
Olivia looked surprised at what the rangers were planning on doing, taking a moment to compose herself. "Amazing...normally the regular wild Pokemon don't want to mess with the Tapus unless they themselves are strong enough to handle it," She mentioned. "But if you think you can do it, then I won't stop you. As for typing...well, they're all Fairy-type, for one."
"Really? Then what typings are they?" Aubrey asked in surprise.
"Well, I'm sure you know Tapu Koko is Electric/Flying. As for the others...ooh, lemme think," Olivia explained. "If memory serves me right, Tapu Lele is Psychic/Fairy, Tapu Bulu is Grass/Fairy, and Tapu Fini is Water/Fairy."
"Huh...well I was close…" Isabella responded. "Would not have guessed Water on Tapu Fini though...but thinking about it...it does make sense."
"Mhm. And from the sounds of it, you already got Tapu Koko on board. Aubrey can guide you to the Ruins of Life. Outside there is where she and Jake had their Grand Trial battles even after getting out of a fight with Plumeria," Olivia informed.
"And you weren't too worried about her looking beat up?" Finn raised an eyebrow.
"Nah, it didn't look like her injuries were bothering her," Olivia answered.
"They normally don't. Neither does the treatment after the adrenaline dies down," Aubrey mused.
"Well if you're going out there after Tapu Lele, be careful. Might not be as cordial as Tapu Koko was to you," Olivia cautioned.
"Yeah, he warned us about that. Said Lele took what happened in the past the hardest," Vanessa mentioned.
Olivia nodded in response to that statement. "Might not take too kindly to you when you get there. But you ought to be able to handle it. Best of luck, everyone!"
"Okay, Psychic/Fairy...Winter's my best bet against it," Aubrey said to herself. As they were heading out, she had a question about Vanessa's Styler. "Hey, can that thing check on the health of people too?"
"Sadly no. Have not gotten the tech that far yet…" Vanessa then paused. "Why, is there something I should be worried about?"
"I think it's more for her if anything," Finn guessed in a sarcastic tone.
"...How'd you know?" Aubrey blinked in surprise.
"Just had a hunch that's what you were asking about," The mechanic merely stated. "Galvantula and I should be useful fighting Tapu Lele...I think."
"Yeah and if they are all Fairy…" Isabella frowned. "Well, I'm not going to be of much help with Zorua besides making Illusions to help with distractions."
"Yeah." Vanessa nodded. "I'm going to have to avoid helping with Bulu. Gastrodon will not really be able to take a Grass attack well."
"Wait...I had Don for Koko...Winter for Lele, Erwing for Bulu, and Nom for...Fini..." Aubrey sweatdropped at the looks the others were giving her. "Okay like...in my defense. I didn't plan my team or anything, half of the Pokemon recruited themselves."
"If I was not told this an hour or two after it happened each time, I would not believe you," Vanessa deadpanned, seeing they were in front of the Ruins of Life. "Ah, here we are." It would take some effort from Aubrey's Ride Machamp to get the boulders out of the way to reach the altar, but after some teamwork, they would enter the altar.
"I was wondering where the Strength boulders were!" Vanessa exclaimed. Unfortunately, it seemed Vanessa's declaration would attract the attention of some butterfly looking creature that had the same majestic look as Tapu Koko, but more pretty in pink - Tapu Lele.
Tapu Lele would take a look at the rangers, their Pokemon, and immediately set up a weird battlefield around them. It viewed them as intruders, and would treat them as such.
"That's our cue! Winter, you're on!" Aubrey called out her Froslass.
"Let's do this, Galvantula!" Finn looked ready to go.
"Ah! This is Psychic Terrain!" Isabella recognized.
"Okay, what do we need to know?" Vanessa asked.
"It nullifies priority moves like Quick Attack as well as powering up Psychic moves," The Galarian informed.
"Okay that is...oddly specific," Vanessa sweatdropped.
"Lucky for us we don't have any of that!" Aubrey exclaimed. "Capture...ON!"
Winter would start off the fight with Shadow Ball, floating around the Psychic Terrain as Finn's Galvantula would use Spider Web to try and gum up Tapu Lele's movements.
"Izzy, if it goes for a Psychic type attack, tank it with Zorua," Finn suggested. "If it goes for a Fairy-type move...Aubrey should be able to have Winter intercept."
"On it, Finn! You heard the man, Zorua!" Isabella instructed. Zorua would give a yip of confirmation and start to take any Psychic attack heading for its friends. It would start to do that in the form of Extrasensory aimed at Galvantula, taking the attack in stride.
All the while, Tapu Lele would aim to keep up the pressure with Moonblast.
"Winter, slow that down with Icy Wind! Give Zorua a chance to escape it!" Aubrey instructed, Winter going for the attack at both the Moonblast and Tapu Lele, allowing for a creative angle for Zorua to dodge. Zorua would take this opportunity, getting out of the way with a jump to the side and leaving an Illusion of itself to take the hit.
All while this was happening, Aubrey and Vanessa were making great work of their Capture Discs to make a capture on Tapu Lele. With enough teamwork and communication, the capture would be complete, Tapu Lele calming down.
"Capture complete!" Vanessa smiled.
"Good job, Zorua!" Isabella gave Zorua a Poke Bean as a reward, which he happily ate. Winter meanwhile, did a little flip of her 'hair' to show that wasn't too difficult for her to do.
"You're...you're not here to do harm, yes?" Tapu Lele's voice was heard through Aubrey's Z-Ring.
"No, we are Pokemon Rangers sworn to protect people and Pokemon," Vanessa clarified.
"Pokemon...Rangers?" Tapu Lele responded in confusion. "There's humans who are truly altruistic towards Pokemon?"
"Yes, because there are some of us who hate war," Finn responded. "We had our HQ established here on Akala."
Tapu Lele sounded relieved, even if it was hard to tell. "Ah, I see. To what do I owe you on this visit to my altar?"
"Yeah we are here to talk about the situation that Team Skull is in right now," Vanessa explained, being the diplomat among them. "We understand that the Tapu are responsible."
Tapu Lele's mood seemed to sour upon the mention of their name. "Team Skull? You wish to help them!? Why!?"
"Cause they seem to have a rather bad hand in life." Despite Tapu Lele's anger, Vanessa remained calm. "However, Tapu Koko did make it clear that the team would have to be disbanded, and Guzma would have to repent for what he tried to make you four do."
"Have they disbanded?" Tapu Lele seemed to calm down at the mention of that.
"We're pretty sure they have, yeah," Aubrey answered.
"Hmph...if you are certain they are willing to repent in their dastardly ways...I suppose I can agree to their punishment being lifted," Tapu Lele relented.
"Good. And uh...if it would help we could include these ruins in our patrol routes," The Sinnoh native offered. "Not the first time the Ranger Union had to help protect a Legendary Pokemon. Heck I think we have two in protective custody right now."
"Yes...that would be appreciated, rangers," Tapu Lele responded. "If Tapu Koko trusts you, then I will as well. That being said, if this was a trick, I will not hold back my wrath."
"Won't have to worry about that with us, Tapu Lele," Aubrey promised. "We're doing this out of a genuine desire to help both people and Pokemon."
"Very well." Tapu Lele would go to leave. "Good luck with the other two. They shouldn't give you as much of a hassle as I did."
"Thank you very much Tapu Lele. We might even stop in to chat every now and then." The guardian deity wouldn't give much of a response to that bit at the end from Vanessa as it took its leave, prompting the rangers to do the same.
"She seemed very skittish…" Vanessa observed. "Can't suppose I blame her though."
"Well, when you're treated as nothing more than a tool of war for people, I can't fault Tapu Lele for assuming the worst," Aubrey sympathized. "Alright, let's hope Key is on Ula Ula..."
"Agreed. We can give her a call while we are on the ferry." The Sinnoh native responded.
Once they got on the ferry, Aubrey and Vanessa would go ahead and make the call to Key - they would find she was indeed on Ula Ula's Surf Spot, seeing her Pikachu, now an Alolan Raichu, surfing around in the background.
"Ah, Miss Ranger! Vanessa! So good to see you two again!" Key greeted with a wave.
"Hey! How're you doing?" Aubrey asked.
"Oh y'know, I'm doing wonderful. I evolved Pikachu into an Alolan Raichu - doesn't it look so cool?" The merchant squeed.
"Yes it does!" Vanessa laughed. "Hey can we meet up with you at that trailer park town outside of the desert?"
"Oh, sure we can. Might I ask what for?" Key inquired. "Is it business, something personal, or maybe..." She trailed off at that.
"We need to get to the Ruins of Abundance in the Haina Desert. You were in there before, remember?" Aubrey quickly explained.
"Mmm...well, I do recall seeing this entrance to some sort of cave that looked rather ornate. Is that what you're referring to?" Key asked for confirmation.
"Yes. We are trying to help out Team Skull, and Tapu Koko told us we need to get the other Tapu to agree before that thunderstorm is lifted from Po Town," Vanessa confirmed.
"Ah! Well in that case, I'd be more than happy to guide you there!" Key agreed with a chipper smile. "I combed that place top and bottom looking for the Psychinium-Z, so I'm very familiar with how to get around there."
"Oh good!" Vanessa smiled. "Meet you there!"
"Ta ta, rangers!" Key would hang up after a wave goodbye.
"I don't know if we would've been able to get around there without her help," Aubrey mentioned, then her stomach rumbled. "Eh...heh heh...you think the ferry serves food?"
"I don't see why not. At least a snack of some sort," Isabella commented.
"Are there any eateries in Malie City?" Finn asked Aubrey.
"Well, there was this one restaurant we could try," The older Area Ranger answered. "Never been in there before."
"That Sushi place, right? I heard Nanu is there a lot so we may run into him there," Vanessa asked.
"Yeah, that one," Aubrey responded. Once the ferry docked, the rangers would head into Sushi High Roller, all willing to try the food out there. Once inside...
"And what will you four have today?" A waiter asked them.
"I think I'll have...the Geisha Set," Aubrey decided.
"Do you know what that is?" Finn asked, a bit surprised.
"Well yeah, aren't they like dancers?" The older area ranger responded.
"Uhh yeah...let's leave it at that…" Vanessa sweatdropped at Aubrey's ignorance. "I'll take the Ronin Set."
"I'll take the Ninja Set," Isabella ordered.
"That leaves me with the Samurai Set, I'm good with that," Finn put in his order.
"Okay, one of each!" The waiter jotted this down. "I will be back with your order soon enough." They would go off to place their order. As they waited, Vanessa would strike up a conversation.
"You know, I have to say this place is definitely themed after Johto," She mused.
"Have you been there before?" Finn asked.
"No but I have seen pictures while I was in Kanto. the Gardens remind me a lot of Ecruteak City," Vanessa responded.
"Man, going to the other regions would be pretty cool..." Aubrey mused.
"I figure when we get time off, we can make time to go on trips to the other regions. Go on a tour and see what we can see. I could show you a lot of sights around Sinnoh," The younger area ranger offered. A smile came to Aubrey's face when Vanessa said that.
"When I had my dreams of being a trainer, Sinnoh was where I planned on going," She admitted.
"Oh really?" Vanessa smirked.
"Yeah!" Aubrey beamed, before noticing the smirk. "What's with the cocky attitude?"
"Oh nothing, just feel a bit proud of that fact," Vanessa quickly replied.
"Imagine how funny it would've been if you were both a ranger and champion of Sinnoh. Or rather, beat the champion of Sinnoh," Finn mused.
"Yeah…" Vanessa sweatdropped. "Cynthia is one heck of a champion."
"I've heard it's like, really rare that anyone can beat her," The mechanic added. "I saw her at PWT one time and her Garchomp just completely crushed this kid's dreams."
"Her team as a whole is really good," Vanessa agreed. "She came back from Unova with a Braviary and an Eelektross."
"Eelektross...I heard of that one…" Isabella remarked, thinking of that. "The only Pokemon with no true type weakness without an Item, ability, or move used on it?"
Noticing Aubrey's look of confusion, Vanessa added, "It is an Electric-type, with Levitate."
"Eh, heh heh...I could've guessed that..." Aubrey sheepishly replied.
"Just wanted to clarify. Though thinking about Sinnoh and Johto there is a location between both regions that is...very very remote," Vanessa continued.
"That place being...?" Finn wondered.
"It's called the Sinjoh Ruins," The Sinnoh native answered. "And as far as I know Cynthia is the only person to go there and remark on the place. It's very sacred to Arceus apparently."
"Wonder why that...oh hey, there's our lunch," Aubrey noticed the waiter coming back.
"Here you are." The waiter places a set of food in front of them. "Have a good meal!"
"Oh we will!" Aubrey smiled, more than eager to dig in. The quartet had a pretty good meal all things considered, and walked out with a bunch of Heart Scales that were given with their meals. All in all, not a bad turn out for a quick lunch.
When they made it to Tapu Village, they would see Key was waiting for them there, waving over as she stood at the entrance to the desert.
"Rangers, over here!" She called.
"Hey Key!" Vanessa waved back.
"Good to see ya again!" Aubrey smiled. "So you know where the ruins are?"
"Yup! Found out the way to get there all on my own," The merchant beamed. "Turns out there were these rock formations lying around, and they worked as markers to guide me in the right way."
"And what happens if you go off the path?" Isabella followed-up.
"Getting lost, that's what happens," Key answered. "Least I brought plenty of water last time I went through."
"Okay then!" Isabella had an enthusiastic voice, but sweatdropped all the same. "Anyway, I'm Isabella. This is Finn. We are the new recruits for these two."
"We met before, Key...back when Brey and Van were dealing with the Ultra Beasts that escaped from their homes," Finn remembered.
"Yes, you, I remember," The merchant nodded to confirm that. "Anyway, shall we be off, or do we need to get some supplies together to make this trek less treacherous?"
"Van, what say you?" Aubrey would ask.
"Hmm...I would say fill up on water just in case," Her partner replied.
"Leave that to me, I'll be right back!" Key would go off to fill up a couple canteens for the rangers and herself. "Here you are, two quart capacity, on me."
"Oh thanks. I would have paid for that though," Vanessa responded.
Key giggled at that. "Well, if you would like to pay, you can do so now."
Vanessa would go ahead, handing the merchant the money. "Here you are. I take the health of my team very seriously."
"My pleasure!" Key hummed. "Now, let's be off!"
To Isabella, Aubrey would say, "Yeah...she's full of energy and positivity. World could use that."
"Oh I know. Plenty of folk who would use that," The Galarian responded. After a bit of time, Key would lead the rangers to the Ruins of Abundance.
"Here we are, these are the ruins of Ula Ula's guardian deity," Key smiled. "Though, I have to ask...how do you plan on getting Tapu Bulu's help with Team Skull?"
"Well, Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele had us battle them to get their help, so I expect much the same with Bulu," Isabella responded.
"I see, I see...and Vanessa would struggle against this one based on it's typing...hmm..." The merchant lit up, having an idea. "Corviknight! Some assistance, please?" She called out her Corviknight.
"Oh yeah, a Steel/Flying type would be just what we need against Tapu Bulu!" Aubrey smiled.
"Corviknight, you are to go with Vanessa and help her if Tapu Bulu gets aggressive. Can you do that for me?" Key instructed.
"Corrr!" Corviknight agreed.
"Oh uh...thanks, Key!" Vanessa was surprised by the generosity on display here. "Wanna come on in with us?"
"I don't see why not, sure!" Key agreed. When she noticed Isabella's expression, she responded with, "Yes, I was quite surprised a Rookidee on Route 1 would turn into this."
"She's more surprised that you have it in the first place," Finn deadpanned.
"Oh no, it's a great choice!" Isabella smiled. "Those little guys are such troopers. Also really good taxis."
"He certainly helps me get around!" With that compliment and a head rub for Key's Corviknight, the group headed on inside. Once again, they were met with a Strength puzzle.
"Key, wanna help me make this go faster?" Aubrey requested, calling Ride Machamp.
"Of course I do! Everyone, come on out!" Key would call her Mantine and Alolan Raichu for assistance. While Aubrey tackled one part of the puzzle with Machamp, Key would amaze the others by her Pokemon and herself working in tandem to move the large boulder blocking the way.
Isabella whistled. "Daaaamn...she could give some of the big boys in Galar trouble."
"It is impressive…" Vanessa breathed.
"Doesn't look all that ripped...but I guess it's partially due to her Pokemon helping her," Finn commented.
Once the two were done with the Strength puzzle, Aubrey would send Ride Machamp back. "Yeah, Key told me she was able to move one of these boulders back at Ten Carat Hill to get the Flyinium-Z. Impressed the heck out of me."
"Mhm! No obstruction will stop me from doing my job." Key would recall her Mantine and Alolan Raichu. "I think I'll wait out here. You head inside the altar. Best of luck everyone."
Corviknight would go with Vanessa as the group headed into the altar...and saw Tapu Bulu asleep, sawing metaphorical logs.
"Well...he looks comfy," Isabella commented.
"Yuup…" Vanessa wasn't sure what to do. "Uhhh...Target Clear?"
Aubrey would look at Corviknight. "Target Clear." She pointed at Tapu Bulu. Corviknight knew what she was talking about, hitting Tapu Bulu with a Steel Wing to wake it up. This would move the big lug a bit, but it wasn't enough.
"Hmm...not sure that did enough…" Vanessa had an idea. "Hey Gastrodon? Could you spit a bit of water on him?"
"Gastro!" With some water from Gastrodon and another Steel Wing from Corviknight, it would be enough to wake up Tapu Bulu.
What was amusing was that Tapu Bulu seemed to let out a yawn as it woke up, not too hurt from the attacks. However, its mood soured once it saw the rangers inside, a grassy arena being what they had to contend with once Tapu Bulu got ready for a fight.
"Well so much for being reasonable." Aubrey sighed. "Erwing, you're on!" She called out her Crobat.
"Okay Gastrodon, back off. Corviknight can handle this one," Vanessa instructed the Sea Slug Pokemon as Corviknight got ready for battle.
"We got your back! Zorua, do your thing!" Isabella exclaimed. Zorua would make a lot of copies of itself to help cause a distraction.
"Just like before, Galvantula! You know what to do!" Finn instructed, with Galvantula going for Spider Web once their Capture Discs went out.
Tapu Bulu wasted no time getting to work, swinging a Wood Hammer at the group! Though it's Definition of Wood Hammer is quite literal, as it pulled out a seed and made it grow into a small tree in a manner of seconds before using it as a club.
"Holy Arceus!" Vanessa cried out in alarm. Corviknight would quickly be there to intercept, taking the brunt of the attack for the others as it attacked with Drill Peck to clash against the tree.
"Erwing, Cross Poison while it's distracted!" Aubrey ordered. Erwing would get off a strong Cross Poison hit on Tapu Bulu, causing it to drop the tree and allow some Capture Disc work.
"So Izzy, what terrain is this?" Finn would ask. "Galvantula, keep up the pressure with Signal Beam!" His Galvantula went for the attack, getting another good hit in.
"Grassy!" The Galarian informed. "Powers up Grass moves and slowly heals the Pokemon on it, like Aqua Ring. Also halves the power of moves like Bulldoze, Magnitude and Earthquake...and I think it also makes Floral Healing more powerful."
"Well no wonder our capture is going over smoothly..." Aubrey mused. "Cross Poison again, Erwing! The less we have to brawl with this big guy the better!"
Erwing landed another Cross Poison, and after Corviknight did a bit more tanking for the group, the capture would be a success.
"Well that was not that bad…" Vanessa remarked. "I think it's lucky he was four times weak to Poison."
"Again...didn't plan for this," Aubrey added.
Tapu Bulu's voice would be heard on the Z-Ring. "Wha...who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Hello there, Tapu Bulu," Vanessa greeted. "We are Pokemon Rangers sent here to help protect the people and Pokemon of the region. Right now we are trying to make things better for Team Skull. We have already talked to Tapus Koko and Lele about this. We basically want that thunderstorm gown from Po Town so that it can be fixed up and made livable to people again."
"Team Skull..." Tapu Bulu had a hint of anger in its voice. "Are you-"
"She clearly said we're rangers, Tapu Bulu," Finn quickly shut that anger down. "We're not with Team Skull nor have we ever been a part of them."
Corviknight almost stood ready to tank another Wood Hammer when Tapu Bulu realized what was going on. "Ohhhh...I see. You finally made Guzma change his ways, right?"
"Pretty much," The Sinnoh native confirmed. "He has calmed down a lot after that incident with the Ultra Beasts. As far as we know the team is disbanded."
"Team Skull was filled with down on their luck guys and gals...I don't want them living in squalor anymore. With the Tapus' blessing, I want to make things right for them," Aubrey added. "So...would you?"
"Well...if they've stopped being evil to the Pokemon of Ula Ula, then I'll be more than happy to lift the thunderstorm. But Tapu Fini is the last one you need to get on board with the plan," Tapu Bulu informed. "If you can withstand Tapu Fini's powerful fog, then Po Town will be able to be rebuilt and made livable again."
"Thank you for your words, Tapu Bulu," Vanessa sincerely thanked.
"Now, you best be off...I'm gonna get back to my nap." Tapu Bulu would do that, going back to sleep once the conversation was over.
"Dang, he is a quick sleeper...and a heavy one too," Vanessa sweatdropped.
"I'll say." Isabella agreed as they headed out of the altar.
"Ah, you're back! How did it go?" Key asked, taking Corviknight back.
"Pretty good. Erwing over there was able to handle Bulu real handily between that and the Grassy Terrain he was probably the easiest of the bunch...also, Izzy. Just to ask…" Vanessa turned to the Galarian. "What does the last Terrain do?
"Oh, Misty Terrain? Bit of an odd ball that one," Isabella explained. "It is the only one that does not power up it's corresponding type in Fairy."
"That's because Misty Terrain prevents status ailments of any kind when it is active," Key commented. "So burns, paralysis, and sleeping? Won't work against your last opponent."
"Yup. Still lets confusion happen, and Yawn and Rest get nullified too. It also halves the power of any Dragon-type move used," Isabella added.
"Waait, isn't the Fairy type already immune to Dragon?" After getting a nod of confirmation from Isabella, Vanessa looked surprised. "...Wow, way to be a jerk to the dragons."
"That is really redundant for a Fairy-type." Finn rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, it always struck me as odd," Isabella agreed. "Especially since I think only Fairy-types can learn the move...except for two..."
"Anyway, I'll lead you back so you can get to Poni Island," Key instructed. "I'll stay in the area of Po Town. If the thunderstorm is lifted, I will call you immediately, Miss Ranger."
"Thanks for the help, Key. We'll get 'er done!" Aubrey grinned confidently. Once Key led them back to Tapu Village, she would go off to the outskirts of Po Town to monitor the situation. The rangers went back to Malie City and got on the ferry to the last stop on their mission today.
Aubrey would be the one to lead them to the Ruins of Hope through Poni Breaker Coast, having been here before. The Strength puzzle was still solved, allowing the group to go on inside. Once in the altar, Vanessa would see a light fog rolling in.
"I dunno about you but this gives me the creeps," She said.
"You've been here before, so I think Tapu Fini is expecting us..." Finn told Aubrey.
"Yeah...and I think it's here too," Aubrey responded. A voice would be heard through her Z-Ring, no doubt Tapu Fini's.
"So you have returned...what is it you seek?" The voice asked.
"We seek to lift the thunderstorm over Po Town, as Team Skull has disbanded and suffered enough because of it," Vanessa responded. A mythical creature would appear before them as mist rolled in - Tapu Fini!
"And I take it the other Tapus have agreed to this, yes?" Tapu Fini asked, eyeing Aubrey as she called out Nom. "I recognize you...you were with the Kahuna when she was given my blessing."
"Yeah, and the other Tapus are on board with us! Look!" She would show Tapu Fini the Tapunium-Z. "Tapu Koko gave me this."
"I see...alright then. Show me you are worthy of my assistance, and the thunderstorm will be lifted!" Tapu Fini exclaimed. Nom would be getting ready to fight with the Tapu, but the rangers themselves had a strange feeling overcome them from the fog.
"Oooof...I'm feeling a bit weird here…" Isabella spoke.
"Same." Vanessa added.
It was then they'd see Aubrey balling her hands up into fists. "I dunno why...but I feel like fighting."
"If this is Tapu Fini's power..." Finn paused, seeming to be the only one not that affected by the fog. "It would seem Tapu Fini wants to separate us from our Pokemon with its power." Needless to say, he cracked a smile as he readied his staff. "That being said, our Pokemon are strong enough on their own to handle the Tapu."
"Very true." Vanessa felt herself getting in her stance. "I think we are going to be fighting each other."
"Looks that way, luvs. Uh, apologies for any bruises I give in advance." Isabella did the same, looking ready to throw down.
Aubrey had a cheerful smile. "Ah, don't sweat it! We're rangers, we can handle a beating!" She encouraged.
"True enough!" Isabella smiled with her.
With all that said, the brawl ensued, with Aubrey going after her partner, and Isabella going for Finn, who was taking a defensive stance with his staff.
"Of course you go after the medic first, Brey!" Vanessa exclaimed in a bit of exasperation. Aubrey simply offered up a smile of reassurance, as if to say she only went for Vanessa since they were partners. She was quick to lash out with a jab upstairs followed by a kick at her side. Vanessa would side step the punch and grab the kick to push her leg away, before lashing out with a kick of her own at Aubrey. Aubrey soaked the kick from Vanessa, taking the body shot in stride as she threw a string of punches at her partner.
Izzy meanwhile was doing a fairly good job at blocking Finn's staff strikes. Finn would feint a jab before going down for a leg sweep on Isabella with his staff. The sweep would get Isabella, but she would hop back up and then kick him in the side. Finn grunted at the kick, swinging at Isabella's legs with staff sweeps and a couple pokes to the stomach.
Vanessa meanwhile, would go into a more passive stance and dodge the punches as she is able to, and retaliates in kind with kicks. With Aubrey soaking a few more shots, she'd go in and start to grapple with Vanessa, trying to bring her down. She'd succeed, bringing them both down to the ground.
"Oh, we're playing like that are we?" Vanessa asked, now looking quite focused on this fight.
"What does it look like?" Aubrey responded back, trying to work her arm into a submission hold.
"Oh it does!" Vanessa would twist over to the side to slip out of Aubrey's grasp, getting back on her feet.
Isabella meanwhile, managed to get a hand on Finn's staff after a prod to her stomach. However, Finn cracked a smirk as he swung his staff to the right, throwing Isabella towards the wall. Isabella would catch herself before hitting the wall, and would rush at Finn to land a hit on his chest.
By this point, the Pokemon have worn out Fini enough to have the mist start dissipating. And once their brawl had ended, they would see why - Gastrodon's Storm Drain made any Water-type attacks Tapu Fini launched their way useless. With Nom and Galvantula's combined Electric-type attacks, Tapu Fini was brought down before the fight could be drawn out any further.
"Aww...and I was just getting warmed up!" Aubrey chuckled, wrapping Vanessa in a hug.
"You mean to tell me you enjoyed that?" Finn looked surprised at this, giving Isabella a fistbump. "Great fighting, by the way. You okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine." Isabella returned the fistbump for a show of good sportsmanship. "As for those two, they were practically flirting with each other given the snarky one liners."
"Ughh..." Tapu Fini's voice was heard again. "Your Pokemon are...incredibly strong."
After giving Isabella a brief glare, Vanessa would change her tone towards Tapu Fini. "Yeah, we did train them pretty well!"
"I have to ask why you had us fight each other...was it to divide and conquer?" Finn wondered.
"Yes. I had figured if I separated you from your Pokemon, I wouldn't get too hurt, first of all," Tapu Fini answered. "Second of all...it was partially for my own amusement. You're not the first ones to have sought out my power, but as far as I can recall, you're the first group who have fought each other and do not look worse for wear."
"Well we rangers are built tough," Vanessa explained to Tapu Fini. "Plus, me and her spar every now and then. So we're used to it."
"Kinda why I went for you, Van. My mind viewed it as just another spar between us," Aubrey mused.
"That makes sense." Tapu Fini nodded, chuckling in an amused way. "Very well. You have all proven yourself worthy of my attention. If you wish to see the thunderstorm over Po Town dispersed, you have my blessing."
"Thank you, Tapu Fini." Vanessa smiled.
"Now, if you'll excuse me...I must meet with the other Tapus. You may go." Tapu Fini would take its leave, prompting the others to head out of the Ruins of Hope with their heads held high.
"Hey Izzy...you mind if we spar sometime?" Aubrey requested in a polite way. "I gotta see how I can handle Galarian Karate."
"Oh sure. We can do that sometime," Isabella agreed.
The group would head on back to Seafolk Village when Aubrey would get a video call from Key. "Hello?"
"Miss Ranger! Look, look! The storm clouds over Po Town are breaking up!" Key held her phone screen up so the rangers could see the storm clouds were dispersing, no doubt a result of the Tapus' powers combined.
"Yes!" Vanessa pumped a fist in the air. Aubrey got a bit emotional, wiping a tear away from her eye as Finn shared a satisfied smile with Isabella.
"Yes sir. Yes sir!" Finn cheered.
"No doubt Guzma's going to be thrilled when he hears about this!" Key beamed. "Should I be the one to go tell him, or do you want him to come to you?"
"Send him our way. We are a bit beat right now." With Vanessa's statement, the merchant would notice the rangers all looked a bit beat up. She wasn't too concerned however, sporting a cheery smile.
"Did Tapu Fini give you trouble, or did the four of you decide to see who was the strongest among you?" She asked.
"More like Fini's fog made us fight each other," The Sinnoh native clarified. "So a little of column A, little of column B.
"Ah, I see, I see. Well, it doesn't look too bad from what I can see," Key responded. "So a little first aid and a good night's rest, and you'll be all fine in the morning! I'll go let him know and swing by your HQ later. Take care!" With a wave goodbye, she hung up.
"Well you heard her, let's head on back to HQ, get these bruises taken care of," Aubrey spoke up.
"Yup." Vanessa nodded in agreement. "Good thing I have plenty of supplies."
It would be some time later when Key would bring Guzma to the rangers' HQ, with the rangers' bruises treated by Vanessa working her medical magic and relaxing in their living quarters.
"Well here we are, Alola Ranger HQ," The merchant said to Guzma. "Pretty sure I can let myself into their lodgings..."
Guzma, looking uncharacteristically quiet and even insecure, muttered calmly. "Well yeah. You did help them out throughout their stay here on my home turf."
"It's only fair I help them after they helped me gather up the Z-Crystals," Key mused. She gave the intercom on the lobby front desk a push. "'Ello! I've brought Guzma! May we come on in?"
"Oh sure, come on in. We're in the living room," Vanessa answered over the intercom.
Guzma strolled in, looking a bit short of breath once he saw the Rangers. "It's true then...? Y-you...somehow got the Island gods to...stop raining on our parade?"
"Well, it involved fighting them and each other at one point...but yes," Aubrey reported, rubbing Vatonage's head, the Umbreon napping on her lap.
"...Well...th-thanks for that." Guzma bit his lip, looking misty-eyed. "You...really didn't have to do...s-something that sweet for an ignorant douche like me. I hurt you and the others, messed around with Kukui, put Lillie in harm's way, worked with a crazy Ultra Beast possessed Lusamine..."
"It wasn't just for Guzma, was it?" Key guessed. "It was for all of Team Skull too."
"Well, the fact you actually regret that is why the Tapu are even giving you that chance, I believe," Vanessa told Guzma. "But yeah, as for you and the rest of Team Skull, stay on the straight and narrow, and don't start messing up everything for everyone again. You should be good to have Po Town rebuilt up to modern standards."
"And the Ranger Union will be more than willing to help rebuild," Aubrey added with a smile.
Guzma started crying, showing ugly, emotional tears of regret and appreciation. Released from the hellish reminder of being reminded of his downtrodden life and tragedy that had befallen Team Skull due to his own overzealous pride. Released from the sins that excommunicated an entire town from Alola's life and history and cost people their homes. Released from the crippling disappointment that was his original Pokemon journey. Now he and his brothers and sisters had a true home now and they could branch out into other parts of Alola without having incurred the Tapus divine wrath.
Finn would look at his fellow rangers. "This has been a long time coming, hasn't it?"
"From what I can gather...he's been living in a nightmare," Aubrey wagered. "One he can finally wake up from."
"Yeah," Vanessa agreed. "Trust me, we both had to fight him. Really hard to beat a guy who is fighting for something he believes in."
"It's hard to beat anyone who is fighting for a cause they know in their heart is right," Key commented, handing Guzma a handkerchief to dry his eyes. "And from what little I know of the man, he's fought so hard for everything, kicked aside by the Tapus, and now has a chance to rise and shine from this 'nightmare' as you put it, Miss Ranger."
"Kinda like how I was...y'know..." Aubrey trailed off. The merchant nodded.
"I would even go as far as to say that if your heart was still clouded by doubt, you would not have become Alola's first champion," Key added.
Guzma nodded and dabbed his eyes with the handkerchief. "...I gotta go talk to old Kukui after this. Hehehe..." To the older area ranger, he added, "And yeah, you are something special Aubrey. Whoever your parents are would find you to be the inspiration of the century." With a genuine compliment for a change, Guzma expressed his profound gratitude and awe of the ranger.
"I worked hard with my family to become a ranger, and after I had my own doubts on what to do...either stick with the path I'm traveling or follow the dreams I had as a kid, I made up my mind after I became Alola's first champion," Aubrey responded. "There was just no way in heck I could abandon Van after everything we've done together. Being a master is cool and all, but it'd feel hollow without friends to share that with, y'know?"
"I wish I hadn't trashed all my friendships back in the day. Losing sight of your goal and pushing away your own solace...now I've learned from that. Now I can rebuild and restart everything and really be a big good Guzma for a change." Guzma nodded in agreement.
"And hey, you can still be the hardest guy around, just in a more productive way," Aubrey smirked.
"Yeah, you're probably one of the better Bug trainers," Vanessa complimented.
"Well thanks for that then. My hardness will define Alola's future alongside all of you." Guzma struck his signature pose.
Aubrey would gently nudge Vatonage awake. "Hey buddy, wakey wakey. Another Mission Clear!" She softly cheered.
"Umbre...umb! Umbre!" Vatonage hopped out of her lap, running around excitedly at the news.
(And that's all when it concerns Team Skull! Next time will be Bonus Mission 3, since Team Rainbow Rocket DESERVES its own episode as we reclaim the Aether Foundation from their clutches! It's gonna be about as epic as Sabaton's music! Stay tuned!)