Chapter Five
Snatch
Nanu was relieved to be out of the desert. He felt like a Magikarp being cooked in a frying pan, and the sand on his clothes and sandals irritated him. He could tell Grimsley didn't look comfortable out there too, especially with him carrying that black scarf around.
The orange sunset sky faded as stars slowly popped up, and a cool breeze kicked in. He, Grimsley, and Acerola returned the Mudsdale to Carlos and Yvonne, the two glad the Pokémon were a great help and more than happy to lend them again whenever they want. After that, they waited until Becky came to pick them up. Everyone took their seats from before.
"So how was the trip through Haina Desert?" Becky asked as she was driving them back to the Aether House.
"It was great!" Acerola said. "Before going to the ruins, Nanu saved a Sableye from being eaten by a Gabite. Grimsley and I helped healed it!"
"Really? Sounds like an adventure."
"Going through the desert was icky, but we managed to make it to the Ruins of Abundance and pay our respects to Tapu Bulu."
"Did you guys get to see Tapu Bulu, then?"
"Nah, the big guy didn't show itself up, but it did communicate with me when I touched its totem," Nanu said. When he had touched Tapu Bulu back in the ruins, bright light shrouded his whole body like a silky robe and his skin tingled. The island deity's voice reached him, appreciating that he came to visit him even if had been a while. The tending the ruins part of his kahuna duties was at least done and over with.
"That's still pretty great though!" Becky said, beaming. "How about you, Grimsley? Did you enjoy the trip?"
"I did, yes," Grimsley said. "I told Acerola and Nanu how much the desert reminds me of the one I went to in Unova, and the Ruins of Abundance was lovely. When we get back to the Aether House, I'll take a nice hot shower."
"I think we all will." Nanu glanced over his shoulder to see Grimsley staring outside with tired eyes and his arms folded against his chest. Acerola meanwhile hummed blissfully, her feet kicking up in the air.
Becky chuckled. "Well, you two looked exhausted, so I'll whip you guys up something for dinner in the meantime."
As Nanu leaned back against his seat with his arms behind his head, he gazed at the starry night sky in front of him. Shower and dinner did sound nice after that trip through the desert. The rest of the car ride went on in silence.
Xxx
He found himself in Poni Meadows again. The streaming waterfall and Oricoro's cries rushed through his ears, and the sweet nectar from the purple flowers hanging from the trees clung to his nose. Cold mist began to form, almost obscuring his vision. Next to him, his Persian rubbed her head affectionately against his leg.
"I'm ready when you are, Triple Zero."
He recognized that voice like one would with a former lover. Nanu turned around to see Resolution Cave, and outside its entrance stood a woman in a dark suit.
"Sana, what are you doing here?" he asked with a slight croak in his voice.
"Did you forget already? We need to get to Glutton." She pressed her lips and folded her arms against her chest. "And you're supposed to be my superior."
Sana, always with the sharp tongue. Nanu pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.
"We can throw insults at each other later. Right now, I need you to get away!"
"Huh, why?"
A sharp pain pushed through Nanu's chest. He frowned.
"I shouldn't be saying this, but you're being used. Interpol is sending you to your funeral." He took a couple steps forward, his hands gripping on her shoulders. "Please, run while you still can."
Sana's eyes shot wide open with horror. After a long stare, she dropped to her knees and a bitter laugh left her throat.
"So you knew all along that I was a Faller. Even if you had warned me beforehand—"
The sounds of the waterfall and Oricorio were replaced by wind and static. The sky darkened and mist thickened to smoke. Persian moved her gaze all over and let out a worried meow.
Just then, a large crab-like beast burst out from the cave. It opened its jaw, which was stuck in the middle of its torso, and screeched. Both the bigger eyes on Glutton's face and the tinier ones on its much smaller head glowed the same blue color like its insides. Two tendrils with large pincers sprouted out, one of them grabbing Sana's waist. Nanu urgently called out her name despite his voice being drowned out by Glutton's roar.
(By now Sana would've screamed for help and he and 100KR had their Pokémon fight off that creature. After the fight was over and Sana was long gone, he would see his partner pale and shake so it was up to him to snap him back to reality. Where was 100KR now?)
As she was hung upside down like a lynched victim, she cracked a wicked smile. More static, Sana's voice distorting.
"—it's already too late."
Glutton threw Sana into its mouth like a berry, and snapped its jaws straight through her midsection. Blood dripped onto Sana's mouth and on the ground. It crunched on her several more times before swallowing her up.
Nanu stood in frozen horror. His arms shook and he gritted his teeth. He snapped his head to his Persian and ordered her to attack with Power Gem. Persian hissed and the gem on her forehead lit up. She released a bright beam straight at Glutton's mouth, only for it to swallow the assault and scratched its smaller head. The beast used one of its tendrils to yank Persian and crushed her with its pincers. Persian howled in pain and got tossed to a nearby tree before collapsing to the ground. Glutton roared and stomped, shaking the earth.
After returning Persian, Nanu grabbed another pokeball from his belt, but Glutton swatted it from his hands and snatched his arm. Nanu struggled to wiggle out of the beast's grip, and before he could scream Glutton closed its jaws shut and everything went red.
Nanu's arm slammed onto the coffee table the instant he jolted awake. He screamed in pain and cursed as he rubbed his arm. He glanced around to see he was inside the Aether House and that he slept on the couch. His breathing grew heavier with each second. The commotion caused Oranguru to stir from his sleep and growl in confusion. Acerola, Grimsley, Becky, and the kids rushed out of their rooms.
"We heard both you and Headmaster screaming, is everything all right?" Becky asked, panic in her voice.
"I just had a bad dream and I scared the Oranguru, that's all."
"That must be a really bad dream if you woke up Headmaster like that," Gracie said, frowning. Behind her, the Oranguru growled as if in agreement.
This wasn't the first time he had that nightmare. It would sprung up to him like a cat's claws digging into his shoulders. Over ten years now, and it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. He sighed, sat up straight, and rubbed his forehead.
"Do you need a glass of water? You look kinda pale there," Acerola asked.
Nanu shook his head. "Not thirsty. I'm fine, really."
Both Becky and Acerola exchanged worried looks at one another.
"We all should go back to sleep," Becky said. "Let's go."
Acerola and the kids followed Becky back to their rooms while Oranguru went back to the reception area. Grimsley, who had been raising his eyebrow at him the whole time, stayed behind.
"Is there something that you needed?" Nanu asked, giving him a vacant stare.
"Oh, I was just wondering something." A hesitant look crossed Grimsley's face. He shifted his gaze away from him and scratched his neck. "That nightmare you had, would it happen to be about that late colleague of yours?"
Hearing that made Nanu grimace. He jerked his head and glared at him.
"What I told you back at the desert was all you needed to know."
Grimsley shot him a funny look, and he sighed. "Fair enough. Well, I'll be going to sleep now. Good night." He waved goodbye at him and went inside his room.
When left alone, Nanu collapsed back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Between that and how Grimsley wanted to have a Pokémon battle with him, he wondered why that man had a great interest in someone as messed up as him. He hoped that Grimsley didn't plan to stick around too long now.
His thoughts were interrupted when one of his pokéballs from the table burst open and Persian appeared. She approached him with an upset look on her face and growled. Nanu frowned.
"Perry..." he said in a low voice. Usually he wasn't one for nicknames and was content calling her Persian ninety-nine percent of the time. Perry, short for the periwinkle flower and what Iokua would often call her. Perry was saved for whenever he was his most vulnerable, like right now.
Persian let out another sad growl, had her front paws on Nanu's stomach, and nuzzled against his neck. Her silky fur was warm against his skin. Nanu couldn't help but crack a smile and scratch her forehead.
"Just another one of those nightmares buddy, don't worry about me."
Nanu continued petting her a while longer until she decided to rest her head on his stomach. He smiled, fine with her company for tonight. He soon drifted off to sleep.
xxx
By morning, Grimsley woke up to see how Nanu was doing. In the living room he approached the couch the kahuna had slept on, but only a pillow and unmade blanket were left behind. He then went inside the dining room to see Acerola was eating while the kids playing were playing with their Pokemon. Becky and Nanu weren't around.
"You know where Nanu and Becky are at?" he asked Acerola.
"Becky is taking care some of the Pokemon now and Nanu's taking a walk outside. Want to join me for breakfast?"
"Sure, since I'm here." Grimsley took a plate of pancakes and sausages from the counter and joined Acerola at the table. While eating, he thought back to Nanu having a nightmare last night. He swallowed a piece of his sausage and put his fork down. "Say Acerola, did you know about Nanu having bad dreams?"
After Acerola finished swallowing a piece of her pancake, she frowned and gazed down at her plate. "I've seen him been woken up by nightmares before, but he never wants to talk about it. Maybe that's why he's taking a walk now."
"How about him working for the international police? You know about that too?" Grimsley asked, and Acerola nodded.
"I've overheard some people that knew him say that, and when I asked him he only told me he had retired. Are you worried about him, too?"
That caused Grimsley to stop drinking his milk midway through and almost choke. He set the glass down and said, "Not exactly. Moreso bothered how he reacted last night."
"Oh, okay." Acerola flashed him a grin. "He's the type of person that likes to keep things to himself, so I got used to it!"
Grimsley blinked, taken aback by Acerola's expression there. As he continued eating his meal, his mind switched to when he asked Nanu to battle with him. The kahuna declined the offer, but Grimsley still desired to have one with him. He cleared his throat.
"There's one other thing I wonder. Do you know any way to convince Nanu to battle me?"
Acerola's face perked up, and she hummed in deep thought. "Why don't you take up the island challenge?"
"Aren't I a little too old for that?" he asked with a furrowed brow. When Acerola realized his point, she frowned.
"Oh, right. It would be silly for someone from an Elite Four to do it. Still, if you have a Z-crystal, perhaps Nanu will let you battle him!"
Grimsley stared down at his plate while chewing the last few bites of his breakfast. He wondered if there were other ways to get a Z-crystal besides being in the trial challenge, but he wasn't so sure how to go about that.
"Perhaps he'll change his mind once we get more acquainted with one another. That's the only approach I can think of." After wiping his mouth with his napkin, he leaned back on his chair with his arms behind his back. "For your trial, you need to take some pictures and then battle a large Mimikyu, correct?"
"Yes. Mimikins's a fierce one, but she's also sweet and fun to play with like the one we have here!"
Grimsley gave her a puzzled look. "You gave the totem Pokémon a name?"
"Ah huh!I knew Mimikins long before I became a trial captain, and I thought it would be cute to give her one."
Grimsley blinked, and then he glanced over his shoulder to see Gracie laughing and twirling around with Yungoos while Mimikyu tried to keep up with their pace. He now imagined that Pikachu look-a-like being several times its size, and that made him shudder.
"Can't believe there's a bigger version of that strange Pokémon," Grimsley said, pointing at the Mimikyu. That earned him a giggle from Acerola.
"Oh, can we do your trial?" Gracie asked excitedly as she and Hunter approached her. Their Pokemon followed them from behind.
"Not yet as the totem Pokemon will be too strong for you guys. Also you can't do trials until you're eleven."
Both Gracie and Hunter groaned in disappointment and their shoulders slumped. Behind them, Yungoos and Elekid let out upset sounds too while Mimikyu jumped and screeched. With a grin, Acerola got out of her chair and squeezed the kids' shoulders.
"Tell you what, later today I'll teach the both of you my Z-move!" she said, and the kids' faces lit up. "I can even teach you too, Grimsley!"
"Really?" Hunter asked. When Acerola reassured them that she would, both children cheered and bounced up.
Grimsley smiled a little and crossed his arms against his chest, and thought it was sweet of her to do that. "I never tried Z-moves myself, perhaps I'll take your offer on that."
"Hey, what's with all that cheering?" someone asked in a stern voice. Grimsley turned his head to see Nanu stepping inside with a gray cat Pokémon beside him. The feline looked very similar to the white furred Persian he fought on occasion in the Pokémon League, but she had a much bigger head and a blue jewel on her forehead.
"Acerola's gonna teach us her Z-move later today!" Gracie said, pumping her fist in the air.
"Huh, is that so?" Nanu looked down at the children and shrugged. "Guess it won't hurt for them to learn those early."
"How's your walk this morning, Uncle Nanu?" Acerola asked.
"Eh, it was okay I guess. Persian wanted some fresh air, too."
The Persian let out a low growl and began walking. When she reached Grimsley and rubbed her head against his hip, he scratched her chin. Her fur was soft and silky, like Raz's fur.
"An Alolan Persian, hm? She's very lovely."
Nanu gave him a blank stare, and then a small smile pulled on the corner of his lips. "She has been with me since I started my island challenge."
"I also have a cat Pokémon. My Liepard, Raz." After Grimsley finished petting Persian, she walked back to her owner's side. "I find it interesting we both raise dark type felines."
Immediately Nanu's face went back to a flat expression. "Us being dark type trainers is probably the only thing we have in common."
"Of course, I don't expect us to have many similar interests," Grimsley said, frowning. So much for being acquainted with him. He looked up at the clock on the wall. While it was morning here, it would be mid to late afternoon already in Unova. "I'll need to make a phone call now."
Before Grimsley left, Acerola let him know he could ask Headmaster the Oranguru for the tablet at the reception desk as Becky was busy at the moment. He thanked her for letting him know and did just that.
xxx
Grimsley went back inside his bedroom to use his tablet to call his mother. When he reached her, she was overjoyed to talk with him again. He mentioned everything that happened in his trip including meeting up with Colress, which shocked his mother. Back when they dated, she was very supportive of their relationship and even teased that they would get married someday. Thinking about that now left him drained.
"Will you talk to him before you leave?" she asked. That made Grimsley clench his fist. Colress's words before he left with the Ultra Recon Squad echoed back in his mind. He told her that he didn't want to think about him right now; that left his mother confused, but she respected his wishes and didn't pursue further. After that, he continued talking about his adventure through the desert with Nanu and Acerola and what happened in the Ruins of Abundance.
"It's not surprising that Kahuna Nanu rejected your request. You only just met him!"
"I'm well aware of that. I'll trying to get to know him better, but it might prove to be difficult."
His mother hummed in understanding. "From what you told me of him, he's not very social. Give it time, and he might warm up to you."
"And if he doesn't want to battle with me?"
"Then don't force him to. You already had him take you to the desert with a coin toss."
Grimsley tensed. She was right that he did force Nanu to take him to the Abundance of Ruins. Doing that same trick to get him to battle him wouldn't work.
"Don't worry, that won't happen."
"I hope so. Wouldn't want you to get kicked out of the island for that!" She paused, then asked, "So, any plans you have for today?"
"I might explore Ula'ula Island a bit more. I heard there's a power plant and observatory here that might be interesting. And you?"
"Well, I plan to go see your father soon since today is our anniversary."
"Really? I was so busy in Alola I totally forgot."
"Thought so. You have his ring with you at least, right?"
Grimsley's eyes widened. His father had given him his wedding ring before he died as a token to remember him by. Every year on the anniversary of his parents' wedding, his mother would visit his grave and he would wear his ring. He believed he didn't forgot to bring it with him on this trip, so he told her to wait a moment and checked his bag. After almost a minute, Grimsley found the ring and slipped it on his finger.
"See, I have it with me!" he said with a grin, showing the ring on his finger to her.
Minato's face lit up and she clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Now keep it close with you at all times."
Grimsley rolled his eyes and sigh. "I haven't lost it yet, so I think I'll be fine."
"If you say so. I need to head out now, but it was great talking with you again!"
Smiling a little, he gave a single nod. "Enjoy your upcoming visit with Dad. I'll give you another call soon."
He hung up on her and gazed at his ring that gleamed with the morning sunlight. His father would be just as excited how he was doing on his trip if he were here today. Grimsley rose out of his seat and left the bedroom.
xxx
After Grimsley went back to the lobby and returned the tablet to the Oranguru, he went outside without letting anyone else know. There was a beach just down the slope, so he headed toward the shore. As he got closer he spotted Becky there with a Gorebyss and another pastel colored fish he never saw before. When the Aether employee noticed Grimsley, she beamed and waved at him.
"Hey, Grimsley! Taking a walk too?"
"You can say that. Just a lot on my mind now." He shifted his head for a second. "I'm curious, how well do you know Kahuna Nanu?"
Becky looked to be taken back by that question. "Er, I know he has a family and is both a policeman and kahuna here, but otherwise not much really."
"I see. Acerola told me he's someone that keep things to himself."
"Yeah, I get that vibe from him, too. When he was outside earlier, he didn't want to talk about his dream last night." She shrugged, but then her face brightened back up. "Do you want to help me feed the water Pokémon?"
Grimsley responded that he would be delighted. Becky handed him a bag of shrimp and he approached the Pokemon. Both the Gorebyss and the other fish Pokémon swam up to him and raised their heads, waiting for their meal. He fed them the shrimp and watched as the Pokemon chew on their food in satisfaction. A large wave crashed onto the shore, almost reaching up to Grimsley's shoes.
"This is another interesting looking Pokémon here," Grimsley said when the pastel colored fish rubbed its rough skin against his hand. He spotted several cuts on its body that looked to be healed.
"That's a Bruxish, and she has strong psychic powers and an even stronger jaw! I found her and Gorebyss injured, so me and a few scientists here helped them recover."
Grimsley let out a low hum, already figured Becky would do that. After he finished feeding them, he picked himself back up. The two fish Pokémon began to swim, not straying too far from the shore. He faced back at Becky.
"You seemed very passionate with your work. How did you end up in the Aether Foundation?"
"I always wanted to do something like this, so a friend of mine referred me to one of the higher ups. I first worked in one of their stations in Akala Island, but then I transferred here."
"I bet it isn't easy protecting all the Pokemon from harm," Grimsley said, and Becky shook her head.
"No it's not, and there are occasions where we were too late saving them." As soon as she finished saying that, the Bruxish and Gorbyss reached to her and she patted them. "We saved more Pokémon than losing them, however, so it all works out!"
"I see. Well, that's good to hear."
After swimming near the shore a while longer, the fish Pokémon finally moved further into the ocean and dived down. Grimsley gazed at Becky to see her wave at them goodbye. The late morning sunlight bathed her face like a spotlight on stage.
"Alola, Bruxish and Gorebyss! Come back anytime!"
Grimsley stared at the ocean a brief moment before a cawing noise caught his attention. He glanced around to see three Murkrow on top of a palm tree squawking and flapping their wings. They stopped and gave him keen stares. A cold sensation crawled through the back of his neck.
"That's a nice ring you have there," Becky asked, and that caused Grimsley to whirl his head at her. He gazed down at the ring on his finger and gave a sad smile.
"It's my late father's, and I wear it on special occasions. Today was supposed to be my parents' anniversary."
Becky's eyes grew wide, and her gaze fell on the sand. "Sounds like you got along with your parents. I haven't spoken to mine after…"
"After what?" Grimsley asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Let's just say they weren't happy that I only wanted to date women."
So Becky was unfortunate to have close-minded parents, Grimsley mused. Frowning slightly, he felt sorry for her.
"I told Nanu this already, but you remember the scientist Colress from a few days ago? We actually dated for sometime, but went through an unpleasant breakup." It felt weird saying that to her after his conversation with his mother, but he felt it would comfort her that he too prefer someone of the same gender.
Realization hit Becky's face, and she nodded. "I totally get that, must be tense meeting with your ex." She rubbed the back of her head and let out a sheepish laugh. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to let out my sad story like that."
"Seems you did well on your own in the end, you should be proud. Also, if you ever want to talk about relationships and such, let me know."
A shocked gasp left Becky's throat. She relaxed and said, "Thanks, that means a lot."
Grimsley smiled back, touched by her response. He remembered how he comforted the boy he had battled in the Battle Buffet back in Melemele Island, and he did the same to Becky. Sometimes he would say kind words to trainers that went through the Pokémon League, but he couldn't recall the last time he did that in a genuine manner.
In that instant, the Murkrow's caws grew louder and Grimsley's expression changed. Becky screamed for him to watch out, but the birds were already pecking at him. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out two pokéballs from the knot around his waist and released them. Raz and Roulette, his Liepard and Absol respectively, gave out determined glares and readied themselves.
"The both of you, get these pesky birds out of the way!"
The two dark types sprang into action. Raz jumped up as her tail shined into a white light, and she used it to hit one of the Murkrow on the face. Roulette meanwhile waited until the scythe on her forehead glowed purple and slashed the other two Murkrow. All three birds cried in pain and flew away. Grimsley sighed in relief, Raz and Roulette approaching by his side.
"Are you all right?" Becky asked with a worried face. Grimsley noticed the ring on his finger was missing and his throat went dry.
"I'm fine, but the birds got my father's ring." He looked down to see his Liepard and Absol giving him sad gazes, as if they recognized what had happened.
"Maybe Kahuna Nanu and Acerola would know where the Murkrow went. Let's go talk to them now."
Grimsley grunted in agreement and nodded. He returned his Pokémon back in their pokéballs, then he and Becky rushed back to the Aether House.
Once they made it there, both Acerola and Nanu were in the lobby. Acerola was teaching the children some sort of dance move while Nanu sat on the couch and watched with his Persian curled up on the floor sleeping. Grimsley assumed it must be the Z-moves he and the girl talked about before.
"There you two are!" Acerola said cheerfully when she saw them. "I was teaching the kids my Z-move!"
"You wanna see?" Gracie asked. She and Hunter kneeled down, moved their bodies like a floating ghost, and had their arms forward as if they were about to grab them. Grimsley blinked in confusion while Becky beamed and chuckled.
"Woah, you guys scared me there!" she said, and both children grinned in satisfaction.
"Thanks!" Hunter said. "We still gotta practice more, though."
"You kids are still very young, so there's no rush to get it perfect," Nanu said. "It took me some days until I was able to get my own Z-move right."
"Oh, can you teach us your Z-move, too?" Hunter asked. Both he and Gracie gave hopeful expressions, but already Nanu shook his head and raised his arm.
"Black Hole Eclipse is too advanced for you kids! I would wait at least another year or so before attempting it."
"Uncle Nanu's right," Acerola said when Hunter and Gracie pouted at his response. "I tried that Z-move during my island challenge and I almost got caught in that black hole! Don't worry, it won't be long until you guys can use it!"
Grimsley's face perked at the mention of Black Hole Eclipse. He was very interested in learning that Z-move, but knew Nanu wouldn't let him if he didn't want to battle him. He pushed that thought off for now and cleared his throat.
"Do any of you happen to have lost something to the Murkrow here?"
Nanu quirked an eyebrow at him. "Not really, but I have a Honchrow that sometimes bring back a shiny bottlecap or the like. Did that happen to you?"
"A few Murkrow got his ring while we were outside," Becky said. "We're wondering if either of you would know where they went."
Tapping her chin, Acerola looked up at the ceiling deep in thought. "Actually, I do see Murkrow hang out at the Thrifty Megamart sometimes."
"The same one we visited a couple days ago?" Grimsley asked, and she nodded.
"Ah huh! I often go there to do some preparations and see that Mimikins's doing okay."
Immediately Grimsley's face twisted into a disgusted look. She did talk about a large Mimikyu earlier this morning and he hadn't like the sound of that. "So there's a chance I might run into that Pokémon."
"Maybe, but as long as you don't disturb her you should be good. I can come to make sure that doesn't happen."
An impish grin pulled on the corners of Nanu's mouth. "You scared of some Mimikyu coming behind you?"
"No!" Grimsley said defensively. He crossed his arms and looked away for a second. "I rather not deal with it, that's all."
"Well in either case that's where we should go," Becky said. "Acerola coming with us will be a big help."
"Does this mean the kahuna man will watch us while you're away?" Hunter asked, and Nanu's eyes went wide.
"Ah huh!" Acerola said with an enthusiastic nod. She looked up at Nanu. "You'll take good care of them, right?"
An annoyed look crossed Nanu's face, but then he sighed. "Seems I have no choice."
"Okay, great!" Acerola cheered and clapped her hands.
Besides dealing with the Murkrow once more and the possibility of meeting an overgrown Mimikyu, Grimsley would be reminded of his meeting with Colress a few days ago. The thought of going back there made his skin crawl.
Acerola told everyone that they would be back in a few hours and he followed her and Becky outside. He hoped that they would be able to find the ring there.
Xxx
Becky took Grimsley and Acerola to the Thrifty Megamart once more. As soon as everyone got out of the jeep, he tensed upon seeing the ruined building once more. It was already in such a poor state outside, so inside would be even much worse.
This was where he talked with Colress not that long ago. To think he would cross paths with him in this very region. His hands grew clammy as he tried to push that thought away.
"I found them!" Acerola shouted, and he and Becky turned to see the three Murkrow fairly close to the entrance. When the birds spotted them, they cawed angrily at them and flew inside one of the cracked windows above.
A lump formed inside Grimsley's throat. "Do we have to go in?"
"We do if we want to get your ring back," Acerola said with a grin, her hands behind her back. Becky gave him a funny look.
Grimsley stared at them and sighed in irritation. "Fine, let's get this over with."
He, Becky, and Acerola stepped inside, and it was as bad as he imagined. Several boxes and carts, some of them with toys, were left behind. Torn flyers and shattered glass scattered all over the floor. As they slowly made their way through the store, dusty shelves sometimes would block their path and it was fairly dark to see.
"Man oh man, can't believe you have this sad place for your trial site," Grimsley said when they squeezed themselves through another few shelves.
"This is my first time coming in here," Becky said as she glanced around. "When I was younger my friends and I would hear stories of real ghosts living here. I thought it was just the older folks scaring us."
"There's some truth to it, though," Acerola said, cracking a smile. "Some of the ghost Pokémon are thought to be souls from humans that passed on. But don't worry, the ones used for the trial won't hurt you!"
Grimsley's lips twitched as he listened in on their conversation. In Johto there was a lot of respect for the souls of the deceased and heavy warnings to not disturb their graves. The night after his father had passed away, his mother set aside his picture and incense on the corner of the living room and whispered a prayer for the legendary Ho-Oh to carry his soul to a better place. He looked down to see no ring on his finger and his frown deepened.
They continued to move a few more minutes. When a loud crash was heard, everyone stopped and saw carts and boxes being thrown in the air. Grimsley and Becky flinched while Acerola pouted.
"All right you guys, that's enough!"
Upon being screamed at, a Shuppet and a Haunter appeared. Both Pokémon glared at one another.
"You know those two?" Grimsley asked, blinking in confusion.
"Yeah. They don't get along all that well and I often have to stop them from fighti-ahhh!"
Before Acerola could finish, she dodged an incoming box being thrown at her direction and the ghost Pokémon resumed throwing objects like catapults.
"Um, do you want me to help you calm them down?" Becky asked.
Acerola let out a deep breath and nodded. "That would be appreciated! Grimsley, you go find the Murkrow while Becky and I deal with those ghosts."
Grimsley made an acknowledging grunt, and left Acerola and Becky to confront the ghosts. While moving he could hear Acerola arguing with Shuppet and Haunter from behind, but he didn't pay particular attention as to why that fight had occured. Eventually he stopped when he saw a room and stepped inside.
He found himself to be inside what would be the store's backroom. It was mostly bleak and empty except for the several pictures and drawings of Pikachu on the walls. Several caw sounds were made, and Grimsley whirled around to see the three Murkrow near a pile of trinkets. One of the birds held a golden ring on its beak while the other two fought over a bracelet. He needed to approach them with caution, so Grimsley took a couple steps forward and waved at them.
"Hello, there! It seems that you have stole something very important to me."
The two Murkrow that were fighting earlier stopped and dropped the bracelet. The other Murkrow still had the ring on its beak. All three birds titled their heads and stared blankly at him. Grimsley gave them an icy glare.
"I know you guys love shiny things, but that ring isn't yours to keep. If you would return it back to me, that would be appreciated."
After a few seconds had passed, the Murkrow cawed in laughter and flapped their wings. With a scowl, Grimsley stepped forward and pointed his finger at the birds.
"Now listen here you little thieves! Either you return my ring right now or I'll have my Pokemon hurt you once more!"
While he spoke, the Murkrow glared and looked as if they weren't going to listen to him. Shortly after, their expressions changed to panic and launched themselves in the air, flying towards the door's exit. Grimsley blinked in confusion but noticed his ring had been left behind. He picked it up and put it on his finger.
"Looks like my threat worked," Grimsley said with a proud grin. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and when he whirled around he froze.
In front of him was a large sized Mimikyu. It-no, "she"Grimsley remembered Acerola referring her as-made sharp hisses and wobbled like an inflated balloon. Two shadowy claws lashed out from underneath her rag, ready to strike. So it wasn't him but the Pokemon that scared the birds away. Grimsley's chest tightened in shock.
"You're Mimikins, right? Acerola has told me a lot about you."
Mimikins tilted her head and stared at Grimsley for a moment, and nodded.
"I apologize for intruding here, but a few pesky Murkrow stole my ring and I came to get it back. It won't happen again."
Mimikins continued to sway back and forth. When she hissed once more, Grimsley shot her a baffled look.
"What is that? I don't understand."
Seemed to take offense by that response, Mimikins screeched and made several slashing movements with her claws. Grimsley blinked, but he had an idea what she requested now.
"You want me to battle you?" Already Grimsley shook his head. "I would have to decline. I'm only here to get my ring back, that's all. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."
He took a few steps forward, only for Mimikins to skid in front of him and jeered. That made him flinch for a second. More hissing noises came out from her.
While staring at the totem Pokémon, Grimsley bit his lower lip. Mimikins seemed very insistent in wanting to fight with him. He wondered how the young trainers had fared going against this monstrosity; she could be a good challenge.
"A Pokémon like that taking a gamble on me? Fine, I'll play along!"
Grimsley pulled out a pokéball and released his Liepard. Upon seeing Mimikins, Raz tensed and growled.
"Don't let that Pikachu wannabe fool you, Raz! Shadow Ball, now!"
Raz shook off her anxiety, giving out a confident scream. A crimson ball was formed in front of her, and she tossed it at her opponent. The attack hit Mimikins' chest, but she didn't flinch and her head tilted slightly as if her neck was broken. Both Grimsley and Raz looked on in confusion.
As soon as the Mimikyu whipped out a shadowy claw towards Raz, Grimsley told her to watch out. The cat Pokémon was able to avoid a few instances of that, but Mimikins eventually grabbed her leg and slammed her at a nearby shelf. Raz growled in pain and picked herself up slowly, but otherwise she was fine.
"That Mimikyu's stronger than I anticipated," Grimsley said, taken aback by that Pokemon's strength. A realization occurred to him, and he grinned. "Use that to your advantage with Foul Play!"
Raz turned her face at her trainer and nodded. Mimikins threw her claw at her once more, but she dodged and grabbed her opponent with her jaws and front legs. She flipped the Mimikyu in the air, causing her to hit the ceiling and crash on the floor. Proud of what she had done, Raz held her chin high.
A few seconds passed until Mimikins picked herself up. She let out an urgent growl, as if calling for someone. Sure enough, a Banette popped up from thin air and cackled, which caught Grimsley off guard.
Both ghost Pokémon already let loose their assaults. Mimikins lashed out her claws at Raz, scratching her several times. Banette meanwhile vanished through the floor for a moment and then became visible and punched Raz on the face. Grimsley narrowed his eyes at the opposing Pokémon.
"Well that's a bit unfair. In that case, I'll bring in another Pokémon, too!"
Grimsley took out Roulette's pokéball and released her. After shaking her fur, the Absol turned around and shot Mimikins and Banette a sharp look.
He ordered for Raz to focus on Mimikins while Roulette take care of Banette. Mimikins approached Raz and about to use her wooden tail at her, but the feline was able to block the hit with her own shining tail that then caused them to back away.
While that happened, the Banette released several white flames at Roulette, only for her to wave her scythe and set up a rainbow forcefield around her. The Will-O-Wisp bounced off from Roulette's Magic Coat and hit back at the Banette, burning it in the process. The Banette screeched as small flames began to lick all over its body.
"Great! Iron Tail once more, Raz. Roulette, Night Slash go!"
Before Raz made her move, she readied a pouncing stance and licked her mouth. Her tail glowed and she slammed Mimikins on the face. The Pikachu look-a-like hissed and retaliated by crossing her claws, which lit up a faint green color, and sliced her like a gullentione. Raz gritted her teeth and her legs shook, two deep cuts visible on her body.
Roulette's scythe turned purple and she slashed at the Banette, leaving a large cut on its body. The marionette winced and its eyes and body glowed. It fired a series of crimson rings at Roulette, and when she got caught in that her eyes grew wide. The Absol kept shaking her head and growled aggressively, as if seeing a disturbing scene in front of her. The Banette held its belly and laughed, then stopped when it got burned once more.
"Whatever you're seeing isn't real!" Grimsley yelled out to Roulette. He knew that was Night Shade as he had seen Shuantal used it on her opponents on occasion. Not as deadly as the move Nightmare, but still a concern for him if not handled quickly. "Shake it off and fight back!"
Upon hearing her trainer's voice, Roulette stopped thrashing around and barked. She leapt onto her opponent and sunk her jaws onto its stomach. The Banette screamed and struggled to get out from her grip. A moment later, Roulette tossed her opponent like a yarn ball and the Banette collided onto a cart. The ghost Pokémon was about to prepare a small Shadow Ball between its hands, only for the flames finally taking a toll on its body. It dived and sunk through the floor, disappeared just like that.
Roulette's expression switched from grinning in satisfaction to horror when she turned around and noticed Raz visibly tired from her fight with Mimikins. The Absol howled, rammed onto the Mimikyu with great speed, so fast she almost became a blur, and left a large gash on her disguise. Just as Roulette approached Raz's side, Mimikins screeched and dark vapors poured from her. She swung her tail at them and they flew in the air and crashed on the floor; the force of that attack caused her to recoil and scream in pain. While seeing all of this, Grimsley's eyes grew wide.
Both of his Pokemon slowly picked themselves up, breathing heavily and their legs trembling. Mimikins didn't wait for them to recover as she went and jumped in the air, and that caused Grimsley to yell at them to get out of the way. Roulette was able to leap out of the way while Raz struggled to move and got pounced by Mimikins. Thick white smoke exploded and obscured Grimsley's vision, Raz's growls tugging at his chest. When the smoke faded, Raz collapsed and lied on the ground.
"Raz!" Grimsley rushed to Raz's side and let her head rest on his lap. Beside him, Roulette looked down and whined. "You deserve a good rest," he said with a sad smile and returned her into her pokéball.
Mimikins hissed and waved her claws around, more dark mist surrounding her body. Grimsley's face tensed and he faced Roulette.
"All right, it's all up to you now. Think you can handle it?"
Already Roulette gave him a determined look and barked. A pleased smile touched Grimsley's lips.
"Good, now go and grab that ragdoll like you did with that Banette!"
Mimikins stretched her claws out and tried to grab Roulette, but she was able to dodge her assaults and leaped on top of her. She sank her teeth onto the Mimikyu's head, causing her to screech and trash around. Roulette hung onto Mimikins, like a trainer on a Rapidash, until she grabbed her with her claws and threw her away.
As soon as Roulette got herself back up, Mimikins' claws lit up a green color and she made a large gash on her side that caused the Absol to howl in pain. She countered by having her scythe lit up and left another deep cut onto Mimikins' rags. The Mimikyu hissed and backed away.
Roulette snarled and followed up by having one of her paws be surrounded by dark vapors and slashed Mimikins with her claws, tearing another piece of the ghost type's clothing. Mimikins screamed and lashed her own claw onto Roulette, only for the Absol to block the attack with her own. After a short struggle with them pushing their claws at one another, Mimikins let go and smacked Roulette's face with her tail. Roulette yelped and took deep breaths, as a large bruise appeared where she was hit. Like last time, the Mimikyu recoiled and cried in distress. Realizing the totem Pokémon was close to collapsing, Grimsley grinned and stretched out his arm dramatically.
"Finish this right now!"
His Pokémon barked and rushed at Mimikins with a high burst of speed. She slammed onto the Mimikyu, her scythe going through Mimikins' clothing. Mimikins gave out strangled noises and crashed on the floor. When her opponent didn't get up, Roulette winced but grinned and held her chin high. Grimsley wiped his forehead and sighed in relief.
"You and Raz are marvelous," he told his Pokémon, scratching her chin. Roulette gave a joyful bark and rubbed her cheek against his hand.
After he finished petting her, Grimsley noticed that Mimikins wasn't in the room anymore. He assumed she vanished like any other ghost Pokémon, so he grunted and mentioned to Roulette that he would heal her and Raz back in Aether House. He returned Roulette in her pokéball and left the room.
Still inside the abandoned supermarket, Grimsley had tried to find Becky and Acerola the last few minutes. Fortunately they caught him first near the store's exit.
"There you are!" Acerola yelled as she and Becky rushed at him. "After dealing with the ghost Pokémon, we tried to find you."
"Well I managed to find the Murkrow and got my ring back. After that, I stumbled upon Mimikins and she wanted me to battle her."
Acerola's mouth dropped and her hand close to her face. "Really? Oh dear, I could've prevented that from happening!"
"You're right that she's a tough foe, but the battle was a good experience as to how your region's trials work. Now that I have my ring back, it's time that we leave this wretched pl-"
Before Grimsley could finish, he screamed when Mimikins reappeared behind the ladies. Becky jumped while Acerola giggled.
"Hi, Mimikins!" Acerola greeted, waving at her. "How are you doing?"
Mimikins made clicking noises while swinging back and forth. Acerola grinned and nodded.
"Oh, you mean Grimsley? He just told me you two had a battle!"
Grimsley shot Acerola a funny look. "You can understand what she's saying?"
Acerola nodded. "I can talk to ghost Pokemon since I was little. My father and many of my ancestors were able to also."
"Really? Huh, sounds like the royal family is more interesting than I anticipated."
"Acerola talks about Mimikins a lot, but this is the first time I'm seeing her myself," Becky said.
Mimikins continued to sway back and forth. When she hissed once more, Acerola listened what she was saying and she gasped.
"Mimikins wants to give you something before you leave."
Before he could respond, Mimikins approached him and dropped a small crystal on his palm. He and Becky shared baffled looks.
"Is this a Z-crystal?"
Acerola beamed and nodded. "A Ghostium-Z to be specific!"
With a small frown, Grimsley shook his head. "I can't have this. I'm not taking part in the island challenge."
Mimikins spoke again, and he waited until Acerola translated it for him.
"Mimikins says you're a nice change from the kids she has battled, and wants to give it to you as a thanks!"
Like how gym leaders would give badges to the winning trainers taking the Pokémon League, Grimsley believed the Z-crystal should be given to the trainers participating in the island challenge. On the other hand, this was a good opportunity to try out Z-moves and perhaps have Nanu take him seriously and battle him. He would keep it for now, maybe give it to Shauntal as a souvenir like he promised her. He gave Acerola a firm nod.
"All right, I'll accept this," he said, and that made Acerola cheer. Grimsley slipped the crystal inside his kimono. "Since I have a Z-crystal, you think this will convince Nanu to battle me?"
"Maybe! We should go show it to him right now!" Acerola faced Mimikins and patted her. "My friends and I have to leave now, but I'll come back to see you soon!"
Mimikins sounded upset at first, but then she nuzzled herself against Acerola, causing her to giggle.
"Congratulations on getting it!" Becky said to Grimsley, grinning. He smiled back.
The large Mimikyu waved goodbye to everyone with her shadowy claw. Everyone did the same to her, and they left the store.
Outside the sunlight hit Grimsley's eyes and face, but he was grateful for that after being stuck inside for a while. As they headed back to the jeep, he thought about those posters in the backroom and it bothered him once more.
"Say Acerola, do you know anything about Mimikins having posters of Pikachu?"
Both Becky and Acerola stopped and they gave him odd looks.
"Huh? What you mean?" Acerola asked.
"The ones in the backdoor. There were many posters of that Pokémon on the wall."
"That's not possible, because there isn't another room on the back of the store!" Acerola beamed at Grimsley, her hands on her hips. "For a dark type trainer, you've to come up with something better than that!"
"Maybe one of the ghost Pokémon created that backdoor," Becky said, though she didn't sound too sure herself.
"I know there are Pokémon that could pull off small illusions, but a whole room sounds a bit of a stretch," Acerola said. Right after, she shivered. "Brrr, I feel like I'm getting chicken skin. Let's hurry up to the jeep and get back home!"
Acerola walked a few steps ahead of them with he and Becky followed suit. Grimsley gave the building one last look and winced. The sooner they leave, the better.
xxx
As he got older Nanu hated babysitting more and more. He didn't mind watching over Acerola when she was younger, annoying as she was, but any other children and his head would explode. And this afternoon he was stuck watching over the two Aether House rascals.
"Can we play with your cat?" Gracie asked. She leaned closer toward Nanu, who was sitting on the couch.
"For the fourth time, no." Nanu rested his elbow on the armchair, his palm pressing his cheek. Persian was curled up on the floor and glanced up for a second. "Now let me and Persian get back to our naps."
"I'll only just pet her a little bit!" Hunter said. Before Nanu could respond, the boy dropped on his knees and cupped Persian's cheeks. Gracie too approached her by giving her a tight hug. The feline growled uncomfortably.
"Hey, stop that!" Nanu already got up and pulled his Pokemon away from the children. Persian glared at them. "How many times did I have to tell you? Her head is not a toy!"
"Aw, but her fur is soft and face is fluffy!" Gracie said. Behind her, Hunter nodded in agreement.
"You kids already have Pokemon you're taking care of. You should know better than to do that to ones not your own."
Both children hung their heads and their shoulders slumped. Hunter then said, "Fine we won't do it again."
"Good. Now go play somewhere else. Maybe the Oranguru there would like some company."
"You mean Headmaster? Okay!" Gracie said, and then she and Hunter ran off to the Oranguru at the receptionist desk.
Nanu sighed and rubbed his temple. He sat back down and watched as the Oranguru drummed his chest and lifted the children up onto his shoulder, much to their delight. Someone then stepped inside, and Nanu shifted his head to see Professor Kukui approaching him.
"Hey, Nanu!" Kukui said with a grin and waved at him. When he saw Nanu with the children, his eyes went wide. "Oh, did I interrupt anything?"
"Nah you didn't. I'm just babysitting these rascals right now," Nanu said, scratching the back of his head.
Gracie and Hunter noticed Kukui here, so they jumped off the Oranguru's shoulders and hurried toward the two men.
"Alola!" both Gracie and Hunter cheered. They moved their arms like a rainbow sign.
"Alola to you, too!" Kukui said and greeted the same way. "I'm Professor Kukui, a researcher from Melemele Island. And who you guys might be?"
"I'm Hunter, and she's Gracie!" Hunter said. "We both want to become trainers and take on the island challenge when we get older!"
Kukui chuckled. "That's a tough but awesome goal to strive for. I wish you the best of luck!" He dropped halfway to his knees to be at their level. "I take it you two live here?"
Both children nodded, then Gracie said, "Aether House is our home!"
Kukui glanced around for a second and whistled. "This is some fancy living space you got here, yeah! The Aether Foundation sure went all out."
Nanu rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Went all out" was an understatement. This building, the employees, the headquarters, and even the Ultra Squad he encountered a few days ago. Everything about the Aether Foundation was too white, too bright, too pristine. Maybe it was the dark-type trainer side of him talking, but he didn't like that at all.
There was a loud beastly grunt, and Nanu turned around to see the Oranguru pointing to one of the rooms. Terrified looks struck the children's faces.
"Ah oh, looks like Headmaster wants us to clean our room now," Hunter said. He faced back to Kukui and beamed. "Nice talking to you, though!"
"Same here, cousin!" Kukui said, grinning. "We can talk more next time if you like!"
The children cheerfully said goodbye to Kukui and rushed to their room. Kukui let out a blissful sigh and sat down on another couch across from Nanu.
"They seem like sweet children, yeah?"
Nanu snorted and shook his head. "You think so? Earlier they tried to play with Persian's head and that made her angry."
His Persian growled in disgust, as if responding, "Yes, that had happened." Kukui chuckled.
"Hopefully they learned to not do that next time."
"Same here." Nanu then asked, "What brings you here to this miserable place?"
"Well, first, there is construction going on over in Mount Lanakila because of the new Pokémon League being formed."
"The Pokémon League, you mean with the gym leaders and Elite Four?" Nanu asked, and Kukui nodded.
"Like that, but without the gym leaders. The island challenge will still be here, and the League will be similar to our region's kahuna gauntlet that was usually the final test." Kukui leaned back against the couch, his grin widening. "I'm rounding out our strongest trainers for the Elite Four, and so far Molyne and Olivia agreed to it! Our former Island Champion Kahili is coming here to help too, woo!"
"How about Hala? Did you ask him?"
"I did, but he declined also. He didn't want to get too distracted from his kahuna duties."
Nanu gave him a long stare. "Let me guess, you're gonna ask me if I want to join as an Elite Four. If so, then I'll have to reject your offer."
"Oh, but why?" Kukui asked, his eyes blinking in confusion.
As he rose out from the couch, Nanu crossed his arms and squeezed his eyes shut. "I had no choice in the matter when I was chosen as the kahuna of this island, so I'm not gonna let you force me into more responsibilities I'm not interested in."
Kukui regard him in silence, then he offered him a supportive smile. "Well, it's awesome that you were honest with me there. No need to worry, yeah! However, if you can think of someone who should take your place as the Elite Four, then let me know, all right? "
"Sure, I'll let you know if I think of someone," Nanu said, his lips twitching. Even if he wasn't interested in those high profile trainers, he would still choose one carefully. "Speaking of the Elite Four, not sure if you've heard but we have one visiting now."
Kukui's face lit up. "Yeah? And who might that be?"
"Grimsley from Unova's Elite Four. I recently gave him a tour to the Ruins of Abundance, and he wants me to battle him."
"Really?" Kukui grinned and chuckled. "He's a dark type trainer like you, yeah? Perhaps battling him will be a good Power Trip experience!"
Nanu cringed at that move pun and grunted. "I initially declined, but something tells me he'll keep persisting. We'll see if I later change my mind."
"Hey everyone, we're baaack!" Acerola yelled out all of a sudden. She, Becky, and Grimsley entered the lobby.
"Oh good, you guys are back," Nanu said in a bored voice. "Professor Kukui's here now."
"Alola, Professor!" Becky said. "I'm Becky, one of the employees here."
"That's great!" Kukui said, smiling. "Well nice to meet you, cousin!"
"Professor Kukui?" Acerola looked toward where Professor Kukui was and gasped. "Oh my gosh, long time no see!"
"Indeed it has, Acerola!" Kukui flashed her a wide grin. "You're as bright as always, like a Dazzling Gleam!"
"Why thank you! I always try to keep a positive attitude, especially with me being a trial captain." Acerola glanced around and asked, "Huh, where are Gracie and Hunter?"
"The Oranguru wanted them to clean their room," Nanu said and shrugged. "Guess the kids respected him enough to do just that."
"Yes, they love Headmaster very much," Becky said. "I'll go and check on them now."
As soon as Becky left, Kukui rose out from his seat and approached Grimsley. He smiled and pulled out his hand in front of him.
"And you must be Grimsley, Unova's Elite Four! Welcome to Alola, cousin!"
"An Alola to you, too," Grimsley said and shook Kukui's hand. "So you're a Pokemon Professor, hm? What's your main study?"
Kukui's grin grew larger. "I specialize in Pokémon moves! Nothing gets my blood pumping more than two Pokemon battling all out, woo!"
"Pokémon moves? My, that sounds fascinating," Grimsley said, sounding interested.
After waiting for them to finish introducing themselves, Nanu asked Grimsley, "So did you managed to get your ring back?"
"Yes, I have. I didn't have to fight against the Murkrow again for it, but the totem Mimikyu didn't want me to leave, and so I battled her."
"He did!" Acerola said and nodded. "After the battle, Mimikins gave him a Ghostium-Z as thanks!"
Nanu raised his brow, his face pulling in a shocked expression. "Hold up, that Mimikyu gave you a Z-crystal?"
Grimsley seemed hesitant at first as he glanced at Acerola, who beamed and gave him a thumbs up. He showed Nanu on his palm a small dark purple crystal that gleamed like a star. The corner of Nanu's lips twitched and he placed his hands on his sides. Kukui approached behind him and whistled.
"Well, I'll be!" Kukui said. "It's not often a Pokemon gives you a Z-crystal. Doesn't the Kommo-o totem often give them out?"
"He does, but not as often as you think. Even when using a Ride Pokémon, it's still a pain to get there." Due to the trial in Vast Poni Canyon not having a captain, Nanu was the one to make sure the trial goers didn't get eaten by the totem Pokémon or anything else that might go wrong. At least he didn't have to make the trip to Poni Island all that much.
"Since Grimsley has a Z-crystal now, perhaps that'll convince you to battle him!" Acerola said with a grin, and that made Nanu's eyes grow wide.
"What?" he asked, an edge in his voice, and glared at Grimsley. "So all of that was a ploy to battle me?"
Both Kukui and Acerola flinched upon witnessing that reaction. Grimsley didn't tense, but a frown did tug at his lips and forehead.
"I did admit to wondering about a way to battle you, but going to the Thrifty Megamart wasn't my initial plan. I genuinely just wanted to get my ring back."
Nanu continued to furrow his brow at him. A part of him wanted to yell at him to get off the island and never come back, but for some reason he didn't have the heart to do that. He dragged out a deep sigh.
"I'm still not going to battle you, but you can keep that Z-crystal. That can be a souvenir at least."
"Right, that is fair." Grimsley's voice was firm, only for him to lower his head and broke eye contact from him. Nanu already expected him to be a little disappointed there.
Acerola made a disapproved hum, but then she faced Kukui and smiled. "Oh, I wanted to ask Professor, how's the forming of the Pokémon League going?"
"It's going great, yeah! Right now I'm recruiting some folks to be the Elite Four, but Nanu here declined the offer."
Acerola gasped and she turned toward Nanu. "Really? But why?"
"This was before you guys came here, but I told Kukui that I couldn't refuse Tapu Bulu choosing me as kahuna. And I'll be darned if I'm forced into the Elite Four in because some guy asked me to."
A disappointed look crossed Acerola's features. "Aw, that's too bad. I think you would've been a great Elite Four!"
Nanu's face twisted into a grimace. That girl was always over optimistic, bless the tapus.
"Wait, you're the one establishing this region's Pokémon League?" Grimsley asked Kukui.
"That's right! I want to show the world Alolan trainers are just as great as trainers from other regions, and thought a Pokémon League is a perfect opportunity to do so. In fact, since you're from the Elite Four, I was wondering if you're up with giving me and the Elite Four a few pointers on what it's like to be in the League."
Grimsley pressed his lips and scratched his chin, looking to take his request seriously. Shortly after, he gave Kukui a small smile. "I see no harm in doing that. All right, I'll do it."
"Awesome! If you like I can show you the construction site at Mount Lanakila and introduce you to my chosen trainers."
"I would like that, thank you," Grimsley said with a nod.
Nanu folded his arms against his chest and watched their exchange. When they finished, he gazed down at Persian and scratched her cheek.
"Well, I think it's about time I head back to Po Town. The Meowth there probably finished eating the food I left them and are waiting for me."
Both Kukui and Acerola reacted normally while Grimsley gave Nanu a blank stare. His reaction there also didn't surprise him.
"Oh, okay!" Acerola said, beaming. "Thanks for taking me and Grimsley to the Ruins of Abundance! I'll come visit you again soon!"
"Indeed I appreciate you showing me that sacred place," Grimsley said with a genuine smile. "Hopefully we can meet again soon."
"You have a safe trip, yeah!" Kukui said.
Nanu turned around and did a lazy goodbye wave without facing anyone. After he and Persian stepped outside, he glanced at the building and grunted.
He felt this wouldn't be the last time he saw Grimsley.
Author's Note:
Hey guys, so this story isn't dead! Sorry for the long delay, a few reasons for that:
-During March and April I've been revising Chapters One to Four. I added/rearranged/took out a few scenes and fixed some prose too. I made udpates on what changes I did in the corresponding chapters notes if you guys are interested.
-Speaking of revising, I did like several versions of this chapter and I think the version I'm posting I'll settle for now. Maybe. Also this grew bigger than I anticipated, oops.
-Been busy working on some Tumblr fanzines! Funny story about that, I was writing one idea for it, but after it went over 4K words I scrapped it for various reasons and did another idea last minute. Shortly after that, I got accepted into another fanzine and was focusing on that too.
-Been distracted with watching playthroughs of Detroit Become Human. Also, I may or may not want to do an androids au story that features Nanu and Looker (the latter as an android)...
-Loads of real life sheinigians and other fandom commitments.
Considering how slow I've been updating lately and I'm considering some changes to stuff from the original outline, I don't know when the next one will be. I hope to not it too long a wait, though! Thanks to bobandbill for the great betaing!
Quick trivia before I leave: I have Acerola nickname the totem Mimikyu "Mimikins" as that's the name of the ghost Mimikyu in the dub version of the anime!