Author's Note: Remember when I said this would be eight chapters? Yeah, throw that out of the window. I don't have a definite chapter count since I'm trying to jammed pack less scenes/locations in one chapter haha. I'm bouncing between writing and revising Chapters 11-13 atm and I know endgame will have at least 4 or 5 chapters, so let's say 19 or 20 chapters maybe?
Speaking of which, I have Chapter 9's rough draft done. However, I'm thinking of doing April Camp Nano, and it'll depend how busy my beta will be that month. I'll still try to have it posted in mid April, but if not then May for sure.
Before we begin this chapter, want to mention Starfall Hills is from the anime. And yes, the last scene I got inspiration from the Minior episode too. Also, the nickname I gave for Kahili's Toucannon is also from the anime! This won't be the only time I'll have anime references either! Also, thanks to bobandbill for the great beta as alway!
xxx
The next morning after Grimsley packed up his things he met up with Kukui outside. Acerola and Becky were also there to see them leave.
"Our pokérides should be here any moment, yeah!" Kukui said to Grimsley. "Also I let Molayne and Kahili know that we'll be meeting up with them later."
"Will you stick around Ula'ula Island for a few more days?" Becky asked.
"Perhaps. There are still some sites on this island I haven't gotten around to yet."
"There's Lake of the Moone that's right next to Ula'ula Meadows!" Acerola said, grinning. "It has some neat history that relates to our legendary Pokémon Lunala and Solgaleo!"
Grimsley nodded and a small smile formed on his lips. "Lake of the Moone does sound lovely. I'll see about visiting there eventually."
After he finished speaking, a beastly roar was heard. Grimsley looked up to see a Skarmory and a Charizard approaching them. They soon landed on the ground and everyone gathered around them.
"Looks like our rides are here!" Kukui said. He went towards the Charizard and patted his forehead.
Already the Skarmory began pecking at his sleeve and that made Grimsley glare at her. Upon a closer look, his eyes grew wide.
"You're the same Skarmory that wanted my coin." A sharp frown crossed Grimsley's face. Skarmory squawked and flapped her wings, as if responding 'yes'.
"Seems you two are already connected!" Becky said with a chuckle.
Grimsley grunted and shook his head. He and Kukui hopped onto their ride Pokémon's backs.
"Do drop by Aether House again soon, you two!" Acerola said.
"Of course, yeah!" Kukui said. He faced his Charizard and patted the back of his neck. "All right, off to Malie City, woo!"
Kukui whistled and that caused both his and Grimsley's Pokémon to flap their wings and launch into the air. While gripping on the reins, Grimsley glanced down to see Acerola and Becky waving goodbye to them. He smiled, already considering visiting Aether House once more. He gazed at the sky as the sun began to rise and hung tight onto Skarmory, and they continued to follow alongside Kukui and Charizard toward Malie City.
xxx
The last time Grimsley was in the air he wasn't at ease. The air was slightly cooler since it was morning, and his body relaxed this time. While he and Skarmory were flying, the armored bird kept pecking at Grimsley's hair. He carefully maintained his hairstyle, so he often pushed her head away from him.
"What is it with Pokémon eating my hair and clothes?" Grimsley asked as he smoothed his air with one hand and gripped on the reins with his other.
Kukui chuckled and looked over his head. "Perhaps they're very drawn to you!"
"I seriously doubt that." Grimsley then asked, "I'm curious, how come we're not going straight to Mount Hokulani?"
"A couple reasons, cousin! A few more people had reserved our Pokémon also, so they need to be given back soon. Another reason is that some Pokémon living there are very hazardous for us to get close to, yeah!"
Grimsley's brow was raised with surprise and interest. He imagined he meant the ones that could use Explosion and similar moves.
It took a little over half an hour for Grimsley and Kukui to make it to Malie City. After they landed and said farewell to their Pokémon, they took the Exeggutor Express, a bus shaped like an Alolan Exeggutor, that was heading to Mount Hokulani.
There were a few passengers inside. One seat was occupied by a girl with her Zorua sleeping on her lap, and two more taken by a couple going to the Hokulani Observatory together. Grimsley gazed through the window to see the tall grass and trees of Route 10 passing by like a rushing Ponyta. He sat next to Kukui, who was looking across another pair of seats to see through the other window.
"Say Professor Kukui, can you tell me a bit more about the trainers you've chosen for the Elite Four?" he asked, and that caught Kukui's attention.
"Sure! I first asked Olivia, who is the kahuna of Akala Island and specializes in rock types. You won't meet her today, though, as she's busy with her kahuna duties at the moment. Kahili, meanwhile, was a former island champion and trains flying Pokémon. She's also a professional golfer, so she's been all over the world, yeah! Then there's Molayne, who heads the Hokulani Observatory and a very good friend of mine. He favors steel types."
"They sound like amazing trainers." Grimsley glanced around for a second and then said, "Nanu mentioned you asking him to join the Elite Four but he refused. I take it you're still trying to find your fourth member?"
Kukui nodded and he leaned back against his seat. "Nanu told me if he finds someone that he would let me know." He paused when a chuckle left him. "He's not wrong that being an Elite Four has its responsibilities."
Grimsley hummed in agreement, and he went back looking through the window. The scenery in front of him changed from the lush grass and trees to more barren land similar to Route 12. There was a steep drop below, and he realized that they were now driving up to the summit. He caught sight of a few Pokémon that looked like stars floating around. They were in different colors: purple, pink, and orange.
"Do you know what those Pokémon are?" Grimsley asked, pointing at the Pokémon. When Kukui noticed them, he grinned.
"Those are Minior! They often fall from the sky like shooting stars and hang out around Starfall Hills. Molayne does extensive research on those Pokémon, he can tell you more about them if you like."
"I think I would like that," Grimsley said with a small smile. He continued gazing out of the window.
When the bus reached the top of Mount Hokulani, it stopped in front of the observatory and everyone jumped off. Hokulani Observatory was a large facility with stainless glass and geometric architecture. A satellite dish settled on the left side of the roof and a round telescope was on the right. The other passengers had already went inside.
Grimsley stayed where he was while Kukui talked with a man in a polo shirt. A cold breeze drifted by and made him shudder. He rubbed his arms slightly. Small patches of snow were scattered on the ground.
"One of Molayne's colleagues says he and Kahili will be with us in a moment," Kukui said when he returned to him.
"I don't mind waiting." Grimsley turned around to see another mountain covered in snow a far distance from him. "Is that Mount Lanakila?"
"It is, yeah!" Kukui said, grinning. "The Pokémon League will be at the top of the summit. Before trainers would go to that mountain for their final trial and have to beat the four kahunas in a row. Now instead trainers will go against the Elite Four that best represents Alola, woo!"
Grimsley hummed out of interest and gave a single nod. "Say, Professor Kukui, you mentioned the reason for creating the Pokémon League is to show the world how great the trainers from Alola are. Was there any incident that inspired you to go ahead with that ambitious undertaking?"
A nostalgic expression stretched across Kukui's face. "A while back I traveled through Kanto and challenged the Indigo League. Came out a little short, but the experience left a lasting impact to this day."
"That's very impressive. Was it tough getting all this set up?" he asked, and Kukui responded with a laugh.
"Of course, cousin! It took me years to prepare the league plans and have the Pokémon League Association approve them." The grin on Kukui's face disappeared and he sighed. "Had to convince the big wigs to let me keep the island challenge format."
Grimsley knew what Kukui was talking about. In order for the region to form a league there had to be a gym bracket system or something similar in place, and enough trainers to be interested in participating. Most regions settled for the eight gym badges system, but there were some like the Orange Islands where you would only need four. Grimsley imagined how much of a headache it must be for him to handle all this. He offered him an empathetic smile.
"At least you're close to having it up and running now."
Kukui beamed and raised his fist in the air. "Indeed and I'm pumped for it, woo!"
His smile widening, Grimsley admired the man's enthusiasm there. He and Kukui gazed at Mount Lanakila for another minute or so until someone's voice brought their attention.
"Sorry for the wait! Was in a research meeting."
Grimsley looked over his shoulder to see a tall man with glasses approaching them. He had dirty blonde hair that was fluffy but well kept, and a soft looking face. His clothes were wrinkled and slightly oversized for him. When he greeted them with a warm smile, Grimsley's heart almost skipped a beat.
He was very, very handsome. And he couldn't tear his gaze off from him.
"Not a trouble at all, cousin!" Kukui's voice pulled Grimsley away from his dazed gaze. He greeted Molayne with a tight embrace and a pat on his shoulder. After they let go, the professor pointed at Grimsley for him. "Molayne, this is Grimsley from the Unova League. He agreed to give us a few pointers on what it's like to be in the Elite Four!"
"A pleasure to meet you." Grimsley and Molayne shook hands. "Professor Kukui told me that you're the head of the Hokulani Observatory and that you train steel types."
"Indeed on both accounts. I'm very passionate about everything there is to know about space and beyond. As for me training steel types, Kukui and I did the island challenge together and then I became a trial captain not long after."
"Molayne doesn't want to admit it, but he's an awesome trainer! One time we went against a totem Sandslash, and he used his Dugtrio and Metang to trap him like a Rock Tomb!" Kukui jabbed Molayne's shoulder with his elbow, which made him chuckle and rub the back of his head.
"What I did back then isn't anything special. I just needed to find a way for him to lose momentum! Anyways, Kahili is inside with Sophocles, let's go." Molayne gestured his hand for everyone to follow him inside, which they did.
Upon entering the observatory's main lobby, Grimsley glanced around with keen interest. The ceiling had stars and planets painted all over while the floors pulsed in blue light. Several television screens were attached on the walls, each one showcasing space and science trivia.
The couple from the bus earlier were talking to the man in the receptionist desk, and next to it there was a large stand with brochures about the observatory. Near the end of the corner there was a woman and a young boy with several bug-like Pokémon that shaped like batteries.
"Wow, so you take care all of these Charjabug? the woman asked, dropping to her knees to have a closer look at them.
"Ah huh! Big Mo says they can eat several pounds of food a day. They need that much to store large amounts of electricity!"
"They look to be very strong, but my flying Pokémon can handle them." A smug look crossed her face, and the boy laughed.
"Hey! Once these Charjabug evolve into Vikavolt you'll be sorry!" When the boy noticed Molayne and Kukui, he beamed. "Big Mo! And Alola, Professor Kukui!"
"Alola to you too, Sophocles!" Kukui said, grinning.
Molayne waved and said, "I hope I'm not disrupting anything."
"Nah, I was just talking to Kahili about how great our Charjabug are!"
"I didn't realize how important the Charjabug here are," she said.
"Yes, they helped out a lot with our research and Soffy's trial." Molayne faced Grimsley and said, "Oh Grimsley, this is Kahili, and my cousin, Sophocles."
"Nice to meet the both of you," Grimsley said, a small smile tugging on his lips.
"Kukui told us that you're from Unova," Kahili said, hands on her sides. "I've been there several times for my golf tournaments. The country club in Castelia City is very nice."
"Indeed it is. My family and I were invited there numerous occasions. I never cared all that much about that sport, but my late father enjoyed it."
A sad smile crossed Kahili's face. "Sorry to hear that about your father, but glad to hear someone else appreciates it."
Grimsley grunted in gratitude and turned to Sophocles. "And you're one of the trial captains here, correct?"
"Ah huh! I give out the Electrium-Z to trainers who pass my trial! Originally I had trainers answer a series of audio questions, but that caused the observatory to black out a few times, eh heh," Sophocles said with a sheepish laugh.
Molayne nodded. "His new trial now has trainers solve a puzzle where they rotate the Charjabug until they form a line. Once that's done, the totem Pokémon appears."
"Well I'm sure your new trial will work great!" Kukui said. A Charjabug tugged at his lab coat and he looked down. "Hi there, little fella. Is there something you needed?"
Another Charjabug started chewing on Grimsley's scarf, which caused him to yelp and pull it away from the Pokémon. "What is it with Pokémon wanting to eat my scarves?"
"Looks like it's time to feed them!" Sophocles chuckled as a third Charjabug chewed on his pants.
"Hey, get off my golf club!" Kahili screamed as she tried to wiggle the fourth Charjabug off her golf club. "You're not joking when you said they eat a lot."
"Why don't we go outside and feed them while Grimsley talks to us more about the Pokémon League?" Molayne asked.
"Sounds good to me," Grimsley said while straightening his scarf. Molayne, Kukui, and Sophocles gathered all the Charjabug and then they headed out.
Xxx
Grimsley and the others stopped at a large hill just below the observatory, Starfall Hills. There was a big open space for the Charjabug to roam around and eat the grass. He sat down with one of the Charjabug on his lap, feeding her the pokepuffs Molayne had handed him.
"So Grimsley, I already told you how I went through the Indigo League before. How did you get your start in Unova's Pokémon League?" Kukui asked. He, Sophocles, and Molayne were also giving food to the other Charjabug.
"It happened not long after I finished my journey through Unova. Back then my mother and I were in a dire financial situation, so I took up gambling to make ends meet. As luck would have it, Alder, our region's former Champion, thought I had potential as an Elite Four and invited me to be one of its members." Grimsley gave a sad smile. He gazed down at the Charjabug, who wiggled and made clicking noises. "I wasn't sure if I could handle it at first, but I took the risk and glad I did."
"What sort of responsibilities does an Elite Four have?" Kahili asked.
"Well there's accepting challengers that went through the Unova League Conference. On occasion we also have a hand in important league decisions, like appointing or demoting gym leaders, and organizing a variety of competitions. We can even adjust rules for different types of battles like triple and rotation battles."
"Fair enough." Kahili approached Grimsley's Charjabug and scratched her chin. The Charjabug bobbed her head, as if enjoying it. "I take it the Elite Four does a lot of training just so their battling skills doesn't go stale? For me it's important to train both as a golfer and a trainer, even just a little bit."
"Of course. There are various training facilities in Unova for us to use, including the ones in the League's headquarters."
"Since Unova's Elite Four are involved with who gets to be a gym leader, do they act as a mentor to them, too?" Molayne asked after he finished feeding his Charjabug and picked her up.
"I guess you can say that. Sometimes we would visit a gym and offer advice to the gym leaders on how they can improve."
"Gyms? They're like kahunas in which they specialize in a type, right, Big Mo?" Sophocles asked. The Charjabug he had fed continued to chew on his shoe.
Molayne nodded. "Kukui mentioned those when he told me of his travels in Kanto. You battle them, and if you win you get what's called a badge."
"I never battled in a gym, but I've heard of gym leaders while going to golf tournaments," Kahili said. "I've even met a few of them."
"Believe me when I say the gym leaders in Kanto are tough as an Iron Tail!" Kukui said with a chuckle. Kahili groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Sounds awesome! I'll have to look into them more later."
"You definitely should!" Kukui paused, then said, "Because Alola will be using the island challenge instead of gyms, it'll work out a bit differently. We already have the tapus choosing the kahunas and them choosing the trial captains. The Elite Four can make sure the trials themselves are safe, and provide the islands any resources they needed, yeah!"
"Kukui and I have been talking back and forth on how to put this all together, and I think our trainers will like what they see."
A large grin stretched across Kukui's face, and he faced Grimsley. "Here's something that could be fun, Grimsley. Why don't you do a couple quick battles with Molayne and Kahili? Assess how well they're prepared as Elite Four!"
While Grimsley thought over Kukui's idea, the Charjabug squealed and jumped off his lap. He looked over his shoulder to see her playing with two other Charjabug. He faced back at Kukui and said, "I see no harm in doing that."
"Me neither," Kahili said. "My Pokémon and I haven't done any training yet!"
"It'll be fun to battle against an Elite Four just to see what it's like to be one," Molayne said. "Soffy, can you help me gather the Charjabug first?"
"Sure, Big Mo!" Sophocles picked up the Charjabug next to him, then he and Molayne began getting the Charjabug together.
It was a few moments until the Charjabug were lined up. Each one nodded and cheered, happy to be fed. Grimsley and Molayne stood in opposite sides while Kukui, Kahili, and Sophocles moved to where the Charjabug were and watched.
"Kukui said that you're into steel types, so I think I'll start off with Queen!"
Grimsley grabbed his pokéball and released Queen. The Bisharp crossed her arms and closed her eyes, as if meditating. Molayne straightened his glasses and let out an impressed smile.
"A Bisharp, huh? In that case, I'll show off mine, too. Mars, make your mark!"
Molayne pulled his pokéball out from his jacket and let out his own Bisharp. Mars stomped on his right foot and thrust his arm forward. When Queen noticed him, she jerked her head back and stared at him.
"Oh wow, two Bisharp? This will be fun," Kahili said, raising a brow in interest.
"Grimsley's Bisharp looks great, but Mars can defeat her easily!" Sophocles said with a confident grin and his chin raised.
Molayne chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Happy to hear you have that much confidence in me. All right then, I won't disappoint you." He looked back at Mars, his face now more serious. "Dual Chop, let's go!"
Mars's arms glowed dark green and he rushed at Queen. He struck her twice and left deep cuts, one on her shoulder and another on her leg. Queen winced at the pain on her shoulder and glared at him. With a smile, Grimsley grunted.
"Starting out strong, huh?" He snapped his fingers, which caused Queen to look at him. "We'll strike back hard ourselves then!"
Queen nodded, and her forehead lit up. She rammed onto Mars and their bodies collided. Mars fell on the ground, but he picked himself up quickly and stood up straight.
"Nice job. Do Sucker Punch next!"
"Double Team!"
Just as Queen began charging towards him, Mars made several illusions of himself. She punched at one of them, but her fist went through him and he disappeared. She tried another, only for it to be a clone, too. Eventually the real Mars went behind her and did a low kick on her legs, which made her fall down. After getting up, Queen did an uppercut onto Mars' face and had him stumbled backwards like someone who was dizzy.
"Shake it off and then use Night Slash!" Molayne ordered, his voice stronger than Grimsley had heard of him.
Hearing Molayne's voice led Mars to get back to his senses. His arms glowed black and he ran towards Queen. Grimsley yelled for her to stay alert, which she did by having her own arm light up in a lighter green aura and blocked her opponent's assault. The two Bisharp exchanged blows like fencers, sparks flying whenever their blades touched. Everyone on the sidelines was mesmerized by that sight.
"Go Mars, go!" Sophocles cheered, his arms in the air. Next to him several of the Charjabug jumped and squealed in joy.
While Mars and Queen continued attacking one another, Grimsley knew their little dance wouldn't last forever. He snapped his fingers and said, "That's enough, Queen! Switch gears now!"
After their blades crossed one last time, Queen kicked Mars to force him to move backwards. Her arms still glowing, she charged straight at her opponent.
"Distract her and then make your move!" Molayne called out.
Just as Queen was speeding off, Mars took a deep breath and let out an ear piercing scream. That made his opponent stop and cover her ears. Grimsley and everyone on the sidelines grimaced over the noise. He noticed Mars' arms glowed dark green, and knew the other Bisharp was going for another Dual Chop. Grimsley already figured what to do next.
"Stop him to a screeching halt!"
Before Mars could get close to her, a wave of electricity formed around Queen's arm and she swung her arm at his direction. The blast went straight at Mars and caused him to drop on one knee and winced.
"By using Thunder Wave, this gives Queen an advantage over Mars now," Kukui said as his finger tapped at his chin.
"Oh no, that's not good!" Sophocles said, frowning.
A confident grin stretched across Grimsley's face. "We have the upper hand now, Queen. X-Scissor!"
Queen gave her trainer a nod, crossed her arms, and her blades lit up light green.
Molayne furrowed his brow. "Night Slash!"
Mars picked himself up and raised his arm, but he twitched and struggled to move further. Queen meanwhile easily slashed his back and left a deep cut there.
"Night Slash once more!" Molayne yelled urgently.
"Stop him for good!" Grimsley countered.
Mars was still grimacing from his paralysis, but his arms glowed black and he bolted off. He thrust his blade at Queen's face, but she dodged, twirled around, and punched his stomach. Her opponent screeched and collapsed on the ground.
Queen stared down at him and she stood there heaving. Several seconds after, Mars regained consciousness and raised his hand at her. She smiled and helped him up, supporting him by having his right arm slung around her shoulders. On the sidelines, everyone clapped and all the Charjabug cheered.
"The both of you were on fire there, woo!" Kukui said with a whistle. Next to him, Kahili nodded.
"You did great Big Mo, even if you didn't win!" Sophocles said.
Molayne offered him an appreciative smile. "Thanks. Grimsley is the far better trainer there."
"Now don't sell yourself short," Grimsley said. "Tricking Queen with the Double Team and distracting her with Metal Sound are clever ideas. Mars likes to be reckless, which has its ups and downs."
"Yeah, I recall that's a common trait for Pawniard and Bisharp due to their aggressive nature." Molayne approached Mars and patted him on the shoulder. "I remember the first time I trained him he was very stubborn."
"Queen was the same way. My parents were shocked when I showed her to them and asked if I can have her!" Grimsley gazed up at Queen and had his palm rested on her chest.
"Your battle with Molayne is impressive, but it's my turn now," Kahili said as she stepped forward to Molayne's spot.
"Of course." Molayne returned Mars and stepped away to join with Kukui and Sophocles on the sidelines.
"You were splendid there Queen, I'll let you get some rest." Grimsley also returned his Pokémon into her pokéball and pulled out another. This time he released Dice, who lifted his head up and pulled up his shed skin.
"First time I've seen a Scrafty in a while. Now it's Katsuo's time to shine!"
Kahili tossed her pokéball and burst of light popped out. A Toucannon flapped his wings and squawked. Grimsley immediately thought of Roland's Toucannon he had saved from Team Skull some days ago. He grinned at her.
"I've met a trainer with that Pokémon when I first landed this region. It'll be interesting how strong yours is. All right Dice, let's hit hard with Ice Punch!"
"Brick Break!"
Dice charged at Katsuo, his fist forming a blue aura. He punch him on the face, which led Katsuo to screech in pain. Some shards of ice appeared where the Toucannon was hit, but he shook those off. He retaliated by having his beak glow white and executed a swift chop on his opponent's forehead. That made Dice crash on the ground.
"Hurry before that Scrafty gets up!"
After chirping in response, Katsuo took off into the air and began spinning like a drill. Dice barely got up when Katsuo's beak stabbed his chest, leaving a small wound there. As soon as Katsuo backed away, Dice picked himself up and let out deep breaths.
"Wow, Kahili's already having a great start!" Sophocles said in awe. Next to him Kukui folded his arms and grinned, just as interested.
Molayne hummed in agreement. "There's a reason why she's a former island champion."
The corner of Grimsley's mouth twitched, but he knew this was only the start of the battle. "Go all out with a hard kick!"
"Warm up your beak while he's in the air!"
Dice pulled up his shredded skin and jumped up high in the air. While waiting, Katsuo flapped his wings wildly and his beak glowed orange. Right after, Dice dived down and kicked Katsuo's face and made him stumble. Dice lifted his chin and a proud grin was on his face, only for him to wince when small flames burst on his leg. At that instant, Katsuo rammed onto Dice and he fell.
Grimsley's eyes grew wide with confusion. "What was that?"
"Beak Blast burns the opponent making contact with Katsuo," Kahili said in a smug voice, one hand on her side. "Liked what you see?"
Grimsley glared at her and gritted his teeth. "Not a bad choice at all, to say the least."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Drill Peck one more time!" Kahili whistled and Katsuo flew up in the air once more.
"Move and then strike with Dragon Claw!"
Katsuo spun himself like last time, but before he landed Dice rolled out of the way. Katsuo's beak got stuck on the ground, and he struggled to pull out. Green flames that turned into claws formed around Dice's fist, and he slashed him. Katsuo squawked and backed away, a large cut visible on his chest. As both Pokémon stared at one another, flames licked Dice's leg again and he dropped on one knee.
"Looks like your foe's getting tired already, Katsuo." She lifted her arm up, showing off her Z-bracelet on her wrist. A silver crystal was attached to the slot. "The winds are in our favor now, so let's finish this. Supersonic Skystrike!"
Grimsley grimaced when he heard that. Kahili started her dance, her movements fluid and graceful as a Swanna taking the skies. Her pose ended with her stretching her arms like wings, and then both her bracelet and Katsuo lit up with a golden aura. Katsuo launched himself in the air like a rocket, farther than the last few times he took flight. A blast of hot air hit Grimsley and everyone else, causing their clothes to flap.
"Counter it now!" Grimsley said in desperation.
Dice still winced from his burns, but he pulled his shedded skin up and jumped up high with his right leg stretched out. Katsuo began diving at an incredible speed, and the two crashed onto each other. An explosion occurred, the smoke obscuring them a brief moment. When the battlefield was cleared, Dice fainted on the ground while Katsuo was still in the air.
"Dice!" Grimsley rushed to his Pokémon and put his head on his lap. "Are you all right?"
With a weak groan, Dice gazed up at Grimsley and gave him a thumbs up. Grimsley sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness. You did great out there."
He returned Dice, picked himself up, and stared at the sky with a hard frown. Right now he was nothing more than the one who lost his light... But this loss would make him shine even brighter next time. He gazed down at Dice's pokéball that he was still holding, and he smiled a little.
"When one loses, they lose everything. The next thing I'll look for will be victory, too!" He approached Kahili and stretched out his hand to her. "That was a good match."
"Same here." Kahili accepted the handshake. "Your Scrafty is very energetic there."
"I can say the same with your Toucannon. So Supersonic Skystrike, I take it that's the flying type z-move?"
"It is. I got the flyinium-z after going against a totem Pokémon in Poni Island." Kahili turned to her Toucannon and scratched his chin. Katsuo relaxed by her touch. "That other Toucannon was much bigger than him, but Katsuo pulled through."
"That's a lovely little tale there." Grimsley paused, his face more serious now. "You mastering that z-move alone shows you're more than capable of being the Elite Four also."
"What did I tell you?" I picked the best of the best, yeah!" Kukui said, beaming.
Grimsley smiled in response. He shifted his gaze to see Sophocles frowning and his head down. Molayne noticed it, too.
"Is something the matter, Soffy?" his cousin asked, dropping on one knee and touching his shoulder.
"I know that you'll be helping Professor Kukui with the League, but what if you have to be away longer than expected?" A few tears streamed down Sophocles' cheeks and he sniffled. Two of the Charjabug began rubbing onto his legs to comfort him. "When Grimsley talked about being in the Elite Four, it sounds like it's much more work than I thought."
Grimsley's heart sank. He could tell Sophocles cared for his cousin very much and the thought of them separating devastated the boy.
"It's true that Molayne will be busy with the League, but he'll still help out with the observatory!" Kukui said, a reassuring grin on his face. "When it's time for him to go, give him one last smile, yeah!"
"He's right," Molayne said with a similar expression. "Researching space is still my passion that I won't give up anytime soon. I won't leave forever."
Sophocles regarded the men's words a moment, and he put on a determined expression on his face. "I'll watch over the observatory while you're gone. I can handle this, I'm a tough kid!"
"Now that's what I like to hear!" Molayne chuckled, and he and Sophocles embraced.
A soft smile crossed Kahili's face. "You were excited when you talked to me about the observatory. I'm sure you'll do great.
While Grimsley was also touched by Molyane and Sophocles' affection there, he felt bad for causing this in the first place. He approached Sophocles and cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry if me talking about the Elite Four upsets you."
Sophocles looked up with a confused brow, and then he beamed. "Nah, don't worry about it. I may be upset, but I'm really happy for Big Mo doing this!"
"Well I'm glad to hear that." Grimsley offered him a warm smile.
"It's a little past 1pm now," Molayne said. "Why don't we head to the Pokémon Center and eat while our Pokémon get healed?"
"Sounds like a plan!" Kukui said. Grimsley and Kahili also responded that they were fine with that.
"Great! Sophocles and I need to take the Charjabug inside the observatory first, so we'll meet you guys right after." Molayne turned to face the Pokémon. "You all ready to go?"
All the Charjabug responded by making clicking noises and bouncing. Both Molyane and Sophocles chuckled.
Everyone headed back to the observatory, taking the uphill trail there. While walking, Grimsley thought back to his battle with Kahili and the z-moves Acerola and Kukui had demonstrated. That proved to him that Alolan trainers were a force to be reckoned with. That made him wonder how Nanu's z-move would look like in battle.
"Professor Kukui, you think Nanu will use his z-move if we ever go against each other?" he asked him, and Kukui looked over his shoulder with a raised brow.
"Hm? Why you asked?"
"Seeing you, Acerola, and Kahili's z-moves made me want to battle him even more."
Kukui laughed. "Feeling inspired, yeah? To answer your question, yes I believe so. He's even more experienced with z-moves than us!"
"Then I'll just work harder to convince him, then." Grimsley made a sharp frown. The odds of that happening were less than him winning a cards game, but that wouldn't stop him from attempting that.
Xxx
Mount Hokulani's Pokémon Center had some people inside already. Molayne had given Mars' pokéball to Kukui so that he could take it to Nurse Joy while he and Sophocles took the Charjabug back in the observatory. When the professor mentioned that the pokéball was his friend's, she grinned and happily accepted it. Grimsley and Kahili also lent their Pokémon to her and she said they would be ready very soon.
The three waited until Molayne and Sophocles arrived before beginning lunch. Everyone gathered around a small table in the food court area eating sandwiches. During their meal Grimsley got to know Kahili and Molayne better. Kahili's father owned one of the hotel resorts in Akala Island and she often went there to train. Her passion for golf got started when she met with one of the golfers visiting the resort and she begged for her to be her mentor. Molayne not only was the head of the observatory but also the administrator of Alola's Pokémon Storage System, which impressed Grimsley very much.
"Since you're maintaining this region's Pokémon Storage System, I take it you know Amanita from Unova, Professor Fennel's sister?" Grimsley asked before taking a bite of his food.
"Yes, I have. I visited there several times for conferences and sometimes we would meet up. We still keep in touch on occasion."
"I talked to her once or twice before, and I was surprised she was only a few years older than me!" Sophocles said while chewing his food. After swallowing, he drank his soda. "She knows a lot about computers, more than me!"
"I remember when Molayne first began this project he would call me and panic whenever the storage wasn't working," Kukui said in between bites. "Very happy it's a huge success in the end, yeah!"
Grimsley took a sip of his drink, then asked, "Since you'll be in the Elite Four soon, will it be tough balancing your league duties along with the other stuff you're doing?"
"It's true I'm having my plate full, but I'm certain that I can manage. The Pokémon storage itself I only needed to keep up maintenance once in a while."
"I too will be balancing between the Pokémon League and golf, but I'm used to training a lot so it works out." Kahili stole a glance at Kukui. "Besides, Kukui wouldn't stop asking me unless I said yes."
Kukui let out a large laugh. "I thought having you on board would be great! But yeah, I'm glad that both you and Molayne agreed to do this!"
After eating another piece of his sandwich, Grimsley wiped his mouth and smiled. "The league is shaping up to be marvelous right now. I wish all of you the best of luck."
Both Molayne and Kahili gave him appreciative smiles.
"Thank you, we'll do our very best!" Molayne said.
The next minute or so everyone was finishing up eating their meals. Grimsley looked up at the television screen on the wall, which was broadcasting the news. It showed a man reporting the weather, the next five days sunny, then he let one of the other reporters take over.
"Earlier today Aether Foundation President Lusamine Jubert held a press conference over at the organization's headquarters in Aether Paradise. She was joined by Vice Chief Wicke Santana and Aether Branch Chief Faba Leroy."
The screen cuts to the press conference. One blonde lady in fashionable clothing was behind the podium. Besides her was another woman with glasses who also dressed nicely and a green haired man wearing goggles and in a lab coat. Grimsley couldn't stop staring at the light haired woman.
"As you know, on occasion there have been sightings of Ultra Wormholes, a wormhole that connects to different worlds, in the skies," the Aether president said as several people flashed their cameras at her. "Legends say that fearsome Pokémon, the Ultra Beasts, would come out from those wormholes. And today, I have proof of that legend to be true."
"President Lusamine then proceeds to show security footage from the conservatory. A wormhole appears with an unknown species of Pokémon coming out from there. That led one of the trainers visiting there to battle it," the reporter said as video footage of that event was seen.
There was a trainer and her Pokémon, a sea lion creature in frills, going against another Pokémon that resembled a light blue jellyfish and a golden aura surrounding it. Both Pokémon exchanged a series of poison and water attacks that collided with one another in brilliant sparks and explosions. While watching that footage, Grimsley raised an eyebrow at the mysterious Pokémon's appearance and thought he had recognized that trainer before. Kukui stood up and slammed his palms on the table.
"That's Selene!" Kukui yelled, pointing at the screen.
"Isn't that the trainer you told me that met with Tapu Koko?" Molayne asked.
"Yeah! I let her and Hau go on a tour to Aether Paradise. I didn't think they would encounter an Ultra Beast there." When Kukui finished, the screen changed back to Lusamine and her co-chiefs.
"With the appearance of that Ultra Beast, I'm certain there are more of those out there from other dimensions. My organization and I will do in our every power to protect the citizens of Alola from these threats!" Lusamine said with brimming eyes and her arms stretched out, then the screen went back to the reporter.
"The Aether Foundation have advised that if you do see an Ultra Beast or Ultra Wormhole that you stay a safe distance from them as much as possible. Back to you, Kerry," the reporter finished.
"Ultra Beasts? Does that mean Alola is in danger?" one of the trainers inside asked.
"I really like Aether, but can they really protect us?" another trainer asked.
Everyone that watched the news began talking in tense voices. Grimsley knitted his brow and stroked his chin.
"Everyone's getting worried after that news," Kahili said.
"Understandable since we're dealing with beings from other dimensions," Molayne said. A small smile pulled on his lips. "I'm sure though the Aether Foundation will make sure we're safe."
"I hope you're right, Big Mo." Sophocles hung his head down and frowned.
Kukui leaned towards Grimsley and told him in a low voice, "I promised that I would give you my wife's research on Ultra Wormholes. I brought these with me before we left." He pushed forward a small booklet towards him, and Grimsley quickly flipped through the pages. There were several graphs and pictures that he didn't look too closely at, but he had no doubt this was well researched.
"All right, I'll read them fairly soon," Grimsley said with a firm nod and put the booklet away. The more the Ultra Beasts were brought up, the more he couldn't stop thinking about them.
There was a short silence from everyone. Molayne was checking through his tablet and he gasped.
"Oh I almost forgot! Tonight is the Minior shower!"
"Minior shower?" Grimsley asked, staring at him in confusion.
Sophocles beamed and said, "Every so often the Minior fall like meteor showers! They mostly drop in Starfall Hills where we can see them up close!"
"I remember seeing them the first time during my island trials," Kahili said, a soft smile on her lips. "There were so many of them in different colors, I couldn't stop looking at them."
"Like candies in the sky!"
"I talked to you about Minior earlier today," Kukui said. "Why don't you stick around here a while longer and watch with us?"
"While we wait, I can give you the tour of the observatory," Molayne said. "We have some of the most cutting edge technology here."
"That does sound lovely, and a great way to take our minds off from that news broadcast. All right, I'll stay." This would be a great way to relax, and Grimsley was here for a vacation. Downtime it is.
Xxx
When it was sunset, everyone returned back to Starfall Hills. The skies quickly turned dark and stars began to pop up. The air grew colder than earlier in the afternoon, everyone's breath becoming visible.
Kahili and Molayne let out Katsuo and Mars respectively, and so Grimsley released Dice and Queen. Queen and Mars did a series of friendly spars while Katsuo soared in the air. Dice played with Sophocles' Togedemaru, Gigi, the two often rolling on the grass to see who would get to the bottom first. Grimsley lay down with his arms behind his head, the grass tickling his cheeks and hands.
"I really enjoyed the tour of the observatory, Molayne," Grimsley told him. "Sophocles's trial was neat, and that telescope was fascinating to look through."
"Your totem Togedemaru is cute, but boy does she packed quite a lot of electricity," Kahili said as she rubbed her hand. "I can still feel that shock from her."
"Same here. Not to mention her fur is hard as steel," Grimsley said while picking himself back up.
Earlier today Molayne had taken everyone to where Sophocles's trial was held. Inside two scientists put some of the Charjabug into a machine and demonstrated how it worked; each time the Pokémon would line up like a bingo card. He and Kahili tried it out a few times each, the puzzles not too hard for them. Grimsley also got to see Rosie, who was much larger than Gigi. He started petting her, but flinched when her fur shocked his hand. Kahili also got to pet it, and she too got startled when her hand got shocked.
"Sorry about that," Sophocles said with an embarrassed laugh. "Again, Rosie gets too excited when she gets petted."
"If you think that's bad, I had my Magnezone use its electric attacks on me a bunch of times, woo!" Kukui said, and Grimsley's eyes flew wide.
"What can I say, you're very passionate towards your work," Molayne said and chuckled. He gazed up at the sky and gasped. "Oh, the Minior are coming!"
Everyone including the Pokémon gazed up at the sky with similar expressions. Several large rocks that appeared to be the Minior dropped and littered the hill. Dice and Gigi approached one of them and poked its shell.
"The Minior gets turned to rock due to accumulating a lot of dust while coming here," Molayne said to Grimsley. "Their shells then gets cracked, exposing their core."
Grimsley stared at him in confusion, but then he saw that the Minior's shell started cracking. Dice and Gigi got startled and backed away from the one they were touching. Soon all of the Minor's shells broke and they popped up like confetti. Their bodies looked like little stars and in different colors.
"Hi there little guy, this is your first time coming here?" Sophocles asked when a purple one floated by him. The Minior nodded and rubbed against him, causing Sophocles to laugh.
The other Minior approached everyone else. Molayne, Kukui, and Kahili chuckled when one sat on Mars's head and he tried to figure out where it was. A few of them chased Katsuo while he was flying and screeching. A blue Minior floated by in between Dice and Gigi, the two beaming and jumping with it. An orange one approached Grimsley and he smiled at it.
"I can see why this is called Starfall Hills," he said, just as Queen walked up beside him. The Minior squealed and rubbed both Girmsley's and Queen's cheeks before joining with the other Minior. He looked over his shoulder to see Queen smiling a little.
Everyone watched the Minior playing with the Pokémon and each other a while longer. Eventually, they floated up towards the sky once more.
"After their core is exposed," Molayne said, "their bodies become fragile. They eventually perish unless you use a pokéball."
"Really?" Grimsley asked, blinking. When both Molayne and Kukui nodded, he frowned. "How unfortunate."
He looked up to see several Minior already turning into dust. As more and more Minior disappeared, Dice swung his head all around and he frowned. Queen went to him and patted his shoulder for support. Gigi reacted similarly by chirping and running around in circles. Sophocles picked her up and cradled her against his chest.
"Looks like both Dice and Gigi are sad that they're going away," Kahili said with a small frown.
A sad smile appeared on Sophocles' face. "On my first Minior shower I cried when they disappeared and I couldn't do anything about it. Big Mo then told me they're happy with the few moments they have here and I shouldn't be sad." After Sophocles finished, his cousin rested his palms on his shoulders.
"I couldn't agree more," Kukui said. "We should cherish every moment we have with our Pokémon."
Grimsley couldn't help but steal a glance at Queen. He loved all his Pokémon dearly, but her loss would be the most devastating due to her being his first one and how much they went through together. As if reading his mind, Queen gripped on his shoulder and gave him a firm nod. He was taken aback by her response, but he grinned and touched her shoulder back. When Dice cried and awkwardly sandwiched between them, Grimsley chuckled and patted his forehead.
"Even though this ends on a bittersweet note, I'm glad to have witnessed this," he said and looked back up to see more Minior perishing, glittering the sky like fireworks. He also liked to think those meteor Pokémon enjoyed their stay here while it lasted. This was the most beautiful sight he had seen in a long while.